RE: Sample Writing Tests Needed

[Kim Roper <kim -dot- roper -at- vitana -dot- com>]

Sherri wrote:

"Well to go along with that, I was actually given a typed out spelling and 
grammar test along with my writing skills test.  I'm actually a good speller

but I felt totally vulnerable without my spellchecker."

Near my residence, there is an excellent woodworking and gardening tools
business called Lee Valley Tools (http://www.leevalley.com/).  The product
catalogue  has a very informative and down-to-earth writing style, with
content that demonstrates that the products were given a hands-on test
before being offered for sale.  I've found that Lee Valley's descriptions
are of more use to me than the marketing information that comes with the
products,.  For one product, the catalogue explained how and why the product
worked, complete with a diagram, while the information supplied with the
product was minimal and badly translated.  Since this was an educational toy
that I had planned to give as a gift, I clipped the description from the
catalogue and taped it to the box before wrapping.

Getting to the point ...

This catalogue obviously shows a lot of TLC.  The story is that years ago,
when Mr Lee interviewed technical writers to help with the catalogue, he
administered a spelling test.  One of the words that had to be spelled
correctly was "ukulele."

Ukulele?!?!

Cheers ... Kim
kim -dot- roper -at- vitana -dot- com

p.s.  I suggest putting a copy of the free catalogue in your swipe file.
Much, if not all, of the material is on-line, though.  As an example, here
is the description of one of my favourite LV products:

                      Large Rare-Earth Magnets

                      We have had requests for
                      rare-earth magnets larger than
                      the 1/4" to 1/2" diameter ones we
                      have been selling. We innocently
                      ordered some 3/4" and 1"
                      diameter ones ( 1/8" thick) and
                      found we had a small problem.
                      They are so powerful that only
                      people with very strong hands
                      can separate them without using
                      an aid of some kind. This presents a handling problem
for us, so we are only selling
                      them in bundles of five (with instructions for simple
separation methods!). The 3/4"
                      magnet will lift a 20 lb block of steel and the 1"
size, a 30 lb block. The odd one may
                      have a minor chip in it since collisions can happen
easily at these power levels. Nickel
                      plated with slightly rounded edges.