Contributing Guides and Documentation Language (English)
Practice writing and reading open-source contributing guides: getting started instructions, project conventions, and contribution workflows.
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What should a 'Getting Started' section of a contributing guide include first?
A contributor's first obstacle is usually environment setup. Clear prerequisites and exact commands prevent 'it works on my machine' problems. Including verification steps (e.g., 'run npm test — all tests should pass') confirms the setup is correct.
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What is 'conventional commits' and why do contributing guides mention it?
Conventional commits (feat: add login, fix: resolve null pointer) standardize commit messages. Tools like semantic-release use these prefixes to automatically determine version bumps and generate changelogs.
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What is the purpose of the 'Development Workflow' section in a contributing guide?
The development workflow section guides contributors through the expected process: fork → branch → develop → test → PR → review → merge. This prevents PRs that do not follow the project's conventions.
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Why is it important to document 'run the test suite' instructions in a contributing guide?
Contributors should run tests locally before submitting a PR. Without instructions, they may not know the command, the environment required, or what a passing run looks like — leading to PRs that fail CI immediately.
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What does 'squash and merge' mean in a PR contributing workflow?
Squash and merge produces one clean commit per PR on main, regardless of how many 'work in progress' commits were in the PR. It keeps the main branch history readable and is common in projects using conventional commits.
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What should be included in the 'Project Structure' documentation for contributors?
Project structure docs orient new contributors quickly. Knowing that 'src/ contains source code, tests/ contains tests, packages/ is the monorepo root' saves hours of exploration.
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What is a 'draft PR' and when would a contributing guide mention it?
Draft PRs are a signal: 'I am working on this, CI is running, but do not review yet.' Contributing guides often encourage draft PRs for large changes to enable early discussion without blocking others.
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How should a contributing guide explain the code style requirements?
Code style requirements should name the tool, give the exact commands, and state what happens in CI. This removes ambiguity and prevents contributors from submitting code that immediately fails CI for formatting reasons.
What will I practise in "Contributing Guides and Documentation Language (English)"?
This module focuses on Open Source Contribution — real workplace phrasing you'll use on the job. It contains 8 scenario-based multiple-choice questions with instant feedback.
Is this exercise free to use?
Yes. Every exercise on CoderSlingo, including this one, is free to use with no account or sign-up required.
How many questions does this exercise have?
This module includes 8 questions. Each one gives an immediate right/wrong result plus a full explanation of the correct phrasing.
What happens if I answer a question incorrectly?
You'll see the correct answer highlighted straight away, along with a plain-English explanation of why it's right and why the other options don't fit — mistakes are part of the learning here.
Can I retry the exercise if I want a better score?
Yes — use the 'Try again' button on the results screen to reset your score and go through the questions again. There's no limit on attempts.
Who is this Open Source Contribution exercise for?
It's aimed at IT professionals with working English who want to sound more natural and precise around open source contribution — useful whether you're preparing for real conversations at work or just building confidence with the vocabulary.
Do I need an account to track my progress?
No account is needed. Your progress through the exercise is tracked locally in your browser for the current session, and you can replay the module at any time.
How is this different from reading a blog article?
This exercise is an interactive drill that tests and reinforces specific phrasing through multiple-choice questions with instant feedback, while blog articles explain concepts and vocabulary in prose. The two work well together.
Where can I find more Open Source Contribution exercises?
See the Open Source Contribution hub for more modules like this one, or browse the full Exercises page for other IT-English topics.
Can I complete this exercise on my phone?
Yes — every exercise on CoderSlingo is fully responsive and works on phones and tablets, so you can practise anywhere.