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Test your basic knowledge |
The Business Writing Process
Start Test
Study First
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. Etiquette
Garbled Sentences
Buzz Words
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Key draft questions
2. When should email NOT be used?
Strategy and Humanness
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Long - Complicated - Requires Negotiation - Questions/Info need clarification/discussion - Info Confidential/Sensitive - Requires Security - Could be Misinterpreted - Emotionally Charged - Requires Tone of Voice - Sent to Avoid - Contains Sensitive I
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
3. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Mechanical Devices
Biased Language
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
4. 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?
Procedures
Business Writing Style
Key draft questions
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
5. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Guidelines for successful group writing
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
6. How is formatting important?
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Active Voice
Procedures
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
7. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Wordiness
Figures of Speech
Subordination
One-third
8. What are Cons of Email?
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9. Places the reader's interest and perspective foremost. It is based on the principle that most readers are naturally more concerned about their own needs than they are about those of a writer or a writer's organization - often means using the words y
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10. Tell and show how to do something
Emphasis
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Instructions
11. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Idioms
Get Feedback From Others!
12. What are three levels of Editing?
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Attractive and Readable Format
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Information the reader will want - put it first.
13. How do you begin the message?
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14. E.g. 'most important'
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Long - Complicated - Requires Negotiation - Questions/Info need clarification/discussion - Info Confidential/Sensitive - Requires Security - Could be Misinterpreted - Emotionally Charged - Requires Tone of Voice - Sent to Avoid - Contains Sensitive I
Direct Statements
Key draft questions
15. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Main parts of internal proposals
Mechanical Devices
Characteristics of job-related writing
Main parts of instructions
16. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Recursive
Strategy and Humanness
17. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Attractive and Readable Format
Main parts of internal proposals
Three P's for success in writing a memo
18. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Get Feedback From Others!
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Procedures
Abstract words
19. Formality Considerations
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Connotation
Business Writing Style
Casual - Informal - or Formal
20. The skeleton of the document you are going to write--structures your writing by ensuring that it has a beginning - middle - and end.Types: topic outlines - sentence outlines etc.
Things to think through when planning a website
Characteristics of job-related writing
Active Voice
Outlining
21. Clairty
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
22. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Repetition
Biased Language
Goal of a letter of application
Information the reader will want - put it first.
23. 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
Active Voice
Telegraphic Style
Biased Language
Rules for writing instructions
24. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Characteristics of job-related writing
Mechanical Devices
Garbled Sentences
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
25. How do you know what to include in your message?
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
26. How do you present information in long messages?
Main parts of a set of instructions
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
27. Informal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Conciseness
Biased Language
28. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Sentence Variety
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Tone
Casual - Informal - or Formal
29. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Four keys to effective writing
Sentence Variety
30. The ___________ of a word are its meanings and associations beyond its literal definitions - words often have particular connotations for audiences within professional groups and organizations
Connotation
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Coherent writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
31. 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
Guidelines for successful group writing
Repetition
Garbled Sentences
Euphemismss
32. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Buzz Words
Recursive
Key draft questions
33. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Recursive
Things to think through when planning a website
Direct Statements
Main parts of instructions
34. How do you present information in message?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Short report
35. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Telegraphic Style
36. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Euphemismss
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Main parts of a set of instructions
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
37. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Position
Selecting the proper medium
One-third
Goal of a letter of application
38. When to use Instant Messaging?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Procedures
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
39. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Outlining
Conciseness
Procedures
Get Feedback From Others!
40. 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
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Key draft questions
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Business Writing Style
41. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Long Dashes
Connotation
Emphasis
Selecting the proper medium
42. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Denotaion
Conciseness
Mechanical Devices
Euphemismss
43. Modifiers that repeat an idea implicit or present in the word being modified contribute to wordiness by being redundant (basic essentials - final outcome) - Coordinated synonyms (each and every - first and foremost.) - Expletives - relative pronouns
Business Writing Style
Goal of a letter of application
Wordiness
Rules for writing instructions
44. What are three levels of Revision?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Climatic Order
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
45. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Active Voice
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Casual - Informal - or Formal
46. What are Pros of Email?
Sentence Type
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Attractive and Readable Format
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
47. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Cliches
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
48. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Climatic Order
Information needed for short report
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Three P's for success in writing a memo
49. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Get Feedback From Others!
Sentence Type
Sentence Length
One-third
50. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
One-third
Business Writing Style
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Examples of medium s of business communication