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The Business Writing Process

Subjects : writing-skills, business-skills

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Selecting the proper medium
similar
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

2. How do you present information in long messages?
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Instructions
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

3. What is format of most Memos?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Concrete Words
Organizational - Professional - Personal

4. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Mechanical Devices
Guidelines for successful group writing
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Goal of a letter of application

5. What is a Memorandum?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Repetition
Four keys to effective writing
Outlining

6. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Abstract words
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Characteristics of job-related writing
Strategy and Humanness

7. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Wordiness
Examples of medium s of business communication
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

8. Avoid language that attempts to evade responsibility - Avoid deceptive language - Do not deemphasize or suppress important information - Do not emphasize misleading or incorrect information - Avoid using language that is biased - racist - or sexist o
Emphasis
'You Viewpoint'
Ethics in Business Writing
Repetition

9. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Four keys to effective writing
Garbled Sentences
Subordination

10. Use Initialisms
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Subordination
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

11. What is Indirect Order?
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

12. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Key draft questions
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Repetition

13. Formality Considerations
Purpose - Format - Composition
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Buzz Words
Four keys to effective writing

14. Expressions that have been used fro so long that they are no longer fresh but come to mind easily bc they are so familiar. Often wordy as well as vague and cab be confusing - especially to non-native English speakers - E.g. all over the map - run it
Cliches
Main parts of instructions
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Active Voice

15. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Things to think through when planning a website
Repetition
Instructions
Strategy and Humanness

16. Understand and agree on the important goals - organization - and deadlines for the report - Establish group rules early on and stick to them - Put the good of the group ahead of individual egos - Agree on the group's organization - Identify each mem
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Short report
Guidelines for successful group writing
Sentence Type

17. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Sentence Variety
Procedures
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Casual - Informal - or Formal

18. What are three levels of Revision?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Recursive
Main parts of internal proposals
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

19. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Long Dashes
Denotaion
Information needed for short report
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

20. Tell and show how to do something
Connotation
Abstract words
Direct Statements
Instructions

21. E.g. 'most important'
Main parts of internal proposals
Buzz Words
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Direct Statements

22. Am I giving the reader too much or too little info? - does this point belong here? - is this point relevant? - am I repeating or contradicting myself? - have I ended appropriately?
Key draft questions
Affectation
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Recursive

23. What are Individual Contexts
Direct Statements
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Climatic Order
Organizational - Professional - Personal

24. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Purpose - Format - Composition
Ethics in Business Writing
Active Voice
Information needed for short report

25. What should you know about a Letter?
Biased Language
Purpose - Format - Composition
Buzz Words
Business Writing Style

26. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Concrete Words
Recursive
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

27. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Long Dashes
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Conciseness
Guidelines for successful group writing

28. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Telegraphic Style
Rules for writing instructions
Recursive

29. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Euphemismss
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Abstract words
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

30. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Affectation
Selecting the proper medium
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Three P's for success in writing a memo

31. How do you present information in message?
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Active Voice
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Guidelines for successful group writing

32. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Figures of Speech
Long Dashes

33. Put instructions is correct order - right amount of information only - group closely related items into 1 step - give reader hints on how to best accomplish task - state when 1 step affects another - insert graphics where needed
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Affectation
Rules for writing instructions
Purpose - Format - Composition

34. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
Outlining
Concrete Words
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

35. Formal
Denotaion
Abstract words
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

36. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Selecting the proper medium
Intensifiers
Buzz Words

37. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Emphasis

38. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Conciseness
Denotaion
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Information needed for short report

39. Goal and audience
Examples of medium s of business communication
Selecting the proper medium
Procedures
Things to think through when planning a website

40. Using short and long sentences strategically
Selecting the proper medium
Intensifiers
Sentence Length
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

41. Correctness
Coherent writing
Sentence Type
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

42. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Abstract words
Main parts of instructions
Affectation
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

43. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Attractive and Readable Format
Climatic Order
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Tone

44. How to end an email
Climatic Order
Euphemismss
Main parts of a set of instructions
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

45. Make sure your e-mail is confidential and ethical - observe all of the proprietary requirements when using e-mail - use an acceptable format- follow all of the rules of 'netiqette' when answering e-mail - adopt a professional style - ensure that yo
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Active Voice
Telegraphic Style
Goal of a letter of application

46. Less formal than in the past - Varies from conversational style - The use of personal pronouns is important - In emails etc. something between conversational & business writing should be used - Only use we when it is company policy
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Business Writing Style
Euphemismss

47. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Instructions
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Euphemismss
Coherent writing

48. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
'You Viewpoint'
Examples of medium s of business communication
Sentence Length

49. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Instructions

50. How do you know what to include in your message?
Denotaion
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Goal of a letter of application