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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 are Cons of Email?

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2. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Climatic Order
Position
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

3. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Sentence Variety
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

4. Etiquette
Key draft questions
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Recursive

5. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Information needed for short report
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Repetition
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

6. 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
Garbled Sentences
Instructions
Casual - Informal - or Formal

7. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
similar
Key draft questions
Characteristics of job-related writing

8. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Ethics in Business Writing
Goal of a letter of application
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Characteristics of job-related writing

9. 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
Emphasis
Buzz Words
Business Writing Style
Idioms

10. Steps to Successful Writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Connotation

11. How do you present information in message?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Sentence Type
Buzz Words

12. How do you present information in long messages?
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

13. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Figures of Speech
Idioms
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

14. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Emphasis
Idioms

15. When to use Instant Messaging?
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Buzz Words
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Goal of a letter of application

16. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Recursive
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Procedures

17. Goal and audience
Things to think through when planning a website
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

18. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Intensifiers
Telegraphic Style

19. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Tone
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Active Voice

20. What are Individual Contexts
Buzz Words
Intensifiers
Affectation
Organizational - Professional - Personal

21. 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

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22. 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
Rules for writing instructions
Things to think through when planning a website
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

23. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Concrete Words
Procedures
Outlining
Main parts of instructions

24. Formality Considerations
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Ethics in Business Writing
'You Viewpoint'

25. Tell and show how to do something
Strategy and Humanness
Cliches
Guidelines for successful group writing
Instructions

26. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
Main parts of instructions
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Main parts of internal proposals

27. 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?
Tone
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Key draft questions
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

28. What are three levels of Revision?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Euphemismss
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

29. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Idioms
Tone
Telegraphic Style

30. 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
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Business Writing Style
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Figures of Speech

31. Informal
similar
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

32. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Position
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

33. 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
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Cliches
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Strategy and Humanness

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

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35. 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
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

36. What are the activities in the planning stage?
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
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Characteristics of job-related writing

37. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

38. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Telegraphic Style
Examples of medium s of business communication
Strategy and Humanness
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

39. General considerations with Email Messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Idioms
Main parts of instructions
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

40. Using short and long sentences strategically
Four keys to effective writing
Cliches
Tone
Sentence Length

41. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Conciseness
Direct Statements

42. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Mechanical Devices
Characteristics of job-related writing
Climatic Order
Telegraphic Style

43. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Recursive
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

44. When should email NOT be used?
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Sentence Length
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
Four keys to effective writing

45. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Sentence Type

46. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
One-third
Characteristics of job-related writing
Sentence Variety
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

47. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Goal of a letter of application
Wordiness
Main parts of a set of instructions

48. 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
Characteristics of job-related writing
Connotation
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

49. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Information needed for short report
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Concrete Words
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

50. Clairty
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Biased Language
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Three P's for success in writing a memo