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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. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Active Voice
Biased Language
Concrete Words
One-third

2. 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
Key draft questions
Information needed for short report
Cliches
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

3. Plan what you are going to say - polish what you wrote before you sent it - proofread everything

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4. Tell and show how to do something
Instructions
Connotation
Procedures
Four keys to effective writing

5. Etiquette
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

6. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Sentence Length

7. What are Cons of Email?

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8. When should email NOT be used?
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Selecting the proper medium
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
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

9. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Repetition
Main parts of a set of instructions
Examples of medium s of business communication

10. Using short and long sentences strategically
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Sentence Length
Buzz Words

11. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
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;
Procedures
Organizational - Professional - Personal

12. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Garbled Sentences
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

13. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Main parts of instructions
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

14. Clairty
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Sentence Length
Repetition

15. How do you begin the message?

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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
Tone
Abstract words
Guidelines for successful group writing
Climatic Order

17. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Affectation
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Selecting the proper medium

18. Are these stages recursive or linear?
One-third
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Outlining
Recursive

19. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Sentence Variety
Figures of Speech
Garbled Sentences
similar

20. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Conciseness
Direct Statements
Examples of medium s of business communication
Guidelines for successful group writing

21. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Attractive and Readable Format
Euphemismss
One-third

22. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Biased Language
Direct Statements
Coherent writing
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

23. When to use Instant Messaging?
Climatic Order
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Position
Characteristics of job-related writing

24. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Long Dashes
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Position
Sentence Type

25. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Direct Statements
Intensifiers
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Abstract words

26. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Idioms
Long Dashes
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

27. Words or phrases that suddenly become popular and - because of an intense period of overuse - lose their freshness and precisness - E.g. interface (as a verb) - impact (as a verb) - skill sets - deliverables - slam dunk - bleeding edge - cash cow - 2
Buzz Words
Denotaion
Climatic Order
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

28. 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.
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Tone
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Outlining

29. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Sentence Type
Biased Language
Cliches
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

30. Goal and audience
Things to think through when planning a website
Figures of Speech
Attractive and Readable Format
Business Writing Style

31. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Four keys to effective writing
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Instructions
Concrete Words

32. 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
Get Feedback From Others!
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Wordiness

33. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Subordination
Biased Language
Business Writing Style
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

34. Identifying your audience - Establishing your purpose - Formulating your message - and Selecting your style (how something is written rather than what is written) and tone (expresses your attitude toward your topic and audience)
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
Intensifiers
Outlining
Four keys to effective writing

35. What are three levels of Editing?
Information needed for short report
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Biased Language
similar

36. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Get Feedback From Others!

37. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Tone
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Goal of a letter of application

38. What are three levels of Revision?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Long Dashes
Attractive and Readable Format

39. What are Pros of Email?
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Four keys to effective writing

40. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Goal of a letter of application

41. What should you know about a Letter?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Purpose - Format - Composition
Position

42. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Examples of medium s of business communication

43. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Main parts of internal proposals
Information needed for short report

44. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Strategy and Humanness
Things to think through when planning a website
Concrete Words
Guidelines for successful group writing

45. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Concrete Words
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Garbled Sentences

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
Direct Statements
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Characteristics of job-related writing
Business Writing Style

47. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Euphemismss

48. Steps to Successful Writing
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Business Writing Style
Sentence Length

49. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
'You Viewpoint'
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Abstract words
Euphemismss

50. What is Indirect Order?
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Buzz Words
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;