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Questions and Answers
Which of the following types of errors do computer spell checkers often miss?
What is the spelling difference between American and British English for the word 'color'?
What is the freezing point of water in degrees Fahrenheit?
32 degrees Fahrenheit
Punctuation marks do not play a significant role in language.
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Which of the following is a common reason for capitalizing words?
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The active voice generally makes writing more ______.
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What type of voice is often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers?
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Verb agreement errors can occur when the subject and verb do not match in number.
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What is a common error related to pronouns?
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Study Notes
Technical Writing Mechanics
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Technical writing mechanics include spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar.
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Homonym errors which are often missed by spell checkers, are a common problem for Arab ESL secondary school students.
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Spelling
- British English differs from American English in spelling conventions.
- British: colour, grey, labour
- American: color, gray, labor
- When spelling numbers in text, use words for numbers below ten, but use numerals for numbers above ten.
- When writing numbers in technical documents, use numerals for clarity and consistency.
- British English differs from American English in spelling conventions.
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Punctuation
- Punctuation marks are like traffic signals, helping readers understand and interpret text.
- Using incorrect punctuation can confuse readers and compromise the writer's credibility.
- British English differs from American English in punctuation conventions, specifically for periods and commas.
- British: “They ate”.
- American: “They ate.”
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Capitalization
- Use capitalization according to style guides and avoid random capitalization.
- Capitalize the first word of every sentence, the pronoun "I", proper nouns (people, places, things), religions, titles of papers, films, software, and trademarks, abbreviations, and acronyms, titles that precede a person's name, and historical documents.
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Sentence Structure
- Sentence Fragments: A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence missing either a subject or a verb.
- Misplaced Modifiers: A misplaced modifier is a phrase or clause that modifies the wrong element in a sentence, leading to ambiguity.
- Active & Passive Voices: The active voice makes writing stronger and more direct. While passive voice is used in broad statements or when the doer is unknown, it's often preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers.
- Verb Agreement Errors: Ensure that verbs agree with their subjects in number (singular or plural).
- Pronoun Agreement: Pronouns should agree with their antecedents in number and gender.
- Pronoun Reference Errors: Ensure pronouns clearly and correctly refer to their antecedents to avoid ambiguity.
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Description
Test your knowledge of technical writing mechanics including spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. This quiz focuses on common errors faced by Arab ESL secondary school students and the differences between British and American English. Strengthen your understanding of these important writing conventions.
