WGU D269 Composition Writing with a Strategy: Midterm Exam
(Units 1-7) - Questions with Correct Answers
100 questions
1. A writer's persona is:
A. The image or voice the writer presents to readers
B. The writer's legal name
C. The font
D. The thesis
Correct Answer: A. The image or voice the writer presents to readers
Rationale: Voice.
2. Exigence is:
A. The conclusion
B. A citation
C. The issue or problem that prompts someone to write
D. A grammar rule
Correct Answer: C. The issue or problem that prompts someone to write
Rationale: Reason for writing.
3. A writer addressing a hostile audience should:
A. Insult the audience
B. Acknowledge opposing views respectfully and build common ground
C. Ignore their concerns
D. Use only humor
Correct Answer: B. Acknowledge opposing views respectfully and build common ground
Rationale: Persuasion strategy.
4. A text written to express the writer's experiences and reflections is:
A. Technical writing
B. A lab report
C. Expressive or reflective writing
D. A memo
Correct Answer: C. Expressive or reflective writing
Rationale: Personal writing.
5. Constraints in a rhetorical situation can include:
A. Word limits, deadlines and audience beliefs
B. Only the writer's name
C. Only grammar
D. Only fonts
Correct Answer: A. Word limits, deadlines and audience beliefs
Rationale: Limitations.
6. An implicit message is one that is:
A. Stated outright
B. Written in the title
C. In the citation
D. Suggested rather than stated directly
Correct Answer: D. Suggested rather than stated directly
Rationale: Inference.
,7. A writer adjusts vocabulary, tone and examples mainly to suit:
A. The font
B. The word processor
C. The audience
D. The weather
Correct Answer: C. The audience
Rationale: Audience awareness.
8. A writer's purpose and audience should guide decisions about:
A. Content, organization, style and format
B. Nothing
C. Only spelling
D. Only fonts
Correct Answer: A. Content, organization, style and format
Rationale: Rhetorical awareness.
9. A narrative essay primarily:
A. Tells a story with characters, events and sequence
B. Lists statistics
C. Argues a policy
D. Defines terms
Correct Answer: A. Tells a story with characters, events and sequence
Rationale: Story.
10. A writer's stance is:
A. The paper's length
B. The citation format
C. The audience's age
D. The writer's attitude or position toward the topic
Correct Answer: D. The writer's attitude or position toward the topic
Rationale: Position.
11. Which statement shows awareness of audience?
A. Because readers may be new to finance, I define 'liquidity' in plain terms.
B. I will write however I want.
C. Readers do not matter.
D. I will use every technical term I know.
Correct Answer: A. Because readers may be new to finance, I define 'liquidity' in plain terms.
Rationale: Adaptation.
12. The rhetorical situation includes:
A. Writer, audience, purpose, context and genre
B. Only grammar and spelling
C. Font, margins and spacing
D. Word count only
Correct Answer: A. Writer, audience, purpose, context and genre
Rationale: Elements shaping communication.
, 13. Formal academic writing generally avoids:
A. Contractions, slang and overly casual language
B. Clear sentences
C. Evidence
D. Paragraphs
Correct Answer: A. Contractions, slang and overly casual language
Rationale: Formality.
14. Rhetoric is best defined as:
A. The art of effective communication and persuasion
B. Grammar rules
C. A citation style
D. A type of poem
Correct Answer: A. The art of effective communication and persuasion
Rationale: Aristotle.
15. When the audience is unknown, a writer should generally:
A. Use as much jargon as possible
B. Write clearly for an intelligent, general reader
C. Write only for experts
D. Avoid any explanation
Correct Answer: B. Write clearly for an intelligent, general reader
Rationale: Default audience.
16. A writer realizes a paragraph repeats another. During revision the writer should:
A. Keep both
B. Add more repetition
C. Move it to the title
D. Combine or cut the redundant material
Correct Answer: D. Combine or cut the redundant material
Rationale: Concision.
17. Editing focuses on:
A. Choosing a topic
B. Sentence-level issues such as grammar, word choice and style
C. Brainstorming
D. Research only
Correct Answer: B. Sentence-level issues such as grammar, word choice and style
Rationale: Sentence level.
18. Feedback from a peer reviewer that says 'unclear' is most useful when it:
A. Is a single word
B. Is rude
C. Points to specific passages and explains why
D. Is about the font
Correct Answer: C. Points to specific passages and explains why
Rationale: Specific feedback.
(Units 1-7) - Questions with Correct Answers
100 questions
1. A writer's persona is:
A. The image or voice the writer presents to readers
B. The writer's legal name
C. The font
D. The thesis
Correct Answer: A. The image or voice the writer presents to readers
Rationale: Voice.
2. Exigence is:
A. The conclusion
B. A citation
C. The issue or problem that prompts someone to write
D. A grammar rule
Correct Answer: C. The issue or problem that prompts someone to write
Rationale: Reason for writing.
3. A writer addressing a hostile audience should:
A. Insult the audience
B. Acknowledge opposing views respectfully and build common ground
C. Ignore their concerns
D. Use only humor
Correct Answer: B. Acknowledge opposing views respectfully and build common ground
Rationale: Persuasion strategy.
4. A text written to express the writer's experiences and reflections is:
A. Technical writing
B. A lab report
C. Expressive or reflective writing
D. A memo
Correct Answer: C. Expressive or reflective writing
Rationale: Personal writing.
5. Constraints in a rhetorical situation can include:
A. Word limits, deadlines and audience beliefs
B. Only the writer's name
C. Only grammar
D. Only fonts
Correct Answer: A. Word limits, deadlines and audience beliefs
Rationale: Limitations.
6. An implicit message is one that is:
A. Stated outright
B. Written in the title
C. In the citation
D. Suggested rather than stated directly
Correct Answer: D. Suggested rather than stated directly
Rationale: Inference.
,7. A writer adjusts vocabulary, tone and examples mainly to suit:
A. The font
B. The word processor
C. The audience
D. The weather
Correct Answer: C. The audience
Rationale: Audience awareness.
8. A writer's purpose and audience should guide decisions about:
A. Content, organization, style and format
B. Nothing
C. Only spelling
D. Only fonts
Correct Answer: A. Content, organization, style and format
Rationale: Rhetorical awareness.
9. A narrative essay primarily:
A. Tells a story with characters, events and sequence
B. Lists statistics
C. Argues a policy
D. Defines terms
Correct Answer: A. Tells a story with characters, events and sequence
Rationale: Story.
10. A writer's stance is:
A. The paper's length
B. The citation format
C. The audience's age
D. The writer's attitude or position toward the topic
Correct Answer: D. The writer's attitude or position toward the topic
Rationale: Position.
11. Which statement shows awareness of audience?
A. Because readers may be new to finance, I define 'liquidity' in plain terms.
B. I will write however I want.
C. Readers do not matter.
D. I will use every technical term I know.
Correct Answer: A. Because readers may be new to finance, I define 'liquidity' in plain terms.
Rationale: Adaptation.
12. The rhetorical situation includes:
A. Writer, audience, purpose, context and genre
B. Only grammar and spelling
C. Font, margins and spacing
D. Word count only
Correct Answer: A. Writer, audience, purpose, context and genre
Rationale: Elements shaping communication.
, 13. Formal academic writing generally avoids:
A. Contractions, slang and overly casual language
B. Clear sentences
C. Evidence
D. Paragraphs
Correct Answer: A. Contractions, slang and overly casual language
Rationale: Formality.
14. Rhetoric is best defined as:
A. The art of effective communication and persuasion
B. Grammar rules
C. A citation style
D. A type of poem
Correct Answer: A. The art of effective communication and persuasion
Rationale: Aristotle.
15. When the audience is unknown, a writer should generally:
A. Use as much jargon as possible
B. Write clearly for an intelligent, general reader
C. Write only for experts
D. Avoid any explanation
Correct Answer: B. Write clearly for an intelligent, general reader
Rationale: Default audience.
16. A writer realizes a paragraph repeats another. During revision the writer should:
A. Keep both
B. Add more repetition
C. Move it to the title
D. Combine or cut the redundant material
Correct Answer: D. Combine or cut the redundant material
Rationale: Concision.
17. Editing focuses on:
A. Choosing a topic
B. Sentence-level issues such as grammar, word choice and style
C. Brainstorming
D. Research only
Correct Answer: B. Sentence-level issues such as grammar, word choice and style
Rationale: Sentence level.
18. Feedback from a peer reviewer that says 'unclear' is most useful when it:
A. Is a single word
B. Is rude
C. Points to specific passages and explains why
D. Is about the font
Correct Answer: C. Points to specific passages and explains why
Rationale: Specific feedback.
