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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Zinsser do before submitting a piece of writing?
(a) He edits everything three times.
(b) He submits his writing to his family.
(c) He has his wife read his work.
(d) He reads everything aloud.

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

3. What are the best aspects of a good story?
(a) Clarity.
(b) Good research.
(c) Clarity and writing skill.
(d) Writing skill.

4. Chapter 3 is about __________.
(a) Reducing clutter.
(b) Simplicity.
(c) Clutter.
(d) Increasing the simplicity of writing.

5. When should a writer choose the point of view in a piece of writing?
(a) A writer should determine the point of view before writing a new piece.
(b) It doesn't matter when the point of view is established.
(c) THe point of view should be determined once the writing is finished and ready for editing.
(d) The point of view can be determined after the writer figures out who will be the main character.

6. What is another important characteristic of a writer?
(a) To be aware of the rhythm and sound of words together.
(b) To sound out simple syllables.
(c) To be aware of the way words are spelled.
(d) To sound out simple sentences.

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

8. Who is rivaling everything that Zissner is saying?
(a) The professor of the class.
(b) Another writer.
(c) A doctor who writes for a hobby.
(d) A student in the audience.

9. Why does he recommend starting in the preferred tense?
(a) It causes writer's to think about the reader.
(b) It makes it easier for people to relate to.
(c) It brings out the natural voice.
(d) It creates a teacher student relationship.

10. What are some limitations of perfect grammar?
(a) Lack of expressionism when grammar is perfect.
(b) Hindering points, establishing author moods, and painting word pictures.
(c) Good grammer makes for boring writing.
(d) Some writers don't have perfect grammar and therefore cannot get published.

11. Do good writers decorate their writing?
(a) Yes, with good punctuation.
(b) No, only bad writers do this to sell more copies.
(c) Yes, always with lots of extra words.
(d) No, good writers dont need ornamentation.

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

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

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

15. A musician must practice scales, and a writer must practice ______________.
(a) Grammar.
(b) The marketplace.
(c) Spelling.
(d) Sentences.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are the two components of the original Roget's Thesaurus?

2. What does Zissner use to highlight clutter in his students' writing?

3. What is another example of when a person HAS to read bad writing?

4. What group of people does the author think has the worst type of writing?

5. What is an example of a hit book that was rejected several times?

(see the answer keys)

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