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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. What is Direct Order?
'You Viewpoint'
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Idioms

2. What should you know about a Letter?
Active Voice
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Purpose - Format - Composition

3. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Repetition
similar
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Concrete Words

4. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Attractive and Readable Format
Figures of Speech
Connotation

5. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Sentence Variety
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

6. How do you know what to include in your message?
Mechanical Devices
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Business Writing Style
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

7. What is important in the Revising stage?
Telegraphic Style
Ethics in Business Writing
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Get Feedback From Others!

8. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Sentence Length
similar
Procedures
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

9. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Instructions
'You Viewpoint'
Main parts of instructions

10. 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
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Rules for writing instructions
Recursive

11. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Euphemismss
Purpose - Format - Composition
Idioms
'You Viewpoint'

12. Goal and audience
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
One-third
Characteristics of job-related writing
Things to think through when planning a website

13. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Mechanical Devices
Connotation
'You Viewpoint'
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

14. What are three levels of Revision?
Selecting the proper medium
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Repetition

15. Clairty
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Business Writing Style

16. 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?
Key draft questions
Main parts of instructions
Things to think through when planning a website
Guidelines for successful group writing

17. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Long Dashes
Business Writing Style
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Affectation

18. How is formatting important?
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Abstract words
Ethics in Business Writing

19. 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

20. 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.
Strategy and Humanness
Sentence Type
Active Voice

21. What are three levels of Editing?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Connotation
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

22. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Position
Sentence Type
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Recursive

23. 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)
Figures of Speech
Ethics in Business Writing
Four keys to effective writing
Active Voice

24. What are Cons of Email?

25. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Abstract words
Sentence Variety
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Selecting the proper medium

26. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Denotaion
Strategy and Humanness
Active Voice

27. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Climatic Order
Characteristics of job-related writing
Cliches
Main parts of internal proposals

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

29. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Tone
Short report
Four keys to effective writing
Affectation

30. Conciseness
Procedures
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Short report
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

31. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Sentence Variety
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Intensifiers
Ethics in Business Writing

32. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
One-third
Characteristics of job-related writing
Main parts of internal proposals

33. When to use Instant Messaging?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Coherent writing
Characteristics of job-related writing
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

34. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Goal of a letter of application

35. Correctness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Garbled Sentences
Coherent writing
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

36. Using short and long sentences strategically
Tone
Biased Language
Climatic Order
Sentence Length

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

38. 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
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Buzz Words

39. How do you present information in message?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Characteristics of job-related writing
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

40. 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
Wordiness
Attractive and Readable Format
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Tone

41. How do you Plan the message?
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Examples of medium s of business communication
Casual - Informal - or Formal

42. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Short report
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

43. 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
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Guidelines for successful group writing
Get Feedback From Others!
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

44. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Intensifiers
Strategy and Humanness
Information needed for short report
Position

45. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Idioms

46. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Emphasis
Denotaion
Climatic Order

47. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Abstract words
Procedures
Direct Statements
similar

48. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Intensifiers
Conciseness
Figures of Speech
Main parts of a set of instructions

49. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Figures of Speech
Position

50. Stages can also be summarized as...
Connotation
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Selecting the proper medium
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better