View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What occurs when business writing is bad?
(a) Executives get fired for pawning off simple writing tasks.
(b) Investors will agree to terms they do not understand.
(c) People will get fired for bad writing.
(d) Customers will go elsewhere to buy their goods and services.

2. What does Zinsser think about this misconception?
(a) He states anyone can write about anything if his approach is correct.
(b) He agrees with it and thinks scientists cannot write at all.
(c) He disagrees with it, but offers no reason why.
(d) He agrees with it and thinks writers can never understand complex scientific theories.

3. Does Zinsser ever use humor in his writing?
(a) No, he is not a funny guy.
(b) Sometimes, but only when he knows it will be perceived as funny.
(c) Yes, he uses it to humanize his writing and add his own personal voice.
(d) Never, he is against humorous writing.

4. What did he love about the New York Herald?
(a) He loved how opinionated all the columnists were.
(b) He appreciated the fair and balanced reporting.
(c) He loved that it always came to his doorstep as a child.
(d) The style which incorporated warmth, humor and the master of the English language.

5. What advice does Zinsser have for all writers?
(a) To never give up in the face of adversity.
(b) To write as much as they can and become a content mill.
(c) To write the best they can and defend their writing.
(d) To challenge their editors occasionally.

6. Do writers need to write all the time?
(a) No, if they are not in the mood, it will come out in their writing.
(b) No, writers should only write when they are in the zone.
(c) Yes, even if they have to force it out.
(d) Yes, because writers are always able to write.

7. Why do structured classes miss the point of teaching good writing?
(a) They focus more on talent and less on grades.
(b) They focus more on the final product than the writing process.
(c) They focus more on the writing process than the final product.
(d) They focus less on talent and more on getting good grades.

8. What should writers focus on the most?
(a) The writing process.
(b) Their audience.
(c) The final product.
(d) Their editors.

9. His article was supposed to be about his impressions of salt caravans, why didn't he write more about this?
(a) Salt caravans are general knowledge and he didn't want to sound cliche.
(b) He wasn't paying attention to the salt caravans.
(c) He never saw the salt caravans, and this was the humor in his article.
(d) He was bored with the caravans, and would have bored his readers since he cannot fake his voice.

10. How are writers like painters?
(a) Writers and painters will destory their work if it is not to their expectations.
(b) Writing isn't like painting at all. Neither has anything in common with the other.
(c) They both have the freedom of creativity with no rules that bind them.
(d) Painters start with models and then learn to create in they own way. Writers use formulas then find their own voice.

11. What is the advantage of a writer writing his or her own memoir?
(a) The writer does not have to pay attention to basic grammar rules.
(b) They are lax and impersonal.
(c) The writer does not have to do any interviews.
(d) The main subject is already known.

12. What is the danger of overusing humor in writing?
(a) A writer's credibility will tank.
(b) It can get tiresome and jokes over time will become weaker.
(c) A writer will not be taken seriously.
(d) Rejection from not being funny enough, or at all.

13. What does Zinsser think about writing memoirs?
(a) He thinks memoirs are tacky writers.
(b) He likes memoirs and reads them constantly.
(c) He is against memoirs and thinks writers should never write about themselves.
(d) He encourages them and wants writers to stop being afraid about writing about themselves.

14. What is the best way to add humor into writing?
(a) Making seperate paragraphs that only have the funny line in them.
(b) Adding asterisks to funny lines.
(c) Making all funny lines italicized.
(d) Making a funny sentence sneak up on a reader to get an unexpected laugh.

15. What do people need to understand about science?
(a) It is easy to understand if given the chance.
(b) It can be learned at any point in life.
(c) Only nerds can learn it.
(d) It is a foundation that needs to be built upon.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where did Zinsser learn how to write?

2. Do readers generally like knowing about athletes' personal lives?

3. What is a general rule for writing about sports?

4. What is a second approach Zinsser recommends that complements the first approach mentioned?

5. What was the best advice Zinsser ever received about having opinions in writing?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 935 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample