CPP Formatting & Document Structure 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When proofreading a report, you notice that a numbered list switches from Arabic numerals to Roman numerals halfway through. What should you do?
- Flag it as an inconsistency and recommend standardizing to one numeral style (Correct answer)
- Accept it because both styles are grammatically correct
- Change all numerals to letters
- Ignore it as a stylistic choice by the author
Correct answer: Flag it as an inconsistency and recommend standardizing to one numeral style
Consistency in list numbering style is a fundamental formatting standard that proofreaders must enforce.
Question 2: In a professionally formatted document, what is the standard purpose of a running header?
- To repeat decorative elements at the top of each page
- To display the document title, chapter name, or author on each page for orientation (Correct answer)
- To provide footnote references
- To indicate page breaks
Correct answer: To display the document title, chapter name, or author on each page for orientation
Running headers help readers orient themselves within a document by repeating key identifying information on each page.
Question 3: A proofreader finds that subheadings in one chapter use Title Case while subheadings in another chapter use Sentence case. This is an example of:
- A typographical error
- A formatting inconsistency that must be flagged (Correct answer)
- An acceptable regional variation
- An author's intentional stylistic choice that should not be changed
Correct answer: A formatting inconsistency that must be flagged
Inconsistent capitalization of parallel heading levels violates document formatting standards and must be flagged.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'widow' in typesetting?
- A single word left alone on the last line of a paragraph
- The last line of a paragraph appearing alone at the top of a new page or column (Correct answer)
- A hyphenated word that spans two pages
- An orphaned footnote separated from its reference
Correct answer: The last line of a paragraph appearing alone at the top of a new page or column
A widow is the final line of a paragraph stranded at the top of a page, which is considered poor typographical practice.
Question 5: When should a proofreader question the use of a pull quote in a document?
- When it appears on the first page
- When the pull quote text does not match the body text it is drawn from (Correct answer)
- When it uses a larger font size than body text
- When it is centered on the page
Correct answer: When the pull quote text does not match the body text it is drawn from
Pull quotes must accurately reproduce the text they reference; any discrepancy between the pull quote and source text is an error.
Question 6: In a document with multiple appendices, how should they typically be labeled according to standard formatting conventions?
- Appendix 1, Appendix 2, Appendix 3
- Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C (Correct answer)
- Addendum I, Addendum II, Addendum III
- Supplement 1, Supplement 2, Supplement 3
Correct answer: Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C
Standard publishing and style guides most commonly label appendices with capital letters (A, B, C).
Question 7: A proofreader notices that some table cells have content vertically aligned to the top while others are centered. This is:
- Acceptable as long as it is consistent within each individual table
- A formatting inconsistency that should be flagged for correction (Correct answer)
- Standard practice in all professional documents
- An issue only relevant to HTML documents
Correct answer: A formatting inconsistency that should be flagged for correction
Cell alignment must be consistent within a table and ideally across all tables in a document to maintain professional formatting.
CPP Formatting & Document Structure 2
When proofreading a report, you notice that a numbered list switches from Arabic numerals to Roman numerals halfway through.
What should you do?