14: Definitions, Descriptions, & Instructions

A set of instructions is a type of definition.

False

According to Chapter 14, many companies are uneasy about using instructional videos and rely on printed documentation instead.

False

According to Chapter 14, the safety of your company's products (and the effectiveness of your company's instructions) is a matter of contract law.

False

To minimize product-liability lawsuits in the event of improper use of Phillips lawn mowers, which of the following instructions should the lead technical writer at Phillips, Inc. NOT give to the team writing the company's user manual?

For ease of use, place all safety information in the introduction so that users can read through all of it at once before using the product. Then, in the instruction steps, merely cross-reference to the introduction.

While reviewing a draft of a trip report discussing the importance of a presentation she attended, a writer decides that some readers may not know what a particular term means. If she wants to clarify the term briefly and unobtrusively, the writer should use which of the following strategies?

Include a parenthetical definition.

Several organizations have issued guidelines and standards for communicating information about safety. Which of the following is NOT one of these organizations?

Institute of Safety Ordinances (ISO)

You are writing a manual for a deep fryer designed for home cooks. Which statement would be appropriately set off with Note as a signal word?

The fry basket can hold 4-6 small doughnuts at a time.

Which of the following is an effective sentence definition?

Thermography is a printing process in which a special powder is added to the wet ink on the surface of the paper and then heated.

Which of the critiques listed below applies to the following description of a process? GETTING A COLLEGE DEGREE First, you must apply to schools you want to attend. Pick good schools to apply to. Next, you must enroll at a college. After you have enrolled, you must pick a degree program. Take every course you need. After you take all of your courses, you will have a degree. Congratulations!

This description lacks effective detail in its steps.

Which of the following best describes this definition: "A conjunctive adverb is an adverb that has a conjunctive function between two clauses"?

This is a circular definition.

A conventions section explains to readers how a manual uses typography to signify different kinds of information. One example is using the typeface Courier to represent text the reader is supposed to type.

True

According to Chapter 14, there is no absolute distinction between a set of instructions and a manual.

True

It is important to revise, edit, and proofread instructions to ensure that readers can complete the task described safely.

True

Part of the challenge of deciding where to put a definition lies in the fact that several places are viable options.

True

Step-by-step instructions should be written in the imperative mood.

True

Which of the following provides the best conclusion to a set of instructions on assembling a toy airplane for children under age 10?

Use your toy carefully.

A writer wants to describe how screen printing is done. Which of the following elements is NOT likely to appear in the process description?

a step-by-step guide to performing the process

Which two types of organizational patterns are most common for mechanism descriptions? (Select both answers.)

functional spatial

A writer is creating an employee handbook for assembly-line workers and their supervisors. One particular extended definition is approximately a page long. Where should the writer place this definition if it will be of interest to only the supervisors?

in an appendix

You are a technical writer for Landson Toy Company. Landson has just designed a new, more durable swing set for 6- to 10-year-olds. Which of the following should you NOT include in the introduction to the swing-set installation guide?

maintenance tips

According to Chapter 14, an effective process description fully describes which of the following?

substeps

According to Chapter 14, what is an effective way to conclude a description?

with a summary of major points and, in some cases, a brief description of how the parts or process steps work together

According to Chapter 14, what is the primary way to indicate the nature and the scope of a description?

writing an effective title or section heading to precede the description