These Academic Writing multiple-choice questions and their answers will help you strengthen your grip on the subject of Academic Writing. You can prepare for an upcoming exam or job interview with these Academic Writing MCQs.
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A. after the abstract, but before the body of the work begins
B. in the appendices
C. before the work's conclusion
D. at the end of the work
A. author and publisher
B. author and publication date
C. title and author
D. title and page number
A. Martel, Y. (2001, Harcourt). Life of Pi: A novel.
B. Martel, Yann. Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. Print.
C. Martel, Y. Life of Pi: A novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001.
D. Martel, Y. (2001). Life of Pi: A novel. New York: Harcourt.
A. Acknowledgements
B. Debate
C. Index or Indices
D. Analysis
A. in full, so that they are fully dispatched by the end of your paper.
B. respectfully and with some brevity
C. at length, and at each phase of your argument
D. never
A. a short statement of the main point
B. an explanation of the importance of the argument
C. a "hook" to capture the reader's attention
D. a restatement of the most important evidence
A. results
B. abstract
C. literature review
D. conclusion
A. allowing colleagues or classmates to use ideas from one's own work
B. reusing one's own work; for instance, by submitting the same paper to two classes
C. deliberately misrepresenting the meaning of a quotation from a source
D. directly quoting oneself, as if to imply one is an expert
A. abstract, introduction, background, results, discussion, conclusion, references
B. background, introduction, abstract, results, discussion, conclusion, references
C. introduction, abstract, background, results, discussion, references, conclusion
D. abstract, introduction, discussion, results, background, references, conclusion
A. information within the public domain
B. paraphrasing
C. a popular quotation
D. common knowledge
A. a thesis statement appearing at or very near the beginning of the work
B. a 'results' section at the end of the paper, with all relevant experimental data
C. no fewer than three large divisions within the work
D. a description of experiments performed
A. length: the thesis statement is always longer than the abstract
B. length: the abstract is always longer than the thesis statement
C. scope: the first summarizes the entire work, while the second clearly states the work's main purpose
D. scope: the second summarizes the entire work, while the first clearly states the work's main purpose
A. verbatim copying of another person's writing without citation constitutes plagiarism
B. plagiarism is always the result of deliberate dishonesty
C. paraphrasing the ideas of another person constitutes plagiarism
D. ideas from course lectures or discussion sections don't require citation
A. not providing a citation for assertions that are common knowledge
B. providing citations for works not directly quoted in your writing
C. providing citations acknowledging contributions by colleagues or classmates
D. not providing a citation for an online source without a clear author
A. formal, impersonal
B. formal, imperious
C. formal, personal
D. informal, impersonal
A. True
B. False
A. the inverted pyramid
B. the appropriate structure depends on the assignment and topic
C. the cause-and-effect model
D. the five-paragraph essay
A. an interpretation of the meaning of a symbol in "The Great Gatsby"
B. the name of the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
C. a long direct quotation from Shakespeare's "King Lear"
D. a scholar's opinion of the efficacy of the Voting Rights Act
A. as the first sentence
B. in the first paragraph
C. after previewing the evidence
D. in the conclusion
A. failing to cite an appropriate source
B. citing an inappropriate source
C. citing a source too much
D. citing a source whose authorship cannot be determined
A. colloquiality
B. opacity
C. clarity
D. formality
A. a "hook" to capture the reader's attention
B. a condensed summary of the entire work
C. a restatement of the most important evidence
D. a preface or introduction
A. Use a more personal, less objective voice
B. Place less emphasis on a clear, linear line of development from one section to the next
C. Use a less personal, more objective voice
D. Use fancier words.
A. Plagiarism involves using someone else's work without attribution, while copyright infringement involves using someone else's work without permission.
B. Plagiarism is the least severe form of copyright infringement.
C. Plagiarism is a legal violation, while copyright infringement is an ethical violation.
D. Plagiarism is always copyright infrigement, but copyright infringement is not always plagiarism.
A. abstract
B. results
C. references
D. methodology
A. by not mentioning them; doing so would weaken your argument
B. by dismissing them before you begin your own argument
C. by listing them in a separate appendix
D. by acknowledging them and rebutting their claims
A. data and statistics
B. computer code
C. (All of these)
D. written text
A. colleagues
B. buddies
C. extremely important colleagues
D. extremely important buddies
A. be as florid as possible
B. use language that reflects the historical prominence of the relevant universities or colleges.
C. use as sophisticated vocabulary as possible
D. be as clear and direct as possible
A. one that relies on historical analysis
B. one that develops a novel argument
C. one that focuses on an experiment or other primary research
D. one that lacks any other citations
A. a thesis statement that makes a claim
B. evidence to support a claim
C. an acknowledgment of opposing views
D. (All of these)
A. (All of these)
B. colloquial language
C. contractions
D. abbreviations
A. folksy and verbose
B. pretentious and stylized
C. impassioned and emotional
D. objective and confident
A. unfurled
B. put on display
C. published
D. put out
A. Jargon and technical terms should be used when appropriate for precision and authority.
B. Jargon and technical terms should be used in the body of the writing, but never in an introduction or conclusion.
C. It should be avoided; only vocabulary that will be familiar to the average person should be used.
D. Technical language should be used as frequently as possible, to demonstrate your mastery of the subject.
A. methodology
B. literature review
C. introduction
D. works cited
A. reasoning from general premises to a specific conclusion
B. reasoning from specific information to broader conclusions
A. a thesis statement can appear anywhere in the work; a topic sentence must be at the beginning of a paragraph
B. the work as a whole has a thesis statement; each paragraph has a topic sentence
C. there can be many thesis statements, but only one topic sentence
D. the thesis statement is implied and abstract; the topic sentence is the literal statement of the thesis
A. place of publication
B. page count
C. publisher
D. title and edition number (if any)
A. (None of these)
B. A Works Cited list is considered more formal than a Bibliography.
C. APA style calls for "Works Cited"; MLA style calls for "Bibliography."
D. A Works Cited list includes only references that are cited in the text, while a Bibliography includes all sources consulted.
A. never copying down direct quotations
B. focusing on secondary sources
C. keeping careful track of sources
D. using the Cornell method for note-taking
A. Mozart's work contains many masonic symbols.
B. The masonic symbols within Mozart's works reveal a subtler, politically-minded artist than was originally thought.
C. Mozart was a great composer.
D. The masonic symbols in Mozart's work are significant in understanding his beliefs.
A. (None of these)
B. when the material is in the public domain (no longer under copyright)
C. when the material is freely available online
D. when the purpose of the copying satisfies the tests for fair use
A. MLA
B. APA
C. Chicago
D. Bluebook
A. Friedman, H. S. (Ed.). (1990). Personality and disease. New York.
B. H.S. Friedman (Ed.). Personality and disease. New York: Wiley.
C. Friedman, H.S. (Ed.). Personality and disease. New York: Wiley.
D. Friedman, H. S. (Ed.). (1990). Personality and disease. New York: Wiley.
A. the departmental faculty of one specific field, within one institution or more than one institutions within a geographical area
B. an event or conference where scholars can come together and discuss developments in their field
C. (none of these)
D. a group of scholars who are primarily engaged and interested in a given field
A. Author and year; Author page no.; Author and publisher, Author and title
B. Author, year, page no.
A. "http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Criminal-Investigation-Issues-Annual-Report" March 2014
B. United States Internal Revenue Service. "IRS Criminal Investigation Issues Annual Report." Irs.gov. Accessed 10 March 2014. http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Criminal-Investigation-Issues-Annual-Report.
C. "IRS Criminal Investigation Issues Annual Report" irs.gov 2014 Web 10 Mar 2014
D. US IRS: "IRS Criminal Investigation Issues Annual Report," irs.gov, http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Criminal-Investigation-Issues-Annual-Report
A. MLA style calls for "Works Cited"; APA style calls for "References."
B. (None of these)
C. A Works Cited list is considered more scientific than References.
D. A Works Cited list is only appropriate in legal and medical contexts.
A. MLA requires a bibliography, while Chicago calls for a list of works cited.
B. MLA generally uses parenthetical citations, while Chicago generally uses footnotes or endnotes.
C. MLA is more appropriate for scholarly use.
D. MLA is more focused on date of publication, while Chicago emphasizes authorship.
A. it is inarguably true
B. it makes a claim
C. it defines a broad scope for discussion
D. it makes an observation
A. introduction, argument, methodology, background, bibliography
B. abstract, background, argument, conclusion, list of works cited
C. abstract, introduction, methodology, results, conclusion, list of works cited
D. introduction, background, argument, conclusion, bibliography
A. It depends on the writer's level of expertise and authority.
B. Yes, doing so makes the writer more approachable.
C. No, it is never appropriate.
D. It depends on the discipline and the type of paper.
A. intersectionality
B. intertextuality
C. intratextuality
D. intrasectionality
A. the thesis statement
B. a general publication should not include citations of any kind
C. an academic publication should not include citations of any kind
D. the audience for which the work is intended
A. Chicago allows footnotes for text citations, while MLA does not.
B. MLA discourages the use of internet sources, while Chicago does not.
C. MLA allows footnotes for text citations, while Chicago does not.
D. MLA requires that a book's title be included in an in-text citation, while Chicago does not.
A. title and publisher
B. author and page number
C. title and author
D. author and publication date
A. medicine
B. humanities
C. social sciences
D. law
A. reasoning from specific information to broader conclusions
B. reasoning from general premises to a specific conclusion
A. appositive phrases
B. weasel words
C. hedging words
D. illocutionary acts
A. habeas corpus
B. post hoc ergo propter hoc
C. ad hominem argument
D. appeal to authority
A. surround graphic depictions of data on the page
B. suggest a new angle or perspective from which to view an already commonly-held belief.
C. bias the paper, so that only certain parts of the academic community can take the paper seriously
D. explain the background of the relevant discipline
A. ad hominem argument
B. red herring
C. begging the question
D. appeal to authority
A. A more liberal interpretation follows (Goethe 163).
B. Goethe suggests a more liberal interpretation (163).
C. Goethe's opinion, that "art is for living human beings, not for higher powers or ideals" is a more liberal one (163).
D. A more liberal interpretation is offered (Goethe, Dichtung und Warheit, 163).
A. scientific writing
B. historical writing
C. literature review
D. personal essay
A. when prizes, money, or job placement are involved
B. when the work being plagiarized is under copyright
C. when the plagiarism is done purposefully, with malicious intent
A. False
B. True
A. claim, backing, qualifier
B. claim, grounds, warrant
C. thesis, standards, assessment
D. thesis, evidence, rebuttal
A. Iterability
B. Reiterability
C. Reclamation
D. Presupposition
A. Introduction, Method, Result, Abstract, and Discussion
B. (all of these)
C. Introduction, Method, Result, Analysis, and Discussion
D. Introduction, Method, Result, and Discussion
A. to properly list all works cited
B. to recognize and refute claims by oppositional intellectual parties
C. to support your claim with clear, direct evidence.
D. to clearly state your intellectual intention
The word is used as an adverb in sentence1 and as a pronoun ln senteThe following sentences denote the same word belonging to different parts of a speech according to the way in which they are used. Choose the correct option that illustrates their use.
Sentence 1: I want m poverty nor riches.
Sentence 2: It Is difficult to negotiate where gm will trust
A. The word is used as a conjunction in sentence1 and as a pronoun in sentence 2.
B. The word is used as a conjunction in sentence1 and as a noun in sentence 2.
C. The word is used as an adjective in sentence 1 and as a conjunction in sentence 2.
D. The word is used as a pronoun in sentence 1 and as an adjective in sentence 2.
The following sentences denote the same word belonging to different parts of a speech according to the way in which they are used. Choose the correct option that illustrates their use.
Sentence 1: I want neither poverty nor riches.
Sentence 2: it Is difficult to negotiate where neither will trust.
A. The word is used as a conjunction in sentence1 and as a pronoun in sentence 2.
B. The word is used as a conjunction in sentence1 and as a noun in sentence 2.
C. The word is used as an adjective In sentence 1 and as a conjunction in sentence 2.
D. The word is used as a pronoun in sentence 1 and as an adjective in sentence 2.
E. The word is used as an adverb in sentence1 and as a pronoun in sentence 2.
Choose the correct option to change the simple sentence given below into a compound sentence.
To his eternal disgrace. he betrayed his country.
A. He betrayed his country and this was to his eternal disgrace.
B. His betrayal towards his country was to his eternal disgrace.
C. He had betrayed his country and this was to his eternal disgrace.
D. His betrayal for his country resulted in his eternal disgrace.
E. None of the above.
Choose the correct option to replace the underlined part of the following sentence.
The original census of the city exposed a population of more than a million people.
A. exposed a population of more than a million people.
B. exposed the population of more than a million people
C. discovered a population of more than a million people
D. exposed a population of more than a million.
E. No change
Choose the error in the following sentence.
The four richest nations of the world have assets worth more than the collective assets of the seventy poorest nations of the world.
A. nations
B. have assets
C. the collective
D. poorest.
E. No error
The following sentences denote the same word belonging to different parts of a speech according to the way in which they are used.
Choose the correct option that illustrates their use.
Sentence 1: Since that day, l have not seen him.
Sentence 2: Since there is no help, let us flnlsh these ourselves.
A. The word is used as a preposition in sentence 1 and as an adverb in sentence 2.
B. The word is used as a preposition in sentence 1 and as a conjunction in sentence 2.
C. The word is used as a conjunction in sentence 1 and as a preposition in sentence 2.
D. The word is used as an adjective in sentence 1 and as a pronoun in sentence 2.
E. The word is used as a noun in sentence 1 and as an adverb in sentence 2.
Choose the error in the following sentence.
Many things have happened once I left school.
A. Incorrect use of tense
B. Incorrect use of pronoun.
C. Incorrect use of adverb.
D. Incorrect use of conjunction.
E. Incorrect use of preposition.
He is coming at this very moment.
What are the words underlined in the sentence above examples of?
A. An adjective phrase
B. A noun phrase
C. An adverb phrase
D. An adjective clause
E. A noun clause
A. Walk quickly: else, you will not be able to overtake him.
B. He was all right; only he was fatigued.
C. i read the paper because it interests me.
D. Either he is mad, or he feigns madness.
E. Ask the first question before you proceed further.
Choose the correct option to change the active voice in the sentence given below into passive voice.
The Romans expected to conquer Carthage.
A. Carthage was expected by the Romans to be conquered.
B. The Romans had been expecting to conquer Carthage.
C. it was expected by the Romans that they would conquer Carthage.
D. it was expected that the Romans would conquer Carthage.
E. None of the above.
The following sentences denote the same word belonging to different parts of a speech according to the way in which they are used.
Choose the correct option that illustrates their use.
Sentence 1: You cannot have it both ways.
Sentence 2: Both the cashier and the accountant were late.
A. The word is used as an adverb in sentence1 and as an adjective in sentence 2.
B. The word is used as a pronoun in sentence 1 and as an adjective in sentence 2.
C. The word is used as a preposition in sentence 1 and as a pronoun in sentence 2.
D. The word is used as an adjective in sentence 1 and as a conjunction in sentence 2.
E. The word is used as an adverb in sentence1 and as a conjunction in sentence 2.
Choose the correct option to replace the underlined part of the following sentence.
The nanny should not have been so casual as to leave the kid on his own for an hour when she had gone to the market for a personal errand.
A. leave the kid on his own for an hour when she went to the market for a personal errand
B. leave the kid for an hour when she had gone to the market for a personal errand
C. leave the kid on his own for an hour while she had gone to the market for a personal errand
D. leave the kid unattended for an hour when she had gone to the market for a personal errand
E. No change
Choose the error in the following sentence.
The police claims that the number of accidents caused by teenagers have increased manifold over the last two years.
A. police claims
B. caused by
C. have increased
D. the last
E. No error
The following sentences denote the same word belonging to different parts of a speech according to the way in which they are
used.
Choose the correct option that illustrates their use.
Sentence 1: They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins.
Sentence 2: There is something pleasing about him.
A. The word is used as an adverb in sentence1 and as a noun in sentence 2.
B. The word is used as a preposition in sentence 1 and as an adverb in sentence 2.
C. The word is used as an adverb in sentence1 and as a preposition in sentence 2.
D. The word is used as a proverb in sentence 1 and as a pronoun in sentence 2.
E. The word is used as a conjunction in sentence1 and as a preposition in sentence 2.
On either side of the road next to the building. is a narrow lane.
Which kind of adjective is the underlined word in the above line?
A. Indefinite numeral adjective
B. Distributive numeral adjective
C. Emphasizing adjective
D. Exclamatory adjective
E. Definite adjective
In the following sentence. which word denotes an auxiliary verb?
Oh. do come to the wedding! It is going to be such fun.
A. do
B. come
C. going
D. fun
E. None of the above
The following sentences denote the same word belonging to different parts of a speech according to the way in which they are used.
Choose the correct option that illustrates their use.
Sentence 1: You are paying less attention to your studies than you used to.
Sentence 2: He's adamant on the amount he's demanding for his loss. He won't be satisfied with less.
A. The word is used as an adjective in sentence 1 and as a pronoun in sentence 2.
B. The word is used as a pronoun in sentence1 and as an adjective in sentence 2.
C. The word is used as a preposition In sentence1 and as an adverb in sentence 2.
D. The word is used as an adverb in sentence1 and as a pronoun in sentence 2.
E. The word is used as an adjective in sentence 1 and as a noun in sentence 2.
A. The train stopped suddenly while it had completed less than half of its journey.
B. i feel a severe pain in my head whenever I study for a long time.
C. The horse kicked the man that was walking on the pavement.
D. The shot sank the ship almost immediately.
E. He spoke the truth while narrating the accident that happened due to him.
Choose the error in the following sentence.
The marigold that beautifies so many Indian gardens is not native to Asia.
A. The marigold
B. beautifies
C. so many
D. is
E. No error
The following sentences denote the same word belonging to different parts of a speech according to the way in which they are used.
Choose the correct option that illustrates their use
Sentence 1: More of us die in bed than out of it.
Sentence 2: You should talk less and work more
A. The word is used as an adverb in sentence1 and as an adjective in sentence 2.
B. The word is used as a pronoun in sentence1 and as an adverb in sentence 2.
C. The word is used as a preposition In sentence 1 and as an adverb In sentence 2.
D. The word is used as an adjective in sentence 1 and as a noun in sentence 2.
E. The word is used as an adjective in sentence 1 and as an adverb in sentence 2.
He once met me in Cairo; I have not seen him since.
The underlined word is an example of which of the following?
A. irregular verb
B. Participle
C. Auxiliary
D. Adverbs of time
E. Modal
I expect that I shall get a prize.
What are the words underlined in the sentence above examples of:
A. An adjective phrase
B. A noun phrase
C. An adverb clause
D. An adjective clause
E. A noun clause
Choose the correct option to change the active voice in the sentence given below into passive voice.
The audience loudly cheered the mayor’s speech.
A. The audience had cheered the mayor’s speech.
B. The mayor‘s speech had been loudly cheered by the audience.
C. The mayor's speech was cheered loudly by the audience.
D. The mayor's speech was loudly cheered.
E. None of the above.
Choose the error in the following sentence.
stuck in the elevator for two days over the weekend. a packet of biscuits and an energy bar formed the basis of the employee's diet
A. Stuck
B. over
C. of biscuits
D. the basis
E. No error
Choose the correct option to change the active voice in the sentence given below into passive voice.
The Governor gave him a reward.
A. A reward was to be given to him by the Governor.
B. He had been given a reward by the Governor.
C. A reward had been given to him by the Governor.
D. He was given a reward by the Governor.
E. None of the above.
The following sentences denote the same word belonging to different parts of a speech according to the way in which they are used.
Choose the correct option that illustrates their use.
Sentence 1: They are men of like build and stature.
Sentence 2: We shall not see his like again.
A. The word is used as an adverb in sentence1 and as a preposition in sentence 2.
B. The word is used as a pronoun in sentence1 and as an adverb in sentence 2.
C. The word is used as a conjunction in sentence1 and as an adverb In sentence 2.
D. The word is used as an adverb in sentence1 and as a pronoun in sentence 2.
E. The word is used as an adjective in sentence 1 and as a noun in sentence 2.
Choose the correct option to change the interrogative sentence given below into an assertive sentence.
Were we sent into the world only to make money?
A. We were sent into the world only to make money.
B. We were not sent into the world only to make money.
C. We had been sent into the world only to make money.
D. We are into this world only to make money.
E. None of the above.
Choose the error in the following sentence.
She was greatly afflicted in the loss of her only child.
A. Incorrect use of pronoun
B. incorrect use of adverb
C. incorrect use of interjection
D. Incorrect use of participle
E. incorrect use of preposition
Choose the error in the following sentence.
If you are positive about your role in the scenario, you would not mind going through a lie detector test in the case.
A. are positive
B. In the scenario
C. would not
D. going through
E. No error