Technical Writing Chapter 14 Final Review

What technique is used in the definition "RADAR originally stood for 'radio detection and ranging,' but these days it is rarely used as an acronym and instead appears as the noun radar"?

Etymology

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

Descriptions are rarely incorporated into longer documents; instead, they usually appear as separate documents.

False

The partitioning technique for creating an extended definition is often used in tandem with another technique.

False

Which of the following is the most effective title for part of a set of instructions on bicycle repair?

Fixing Caliper Brake Shoes

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.

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

Have fun!

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)

What technique is used to clarify the term inflammable in this definition: "An inflammable substance is not a substance that cannot catch fire; to the contrary, an inflammable substance catches fire quite easily"?

Negation

In what way is the definition "Booting a computer is when you turn it on" flawed?

The definition contains a phrase beginning with when.

In what way is the definition "In a bankruptcy action, a nonsecured debt is a debt that is not secured" flawed?

The definition is circular.

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 critiques listed below applies to the following description of a process?

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 is an effective sentence definition?

Velo binding is when two plastic strips are placed on either side of the document and bound together with heat.

A writer is drafting the conclusion of a lengthy process description explaining to consumers how a company's new voice-recognition product works. Which of the following elements would be LEAST appropriate for the conclusion?

a brief review of the uses of voice-recognition technology

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

What are the four signal words commonly used to indicate the levels of seriousness in comments?

danger, warning, caution, and note.

What is the function of a conventions section?

describes the typography, where to get help, and a section listing the trademarks.

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

functional spatial

How long should an instructional video be?

ideally be 2-3 minutes, but no longer than 12-15.

Placing definitions directly in the text is a common practice. According to Chapter 14, what are two other acceptable locations for definitions?

in a marginal gloss, in a separate hyperlinked file, in a footnote, or in a glossary.

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

What are the three types of descriptions discussed in Chapter 14?

object, mechanism, and process.

H&G Garden Supplies is revising its instruction booklet for assembling and installing its redwood garden arbor. The set contains two 6-foot trellises, two planter boxes, and a pair of adjustable arches. Which of the following should you NOT include in the back matter of the instruction booklet?

safety information

Read the following instructions for creating an automated index of web files. Then indicate which step or steps are NOT CORRECTLY written. 1. Open Windows Explorer to c:\program files\autoindex\. 2. Copy the folders containing your web files to the folder named "indexer." If autoindex does not contain an indexer folder, you must reinstall the software. See the installation booklet. 3. Type the appropriate path, for instance, c:\program files\autoindex\indexer\indexer.exe webfolder1, webfolder2, etc. 4. Indexer now has a folder called IndexSearch. The executable file, index.exe, may be run to view the searchable index of your web files.

steps 2 and 4

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

substeps

The introduction to a set of instructions should answer six questions, one of which is "Why should the reader carry out this task?" According to Chapter 14, what is one other question?

who should carry out the task.

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

What are two common ways of concluding a set of instructions? (Select both answers.)

with a troubleshooting guide with maintenance tips

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