Question 1

Graphics and design elements are relatively unimportant in communicating persuasively.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 2

It is most effective to present emotional appeals in isolation rather than in combination with other types of evidence.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 3

An argument using an appeal to pity is focused on what element?

Accepted Answer

A)  logic 
B)  emotion 
C)  memory 
D)  the speaker or writer 
A)  logic 
B)  emotion 
C)  memory 
D)  the speaker or writer B

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a category of constraints on your ability to be persuasive in a workplace document?

Accepted Answer

A)  partitional 
B)  personnel 
C)  financial 
D)  political 
A)  partitional 
B)  personnel 
C)  financial 
D)  political

Question 5

What type of argument restates the main point without presenting any evidence to support it?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What type of argument restates the main...

Question 6

The following statement appears in a proposal to install a large pond near an amphitheater: "Jones Company is an expert in pond preparation. We installed our first pond at Jameson Park earlier this year." What type of reasoning does the passage display?

Accepted Answer

A)  post hoc reasoning 
B)  inadequate sampling 
C)  arguing from ignorance 
D)  arguing from authority 
A)  post hoc reasoning 
B)  inadequate sampling 
C)  arguing from ignorance 
D)  arguing from authority

Question 7

People who write proposals are the only technical writers who need to be concerned with persuasion.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

What type of argument states that a claim is valid because many people think it is or act as if it is?

Accepted Answer

An ad popu

Question 9

A testimonial can be an effective persuasive element.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of an informational constraint that you might confront when completing a project?

Accepted Answer

A)  You know that your proposal would help the company, but you also know that the company can't afford to act on your proposal. 
B)  Your document would be most effective if it used color, but your budget will allow for only black-and-white printing. 
C)  You have located advertising brochures and testimonials associated with the subject you're writing about, but you can't find reports on the kinds of controlled tests that would convince a skeptical reader. 
D)  All responses are correct. 
A)  You know that your proposal would help the company, but you also know that the company can't afford to act on your proposal. 
B)  Your document would be most effective if it used color, but your budget will allow for only black-and-white printing. 
C)  You have located advertising brochures and testimonials associated with the subject you're writing about, but you can't find reports on the kinds of controlled tests that would convince a skeptical reader. 
D)  All responses are correct.

Question 11

Which of these statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Writers who appeal to an audience's sense of reason never use graphics. 
B)  Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually do so dramatically. 
C)  Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually do not appeal to their sense of reason as well. 
D)  Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually appeal to their sense of reason as well. 
A)  Writers who appeal to an audience's sense of reason never use graphics. 
B)  Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually do so dramatically. 
C)  Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually do not appeal to their sense of reason as well. 
D)  Writers who appeal to an audience's emotions usually appeal to their sense of reason as well.

Question 12

Which three of the following are elements of an argument?

Accepted Answer

A)  claim 
B)  persona 
C)  conclusion 
D)  evidence 
E)  reasoning 
A)  claim 
B)  persona 
C)  conclusion 
D)  evidence 
E)  reasoning

Question 13

What type of argument draws conclusions based on an insufficient number of cases?

Accepted Answer

Hasty gene

Question 14

Chapter 8 lists four characteristics that can help you establish an effective professional persona. One is cooperativeness. Which of the following characteristics are also listed in the chapter?

Accepted Answer

A)  fair-mindedness 
B)  punctuality 
C)  moderation 
D)  self-control 
E)  modesty 
A)  fair-mindedness 
B)  punctuality 
C)  moderation 
D)  self-control 
E)  modesty

Question 15

In the following excerpt, a writer tries to persuade his supervisor to respond to a government request for proposals (RFP) to build an unmanned surveillance plane for the military. Which aspects of the paragraph undercut the effectiveness of the passage?
I think we are making a serious mistake by not responding. If we don't respond to this proposal, we will lose our competitive edge. At a conference last month, for example, I spoke to a couple of people who said the market for unmanned surveillance aircraft will grow exponentially during the next 10 years. Can we talk about this more at next week's planning meeting?

Accepted Answer

A)  It argues that the claim is valid because the person making the claim is an authority. 
B)  It assumes what the writer is attempting to prove. 
C)  It draws conclusions on the basis of an inadequate sample. 
D)  It poses only two alternatives when in fact there might be more. 
A)  It argues that the claim is valid because the person making the claim is an authority. 
B)  It assumes what the writer is attempting to prove. 
C)  It draws conclusions on the basis of an inadequate sample. 
D)  It poses only two alternatives when in fact there might be more.

Question 16

What type of argument poses only two alternatives when in fact there might be more?

Accepted Answer

An either-

Question 17

A writer's company has just adopted a policy of tracking employee emails to determine which employee is leaking confidential information. Because the writer knows that this policy will be unpopular with company employees, which is the best strategy for announcing the policy to employees in a memorandum?

Accepted Answer

A)  Present the reasoning behind the new policy and then state the policy. 
B)  State the policy and then provide the reasoning. 
C)  State only the new policy. 
D)  State the reasoning behind the new policy and then state the policy in a follow-up memorandum. 
A)  Present the reasoning behind the new policy and then state the policy. 
B)  State the policy and then provide the reasoning. 
C)  State only the new policy. 
D)  State the reasoning behind the new policy and then state the policy in a follow-up memorandum.

Question 18

crafting a persuasive argument involves six tasks. One is using the right kinds of evidence. What is another of the tasks listed in the chapter?

Accepted Answer

The other five tasks are identifying the

Question 19

When used as evidence, what does an effective example do?

Accepted Answer

A)  It makes concrete ideas more abstract. 
B)  It makes abstract ideas more concrete. 
C)  It makes concrete ideas more figurative. 
D)  It makes abstractions less didactic. 
A)  It makes concrete ideas more abstract. 
B)  It makes abstract ideas more concrete. 
C)  It makes concrete ideas more figurative. 
D)  It makes abstractions less didactic.

Question 20

What type of argument is one made against the writer, rather than against the writer's argument?

Accepted Answer

An ad hominem argume

Graphics and design elements are relatively unimportant in communicating persuasively.

It is most effective to present emotional appeals in isolation rather than in combination with other types of evidence.

An argument using an appeal to pity is focused on what element?

Which of the following is NOT a category of constraints on your ability to be persuasive in a workplace document?

What type of argument restates the main point without presenting any evidence to support it?

The following statement appears in a proposal to install a large pond near an amphitheater: "Jones Company is an expert in pond preparation. We installed our first pond at Jameson Park earlier this year." What type of reasoning does the passage display?

People who write proposals are the only technical writers who need to be concerned with persuasion.

What type of argument states that a claim is valid because many people think it is or act as if it is?

A testimonial can be an effective persuasive element.

Which of the following is an example of an informational constraint that you might confront when completing a project?

Which of these statements is true?

Which three of the following are elements of an argument?

What type of argument draws conclusions based on an insufficient number of cases?

Chapter 8 lists four characteristics that can help you establish an effective professional persona. One is cooperativeness. Which of the following characteristics are also listed in the chapter?

What type of argument poses only two alternatives when in fact there might be more?

crafting a persuasive argument involves six tasks. One is using the right kinds of evidence. What is another of the tasks listed in the chapter?

When used as evidence, what does an effective example do?

What type of argument is one made against the writer, rather than against the writer's argument?

Introduction to Technical Communication

Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations

Writing Technical Documents

Writing Collaboratively

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Researching Your Subject

Organizing Your Information

Emphasizing Important Information

Writing Correct and Effective Sentences

Designing Print and Online Documents

Creating Graphics

Reviewing, Evaluating, and Testing Documents and Web Sites

Writing Correspondence

Writing Job-Application Materials

Writing Proposals

Writing Informational Reports

Writing Recommendation Reports

Writing Lab Reports

Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions

Making Oral Presentations

Filters

Exam 8: Communicating Persuasively

Graphics and design elements are relatively unimportant in communicating persuasively.

It is most effective to present emotional appeals in isolation rather than in combination with other types of evidence.

An argument using an appeal to pity is focused on what element?

Which of the following is NOT a category of constraints on your ability to be persuasive in a workplace document?

What type of argument restates the main point without presenting any evidence to support it?

The following statement appears in a proposal to install a large pond near an amphitheater: "Jones Company is an expert in pond preparation. We installed our first pond at Jameson Park earlier this year." What type of reasoning does the passage display?

People who write proposals are the only technical writers who need to be concerned with persuasion.

What type of argument states that a claim is valid because many people think it is or act as if it is?

A testimonial can be an effective persuasive element.

Which of the following is an example of an informational constraint that you might confront when completing a project?

Which of these statements is true?

Which three of the following are elements of an argument?

What type of argument draws conclusions based on an insufficient number of cases?

Chapter 8 lists four characteristics that can help you establish an effective professional persona. One is cooperativeness. Which of the following characteristics are also listed in the chapter?

What type of argument poses only two alternatives when in fact there might be more?

crafting a persuasive argument involves six tasks. One is using the right kinds of evidence. What is another of the tasks listed in the chapter?

When used as evidence, what does an effective example do?

What type of argument is one made against the writer, rather than against the writer's argument?

Introduction to Technical Communication

Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations

Writing Technical Documents

Writing Collaboratively

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Researching Your Subject

Organizing Your Information

Emphasizing Important Information

Writing Correct and Effective Sentences

Designing Print and Online Documents

Creating Graphics

Reviewing, Evaluating, and Testing Documents and Web Sites

Writing Correspondence

Writing Job-Application Materials

Writing Proposals

Writing Informational Reports

Writing Recommendation Reports

Writing Lab Reports

Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions

Making Oral Presentations

Filters