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. 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?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Key draft questions
Connotation

2. Conciseness
Instructions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

3. Stages can also be summarized as...
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
'You Viewpoint'
Idioms

4. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Four keys to effective writing
Concrete Words
Sentence Type
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

5. How do you present information in long messages?
Selecting the proper medium
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Long Dashes

6. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Climatic Order
Strategy and Humanness
Tone
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

7. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Strategy and Humanness
Figures of Speech
Instructions
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

8. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Connotation
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Euphemismss
Subordination

9. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Tone
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Euphemismss

10. What is Direct Order?
Active Voice
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Long Dashes
Information the reader will want - put it first.

11. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Guidelines for successful group writing
Position
Goal of a letter of application
Denotaion

12. 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
Cliches
Characteristics of job-related writing
Telegraphic Style
Biased Language

13. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
'You Viewpoint'
Figures of Speech

14. 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
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Ethics in Business Writing
Long Dashes
Information the reader will want - put it first.

15. How do you present information in message?
Long Dashes
Main parts of internal proposals
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Rules for writing instructions

16. 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
Strategy and Humanness
Intensifiers
Euphemismss

17. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Repetition
Affectation

18. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Sentence Variety
Garbled Sentences

19. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Selecting the proper medium
Main parts of internal proposals

20. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Coherent writing
Business Writing Style
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

21. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Connotation
Main parts of instructions
Denotaion
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

22. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Goal of a letter of application
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

23. Correctness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Repetition

24. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Euphemismss
Climatic Order
One-third

25. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Strategy and Humanness
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

26. Tell and show how to do something
Information needed for short report
Emphasis
Repetition
Instructions

27. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Strategy and Humanness
Information needed for short report

28. What are three levels of Revision?
Mechanical Devices
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Coherent writing
Get Feedback From Others!

29. E.g. 'most important'
Four keys to effective writing
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Telegraphic Style
Direct Statements

30. What is Indirect Order?
Characteristics of job-related writing
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Subordination
Tone

31. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Selecting the proper medium

32. When should email NOT be used?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
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
Affectation

33. A sentence that is so tangled with structural and grammatical problems that it cannot be repaired - often result from trying to include too many ideas in one sentence.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Garbled Sentences
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

34. 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
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
similar
Guidelines for successful group writing
Denotaion

35. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Repetition
similar
Figures of Speech
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

36. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Telegraphic Style
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
'You Viewpoint'

37. What are Individual Contexts
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Short report
Coherent writing
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

38. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Position
Climatic Order
Characteristics of job-related writing

39. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Mechanical Devices
One-third
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Subordination

40. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Active Voice
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Euphemismss

41. Informal
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

42. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Intensifiers
Examples of medium s of business communication

43. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Strategy and Humanness
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Emphasis
Recursive

44. 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)
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Affectation
Four keys to effective writing
similar

45. General considerations with Email Messages
Main parts of a set of instructions
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Active Voice
Selecting the proper medium

46. Clairty
Connotation
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

47. What are Cons of Email?

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

48. How do you begin the message?

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

49. What should you know about a Letter?
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Purpose - Format - Composition
Main parts of internal proposals
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

50. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Business Writing Style
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
Short report