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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the transaction in writing?
(a) How much a writer gives of themselves rather than of facts.
(b) How much a writer talks about themselves.
(c) The bookbuying process.
(d) How much facts a writer uses.

2. What has literature transformed into?
(a) Literature now includes nonfiction and fiction alike.
(b) Literature has not transformed at all.
(c) Literature now includes poetry.
(d) Literature is still mainly novels,and very rarely includes other writing.

3. What should every paragraph end with?
(a) Every paragraph needs to have a hook or a cliffhanger that will lead the reader into the next paragraph.
(b) Every paragraph should end with a period.
(c) All paragraphs should end with a summary of the entire paragraph.
(d) All paragraphs should repeat the first sentence.

4. Why is the English language changing all the time?
(a) It changes because academics choose the best ways to speak English and try to teach that to children.
(b) It changes because it is a living language.
(c) It changes because of regional differences that make their way outwards.
(d) It changes because people don't know how to speak it properly and are changing the way it is spoken.

5. Does Zissner believe in the journalism model for good writing?
(a) No, journalism is dead and the writing is poor.
(b) Yes, it saves space and uses modern words.
(c) No because journalists use cheap words and buzz words.
(d) Yes, it is efficient and catchy.

6. How many people are in the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel?
(a) 14 writers and poets.
(b) 10 writers.
(c) 104 writers, poets, editors, and teachers.
(d) 1000 writers, poets, and editors.

7. What is the old view of nonfiction?
(a) That it is all commentary that means nothing to anyone but the writer.
(b) That it is the best form of writing because it is factual and real.
(c) That it is only journalism which isn't a respectable form of writing.
(d) That it is the only respectable form of writing.

8. Why doesn't Zissner provide examples of these writers he admires?
(a) So that people will go to the library to discover the writers themselves.
(b) Because he has a word count limit to abide to.
(c) He didn't want their writing to prove better than his.
(d) Because of copyright law.

9. What is the main thing readers think when starting an article?
(a) They want to know whether it is worth it to read the article.
(b) They want to know how soon they will find the answer to the original thesis question of an article.
(c) They want to know whether the writer is credible or not.
(d) They want to know how long it will take them to read the article.

10. Why does Zissner advise his clients to worry about the marketplace last?
(a) Because nobody knows what is going to sell.
(b) Because the marketplace always needs books and will take anything.
(c) Writing a good piece for the marketplace is easy when they know what sells.
(d) Because the marketplace never changes.

11. Does the author believe good writing is the result of an inherent talent?
(a) Yes, people are born to write.
(b) No, the craft always gets better with time.
(c) No, good writers have to be taught.
(d) A good writer

12. What is Zissner's point of view on the debate between literature and journalism?
(a) He agrees that journalism is bad writing.
(b) He wants to go back to the pre-WWII form of writing.
(c) He agrees that literature is the only true form of good writing.
(d) He believes it doesn't matter, and that good writing is good writing.

13. What does it convey when anyone says he can write a book if he wanted to?
(a) It shows that people are ignorant.
(b) It reveals the misconception that writing is easy.
(c) It reveals how easy it is to write a book.
(d) It shows that there are many talented people in the world.

14. Can good writing be taught?
(a) Only good teachers can teach good writing.
(b) It cannot, but it can be learned.
(c) Of course it can.
(d) Only good students can learn good writing.

15. What does Zissner say is a common desire of every writer?
(a) To find shortcuts.
(b) To mae sure grammar is perfect.
(c) To take the long route to everything.
(d) To pay perfect attention to detail.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does a Thesaurus help a writer with, besides finding alternate words?

2. What does Zinsser do before submitting a piece of writing?

3. Does skipping grammar check save a writer time?

4. What are some limitations of perfect grammar?

5. What happens when a product of writing is never read?

(see the answer keys)

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