Flashcards on Technical Writing: Voice, Structure, Readability
Technical Writing: Master Voice, Structure & Readability
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Writing Mechanics: Grammar & Academic Style
37 cards
Card 1
Question: What is 'lexis' in the context of language and writing?
Answer: Lexis refers to the vocabulary of a language — all words and expressions available to speakers and writers; the term comes from Greek meaning 'word' o
Card 2
Question: List four things that lexis determines in writing.
Answer: Precision, clarity, readability, and professionalism.
Card 3
Question: Why is appropriate lexis particularly important in technical writing?
Answer: Because appropriate vocabulary ensures precision, clarity, readability, and professionalism in technical contexts.
Card 4
Question: How is lexical density calculated, and what was the example result for the sentence: “The hydrologist measured river discharge during the storm.”?
Answer: Lexical density = (number of content words / total words) × 100. For that sentence: 5 content words ÷ 8 total words × 100 = 62.5%.
Card 5
Question: Which words were counted as content words in the example sentence “The hydrologist measured river discharge during the storm.”?
Answer: Hydrologist, measured, river, discharge, storm.
Card 6
Question: Give the active and passive forms of the sentence: 'The student will have written the report.'
Answer: Active: 'The student will have written the report.' Passive: 'The report will have been written by the student.'
Card 7
Question: Provide an example from the content that shows a passive form commonly used in traditional scientific writing.
Answer: 'The solution was heated to 100°C.' (passive) — contrasted with active: 'We heated the solution to 100°C.'
Card 8
Question: According to the content, what are two stylistic reasons writers sometimes prefer the passive voice in scientific writing?
Answer: It promotes objectivity and minimizes personal references.
Card 9
Question: Rewrite the active sentence 'We heated the solution to 100°C.' into passive voice as shown in the content.
Answer: 'The solution was heated to 100°C.'
Card 10
Question: What is the defining feature of a sentence written in the passive voice?
Answer: The subject receives the action expressed by the verb; emphasis shifts from the performer to the receiver of the action.