Week 8 · Study guide

Midterm Study Guide · Weeks 1–7 (Objectives 1–5 / Language Portion)

Public Speaking · COMM 1 Fall 2026 · Prof. Marchetti Fictional sample

Course: Public Speaking — Fundamentals of Oral Communication (COMM 1) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Marchetti
This is a student-facing review page. Read it, work the fresh practice, and follow the dated plan. Then run the paired Exam-Prep Tutorial and take the Practice Exam for active recall. (This guide points to those two — it does not repeat them.)

Integrity note for students. Every practice item on this page is a fresh variant — a new scenario and wording — with a vetted answer. None of these are the live midterm questions. Working them builds the skill the midterm tests, the honest way. The midterm itself is closed-book; AI is not permitted on it — the prep tools (this guide, the tutorial, the practice exam) are for getting ready.

What the midterm covers (read this first)


Exam	Midterm — cumulative, Weeks 1–7, covering Objectives 1–4 and the language portion of Objective 5
Format	20 items, 100 points (5 each). Concept- and scenario-based: most items describe a situation and ask you to name the concept, classify the term, match the pattern to its use, or judge a claim. Public speaking has no arithmetic — the quantitative work is recognizing how evidence is used, not calculating. Expect multiple-choice, two matching items, at least one "select all that apply," and true/false.
Coverage	W1 ≈ 3–4 items (communication process, ethics, apprehension) · W2 ≈ 3 items (listening, audience analysis) · W3 ≈ 3 items (topic/purpose/thesis) · W4 ≈ 3 items (research, support, oral citation) · W5 ≈ 2–3 items (organizational patterns) · W6 ≈ 3 items (outlining) · W7 ≈ 2 items (language & style)
Weight	The midterm is 15% of your course grade.
When it opens / where	Opens in the Week 8 module (Mon Oct 19). Exam window and any room/timing posted with the exam in Canvas; this guide and the exam-prep tutorial post before it so you can prepare. No quiz, assignment, or Speech Workshop in Week 8 — the midterm replaces them. (Discussion 8, the midterm debrief, still runs.)
Rules	Closed-book; no AI. Bring your understanding. The AI Exam-Prep Tutorial is for prep, not the exam. Build the one-page concept sheet this guide helps you make.

How to use this guide. Each week below has the same four parts: (A) the key ideas in plain language, (B) the definitions / terms, (C) the predictable mistakes and their cures, and (D) where to review in the module. After all seven weeks come fresh worked examples + self-check questions (with answers), a dated study plan, and how it's graded + test strategy.

Week 1 — Communication Process, Ethics & Apprehension · ~3–4 items

(A) Key ideas, plain language

A speech is communication made deliberate: a source encodes a message, sends it through a channel to a receiver who decodes it, all of it fighting noise in a context, with feedback looping back. The model is a diagnostic tool — when a message fails, the model names which part broke. Communication is transactional — both parties are sending and receiving simultaneously, not just the speaker. Ethical speaking means honest evidence, proper attribution, and no fabrication. Communication apprehension is normal, universal, and manageable — the number-one tool is thorough preparation and out-loud practice.

(B) Definitions / terms

Source (sender): the speaker; encodes the message.
Message: the content — words AND nonverbal signals.
Channel: the medium that carries the message (sound waves, a microphone, a video call, slides).
Receiver: the audience; decodes the message.
Feedback: the receiver's response back to the source (nods, questions, blank stares).
Noise (four kinds): physical (external sound), physiological (hunger, illness, pounding heart), psychological (distraction, bias, anxiety), semantic (jargon, confusing vocabulary — the language itself).
Context: the setting, occasion, culture, and social moment.
Transactional model: communication as a live two-way loop — speaker and audience both sending and receiving simultaneously.
Ethical speaking: honesty, preparation, oral citation of sources, no plagiarism (global / patchwork / incremental), no fabrication, respect for the audience.
Communication apprehension (CA): fear or anxiety about speaking — normal, very common, and manageable. Number-one tool: thorough preparation and practice.

(C) Predictable mistakes → cures

❌ Confuses message and channel. → ✅ Message = what you say; channel = how it travels.
❌ "Transactional means the audience pays for the speech." → ✅ Transactional = live two-way loop — both parties send and receive at once.
❌ Confuses types of noise. → ✅ Physical = external sound; semantic = the language itself; psychological = internal mental interference; physiological = internal physical state.
❌ "Patchwork plagiarism isn't really plagiarism." → ✅ It is — combining unattributed phrases from multiple sources is still plagiarism.
❌ "Good speakers don't feel nervous." → ✅ False — apprehension is normal and manageable; preparation channels it.

(D) Review in the module

Week 1 → Lecture Outline B-1, Slides (Deck 1), Readings (H-1), Lecture Tutorial (C-1).

Week 2 — Listening & Audience Analysis · ~3 items

(A) Key ideas, plain language

Hearing is passive; listening is an active five-stage process. Most communication failures are listening failures — not noise failures. Audience analysis is how you adapt your message before you even begin: what do they know, what do they believe, and what does the occasion demand? Audience-centeredness is the operating principle of the whole course: every choice you make (topic, language, length, examples) is made with the audience in mind.

(B) Definitions / terms

The listening process: receiving/hearing → attending → understanding → responding → remembering.
Hearing vs. listening: hearing = physiological event (sound waves); listening = active cognitive process.
Five listening types:
Discriminative: detecting nonverbal and vocal cues (tone, pauses, emphasis).
Comprehensive / Informational: understanding and retaining content.
Critical / Evaluative: judging the quality, accuracy, and logic of the message.
Empathic / Therapeutic: understanding and supporting the speaker's feelings.
Appreciative: enjoying the message aesthetically.
Listening barriers: physical noise, information overload, pseudolistening, prejudging, psychological noise, semantic noise.
Audience analysis — three dimensions:
Demographic: age, group memberships, education, occupation (context, not stereotypes).
Psychographic: attitudes, beliefs, values — what they think and feel about the topic.
Situational: occasion, setting, size, time of day, voluntary vs. captive.
Audience-centeredness: designing every speech decision around the audience's knowledge, interests, and values.

(C) Predictable mistakes → cures

❌ "Critical listening means being critical/hostile." → ✅ Critical listening = evaluating the logic and evidence fairly.
❌ Confuses demographic and psychographic analysis. → ✅ Demographic = group membership data; psychographic = attitudes/beliefs/values.
❌ "Audience analysis = stereotyping." → ✅ Audience analysis is respectful adaptation to context, not assumptions about individuals.
❌ Confuses situational analysis with physical setup. → ✅ Situational includes occasion, size, time, voluntary vs. captive — not just the room layout.

(D) Review in the module

Week 2 → Lecture Outline B-2, Slides (Deck 2), Readings (H-2), Lecture Tutorial (C-2).

Week 3 — Topic, Purpose & Thesis · ~3 items

(A) Key ideas, plain language

Every speech needs three progressively specific things: a general purpose (the broad aim), a specific purpose (the precise infinitive phrase stating what you want to accomplish with this audience), and a thesis/central idea (the full declarative sentence stating the message the audience will take away). Building from broad → narrowed topic → general purpose → specific purpose → thesis is the invention workflow.

(B) Definitions / terms

General purpose: the broad aim — to inform / to persuade / to entertain or mark an occasion.
Specific purpose: a single infinitive phrase, one idea, audience-centered, achievable in the time. Example: "To inform my audience about three strategies for affordable weekly meal prep."
Central idea / thesis: a full declarative sentence stating the message. Example: "Affordable meal prep comes down to planning around sales, batch cooking, and smart storage."
Brainstorming & narrowing: moving from a broad topic ("nutrition") to a focused, achievable one ("budget meal prep strategies") that can be covered well.

The worked progression (memorize this):

Broad topic: nutrition
Narrowed: budget meal prep
General purpose: to inform
Specific purpose: "To inform my audience about three strategies for affordable weekly meal prep"
Thesis: "Affordable meal prep comes down to planning around sales, batch cooking, and smart storage."

(C) Predictable mistakes → cures

❌ Confuses specific purpose (infinitive phrase) with thesis (declarative sentence). → ✅ Specific purpose = the speaker's goal (infinitive); thesis = the message (full sentence). Both are required.
❌ A specific purpose with two ideas. → ✅ One idea only — "To inform my audience about X and Y" violates the rule; pick one.
❌ Thesis = the topic. → ✅ Thesis is a complete sentence that says what the speech claims about the topic.
❌ "The specific purpose is the thesis just rephrased." → ✅ Different form (infinitive vs. sentence) and different function (goal vs. message).

(D) Review in the module

Week 3 → Lecture Outline B-3, Slides (Deck 3), Readings (H-3), Lecture Tutorial (C-3).

Week 4 — Research, Supporting Material & Oral Citation · ~3 items

(A) Key ideas, plain language

Evidence is the spine of a credible speech. Three types of supporting material — examples, statistics, and testimony — serve different functions, and all must be credible. Source credibility is evaluated using a standard framework (CRAAP). And evidence must be cited out loud: the oral citation formula (source + qualification + date) tells the audience who found this and when, so they can judge the evidence themselves. The cardinal rule: never fabricate a quotation, statistic, or citation — and never trust a chatbot to supply one.

(B) Definitions / terms

Types of supporting material:
Examples: brief (one quick instance), extended (a developed story), hypothetical (an imaginary "what if," clearly labeled).
Statistics: quantitative evidence — use honestly, provide context, name the source.
Testimony: expert (qualified authority in the relevant field) vs. peer/lay (personal account or everyday experience).
Source credibility — CRAAP criteria (one common framework): Currency · Relevance · Authority · Accuracy · Purpose. High-credibility sources: peer-reviewed articles, government data (.gov), major research organizations (Pew, BLS, CDC). Low-credibility: anonymous blogs, unverified social posts, AI summaries without citations.
Oral citation formula: say the source + author/organization's qualification + date before the evidence.
Format (illustrative only): "According to a 2023 report from the Pew Research Center, a leading independent public-opinion research organization, …"
Citation-integrity rule: never fabricate or misattribute. If you cannot verify a source, do not use it.

(C) Predictable mistakes → cures

❌ Confuses expert and peer/lay testimony. → ✅ Expert = qualified authority in the relevant field; peer/lay = personal account (also valid, different function).
❌ "Oral citation = just saying the author's name." → ✅ Oral citation includes source + qualification + date — the audience needs all three to evaluate the evidence.
❌ "More statistics = more persuasive." → ✅ Honest, relevant, well-sourced statistics persuade; a barrage of numbers without context overwhelms.
❌ "AI-generated citations are usually reliable." → ✅ False — chatbots routinely fabricate plausible-sounding citations. Every source must be independently verified.
❌ "If I cite it, it's credible." → ✅ Citing a weak source doesn't make it strong — credibility precedes citation.

(D) Review in the module

Week 4 → Lecture Outline B-4, Slides (Deck 4), Readings (H-4), Lecture Tutorial (C-4).

Week 5 — Organizing the Speech · ~2–3 items — STUDY THE PATTERN MATCHING

(A) Key ideas, plain language

Build the body first (then the intro and conclusion). Main points (2–5) must be distinct, balanced, and parallel. The organizational pattern frames how information flows — choosing the wrong pattern undermines clarity. Monroe's Motivated Sequence is the complete persuasive five-step arc. The intro has four functions; the conclusion has three.

(B) Definitions / terms

Build the body first: decide your main points and pattern before writing the introduction.
Main points: 2–5 per speech; parallel, distinct, balanced in weight.

The six organizational patterns (the exam's most-tested concept from W5):

Pattern	When to use it	Signal
Chronological / Temporal	Steps in a process; historical sequence	"first, then, next, finally"
Spatial	Physical location or geography	"north/south, above/below"
Topical	Distinct categories with no single logic	Three aspects of one subject
Causal	Explaining why — cause → effect	"because, therefore, leads to"
Problem-Solution	Problem exists; here is the fix	"the problem is… the solution is…"
Monroe's Motivated Sequence	Moving an audience to action (5 steps: Attention → Need → Satisfaction → Visualization → Action)	Ends with a call to act

Introduction functions (4): gain attention, reveal topic/establish credibility/goodwill, preview main points.
Conclusion functions (3): signal the end, summarize/reinforce, clincher.
Connectives (preview): transitions, internal previews, internal summaries, signposts.

(C) Predictable mistakes → cures

❌ Confuses problem-solution and Monroe's Motivated Sequence. → ✅ Problem-solution = two moves (problem + fix); Monroe's = five specific steps ending in a call to action.
❌ "Topical = any speech with topics." → ✅ Topical = distinct categories with no single timeline, cause, or spatial logic.
❌ Confuses causal and chronological. → ✅ Causal = why (cause-effect link); chronological = when (time order/steps).
❌ Monroe's five steps out of order. → ✅ A-N-S-V-A: Attention → Need → Satisfaction → Visualization → Action.

(D) Review in the module

Week 5 → Lecture Outline B-5, Slides (Deck 5), Readings (H-5), Lecture Tutorial (C-5).

Week 6 — Outlining · ~3 items

(A) Key ideas, plain language

Two different outlines serve two different jobs: the preparation (full-sentence) outline builds the structure and gets submitted for grading; the speaking (keyword) outline goes to the lectern for conversational delivery. Four rules govern every well-formed outline. Connectives — transitions, internal previews, internal summaries, signposts — are the organizational glue heard by the audience.

(B) Definitions / terms

Preparation (working / full-sentence) outline: complete sentences; shows full structure, evidence, and logic; submitted to instructor.
Speaking (delivery / keyword) outline: brief cues and keywords; used at the lectern; not a script.
The four outlining rules:
1. Coordination: items at the same level have equal logical weight (I, II, III are all main points).
2. Subordination: sub-points support the point above them (A and B are evidence for I).
3. Division: if a point is subdivided, it must have at least two sub-points (no lone A without a B).
4. Parallelism: items at the same level use the same grammatical form.
Symbol/indentation system: I → A → 1 → a (Roman numerals for main points; letters for sub-points; Arabic numbers for sub-sub-points).
Connectives (four types):
Transition: bridges main points ("Now that we've seen X, let's turn to Y").
Internal preview: announces what sub-points are coming.
Internal summary: briefly restates what was just covered.
Signpost: very short directional marker ("first," "second," "finally").

(C) Predictable mistakes → cures

❌ "Speaking outline = same detail as preparation outline." → ✅ Speaking outline is keywords only — so you speak, not read.
❌ "A single sub-point is fine if the point only has one idea." → ✅ Division rule: if you subdivide at all, you need at least two sub-points. If only one idea, fold it back up.
❌ Confuses transition and signpost. → ✅ Transition = a bridge sentence; signpost = a short word ("first," "also").
❌ Confuses coordination and subordination. → ✅ Coordination = equal items at the same level; subordination = items that support the point above them.

(D) Review in the module

Week 6 → Lecture Outline B-6, Slides (Deck 6), Readings (H-6), Lecture Tutorial (C-6).

Week 7 — Language & Style · ~2 items

(A) Key ideas, plain language

Speeches are heard, not read — so oral style is different from written style. Good oral language is clear (plain, concrete, concise), vivid (sensory, imaginative, rhythmic devices), and appropriate (fits the audience, occasion, topic, and speaker). Ethical and inclusive language is a form of audience-centered respect. Knowing the classic rhetorical devices — anaphora, parallelism, antithesis, metaphor, simile, alliteration — lets you both use them and recognize them.

(B) Definitions / terms

Oral style characteristics: simpler sentence structure, more repetition (listeners can't re-read), personal pronouns ("you," "we"), shorter sentences, more transitions and signposts.
Clarity: concrete and familiar words; avoid jargon; prefer the specific over the abstract.
Vividness: imagery, sensory detail, rhetorical devices.
Appropriateness: fits the audience, occasion, topic, and speaker's authentic voice.
Denotative vs. connotative meaning: denotative = the dictionary definition; connotative = emotional/cultural associations.
Rhetorical devices (know type, definition, and example):

Device	Definition	Recognizable example type
Anaphora	Repetition of a word/phrase at the start of successive clauses	"I have a dream… I have a dream…" — the well-known repeated phrase in King's 1963 speech
Parallelism	Grammatically similar structures in a series	"…of the people, by the people, for the people"
Antithesis	Contrasting ideas in balanced parallel structure	"Not the absence of argument, but the management of it"
Metaphor	A direct comparison without like or as	"Time is a thief"
Simile	A comparison using like or as	"Her voice was like gravel"
Alliteration	Repetition of the same initial consonant sound	"Peter Piper picked"

Inclusive language: people-first language; avoiding bias-coded terms; audience-centered respect.

(C) Predictable mistakes → cures

❌ Confuses simile and metaphor. → ✅ Simile uses like or as; metaphor is a direct identification ("life is a journey").
❌ Confuses anaphora and parallelism. → ✅ Anaphora = repetition at the start of successive clauses (the same phrase leading each one); parallelism = grammatically equivalent structure (not necessarily the same opener).
❌ "Oral style = casual or sloppy." → ✅ Oral style is simpler and more direct, but still precise, ethical, and purposeful.
❌ Confuses denotative and connotative. → ✅ Denotative = dictionary definition; connotative = emotional/cultural associations.

(D) Review in the module

Week 7 → Lecture Outline B-7, Slides (Deck 7), Readings (H-7), Lecture Tutorial (C-7).

Representative practice (all fresh — vetted answers)

None of these are live midterm items. New scenarios, new wording. Cover answers, work each one, then check.

W1 + W2 practice

Worked example 1 — Diagnose the noise.
A speaker gives a talk on campus parking policy. The audience keeps thinking about what they want for lunch; three front-row students are texting friends; the speaker uses the phrase "modal split optimization" without defining it.
- (a) What type of noise is the texting? (b) What type is the hunger distraction? (c) What type is "modal split optimization"?
Answer. (a) Psychological (mental distraction). (b) Physiological (physical state — hunger). (c) Semantic (unfamiliar jargon — the language itself is the barrier). Why: name the kind of noise and the model tells you the fix (simplify language; open with a hook to fight distraction).

Worked example 2 — Listening type + audience analysis.
A professor notices her student's voice is trembling and she keeps glancing at the door. The professor focuses entirely on what the student seems to be feeling, not on the content. Meanwhile, a classmate is analyzing whether the student's argument holds together logically.
- (a) What type of listening is the professor using? (b) What type is the classmate?
Answer. (a) Empathic / therapeutic (focused on feelings and support). (b) Critical / evaluative (judging the logic and argument). Why: the professor centers the feeling; the classmate centers the argument's quality.

Self-check (W1 + W2).
1. A speaker's slide uses a tiny font no one can read. Which kind of noise? → Physical (external visual interference).
2. True or false: communication apprehension affects only beginners. → False — it is normal and common even among experienced speakers.
3. The audience consists of evening students who work full-time and commute. Is this demographic, psychographic, or situational information? → Demographic (work status, likely life stage) + situational (they may be tired by evening class time).
4. Which type of listening is most relevant when evaluating evidence in a persuasive speech? → Critical / evaluative.

W3 + W4 practice

Worked example 1 — Purpose and thesis check.
A student writes: Specific purpose: "To inform my audience about climate change and healthy eating and time management." Thesis: "Climate change is important."
- (a) What is wrong with the specific purpose? (b) What is wrong with the thesis?
Answer. (a) Three separate ideas — violates the "one idea" rule. Pick one. (b) The thesis is a vague assertion, not a full declarative sentence stating what the speech claims ("Three everyday choices can reduce a person's carbon footprint"). Why: specific purpose = one idea, infinitive phrase; thesis = declarative sentence stating the message.

Worked example 2 — Source credibility + oral citation.
A student finds a statistic on a website with no author, no date, and the URL ending in ".biz." She says she'll just use it without citing it.
- (a) Is this source credible? Why or why not? (b) What should she do?
Answer. (a) Not credible — no identifiable authority, no date (no currency), commercial domain suggests a possible hidden purpose. (b) She should not use this source and should find a verifiable one (a .gov data source, a peer-reviewed article, a major research organization). Citing a weak source doesn't make it credible. Why: authority + accuracy + currency are non-negotiable.

Self-check (W3 + W4).
1. A specific purpose reads: "To explain to my audience how music affects the brain." Is this well-formed? → Mostly — "to explain" is a near-synonym for "to inform"; better to use the standard form "To inform my audience about…" Also check it's one idea and achievable.
2. What are the three components of a complete oral citation? → Source name + author/organization qualification + date.
3. Name two types of testimony. → Expert (qualified authority in the field) and peer/lay (personal account or everyday experience).
4. A student says "I found this on Wikipedia so it must be accurate." What criterion does Wikipedia struggle with? → Authority (Wikipedia is user-edited; anyone can change it) and accuracy (no consistent peer-review process for every claim).

W5 + W6 practice — work all of these

Worked example 1 — Pattern matching.
A student is giving a speech on the three main styles of coffee (espresso-based, drip-brewed, and cold brew). There is no chronological sequence, no spatial arrangement, and no cause-effect relationship — just three types.
- Which organizational pattern fits? Why?
Answer. Topical — the three types are distinct categories with no single organizing logic (not a time sequence, not a spatial arrangement, not a cause-effect chain). Why: topical = distinct categories without a unifying alternative logic.

Worked example 2 — Outline rules.
A student's outline reads: "I. Exercise improves mental health. / A. Running reduces anxiety. / II. Poor nutrition contributes to low energy. / B. Skipping breakfast affects concentration."
- What two outlining rules are violated?
Answer. (a) Division rule violated — Point I has sub-point A but no sub-point B. (b) Coordination violated — Point II's "B" is indented under II, but B would normally follow A under the same main point; also, Point II introduces poor nutrition, which may not be parallel with Point I's focus on exercise under a consistent thesis about health habits. Why: every divided point needs A and B; all main points must have equal logical weight under the same thesis.

Worked example 3 — Monroe's vs. Problem-Solution.
A speaker's speech ends: "So please, sign up for the campus blood drive today at the student union." Is this Monroe's Motivated Sequence or Problem-Solution?
- Answer. Monroe's Motivated Sequence — the speech ends in a specific call to action ("sign up today"). Problem-solution ends by presenting the solution; Monroe's continues to the action step asking the audience to do something.

Self-check (W5 + W6).
1. What is the division rule? → If you subdivide a point, you must have at least two sub-points (an A and a B; no lone A).
2. Which outline goes to the lectern? → The speaking (keyword) outline.
3. A speech on how a hurricane forms (from warm ocean water → rising air → cloud formation → spiral wind → landfall) uses which pattern? → Chronological (steps in a physical process, in time order).
4. A "transition" vs. a "signpost": which is a full sentence? → Transition is a bridge sentence; signpost is a short word or phrase ("first," "finally").

W7 practice

Worked example 1 — Oral vs. written style.
A student's draft reads: "The amelioration of communication competencies is contingent upon sustained engagement with praxis." She asks if this works for a speech.
- (a) What's the problem? (b) Rewrite for oral style.
Answer. (a) Written-style prose — multi-syllabic jargon, abstract nouns, passive/nominalized construction. Listeners can't decode this quickly. (b) Oral rewrite: "Getting better at communicating takes regular, real-world practice." Why: oral style = plain, direct, active voice, short.

Worked example 2 — Device identification.
"We did not come here to give up. We did not come here to stand still. We did not come here to be ordinary." Which rhetorical device?
- Answer. Anaphora — the same phrase ("We did not come here to…") is repeated at the start of three successive clauses, building rhythm and emphasis. (This is an original illustrative example created for this guide — it is not attributed to any real speaker.)

Self-check (W7).
1. What is the key difference between a metaphor and a simile? → Metaphor = direct comparison ("Life is a highway"); simile = comparison using like or as ("Life is like a highway").
2. Which quality of oral language focuses on choosing plain, concrete, familiar words? → Clarity.
3. What is "denotative" meaning? → The dictionary / literal definition, as opposed to connotative (emotional/cultural associations).
4. Is anaphora the same as parallelism? → Related but different. Anaphora = the same phrase repeated at the start of successive clauses. Parallelism = grammatically equivalent structures at the same level (not necessarily the same opener).

Study plan — a dated countdown

Built for the Week 8 midterm window (Mon Oct 19 – Sun Oct 25). Adjust to your section's actual posted exam day; the rhythm is what matters.

When	Do this (≈45–75 min)
~7 days out (Week 7 after class)	Read this guide's W1 + W2 sections. Work the W1+W2 practice. Build your one-page concept sheet (process model parts; four noise types; listening types; three audience-analysis dimensions).
~5 days out	Read W3 + W4. Work the W3+W4 practice. Add to your concept sheet: the purpose → thesis progression; the oral citation formula; CRAAP criteria.
~3 days out	Read W5 + W6 (the biggest pattern-and-outline slice). Work all three W5+W6 examples. Add to your concept sheet: the pattern-matching table; the four outlining rules; connective types. Then run the paired Exam-Prep Tutorial (N) in an approved chatbot — it diagnoses your weak spots across all seven weeks.
~2 days out	Read W7 and work the W7 examples. Then take the Practice Exam (O) under timed, closed-note conditions. Score it; list every concept you missed.
~1 day out	Re-teach only the topics you missed on the practice exam (use this guide's mistake-cures and the relevant Lecture Tutorial). Re-do those specific self-checks.
Exam day	Skim your one-page concept sheet. Read each item twice and answer the question actually asked. Closed-book, no AI.

Two paired tools — use both:
- Exam-Prep Tutorial (N-exam-prep-tutorial-week-08) — a copy/paste chatbot tutor that diagnoses, re-teaches, and drills you across all of W1–W7, ending with a readiness summary. Best for active recall and shoring up weak spots.
- Practice Exam (O-practice-exam-week-08) — a full, fresh, mirror-format run. Best for pacing and final readiness check.

(This guide points to both on purpose — it doesn't duplicate them.)

How the midterm is graded + test-taking strategy

How it's graded.
- 100 points across 20 items, 5 points each; weighted toward application (read a scenario, name the concept or match the pattern) rather than bare definition-recall.
- The midterm is 15% of your course grade. It replaces Week 8's quiz, assignment, and Speech Workshop. (Discussion 8 still runs.)
- Coverage matches this guide: ~3–4 items from W1; ~3 from W2; ~3 from W3; ~3 from W4; ~2–3 from W5; ~3 from W6; ~2 from W7.

Honest test-taking strategies for this material.
1. Translate each scenario into its concept first. Underline cue words — active vs. passive, within vs. between, infinitive phrase vs. declarative sentence, sequence vs. categories — then match the term.
2. For noise items: name the type — physical/external, psychological/mental, physiological/physical-state, semantic/language.
3. For listening items: remember what each type centers — discriminative (nonverbal cues), comprehensive (content retention), critical (argument quality), empathic (feelings), appreciative (aesthetic enjoyment).
4. For pattern items, use the decision tree: is it time order (chronological)? Physical layout (spatial)? Cause-effect chain (causal)? Problem + solution (problem-solution)? Five-step action call (Monroe's)? Else: probably topical.
5. For outline items: ask — is this a rule about equal weight at same level (coordination), support flowing up (subordination), minimum two sub-points (division), or grammatical form (parallelism)?
6. For device items: is the same phrase repeated at the start of successive clauses (anaphora)? Are contrasting ideas paired (antithesis)? Are structures grammatically equivalent (parallelism)?
7. For "select all that apply": judge each option independently — some distractors are designed to look plausible ("memorization is an ethical obligation").
8. For true/false: read the precise claim; a half-true statement is false.
9. Budget time — 20 items in the window; don't spend 10 minutes on one item; flag hard ones and return.

Canvas placement block

canvas_object   = Page
title           = "Midterm Study Guide — Weeks 1–7"
module          = "Week 8 — Midterm Review & Exam"
grading_type    = not_graded
available_from  = 2026-10-17      # posts before the Week 8 exam window opens
published       = true
provenance      = "~ Prof. Marchetti's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"

Term-update note: each term's update regenerates fresh practice variants from this same scope — the live midterm is never reproduced here.

~ Prof. Marchetti's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com