CPW Editing and Revision Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An editor notes that a document's conclusion introduces a new argument not mentioned in the introduction. This is an example of what structural problem?
- Circular reasoning
- Scope creep at the macro level
- Non-sequitur conclusion (Correct answer)
- Dangling modifier
Correct answer: Non-sequitur conclusion
A non-sequitur conclusion introduces material that does not follow logically from or wasn't set up by the body of the piece.
Question 2: Which of the following is the correct order for a comprehensive revision process?
- Proofread → line edit → structural edit
- Structural edit → line edit → proofread (Correct answer)
- Line edit → structural edit → proofread
- Proofread → structural edit → line edit
Correct answer: Structural edit → line edit → proofread
Revising from large to small—structure first, then line quality, then surface errors—prevents wasted effort on sentences that may be cut.
Question 3: A writer wants to strengthen transitions between paragraphs. The most effective technique is to:
- Add a blank line between every paragraph
- Echo a key word from the previous paragraph in the opening of the next (Correct answer)
- Begin each paragraph with 'Furthermore' or 'Additionally'
- Shorten each paragraph to two sentences
Correct answer: Echo a key word from the previous paragraph in the opening of the next
Repeating or referencing a key term from the previous paragraph creates a semantic bridge that guides readers smoothly forward.
Question 4: Which editing principle suggests that a sentence's most emphatic position is at its end?
- Given-new contract
- End weight principle (Correct answer)
- Periodic sentence rule
- Fronting technique
Correct answer: End weight principle
The end weight principle holds that readers remember what comes last, so the most important information should close the sentence.
Question 5: When is it appropriate to use passive voice during revision rather than converting it to active voice?
- When the agent performing the action is unknown or unimportant (Correct answer)
- Whenever the sentence contains an adverb
- When the subject is a proper noun
- Passive voice should always be converted to active voice
Correct answer: When the agent performing the action is unknown or unimportant
Passive voice is appropriate when the doer is unknown, irrelevant, or when the object of the action is more important than the actor.
Question 6: A sentence reads: 'The report was written by the intern.' During revision, the editor wants to foreground the intern. Which revision is correct?
- 'The intern has written the report.'
- 'The intern wrote the report.' (Correct answer)
- 'Written by the intern, the report was completed.'
- 'It was the intern who wrote the report.'
Correct answer: 'The intern wrote the report.'
The simple active construction 'The intern wrote the report' is the most direct and emphatic way to foreground the agent.
Question 7: Which of the following is a sign of 'throat-clearing' at the start of a document that should be cut during revision?
- A vivid anecdote that introduces the topic
- Several sentences that restate widely known background before reaching the actual point (Correct answer)
- A direct thesis statement in the first paragraph
- A provocative question to engage the reader
Correct answer: Several sentences that restate widely known background before reaching the actual point
Throat-clearing is the tendency to warm up with unnecessary background, delaying the real content the reader came for.
CPW Editing and Revision Techniques 3
An editor notes that a document's conclusion introduces a new argument not mentioned in the introduction.
This is an example of what structural problem?