Test your basic knowledge |

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. 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
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Conciseness
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Business Writing Style

2. What is format of most Memos?
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Emphasis

3. 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
Main parts of internal proposals
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Characteristics of job-related writing

4. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Four keys to effective writing
Goal of a letter of application
Climatic Order
Purpose - Format - Composition

5. How to end an email
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Idioms

6. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
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
Mechanical Devices
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

7. Tell and show how to do something
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Main parts of a set of instructions
Instructions
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

8. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Subordination
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Recursive
similar

9. What is important in the Revising stage?
Strategy and Humanness
Tone
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Get Feedback From Others!

10. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Active Voice
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Characteristics of job-related writing

11. How is formatting important?
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Biased Language

12. Conciseness
Abstract words
Idioms
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Buzz Words

13. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Repetition
Idioms
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Main parts of internal proposals

14. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Conciseness
Active Voice
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

15. How do you begin the message?

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183

16. Correctness
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Instructions
similar
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

17. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Sentence Type
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Goal of a letter of application

18. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Long Dashes
Sentence Variety
Recursive
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

19. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Long Dashes
Business Writing Style

20. 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)
Characteristics of job-related writing
Four keys to effective writing
Connotation
Denotaion

21. What types of research is done in gathering information?
One-third
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Purpose - Format - Composition
Examples of medium s of business communication

22. How do you present information in message?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Recursive
Intensifiers

23. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Mechanical Devices
Procedures
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Short report

24. What are Cons of Email?

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183

25. Repeating keywords and key phrases
similar
Telegraphic Style
'You Viewpoint'
Repetition

26. 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

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183

27. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Telegraphic Style
Idioms
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

28. 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
Figures of Speech
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Guidelines for successful group writing
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

29. Stages can also be summarized as...
Attractive and Readable Format
Repetition
Main parts of a set of instructions
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

30. Formal
Sentence Length
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Buzz Words
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

31. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
One-third
Examples of medium s of business communication
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Short report

32. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Coherent writing
Mechanical Devices
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Short report

33. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Sentence Variety
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Euphemismss

34. What are Pros of Email?
Biased Language
Active Voice
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Tone

35. 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.
Outlining
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
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Tone

36. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Recursive
Conciseness
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

37. 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?
One-third
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Business Writing Style
Key draft questions

38. Goal and audience
Climatic Order
Telegraphic Style
Things to think through when planning a website
Purpose - Format - Composition

39. When to use Instant Messaging?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Purpose - Format - Composition
Tone
Biased Language

40. What is Direct Order?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

41. 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
Four keys to effective writing
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
Active Voice
Cliches

42. General considerations with Email Messages
Repetition
Get Feedback From Others!
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Subordination

43. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Procedures
Characteristics of job-related writing

44. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Concrete Words
Subordination
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Things to think through when planning a website

45. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Coherent writing
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Strategy and Humanness
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

46. What is critical to a message's success?
Conciseness
Attractive and Readable Format
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Active Voice

47. 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
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Outlining
Garbled Sentences
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

48. How do you present information in long messages?
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Purpose - Format - Composition
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

49. What are three levels of Revision?
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Characteristics of job-related writing
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

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

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183