Elance U.S. Academic Writing Skill Test Questions
Question: 01
Choose the option that best completes the following sentence?
The tone of academic writing should generally be ______________ in nature.
a. conversational, colloquial, and personal
b. formal, serious, and impersonal
c. conversational, serious, and impersonal
Question: 02
Which of the following are features of academic writing?
a. Authority and credibility
b. Structure
c. Style and clarity
d. Analytical approach
e. Attribution of references
f. a, c, d, and e
g. a, b, c, d, and e
h. b, c, and e
Question: 03
Which of the following sentences would be best suited to academic writing?
a. Looking at the present scenario, I think the day is not far off when we'll all be carrying oxygen tanks on our backs.
b. The present scenario suggests that one day everyone will be carrying an oxygen tank.
c. The present scenario suggests that one day we will all be carrying oxygen tanks.
Question: 04
What is the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing?
a. Summarizing a passage conveys the main points using language very similar to that of the original; paraphrasing a passage sketches out only the most essential points.
b. Paraphrasing a passage creates a stronger argument, while summarizing the same passage creates a weaker argument.
c. Paraphrasing a passage conveys the main points using language very similar to that of the original; summarizing a passage sketches only the most essential points.
d. Paraphrasing requires roughly twice as much text as summarizing the same amount of material.
e. Paraphrasing is closer to plagiarism than summarizing.
Question: 05
Which of the following are useful online resources or techniques a writer could use to showcase his or her own academic writing?
a. Online journals, blogs, personal websites, and websites linked to the writer's university
b. Pre-existing bibliographies to which the writer can upload original work
c. Sending mass e-mails with attachments of the writer's academic work
d. a and c
Question: 06
In which field is the Bluebook style of citation used?
a. Literature
b. Biology
c. Law
d. None of the above
Question: 07
How should quotations longer than three lines generally be laid out within the body of an academic paper?
a. Use a simple in-text quotation that includes the quotation inside the paragraph.
b. Indent the whole quotation and double-space it (if the paper is single-spaced).
c. Indent the whole quotation and single-space it (if the paper is double-spaced).
d. The formatting depends on the bibliographical style the writer is using.
e. None of the above
Question: 08
What is an annotated bibliography?
a. A bibliography in which pictures replace some of the entries
b. A bibliography that includes a summary and/or evaluation of the source
c. A bibliography in which the chronology is reversed
d. A bibliography in which a few sections have extra written explanations or notes
e. a and d
Question: 09
Which of the following elements is NOT dictated by the American Sociological Association style of citation?
a. Single spacing
b. 1 ¼-inch margins on all sides
c. 12 point font
Question: 10
How would a writer format a quotation in an academic paper if he wanted to delete some words from the middle of the quotation?
a. By using ellipses to replace the missing words, as in: "I went out...and returned an hour later."
b. By using a comma to replace the missing words, as in: "I went out, and returned an hour later."
c. By using a colon to replace the missing words, as in: "I went out: and returned an hour later."
d. By using a hyphen to replace the missing words, as in: "I went out - and returned an hour later."
Question: 11
What is the difference between a book report and an abstract?
a. An abstract is just a summary of a book, while a report also includes reviews and reactions to a book.
b. There is no difference between an abstract and a book report.
c. A report is just a summary of a book, while an abstract also includes reviews and reactions to a book.
Question: 12
What is a hanging paragraph?
a. A paragraph in which the first line is set to the left margin and all subsequent lines are indented
b. A paragraph in which the first line is set to the right margin and all subsequent lines are indented
c. A paragraph in which the first line is indented and all subsequent lines are set to the left margin
d. A paragraph that hangs over the edge of the page, either at the bottom or at the right margin
e. An unnecessary paragraph
Question: 13
What is peer review?
a. An exchange program between academicians from different countries
b. An exchange program between students from different countries
c. A process in which an author's scholarly research or ideas are assessed by other academic experts in the same field
d. A process of overseeing exam results in which certain students are allowed to see their work before it is graded
e. A double-assessment process in which academicians exchange work directly and give each other mutually beneficial criticism
Question: 14
What are paragraph transitions?
a. The point at which paragraphs end
b. The point at which paragraphs begin
c. Visual markers, usually blue or red, that warn the reader that a new paragraph is approaching.
d. A point either at the beginning of the paper (the opening paragraph) or the conclusion (after the last paragraph).
e. The last sentence of one paragraph and the first sentence of the following paragraph, which work together to create a smooth linguistic or argumentative transition from one idea to another.
Question: 15
Which of the following publications is NOT a known literary review?
a. The Southern Literary Review
b. The English Plantation Review
c. Literary Review of Canada
d. The New York Review of Books
e. The Times Literary Supplement
Question: 16
What does "justified margin" mean when writing an academic paper?
a. The margin must be even and vertically in line with the edge of the paper.
b. The margin must be ragged at the top and even at the bottom, on both sides.
c. The margin must be even and horizontally in line with the edge of the paper.
d. The margin must be black and the edge of the paper white.
e. The margin must be horizontally and vertically in line with the zigzag edge of the paper.
Question: 17
Which of the following is NOT an online blog or website where one's academic writing could be displayed and commented upon?
a. Blogger
b. Wordpress
c. Academia.edu
d. wobble.org
e. weebly.com
Question: 18
Which of the following citation styles is appropriate to use in a research paper in chemistry?
a. American Chemical Society (ACS) Style
b. American Chemistry Style
c. Chemistry Style of Academic Writing
Question: 19
Which of the following represents the correct sequence of steps for writing a research paper?
a. Choosing a topic, defining the thesis, researching information, making a tentative outline, organizing notes, writing the first draft, revising the outline, drafting and typing/encoding the final paper
b. Researching information, defining the thesis, organizing notes, writing the first draft, revising the outline and draft, typing/encoding the final paper
c. Choosing a topic, researching information, defining the thesis, making a tentative outline, organizing notes, writing the first draft, revising the outline, drafting and typing/encoding the final paper
d. None of the above
Question: 20
What kind of academic paper is the "literature review"?
a. The same as a book review, but longer.
b. The summary of an author's collected works, in chronological order.
c. Both a and b
d. An assessment or account of material published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers.
e. A descriptive list of the material available, or a set of summaries.
Question: 21
Which of the following contemporary forms of academic writing can only be performed online or as computer-aided writing?
a. Personal journal writing
b. Hypertext
c. Collaborative writing
d. Performance art
Question: 22
Which of the following groups correctly lists the forms of academic writing?
a. Abstract, book, book chapter, book report, translation, thesis, conference paper, dissertation, research article, research paper, essay, and explication
b. Abstract, book, book report, translation, thesis, conference paper, dissertation, research article, and research paper
c. Book report, translation, thesis, conference paper, dissertation, research article, research paper, essay, and explication
Question: 23
The term "bibliography" comes from the Greek and literally means which of the following?
a. Book blurbing
b. Book listing
c. Book writing
d. Book loving
e. Library loving
Question: 24
Which of the following is not a technical or administrative form of academic writing?
a. A brief
b. The Yellow Pages
c. A peer review
d. A proposal
e. A white paper
Question: 25
What is an oxymoron, a word that is used in academia in a number of humanities and interdisciplinary subjects?
a. A word that also means its opposite
b. A seemingly nonsensical figure of speech that combines two typically contradictory terms, such as "icy hot" or "jumbo shrimp"
c. An oxygen molecule in chemistry that behaves in a noticeably "stupid" way
d. a and b
Question: 26
Which of the following is the best definition of plagiarism in an academic context?
a. Stealing intellectual materials from one's neighbor
b. "Borrowing" the words of a well-known professor without citing the source
c. Stealing words or ideas from one's fellow students and then using them out of context (i.e., using parts of someone's newspaper article in one's own academic paper)
d. Using all of the right words, but not necessarily in the right order
e. The adoption, reproduction, or use of someone else's words or ideas without proper acknowledgment of the source
Question: 27
Which of the following form the core of a bibliographic entry specifically for a journal article?
a. ISSN, journal title, volume, and back catalogue of relevant previous copies
b. Journal title, volume, page numbers
c. Article title, even page numbers, date of publication
d. Article title, journal title, volume, page numbers, date of publication, author(s)
e. None of the above
Question: 28
Which of the following is/are clear benefits of transferring an academic journal online?
a. Online links may give the journal a potential increase in readership.
b. Online advertising is cheaper than print advertising.
c. The journal could then publish an online newsletter and enact a membership log-in feature.
d. An online presence makes it easier to keep in touch with readers via a registered user database connected to the website.
e. All of the above are benefits of transferring an academic journal online.
Question: 29
What is the Columbia style of citation used for?
a. Manuscripts
b. Articles and essays
c. Electronically accessed sources
d. Scientific topics
Question: 30
Which of the following statements regarding translation is NOT true?
a. Translation takes into account any constraints regarding context, the writing conventions of the two languages, idioms, and the grammar of the two languages.
b. Translation is a word-to-word conversion from one language to another.
c. The text that needs to be translated is called "source text," while the language in which it is to be translated is known as the "target language."
Question: 31
Which of the following terms means "to combine pre-stated arguments or statements into one"?
a. Thesis-building
b. Antithesis
c. Synthesize
d. Mutual doubling
e. Synecdoche
Question: 32
Choose the option that best completes the following sentence.
A writer's approach to an academic paper should generally be ________________ in nature.
a. analytical, objective, rational, and intellectual
b. impressionistic, analytical, subjective, and intellectual
c. polemical, emotional, impressionistic, and subjective
Question: 33
What does the term "rhetoric" mean?
a. Rhetoric is an ambiguous term that means both "erudite" and "academic," but also "easily communicated."
b. Rhetoric is the study of the evolution of language and how languages interact.
c. Rhetoric is the art of using language as a means of persuasion.
Question: 34
Which of the following are features of cohesive writing?
a. A variety of sentence structures
b. Correct punctuation
c. Appropriate use of linking words and transitions
d. All of the above
Question: 35
Choose the correct series of phrases to complete the following sentence.
The citation style known as APA, which stands for _____________, is generally used for ______________?
a. American Psychological Administration; research papers in psychology
b. American Physical Science Association; research papers in physical science
c. American Psychological Association; research papers within the social sciences
Question: 36
What does ISSN (the journal equivalent of ISBN) stand for?
a. Internal Sort Service Number
b. International Sweet Section Name
c. Internal Sticker Shift Number
d. Inner Server Serial Number
e. International Standard Serial Number
Question: 37
Which of the following techniques will increase the readership of an academic article no matter where the writer displays it online?
a. Including many links, both internal and external, in the article
b. Including many searchable keywords
c. Making the article accessible to both general readers and to more experienced readers of academic texts
d. Including section headings that are links
e. All of the above
Question: 38
Why is knowing one's audience of great importance when writing an academic article?
a. Doing so keeps the writer focused and ensures the reader will take his article seriously.
b. Doing so helps readers evaluate, assess, and recognize new research.
c. Doing so ensures that the article will be as effective as possible in communicating its message.
d. All of the above
Question: 39
What does the phrase "never bury the lead" mean in the world of online writing?
a. Never make the article too long or too short.
b. Never hide the main point of the story too far into the article or text.
c. Never place the writer's name too far into the article, but rather at the beginning.
d. Cover as many subjects as possible in the space available.
e. All of the above
Question: 40
What is the difference between a works cited page and a bibliography?
a. Nothing but the name; they are basically the same.
b. A bibliography is always shorter than a works cited page.
c. A works cited page lists only the source material directly cited in the text, while a bibliography lists all the source material used in writing the book.
d. A bibliography lists only the source material directly cited in the text, while a works cited page lists all the source material used in writing the book.
e. A works cited page appears at the front of the book, while a bibliography appears at the back.
Choose the option that best completes the following sentence?
The tone of academic writing should generally be ______________ in nature.
a. conversational, colloquial, and personal
b. formal, serious, and impersonal
c. conversational, serious, and impersonal
Question: 02
Which of the following are features of academic writing?
a. Authority and credibility
b. Structure
c. Style and clarity
d. Analytical approach
e. Attribution of references
f. a, c, d, and e
g. a, b, c, d, and e
h. b, c, and e
Question: 03
Which of the following sentences would be best suited to academic writing?
a. Looking at the present scenario, I think the day is not far off when we'll all be carrying oxygen tanks on our backs.
b. The present scenario suggests that one day everyone will be carrying an oxygen tank.
c. The present scenario suggests that one day we will all be carrying oxygen tanks.
Question: 04
What is the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing?
a. Summarizing a passage conveys the main points using language very similar to that of the original; paraphrasing a passage sketches out only the most essential points.
b. Paraphrasing a passage creates a stronger argument, while summarizing the same passage creates a weaker argument.
c. Paraphrasing a passage conveys the main points using language very similar to that of the original; summarizing a passage sketches only the most essential points.
d. Paraphrasing requires roughly twice as much text as summarizing the same amount of material.
e. Paraphrasing is closer to plagiarism than summarizing.
Question: 05
Which of the following are useful online resources or techniques a writer could use to showcase his or her own academic writing?
a. Online journals, blogs, personal websites, and websites linked to the writer's university
b. Pre-existing bibliographies to which the writer can upload original work
c. Sending mass e-mails with attachments of the writer's academic work
d. a and c
Question: 06
In which field is the Bluebook style of citation used?
a. Literature
b. Biology
c. Law
d. None of the above
Question: 07
How should quotations longer than three lines generally be laid out within the body of an academic paper?
a. Use a simple in-text quotation that includes the quotation inside the paragraph.
b. Indent the whole quotation and double-space it (if the paper is single-spaced).
c. Indent the whole quotation and single-space it (if the paper is double-spaced).
d. The formatting depends on the bibliographical style the writer is using.
e. None of the above
Question: 08
What is an annotated bibliography?
a. A bibliography in which pictures replace some of the entries
b. A bibliography that includes a summary and/or evaluation of the source
c. A bibliography in which the chronology is reversed
d. A bibliography in which a few sections have extra written explanations or notes
e. a and d
Question: 09
Which of the following elements is NOT dictated by the American Sociological Association style of citation?
a. Single spacing
b. 1 ¼-inch margins on all sides
c. 12 point font
Question: 10
How would a writer format a quotation in an academic paper if he wanted to delete some words from the middle of the quotation?
a. By using ellipses to replace the missing words, as in: "I went out...and returned an hour later."
b. By using a comma to replace the missing words, as in: "I went out, and returned an hour later."
c. By using a colon to replace the missing words, as in: "I went out: and returned an hour later."
d. By using a hyphen to replace the missing words, as in: "I went out - and returned an hour later."
Question: 11
What is the difference between a book report and an abstract?
a. An abstract is just a summary of a book, while a report also includes reviews and reactions to a book.
b. There is no difference between an abstract and a book report.
c. A report is just a summary of a book, while an abstract also includes reviews and reactions to a book.
Question: 12
What is a hanging paragraph?
a. A paragraph in which the first line is set to the left margin and all subsequent lines are indented
b. A paragraph in which the first line is set to the right margin and all subsequent lines are indented
c. A paragraph in which the first line is indented and all subsequent lines are set to the left margin
d. A paragraph that hangs over the edge of the page, either at the bottom or at the right margin
e. An unnecessary paragraph
Question: 13
What is peer review?
a. An exchange program between academicians from different countries
b. An exchange program between students from different countries
c. A process in which an author's scholarly research or ideas are assessed by other academic experts in the same field
d. A process of overseeing exam results in which certain students are allowed to see their work before it is graded
e. A double-assessment process in which academicians exchange work directly and give each other mutually beneficial criticism
Question: 14
What are paragraph transitions?
a. The point at which paragraphs end
b. The point at which paragraphs begin
c. Visual markers, usually blue or red, that warn the reader that a new paragraph is approaching.
d. A point either at the beginning of the paper (the opening paragraph) or the conclusion (after the last paragraph).
e. The last sentence of one paragraph and the first sentence of the following paragraph, which work together to create a smooth linguistic or argumentative transition from one idea to another.
Question: 15
Which of the following publications is NOT a known literary review?
a. The Southern Literary Review
b. The English Plantation Review
c. Literary Review of Canada
d. The New York Review of Books
e. The Times Literary Supplement
Question: 16
What does "justified margin" mean when writing an academic paper?
a. The margin must be even and vertically in line with the edge of the paper.
b. The margin must be ragged at the top and even at the bottom, on both sides.
c. The margin must be even and horizontally in line with the edge of the paper.
d. The margin must be black and the edge of the paper white.
e. The margin must be horizontally and vertically in line with the zigzag edge of the paper.
Question: 17
Which of the following is NOT an online blog or website where one's academic writing could be displayed and commented upon?
a. Blogger
b. Wordpress
c. Academia.edu
d. wobble.org
e. weebly.com
Question: 18
Which of the following citation styles is appropriate to use in a research paper in chemistry?
a. American Chemical Society (ACS) Style
b. American Chemistry Style
c. Chemistry Style of Academic Writing
Question: 19
Which of the following represents the correct sequence of steps for writing a research paper?
a. Choosing a topic, defining the thesis, researching information, making a tentative outline, organizing notes, writing the first draft, revising the outline, drafting and typing/encoding the final paper
b. Researching information, defining the thesis, organizing notes, writing the first draft, revising the outline and draft, typing/encoding the final paper
c. Choosing a topic, researching information, defining the thesis, making a tentative outline, organizing notes, writing the first draft, revising the outline, drafting and typing/encoding the final paper
d. None of the above
Question: 20
What kind of academic paper is the "literature review"?
a. The same as a book review, but longer.
b. The summary of an author's collected works, in chronological order.
c. Both a and b
d. An assessment or account of material published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers.
e. A descriptive list of the material available, or a set of summaries.
Question: 21
Which of the following contemporary forms of academic writing can only be performed online or as computer-aided writing?
a. Personal journal writing
b. Hypertext
c. Collaborative writing
d. Performance art
Question: 22
Which of the following groups correctly lists the forms of academic writing?
a. Abstract, book, book chapter, book report, translation, thesis, conference paper, dissertation, research article, research paper, essay, and explication
b. Abstract, book, book report, translation, thesis, conference paper, dissertation, research article, and research paper
c. Book report, translation, thesis, conference paper, dissertation, research article, research paper, essay, and explication
Question: 23
The term "bibliography" comes from the Greek and literally means which of the following?
a. Book blurbing
b. Book listing
c. Book writing
d. Book loving
e. Library loving
Question: 24
Which of the following is not a technical or administrative form of academic writing?
a. A brief
b. The Yellow Pages
c. A peer review
d. A proposal
e. A white paper
Question: 25
What is an oxymoron, a word that is used in academia in a number of humanities and interdisciplinary subjects?
a. A word that also means its opposite
b. A seemingly nonsensical figure of speech that combines two typically contradictory terms, such as "icy hot" or "jumbo shrimp"
c. An oxygen molecule in chemistry that behaves in a noticeably "stupid" way
d. a and b
Question: 26
Which of the following is the best definition of plagiarism in an academic context?
a. Stealing intellectual materials from one's neighbor
b. "Borrowing" the words of a well-known professor without citing the source
c. Stealing words or ideas from one's fellow students and then using them out of context (i.e., using parts of someone's newspaper article in one's own academic paper)
d. Using all of the right words, but not necessarily in the right order
e. The adoption, reproduction, or use of someone else's words or ideas without proper acknowledgment of the source
Question: 27
Which of the following form the core of a bibliographic entry specifically for a journal article?
a. ISSN, journal title, volume, and back catalogue of relevant previous copies
b. Journal title, volume, page numbers
c. Article title, even page numbers, date of publication
d. Article title, journal title, volume, page numbers, date of publication, author(s)
e. None of the above
Question: 28
Which of the following is/are clear benefits of transferring an academic journal online?
a. Online links may give the journal a potential increase in readership.
b. Online advertising is cheaper than print advertising.
c. The journal could then publish an online newsletter and enact a membership log-in feature.
d. An online presence makes it easier to keep in touch with readers via a registered user database connected to the website.
e. All of the above are benefits of transferring an academic journal online.
Question: 29
What is the Columbia style of citation used for?
a. Manuscripts
b. Articles and essays
c. Electronically accessed sources
d. Scientific topics
Question: 30
Which of the following statements regarding translation is NOT true?
a. Translation takes into account any constraints regarding context, the writing conventions of the two languages, idioms, and the grammar of the two languages.
b. Translation is a word-to-word conversion from one language to another.
c. The text that needs to be translated is called "source text," while the language in which it is to be translated is known as the "target language."
Question: 31
Which of the following terms means "to combine pre-stated arguments or statements into one"?
a. Thesis-building
b. Antithesis
c. Synthesize
d. Mutual doubling
e. Synecdoche
Question: 32
Choose the option that best completes the following sentence.
A writer's approach to an academic paper should generally be ________________ in nature.
a. analytical, objective, rational, and intellectual
b. impressionistic, analytical, subjective, and intellectual
c. polemical, emotional, impressionistic, and subjective
Question: 33
What does the term "rhetoric" mean?
a. Rhetoric is an ambiguous term that means both "erudite" and "academic," but also "easily communicated."
b. Rhetoric is the study of the evolution of language and how languages interact.
c. Rhetoric is the art of using language as a means of persuasion.
Question: 34
Which of the following are features of cohesive writing?
a. A variety of sentence structures
b. Correct punctuation
c. Appropriate use of linking words and transitions
d. All of the above
Question: 35
Choose the correct series of phrases to complete the following sentence.
The citation style known as APA, which stands for _____________, is generally used for ______________?
a. American Psychological Administration; research papers in psychology
b. American Physical Science Association; research papers in physical science
c. American Psychological Association; research papers within the social sciences
Question: 36
What does ISSN (the journal equivalent of ISBN) stand for?
a. Internal Sort Service Number
b. International Sweet Section Name
c. Internal Sticker Shift Number
d. Inner Server Serial Number
e. International Standard Serial Number
Question: 37
Which of the following techniques will increase the readership of an academic article no matter where the writer displays it online?
a. Including many links, both internal and external, in the article
b. Including many searchable keywords
c. Making the article accessible to both general readers and to more experienced readers of academic texts
d. Including section headings that are links
e. All of the above
Question: 38
Why is knowing one's audience of great importance when writing an academic article?
a. Doing so keeps the writer focused and ensures the reader will take his article seriously.
b. Doing so helps readers evaluate, assess, and recognize new research.
c. Doing so ensures that the article will be as effective as possible in communicating its message.
d. All of the above
Question: 39
What does the phrase "never bury the lead" mean in the world of online writing?
a. Never make the article too long or too short.
b. Never hide the main point of the story too far into the article or text.
c. Never place the writer's name too far into the article, but rather at the beginning.
d. Cover as many subjects as possible in the space available.
e. All of the above
Question: 40
What is the difference between a works cited page and a bibliography?
a. Nothing but the name; they are basically the same.
b. A bibliography is always shorter than a works cited page.
c. A works cited page lists only the source material directly cited in the text, while a bibliography lists all the source material used in writing the book.
d. A bibliography lists only the source material directly cited in the text, while a works cited page lists all the source material used in writing the book.
e. A works cited page appears at the front of the book, while a bibliography appears at the back.
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