Instructor Resource
Duck, Communication in Everyday Life: The Basic Course Edition With Public
Speaking, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Chapter 3: Verbal Communication
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Narratives serve a strategic purpose by providing ______.
a. a way to make the conversation more interesting
b. a way to lengthen the conversation
c. a way to summarize the discussion
d. an account, explanation, or conclusion that provides the speaker’s perspective
2. The elements of Burke’s dramatic pentad used to analyze stories are ______.
a. scene, agent, method, medium, message
b. scene, agent, act, actuality, event
c. scene, agent, act, agency, plot
d. scene, agent, act, agency, purpose
3. The way that a speaker emphasizes certain elements of the pentad in telling a story
can reveal the person’s ______.
a. failure to communicate
b. perspective on or view of the world
c. ability to deceive
d. popularity
4. The accommodation process includes which two types?
a. Indulgence and divergence
b. Indulgence and convergence
c. Convergence and divergence
d. Maleficence and indulgence
5. Which of the following would constitute an account of one’s communication?
a. Lying
b. Crying
c. Excuse
d. Journal
6. Burke likened the interconnected relationship of the elements of the pentad to which
of the following?
a. The five corners of a home plate in baseball
b. Five points on a star
c. The five fingers on a hand
d. The five players on the court for one side in basketball
7. The element of act in Burke’s pentad refers to ______.
a. where it happened
b. who was involved
c. what happened
d. why something happened
8. The element of agency in Burke’s pentad refers to ______.
a. where something happened
b. who was involved
c. what occurred
d. how the act was accomplished
9. The element of agent in Burke’s pentad refers to ______.
a. where something happened
b. who performed the act
c. what happened
d. how the act happened
10. The element of purpose in Burke’s pentad refers to ______.
a. why the act took place
b. where the act occurred
c. who was involved
d. what happened
11. The element of scene in Burke’s pentad refers to ______.
a. the situation or location of the act
b. who was involved
c. what happened
d. how the act happened
Instructor Resource
Duck, Communication in Everyday Life: The Basic Course Edition With Public
Speaking, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
12. Convergence in talk refers to people doing what?
a. Speaking in different styles
b. Indicating distance or dislike
c. Speaking in the same style
d. Avoiding closeness or enjoyment
13. According to Duck and McMahan, talk serves these three functions for relationships.
a. Instrumental, polemic, pragmatic
b. Instrumental, expressive, pragmatic
c. Instrumental, indexical, essential
d. Instrumental, essential, minimalist
14. The term facework refers to managing your ______.
a. ability to smile attractively
b. dignity or self-respect
c. complexion
d. relationship
15. “High code” in speaking would most likely be ______.
a. casual, welcoming, and friendly
b. relaxed and informal
Instructor Resource
Duck, Communication in Everyday Life: The Basic Course Edition With Public
Speaking, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
c. formal and professional
d. informal and less professional
16. The term polysemy refers to ______.
a. multiple meanings for the same word
b. limited meanings for the same word
c. multiple meanings for multiple words
d. limited meanings for multiple words
17. The term connotation refers to ______.
a. the use of language to identify something in a simple and straightforward way
b. failing to understand the implications and background behind words
c. the use of language to identify something in a specific or literal way
d. understanding the implications and background behind words
18. The term denotation refers to ______.
a. understanding the implications and background behind words
b. the use of language to identify something in a specific or literal way, such as by the
generally accepted dictionary definition
c. failing to understand the implications and background behind words
d. the use of language to identify something in a complex and subtle way
19. If you tell your instructor, “I deserved a B on this paper, but you gave me a C,” both
you and the instructor recognize that a B is “better than” a C in the framework of values
related to grades. This represents how values encoded through words can ______.
a. change over time
b. differ among people
c. be shared by individuals
d. be positive or negative
20. If you say the word ‘liberal’ to a group of people. This represents how values
encoded through words can ______.
a. change over time
b. differ among people
c. be shared by individuals
d. be positive or negative
21. The shared context between the sender and the receiver is referred to as ______.
a. conversational hypertext
b. conversational subtext
c. elaborative code
d. restrictive code
22. Which of the following is not a cultural style of talk?
a. Feminine and masculine
b. Convergent and divergent
c. High-context and low-context
d. Collectivist and individualist
23. ______ talk is straightforward and the message itself says everything.
a. Masculine
b. Convergent
c. Low-context
d. Individualist
24. ______ talk stresses group benefit and harmony rather than personal needs.
a. Collectivist
b. High-context
c. Low-context
d. Individualist
25. ______ talk is tough, aggressive, and competitive.
a. Masculine
b. Collectivist
c. Low-context
d. Individualist
26. When words are used sparingly with a great deal left unsaid, this is an example of
______ talk.
a. masculine
b. high-context
c. low-context
d. individualist
27. “I am so hungry, I could eat a horse,” is an example of ______ speaking.
a. low-context
b. high-code
c. low-code
d. collectivist
28. Using complex, technical language with a customer is an example of ______.
a. accommodation
b. high-code
c. convergence
d. divergence
29. The formal grammatical structure of language is ______.
a. langue
b. parole
c. narrative
d. accounts
30. How people actually use language is known as ______.
a. langue
b. parole
c. narrative
d. accounts
31. Any organized story, report, or talk that has a plot, an argument, or a theme is
known as ______.
a. langue
b. parole
c. narrative
d. accounts
32. Forms of communication that go beyond the facts and offer justifications, excuses,
exonerations, and explanation are known as ______.
a. langue
b. parole
c. narrative
d. accounts
33. A person saying, “It was not my fault,” is using a/an ______.
a. justification
b. exoneration
c. explanation
d. langue
34. The need to be seen and accepted as a worthwhile and reasonable person refers to
______.
a. negative face wants
b. positive face wants
c. convergence
d. divergence
35. The desire not to be imposed on or treated as inferior refers to ______.
a. negative face wants
b. positive face wants
c. convergence
d. divergence
36. ______ is likely used when an imposition is small or appropriate given the
relationship between interactants.
a. Bald on record
b. Positive politeness
c. Negative politeness
d. Off record
37. ______ is likely used when there is an acknowledgement of the possibility of
negative face and a person offers regrets.
a. Bald on record
b. Positive politeness
c. Negative politeness
d. Off record
38. Flattery or offering something in return is used in which politeness strategy?
a. Bald on record
b. Positive politeness
c. Negative politeness
d. Off record
39. When a person hints or presents a request in a vague manner, they are using which
politeness strategy?
a. Bald on record
b. Positive politeness
c. Negative politeness
d. Off record
40. If someone said the phrase, “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” which
ratio of the pentad are they using?
a. SScene: act
b. Agent: act
c. Scene: agent
d. Agent: agency
41. If someone said the phrase, “She is the kind of person who does that sort of thing,”
which ratio of the pentad are they using?
a. Scene: act
b. Agent: act
c. Scene: agent
d. Agent: agency
42. If someone said the phrase, “Miami is a shady place for shady people,” which ratio
of the pentad are they using?
a. Scene: act
b. Agent: act
c. Scene: agent
d. Agent: agency
Multiple Response
1. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Cultural styles of talk include the categories of ______.
a. feminine and masculine
b. convergent and divergent
c. high-context and low-context
d. collectivist and individualist
2. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following are likely to be considered Devil
terms?
a. Lazy
b. Baby
c. Cheater