CPW Writing Techniques & Style 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A writer uses 'however' to connect two sentences. Which punctuation is correct?
- The report was thorough, however it lacked visuals.
- The report was thorough however, it lacked visuals.
- The report was thorough; however, it lacked visuals. (Correct answer)
- The report was thorough: however it lacked visuals.
Correct answer: The report was thorough; however, it lacked visuals.
A conjunctive adverb like 'however' connecting two independent clauses requires a semicolon before it and a comma after it.
Question 2: What is the main risk of using jargon in professional writing?
- It makes the document appear too academic
- It can exclude readers who are unfamiliar with specialized terminology (Correct answer)
- It reduces the word count of the document
- It forces the writer to use passive voice
Correct answer: It can exclude readers who are unfamiliar with specialized terminology
Jargon may be opaque to readers outside a specific field, impeding comprehension and limiting a document's audience.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'parallel structure'?
- Using the same grammatical form for coordinate elements in a sentence (Correct answer)
- Repeating the same word at the end of successive clauses
- Balancing short and long sentences alternately
- Placing the most important idea at the start of a paragraph
Correct answer: Using the same grammatical form for coordinate elements in a sentence
Parallel structure requires that items in a series or list use the same grammatical form, ensuring clarity and balance.
Question 4: A writer describes the ocean as 'a hungry beast devouring the shore.' This is an example of:
- Simile
- Personification
- Metaphor (Correct answer)
- Hyperbole
Correct answer: Metaphor
The ocean is being directly identified as a 'hungry beast' without using 'like' or 'as,' making this a metaphor rather than a simile.
Question 5: What writing principle does the phrase 'murder your darlings' advise?
- Introduce conflict early to engage readers
- Be willing to cut writing you love if it does not serve the work (Correct answer)
- Kill off secondary characters to raise stakes
- Avoid clichéd phrases and overused expressions
Correct answer: Be willing to cut writing you love if it does not serve the work
The phrase, attributed to Arthur Quiller-Couch and popularized by Stephen King, advises writers to remove favorite passages that do not serve the overall piece.
Question 6: Which sentence has an error in pronoun-antecedent agreement?
- Each of the writers submitted their manuscript early. (Correct answer)
- The committee released its final report.
- Neither of the candidates changed their position.
- The team celebrated its championship victory.
Correct answer: Each of the writers submitted their manuscript early.
The antecedent 'each' is singular and traditionally takes a singular pronoun 'his or her,' though 'their' is increasingly accepted; formal CPW standards flag 'each…their' as a mismatch.
Question 7: What is 'stream of consciousness' as a writing technique?
- A step-by-step narrative following events in strict chronological order
- A technique that mimics the continuous, associative flow of a character's thoughts (Correct answer)
- A dialogue style that captures how people speak naturally
- A method of describing settings through all five senses
Correct answer: A technique that mimics the continuous, associative flow of a character's thoughts
Stream of consciousness presents a character's unfiltered thoughts and perceptions as they occur, without conventional narrative structure.
CPW Writing Techniques & Style 4
A writer uses 'however' to connect two sentences.
Which punctuation is correct?