5 exercises on the precise English vocabulary used when patching, verifying, and closing software defects.
Key fixing collocations
hotfix → emergency fix bypassing the normal cycle; proper fix → the complete solution
address the root cause → fix the underlying problem, not just the symptom
verify the fix → QA confirms the bug is gone
regression test → test added to prevent the bug returning
close the issue → final action after deployment and verification
0 / 5 completed
1 / 5
A developer says: "Production is down. We can't wait for a full code review cycle — we need to push a ___ right now and do a proper fix later in the sprint."
Which term is correct?
"Hotfix" — an emergency fix deployed directly to production:
A hotfix is a rapid, targeted fix applied to a production system to resolve a critical issue, typically bypassing the normal sprint or release cycle. The name comes from "hot" (live/active system) + "fix."
Fix type vocabulary:
hotfix → emergency fix to production; bypasses normal process; deployed ASAP
patch → a small, targeted code change fixing a specific issue; can be planned or urgent
bugfix → general term for any fix to a bug; used in branch names (bugfix/login-crash), changelogs
workaround → a temporary solution that avoids the bug without actually fixing it: "As a workaround, clear your browser cache"
proper fix → the correct, complete solution (as opposed to a hotfix or workaround)
Hotfix workflow: Branch from main/master (not the feature branch) → apply minimal fix → deploy to production → merge back into main AND develop → follow up with proper fix in next sprint.
2 / 5
A code reviewer comments on a PR: "This PR only fixes the symptom — it just catches the NullPointerException and swallows it. We need to ___ the root cause instead."
Which verb is correct?
"Address the root cause" — the professional collocation for solving the underlying problem:
Address in this context means to deal with properly and completely — not just acknowledge it, but take action to resolve it. "Address the root cause" is the standard phrase in post-mortems, code reviews, and engineering discussions for fixing the underlying problem rather than just treating the symptom.
Fix-quality vocabulary:
address the root cause → deal with the underlying problem properly
fix the symptom → only treat the visible effect, not the cause (anti-pattern)
treat the cause, not the symptom → the engineering principle
patch → a targeted fix (often used for security vulnerabilities)
remediate → formal/security term for correcting a vulnerability
"Fix" vs "address": Both are correct, but "address the root cause" is more idiomatic in professional engineering writing. "Fix the root cause" works in conversation. In a post-mortem, "address" implies a considered, systematic response rather than an ad-hoc patch.
3 / 5
After deploying a bug fix, a QA engineer writes: "I've run the original repro steps and the error no longer appears. I've also run the full regression suite. I am ___ the fix."
Which verb is correct?
"Verify the fix" — the QA collocation for confirming a fix works:
Verify is the precise QA term for confirming that a fix actually resolves the reported bug. It involves running the original repro steps, checking the expected result appears, and often running a regression suite to ensure no new bugs were introduced.
QA fix-validation vocabulary:
verify the fix → confirm the bug is gone; the formal QA step
validate the fix → broader term; also used in post-deploy monitoring
close the ticket → after verification, mark as done
regression test → test to ensure the fix didn't break other things
sign off on a fix → give formal QA approval: "QA signed off on the fix"
Full verification checklist: 1. Reproduce the original bug (confirm it existed) → 2. Apply the fix → 3. Confirm the bug no longer appears → 4. Run regression suite → 5. Check edge cases from the bug report → 6. Mark as verified, close the ticket.
4 / 5
A team lead says: "Before we ship the fix, we need to write a ___ that will fail if this bug ever comes back. We don't want to reopen this issue in six months."
Which term is correct?
"Regression test" — a test specifically written to prevent a fixed bug from returning:
A regression test is a test that verifies previously fixed bugs remain fixed. The practice of writing a regression test alongside every bug fix is a core professional standard: if the bug comes back, the test catches it automatically in CI before it reaches production again.
Testing vocabulary around bug fixes:
regression test → a test that fails if the bug reappears: "Always write a regression test with your fix"
write a failing test first → TDD approach: write a test that reproduces the bug, then fix the code until the test passes
red-green-refactor → TDD cycle: failing test (red) → fix (green) → clean up (refactor)
regression suite → the full set of regression tests run after every change
pin the behaviour → lock in the correct behaviour with a test so it can't regress
Best practice phrasing: "Never close a bug without a regression test." "PR #412 — fix for issue #389, includes regression test in checkout.test.ts."
5 / 5
After a fix is verified in staging, a developer writes in the Jira ticket: "Fix verified on staging. Deployed to production in release v2.4.1. ___ the issue."
Which verb is correct?
"Closing the issue" — the final action in the bug lifecycle:
Once a fix is verified and deployed, the ticket is closed. While "resolve" is also used (and means the fix has been implemented), "close" is the terminal action that marks the ticket as fully done and removes it from active work queues.
Ticket status action vocabulary:
close the issue / ticket → final state: done, verified, deployed
resolve the issue → the fix has been implemented (may still need verification): "Resolved in PR #412"
mark as fixed → less formal: "marking as fixed and closing"
mark as Won't Fix → acknowledged but intentionally not fixing
mark as Duplicate → same issue already tracked elsewhere
Typical closing comment template: "Root cause: X. Fix: Y (PR #412). Regression test added. Verified on staging by QA (2024-01-15). Deployed in v2.4.1. Closing." This demonstrates full accountability and traceability — the professional standard for bug closure.