Mechanics of Technical Writing - Final MCQ Set

1. 1. Which punctuation mark is used to indicate a full stop at the end of a sentence?

 A. Comma
 B. Period
 C. Semicolon
 D. Colon

2. 2. In which case is an exclamation mark commonly used?

 A. To ask a question
 B. To show excitement or strong emotion
 C. To end a statement
 D. To separate items in a list

3. 3. What is the main purpose of a semicolon?

 A. To separate complete thoughts that are closely related

 B. To introduce a list
 C. To denote a question
 D. To show possession

4. 4. Which of the following sentences contains a comma splice?

 A. The cat slept on the mat.

 B. She ran quickly, she was late.
 C. We were happy to see him.
 D. I will study later.

5. 5. What is a run-on sentence?

 A. A sentence that lacks a subject

 B. A sentence that combines two independent clauses without proper punctuation
 C. A sentence with excessive adjectives
 D. A sentence with too many commas
6. 6. Which punctuation mark should be used to show possession?

 A. Colon
 B. Semicolon
 C. Apostrophe
 D. Hyphen

7. 7. In which situation would a hyphen typically be used?

 A. Between independent clauses

 B. In compound adjectives before nouns
 C. To end a declarative sentence
 D. To separate items in a series

8. 8. What is the purpose of an ellipsis?

 A. To end a sentence
 B. To indicate omitted material from a quote
 C. To introduce a list
 D. To separate clauses

9. 9. Which error involves joining two independent clauses without a conjunction or

punctuation?

 A. Fragment
 B. Comma splice
 C. Run-on sentence
 D. Faulty parallelism

10. 10. A vague pronoun error occurs when:

 A. The subject is missing

 B. The antecedent of the pronoun is unclear
 C. The verb tense is incorrect
 D. The sentence has an unnecessary comma

11. 11. Which punctuation mark is used to denote a list or to introduce related information?

 A. Comma
 B. Colon
 C. Period
 D. Hyphen

12. 12. The term 'mechanics of technical writing' primarily refers to:

 A. Writing with personal opinions

 B. Structuring and organizing technical information clearly
 C. Using fictional stories to convey technical information
 D. The study of machinery in technical industries

13. 13. What is a fragment error?

 A. A complete sentence with extra words

 B. A sentence missing a subject, verb, or complete thought
 C. Two sentences joined without punctuation
 D. A sentence with multiple subjects

14. 14. Which of these is an example of faulty parallelism?

 A. She enjoys reading, writing, and painting.

 B. She enjoys to read, writing, and painting.
 C. She enjoys reading and painting.
 D. She enjoys writing, painting, and reading.

15. 15. A comma splice occurs when:

 A. A comma is used to separate items in a list

 B. Two independent clauses are joined by a comma without a conjunction
 C. A comma is placed at the end of a sentence
 D. Commas are overused in a paragraph

16. 16. In technical writing, quotation marks are primarily used to:

 A. Highlight important terms

 B. Indicate a quote or exact words from another source
 C. Create emphasis on technical terms
 D. Separate sections in a document
17. 17. Which punctuation is used to signal possession in nouns?

 A. Colon
 B. Apostrophe
 C. Comma
 D. Hyphen

18. 18. The primary purpose of parentheses in technical writing is to:

 A. Show ownership
 B. Emphasize important points
 C. Add extra, non-essential information
 D. Separate clauses in a sentence

19. 19. Which of the following sentences is correct in avoiding a run-on error?

 A. He ran to the store he forgot his wallet.

 B. He ran to the store, he forgot his wallet.
 C. He ran to the store because he forgot his wallet.
 D. He ran, he forgot his wallet, to the store.

20. 20. What is a vague pronoun?

 A. A pronoun without a clear antecedent

 B. A pronoun used to signal ownership
 C. A pronoun that shows plurality
 D. A pronoun that replaces proper nouns

21. 21. In technical writing, when should you avoid contractions?

 A. In informal documents only

 B. In both formal and technical documents
 C. Only in quotes
 D. In creative writing

22. 22. Which error occurs when a modifier does not clearly relate to the noun it modifies?
 A. Dangling modifier
 B. Fragment
 C. Faulty parallelism
 D. Comma splice

23. 23. When is a semicolon appropriate to use in a sentence?

 A. To separate two independent clauses that are closely related

 B. To start a sentence
 C. To end a sentence
 D. To separate items in a simple list

24. 24. Which sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error?

 A. The dogs are barking.

 B. The cat purrs loudly.
 C. The people was waiting for the bus.
 D. Birds sing in the morning.

25. 25. What should be added to correct a comma splice?

 A. A semicolon or conjunction
 B. Another comma
 C. An exclamation mark
 D. An apostrophe

26. 26. A hyphen is commonly used to:

 A. Separate clauses
 B. Combine two words into a compound adjective
 C. End a sentence
 D. Separate items in a list

27. 27. Which sentence demonstrates correct use of the em dash?

 A. We need more materials--specifically, steel.

 B. We need more materials, specifically, steel.
 C. We need more materials: specifically, steel.
 D. We need more materials; specifically, steel.

28. 28. Pronoun-antecedent agreement requires that:

 A. Pronouns match their antecedents in gender and number

 B. Pronouns always follow verbs
 C. Antecedents are plural
 D. Pronouns are only used at the start of sentences

29. 29. Which option corrects the shifted tense error? 'She walks into the room and then
realized her mistake.'

 A. She walked into the room and then realized her mistake.
 B. She walks into the room, and then realizes her mistake.
 C. She walks into the room and realizes her mistake.
 D. She walks into the room, realizing her mistake.

30. 30. Which of the following is an example of a run-on sentence?

 A. The project was a success it met all the objectives.

 B. The project was successful and met all objectives.
 C. The project was a success; it met all objectives.
 D. The project was a success, meeting all objectives.

31. 31. Which of the following correctly demonstrates the use of parentheses for
clarification?

 A. The test was successful (we used high-quality samples) for the first time.
 B. The test was successful, we used high-quality samples, for the first time.
 C. The test was successful - we used high-quality samples - for the first time.
 D. The test was successful; we used high-quality samples for the first time.

32. 32. What is the primary rule for using colons correctly in sentences?

 A. They should introduce an unrelated clause

 B. The part before the colon must be an independent clause
 C. Colons are only used for emphasis
 D. They can replace commas in lists
33. 33. What type of error is evident in the following sentence: 'Going to the store, the
apples were fresh and ripe.'?

 A. Comma splice
 B. Run-on sentence
 C. Dangling modifier
 D. Pronoun error

34. 34. Which choice best demonstrates a semicolon used in a series?

 A. I bought apples; oranges, and bananas.

 B. The team includes members from Dallas; Texas; Denver; Colorado; and Miami;
Florida.
 C. I bought apples, oranges, and bananas; they are my favorites.
 D. The team consists of Dallas, Denver, and Miami residents.

35. 35. When are quotation marks used to indicate irony?

 A. When showing ownership

 B. When quoting directly from another source
 C. To indicate a sarcastic or non-literal term
 D. When referencing a title

36. 36. Which of the following is a correctly written sentence with a pronoun-antecedent
agreement?

 A. Each student must submit their homework on time.

 B. The team worked on their project tirelessly.
 C. Everyone should bring their own lunch.
 D. Each participant must submit his or her report.

37. 37. Which punctuation mark is correct to use between two related but independent
clauses?

 A. Period
 B. Comma
 C. Semicolon
 D. Colon
38. 38. What is the correct use of ellipses in a sentence?

 A. 'He went to the store . . . bought apples.'

 B. 'She said . . . and left immediately.'
 C. 'I will . . . think about it.'
 D. 'The plan . . . did not succeed.'

39. 39. Which of these is an example of a vague pronoun error?

 A. The car and truck were parked; it was red.

 B. Both Alice and Tom love hiking.
 C. The boys enjoy soccer.
 D. Tom likes reading books on history.

40. 40. What is faulty parallelism in this sentence: 'The manager wanted to review reports,
to complete evaluations, and documentation.'

 A. The items in the list are not in parallel form

 B. The sentence contains a fragment
 C. The items are redundant
 D. The sentence has a pronoun error

41. 41. In which case would you avoid using an apostrophe?

 A. For contractions like 'don’t'

 B. For possessive nouns like 'dog’s'
 C. For plurals of numbers like '1980s'
 D. For possessive pronouns like 'its'

42. 42. Which option demonstrates correct use of a hyphen?

 A. A well known fact

 B. An up-to-date report
 C. He is a five - year - old boy
 D. I will re think the proposal

43. 43. Choose the correct use of a colon in this sentence:

 A. The following items are needed: pens, notebooks, and markers.
 B. He was late, the traffic was heavy.
 C. She brought, milk, eggs, and bread.
 D. The list includes apples: oranges, and grapes.

44. 44. Identify the sentence that uses the semicolon correctly.

 A. The cat is small; but fierce.

 B. He loves to cook; especially Italian food.
 C. She has many hobbies; knitting, reading, and painting.
 D. I have class today; therefore, I must leave early.

45. 45. What kind of sentence is this: 'Because she missed the bus.'

 A. Fragment
 B. Run-on
 C. Comma splice
 D. Complex

46. 46. When should parentheses be avoided?

 A. To include extra information

 B. To separate independent clauses
 C. To provide examples
 D. To clarify items in a list

47. 47. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence:

 A. The teacher said 'Please submit your work.'

 B. 'Please submit your work', the teacher said.
 C. The teacher said, 'Please submit your work.'
 D. 'Please submit your work.' the teacher said

48. 48. Which sentence avoids the use of a run-on?

 A. We left the party it was getting late.

 B. We left the party, it was getting late.
 C. We left the party because it was getting late.
 D. We left, the party was getting late.

49. 49. Which of the following is a correct example of a subject-verb agreement?

 A. Each of the students have a notebook.

 B. The team are winning the game.
 C. The dogs barks at night.
 D. The jury has reached a verdict.

50. 50. How do ellipses function in this sentence: 'She began to explain . . . but stopped
suddenly.'?

 A. To complete a thought
 B. To show an omission
 C. To replace a comma
 D. To end the sentence

Answer Key
1. B

2. B

3. A

4. B

5. B

6. C

7. B

8. B

9. C

10. B

11. B

12. B

13. B
14. B

15. B

16. B

17. B

18. C

19. C

20. A

21. B

22. A

23. A

24. C

25. A

26. B

27. A

28. A

29. A

30. A

31. A

32. B

33. C

34. B

35. C

36. D

37. C

38. C

39. A
40. A

41. D

42. B

43. A

44. D

45. A

46. B

47. C

48. C

49. D

50. B