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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. E.g. 'most important'
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Direct Statements
Main parts of a set of instructions

2. 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
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Sentence Variety
Emphasis
Ethics in Business Writing

3. How do you begin the message?

4. Steps to Successful Writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Sentence Variety
Key draft questions

5. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Affectation
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Denotaion

6. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Conciseness
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Biased Language
similar

7. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Tone
One-third
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Main parts of instructions

8. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Main parts of a set of instructions

9. 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
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Garbled Sentences
Euphemismss

10. 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
Tone
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Strategy and Humanness

11. Using short and long sentences strategically
Main parts of instructions
Wordiness
Sentence Length
Sentence Type

12. 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
'You Viewpoint'
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

13. Use Initialisms
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Subordination
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

14. Clairty
Long Dashes
Attractive and Readable Format
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Main parts of internal proposals

15. Casual
Main parts of internal proposals
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
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Strategy and Humanness

16. How do you Plan the message?
One-third
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

17. What is format of most Memos?
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Characteristics of job-related writing
Short report
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

18. How is formatting important?
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Position
Information needed for short report
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

19. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Purpose - Format - Composition
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Climatic Order
Telegraphic Style

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

21. Stages can also be summarized as...
Key draft questions
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Cliches

22. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Characteristics of job-related writing

23. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Mechanical Devices
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

24. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
'You Viewpoint'
Business Writing Style
Long Dashes
Telegraphic Style

25. 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.
Emphasis
Intensifiers
Outlining
Main parts of instructions

26. The principle of of stressing the most important ieas in writing. You can achieve this with the careful use of: Position - Climatic Order - Sentence Type - Sentence Length - Sentence Length - Active Voice - Repetition - Intensifiers - Direct Stateme
Main parts of a set of instructions
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Emphasis
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

27. What are three levels of Revision?
Main parts of instructions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

28. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
similar
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Sentence Length
Selecting the proper medium

29. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Denotaion
Abstract words
Instructions

30. What is a Memorandum?
Conciseness
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Affectation
Rules for writing instructions

31. 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
Main parts of a set of instructions
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Wordiness

32. What are three levels of Editing?
Procedures
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

33. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Denotaion
Telegraphic Style
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

34. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Main parts of a set of instructions
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Euphemismss
Information the reader will want - put it first.

35. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Climatic Order
Recursive
Mechanical Devices
Repetition

36. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Active Voice
Coherent writing
Main parts of internal proposals
Outlining

37. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Conciseness
Procedures
Information needed for short report
Strategy and Humanness

38. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Mechanical Devices
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Buzz Words

39. When to use Instant Messaging?
Euphemismss
Buzz Words
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Figures of Speech

40. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Idioms
similar
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

41. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Repetition
Telegraphic Style
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

42. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Strategy and Humanness
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

43. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Connotation
Concrete Words
Tone
Casual - Informal - or Formal

44. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Figures of Speech
Information needed for short report
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Climatic Order

45. 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
Characteristics of job-related writing
Business Writing Style
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

46. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Direct Statements
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Tone
Position

47. Goal and audience
Purpose - Format - Composition
Main parts of a set of instructions
Coherent writing
Things to think through when planning a website

48. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Repetition

49. What is Indirect Order?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Selecting the proper medium
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

50. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Purpose - Format - Composition
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Examples of medium s of business communication
Date - To - From - Subject Headings