Kurt Vonnegut - Reading

According to Kurt Vonnegut, why should you examine your writing style with the idea of improving it?

• To become famous

• As a mark of respect for your readers

• To show off your language skills

• To impress your teachers

What is the first rule for great writing according to Kurt Vonnegut?

• Find a subject you care about

• Write a love letter

• Use complex language

• Write a novel

What does Kurt Vonnegut suggest about the use of language in writing?

• Use complex and ornamental language

• Keep it simple

• Use language that only educated people can understand

• Use foreign language words

According to Kurt Vonnegut, what should be the servant of the ideas in your head?

• Your eloquence

• Your writing style

• Your use of complex language

• Your ability to impress others

What does Kurt Vonnegut suggest about sounding like yourself in writing?

• You should sound like a person from a different time period

• You should sound like a person from a foreign country

• You should sound like a person from your childhood

• You should sound like a person from a different social class

What does Kurt Vonnegut suggest about the stylistic options as writers?

• They are numerous and glamorous

• They are limited and glamorous

• They are numerous and unglamorous

• They are limited and unglamorous

Vonnegut states that, "Readers want our pages to look very much like pages they have seen before." What is his reasoning for this?

• Because the reader needs as much help as they can get

• Because the reader is usually unable to grasp the abstract ideas

• The reader and the writer are two different people

• The English language is too complex

According to Kurt Vonnegut, what is the most meaningful aspect of our styles as writers?

• The language we use

• The topics we choose to write about

• The length of our writing

• The complexity of our writing

One of Vonnegut's eight rules is to simply, "not ramble." In the article the section reads:  

2.       Do Not Ramble, Though

I won’t ramble on about that.

Question: What is interesting about this section?

• It is boring and uninteresting
• It is completely unrelated to Vonnegut's rule
• It directly follows Vonnegut's rule of not rambling by stating 'I won’t ramble on about that.'
• It contradicts Vonnegut's rule by rambling on about something

Vonnegut states, "Simplicity of language is not only reputable, but perhaps even sacred." Which choice below supports his statement?

• Simple language can be more reputable and even sacred because it can reach a wider audience and convey ideas more effectively.
• Using obscure and convoluted language is more reputable and sacred because it shows mastery of vocabulary.
• Simple language is less reputable and sacred because it lacks depth and complexity.
• Complex language is more reputable and sacred because it demonstrates intelligence and sophistication.