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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. How is formatting important?
Examples of medium s of business communication
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Climatic Order
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

2. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Intensifiers
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Sentence Type
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

3. How do you begin the message?

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?
Intensifiers
Emphasis
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Key draft questions

5. What is a Memorandum?
Active Voice
Long Dashes
Connotation
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

6. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Direct Statements
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Concrete Words
Abstract words

7. General considerations with Email Messages
Sentence Type
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Information needed for short report
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

8. 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
Garbled Sentences
Short report
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

9. 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)
Four keys to effective writing
Coherent writing
Subordination
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

10. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Rules for writing instructions
Wordiness
Sentence Type
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

11. Conciseness
Rules for writing instructions
Intensifiers
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

12. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Subordination
Rules for writing instructions
One-third
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

13. 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
Direct Statements
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Guidelines for successful group writing
Buzz Words

14. What is Indirect Order?
Biased Language
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Strategy and Humanness

15. What are three levels of Editing?
Information needed for short report
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Denotaion
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

16. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Mechanical Devices
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Main parts of internal proposals

17. Etiquette
Denotaion
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Instructions
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

18. Correctness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Garbled Sentences
Sentence Length
Telegraphic Style

19. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Sentence Length
Euphemismss
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Recursive

20. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Main parts of a set of instructions
Guidelines for successful group writing

21. How do you know what to include in your message?
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Tone
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

22. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Characteristics of job-related writing
Repetition
Get Feedback From Others!

23. Clairty
Purpose - Format - Composition
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
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

24. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Denotaion
Climatic Order
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Three P's for success in writing a memo

25. 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
Climatic Order
Wordiness
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Idioms

26. What should you know about a Letter?
Wordiness
Purpose - Format - Composition
Tone
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

27. Steps to Successful Writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Cliches
Main parts of a set of instructions

28. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Characteristics of job-related writing
Sentence Variety
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

29. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

30. What are Pros of Email?
Affectation
Coherent writing
Concrete Words
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

31. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Business Writing Style
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Goal of a letter of application

32. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Conciseness
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Goal of a letter of application

33. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Subordination
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Sentence Variety

34. What are Cons of Email?

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

36. Using short and long sentences strategically
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Rules for writing instructions
Sentence Length
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

37. 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
Characteristics of job-related writing
Connotation
Information needed for short report
Three P's for success in writing a memo

38. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Main parts of instructions
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Figures of Speech
Short report

39. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Euphemismss
Main parts of instructions
Main parts of a set of instructions
'You Viewpoint'

40. When should email NOT be used?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
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
Rules for writing instructions
Telegraphic Style

41. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Main parts of instructions
Cliches
Abstract words

42. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Rules for writing instructions
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Position

43. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
One-third
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

44. Goal and audience
Things to think through when planning a website
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Tone
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

45. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Characteristics of job-related writing
Abstract words
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Sentence Variety

46. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Business Writing Style
Repetition
Mechanical Devices
Sentence Length

47. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Business Writing Style
similar
Active Voice
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

48. Formality Considerations
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Conciseness
Attractive and Readable Format

49. What is important in the Revising stage?
Subordination
Get Feedback From Others!
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Intensifiers

50. 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
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
Procedures
Biased Language