Technical Writing Quiz

Which voice is generally preferred in technical English?

• Active voice

• The voice of reason

• Passive voice

• The voice of James Earl Jones

Answer explanation

Fun fact: This is James Earl Jones and the two most famous characters he voiced.

Which sentence is in active voice?

• The experiment was conducted by the researchers.

• The researchers conducted the experiment.

• The results were analysed by the team.

• The methodology was carefully designed.

Active voice is always appropriate in technical writing.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Which section of a technical report provides a quick overview of the entire technical report?

• Abstract

• Conclusion

• Executive Summary

• Methodology

Answer explanation

An "Abstract" is also a concise summary of the content, but it is usually found in academic papers, not technical reports.

What is typically included on the Title Page of a technical report?

• A detailed review of existing studies

• A summary of findings

• The author's name, affiliation, and date of publication

• The table of contents

Where can readers find a quick snapshot of the report's main points?

• Appendix

• Glossary

• Introduction

• Summary

What does the Methodology section of a technical report describe?

• Context and background information

• Key findings and conclusions

• Recommendations based on the findings

• The procedures used to collect and analyse data

Which section interprets the results and tell us about their implications?

• Conclusion

• Discussion

• Literature Review

• Results

Answer explanation

The "Discussion" section comes after the "Results" section and is were we interpret the results and discuss their implications.

The Discussion may also compare the findings with previous research and explore any limitations or uncertainties.

(The "Results" presents the findings of the research or analysis. It includes data, charts, and other relevant information but does not interpret the data.)

The "Glossary of Terms" provides a list of all references cited in a report.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Glossary of Terms: A list of key terms and their definitions, used in the report. It helps readers understand technical or specialised language.

The "References" section is:

• a list of additional sources related to the report's topic that may be of interest to readers.

• a list of all the sources cited within the sections of the report.

• a list of the main sections of the report, along with their page numbers.

Answer explanation

The "References" section is where you tell the reader where they can find the sources you mentioned within the paragraphs/body of your report.

For example, if your report says:

"According to a report by the International Aerospace Technology Agency (IATA, 2018), the

benefits of aerospace technologies extend beyond their direct applications."

Then we need to put the details of the source in the References, so readers can find and read the source for themselves if they want:

International Aerospace Technology Agency (IATA). (2018). Aerospace Technology Benefits:

Leveraging Local Capacity for Satellite PV.