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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is one of Zissner's biggest pet peeves?

2. How rigid are the lines between proper and improper English usage?

3. Good writing is ______________.

4. What should the lead in the first sentence do for a reader?

5. What could cause a writer to write unclear?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is unity in writing?

2. When can grammar rules be broken?

3. What political period was the worst as far as bad writing?

4. Why does Zinsser advise against using exclamation points for astonishment?

5. Writers are told to study the market before submitting pieces. Why is this advice irrelevant?

6. What are some examples of bad writing that has to be read?

7. How much information should a writer gather before writing a piece? Why is it important?

8. Why are interviews so important to an article?

9. What are Zinsser's thoughts on the writing profession?

10. Who does Zinsser say are the worst writers guilty of clutter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rewrite the following sentence into three good leads: The cat jumped onto the fence.

Essay Topic 2

What was your definition of literature before reading this book? Has it changed or is it the same? Explain why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

Zinsser says that writers should write from their subconscious to let everything flow, then go back and hammer out all the gritty details. How often do you take this approach? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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