Test your knowledge - Academic Writing Hub

A multiple choice quiz to test your understanding of the features, terminology and structure of academic texts.

Before you start …

Take this 52-question quiz before you start your learning to help prime you to read the text more carefully and strategically. Remember that you are just starting out on your learning journey so don’t feel disheartened if you have a low score. Keep a note of your result so that you can see how much you improve later!

Whilst you read …

As you work through the textbook, have another go at the quiz to see how you are progressing. Use your score to help identify any knowledge gaps.

At the end …

Take the quiz once you have finished reading to see what you have learned. Click ‘View Results’ and use the information to create a study plan so that you can fill any gaps in your understanding.

Question 1

Features of academic writing are:

an impersonal and objective style

reference to sources and informal language

general use of passive voice and tables of data

None

Question 2

A project is:

a piece of writing done by a group

a report of research carried out by (a) student(s) on a topic chosen by the writer(s)

a lengthy paper written for a higher degree

None

Question 3

Appendices are normally found:

before the abstract

in the main body

after the list of references

None

Question 4

Journal articles can be useful sources but:

they may be very specialised

they are often too short

they are difficult to find

None

Question 5

When searching a library catalogue it is important to:

choose only the very latest books

use general search terms

find books in a nearby library

None

Question 6

Skimming a text for gist means

looking for a particular name

noting the main features e.g. contents, index

finding the main ideas

None

Question 7

Abstracts are summaries of journal articles and normally have:

three parts

four parts

five parts

None

Question 9

The essay planning process involves first:

analysing the title and deciding the importance of each part

analysing the title and making notes

making an outline and making notes

None

Question 11

Essay plans are better prepared:

as lists

as mind maps

as each student chooses

None

Question 12

Good note-making techniques include:

copying key phrases

including details of the source

using correct English

None

Question 13

An essential part of summarising is:

fully understanding the text

finding synonyms for all the verbs

reducing the text by 50%

None

Question 14

Paraphrasing a text involves:

changing the word order

changing most vocabulary

combining both of the above

None

Question 15

The citation for a quotation looks like:

(Rodriguez, 2017:159)

Rodriguez (2017)

Rodriguez, H, 2017

None

Question 16

A literature review is:

an alphabetical list of all the sources you have read

a section of a paper where the work of other researchers is discussed

a journal specialising in literature

None

Question 17

Using paragraphs to divide up an essay is:

helpful for readers

helpful for writers

helpful for both

None

Question 18

Essay introductions often:

begin with a definition and finish with the aim

include context, purpose and method

include an amusing quotation

None

Question 20

In essays, counter-arguments are generally:

presented last

mentioned in the conclusion

summarised first

None

Question 21

Writers must assess the evidence for their conclusions by:

discussing the relevant sources

criticising other writers

giving equal weight to all opinions

None

Question 22

Causes of events can be shown by using:

conjunctions or adverbs

verbs or conjunctions

word order

None

Question 23

Which of the following is correct?

The match was cancelled because the rain

The rain resulted cancelling the match.

Because of the rain the match was cancelled.

None

Question 24

Cohesion in a text is achieved by using conjunctions and:

punctuation

reference words

prepositions

None

Question 25

Which of the following is incorrect?

France is bigger than Belgium.

Luxembourg is smaller than Holland.

Scotland is mountainous than England.

None

Question 29

The advantage of using examples in essays is:

to make abstract ideas more concrete

to entertain the reader

to show how carefully you have researched the subject

None

Question 30

Which of the following conjunctions of example should not be used in academic work?

such as

especially

None

Question 32

In academic writing, generalisations should be:

avoided

printed in italics

supported and developed

None

Question 33

The best way to show the layout of a building is on:

a plan

a map

a chart

None

Question 34

Maps, graphs and charts are all labelled as:

figures

tables

devices

None

Question 35

Which of the following is correct?

11 athletes entered the race, but only six finished.

Eleven athletes entered the race, but only six finished.

11 athletes entered the race, but only 6 finished.

None

Question 35

Which of the following is correct?

11 athletes entered the race, but only six finished.

Eleven athletes entered the race, but only six finished.

11 athletes entered the race, but only 6 finished.

None

Question 38

In which of the following situations are capital letters not used:

historical periods

seasons

nationalities

None

Question 40

Colons are often used to:

introduce explanations

show direct speech

indicate exclamations

None

Question 41

Good academic style generally avoids using:

adverbs

contractions

generalisations

None

Question 42

Cautious language is often used when:

stating a thesis for consideration

making a summary

writing abstracts

None

Question 44

When meeting a new vocabulary item students should always:

look it up in a dictionary

decide if the word is worth learning

make a note of the meaning

None

Question 45

An ambiguity means:

something which can have two meanings

a phrase used in informal conversation

a phrase used to advertise a product

None

Question 46

Which of the following is correct?

The street was an amazing site after the heavy snowfall.

The company chose a site in Spain for their new factory.

That island was the sight of a terrible battle.

None

Question 47

Acronyms are:

pronounced as words

printed in capitals

easily understood

None

Question 49

When reading a text, it is most important to identify and understand:

main verbs

conjunctions

adjectives

None

Question 51

Prefixes can help us to:

understand the meaning of a word

find the word class

pronounce the word correctly

None

Question 52

Which is the best definition of a synonym?

A word with exactly the same meaning and register as another.

A word with a similar meaning to another.

A word which has no equivalent.

None

Time’s up