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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. According to King, what goes in the top of the writer's toolbox?
(a) Study and preparation through classwork.
(b) Practice in writing.
(c) A grounding in literature.
(d) The most important tools for writing.

2. Which speaker attributes does King find acceptable for the majority of dialogue?
(a) The basic 'he said', 'she said'.
(b) Those which use active verbs.
(c) Whichever ones are necessary to convey the meaning of the scene.
(d) Clever ones that break up the monotony of the 'he said', 'she said' routine.

3. What lesson does the experience with his uncle teach King?
(a) He learns to have the toolbox handy and ready for odd jobs around the house.
(b) He always remembers the advice and learned to be prepared.
(c) He learns to appreciate physical labor.
(d) He learns the importance of having the right tool for the job.

4. What does King believe about writers who are too busy to read?
(a) They will lose a good source of ideas.
(b) They are too busy to write.
(c) They are hobbyists, not passionate writers.
(d) They will be a successful writer.

5. How many words a day does King try to produce?
(a) 3000 words.
(b) 2000 words.
(c) 5000 words.
(d) 1500 words.

6. What action does King believe a writer should take with respect to grammar?
(a) To ignore grammar and let editors correct any obvious mistakes.
(b) To research the writer's specific doubts on the Internet.
(c) To thoroughly read a well-known grammar text.
(d) To ask teachers about things which confuse the writer.

7. What does King help his uncle fix as a child?
(a) The kitchen sink.
(b) A leaky faucet in the bathroom.
(c) A window screen.
(d) The driveway.

8. In addition to his injunction, King wants writers to leave something behind when they write. What should writers leave behind?
(a) Their desires.
(b) Cleverness.
(c) Fear.
(d) Honesty.

9. What kind of verbs does King recommend be used when writing?
(a) Verbs of vivid action.
(b) Verbs in the passive voice, past tense.
(c) Verbs in the active voice, present tense.
(d) Verbs in the active voice.

10. What is King's first piece of advice to those reading the chapter, On Writing?
(a) To read.
(b) To practice their writing using his suggestions.
(c) To write every day.
(d) To believe in their work.

11. What book does King recommend for grammar study?
(a) Strunk and White's Elements of Style.
(b) Betty Azar's Understanding and Using English Grammar.
(c) Prentice-Hall Handbook of Grammar.
(d) Any good high school grammar text.

12. Another belief of King is that writers have a special need. What is this need?
(a) A telephone.
(b) A specific space in which to write.
(c) A modern computer with Skype and YouTube accounts.
(d) An office equipped with a computer and internet access.

13. Which genre does King feel Misery will belong to when he begins to write the story?
(a) A novel.
(b) A novella.
(c) A short story.
(d) A screenplay.

14. In conclusion, what is the chapter, Toolbox, about?
(a) King's analogy on the art of writing.
(b) King's effort to present the mechanics of writing to his readers.
(c) King's beliefs about how to become an excellent writer.
(d) King's feelings about the writing world.

15. From King's statements, what element should be used to illustrate a character?
(a) Their mannerisms.
(b) Their thoughts.
(c) Their speech.
(d) Their typical, everyday dress.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are King's feelings on grammar study?

2. If used correctly, King believes that dialogue could be what object for a writer?

3. King has been called a hack over the years. What is a hack?

4. What is King's most important injunction to writers?

5. When does King hold himself to the minimum number of words per day?

(see the answer keys)

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