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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. Formality Considerations
Examples of medium s of business communication
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Figures of Speech
Guidelines for successful group writing

2. What is Direct Order?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Outlining

3. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Connotation
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
One-third

4. 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
Main parts of internal proposals
Cliches
Intensifiers
Abstract words

5. Goal and audience
Selecting the proper medium
Things to think through when planning a website
Characteristics of job-related writing
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

6. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Procedures
Position
Instructions

7. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
'You Viewpoint'
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
Sentence Type

8. Steps to Successful Writing
Idioms
Buzz Words
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Direct Statements

9. Clairty
Concrete Words
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Active Voice

10. Etiquette
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Get Feedback From Others!
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

11. What is Indirect Order?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Biased Language
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Things to think through when planning a website

12. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Subordination
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Coherent writing
Information the reader will want - put it first.

13. 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
Main parts of a set of instructions
Mechanical Devices
Guidelines for successful group writing

14. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Guidelines for successful group writing
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Active Voice
'You Viewpoint'

15. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Ethics in Business Writing
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Concrete Words

16. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Rules for writing instructions
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Examples of medium s of business communication
Active Voice

17. 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)
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Four keys to effective writing
Information needed for short report
Denotaion

18. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Recursive
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Goal of a letter of application

19. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Buzz Words
Intensifiers
Three P's for success in writing a memo

20. Correctness
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Affectation
Conciseness

21. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Recursive
Conciseness
Concrete Words

22. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Short report
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

23. Informal
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Cliches
Main parts of a set of instructions

24. Casual
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

25. How do you present information in long messages?
'You Viewpoint'
Intensifiers
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

26. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Information needed for short report
Wordiness
Goal of a letter of application
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

27. What should you know about a Letter?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Purpose - Format - Composition
similar
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

28. 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
Abstract words
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Business Writing Style
Position

29. General considerations with Email Messages
Euphemismss
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Characteristics of job-related writing
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

30. Use Initialisms
Purpose - Format - Composition
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Long Dashes
One-third

31. When should email NOT be used?
Long Dashes
Four keys to effective writing
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
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

32. What is a Memorandum?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Repetition
Emphasis
Information the reader will want - put it first.

33. Using short and long sentences strategically
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
Sentence Length
Connotation
similar

34. How is formatting important?
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

35. How do you Plan the message?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

36. Formal
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Information needed for short report

37. Conciseness
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Get Feedback From Others!
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
similar

38. 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
Biased Language
Rules for writing instructions
'You Viewpoint'
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

39. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Figures of Speech
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

40. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Sentence Type
Abstract words
Subordination
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

41. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Garbled Sentences
Emphasis
Sentence Variety
Main parts of a set of instructions

42. Stages can also be summarized as...
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Intensifiers

43. E.g. 'most important'
Direct Statements
Purpose - Format - Composition
Sentence Variety
Organizational - Professional - Personal

44. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Telegraphic Style
Biased Language
Affectation

45. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Outlining
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Selecting the proper medium

46. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Biased Language
Coherent writing
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Purpose - Format - Composition

47. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Organizational - Professional - Personal

48. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Denotaion
Business Writing Style
Affectation
Short report

49. What are Cons of Email?

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50. What is important in the Revising stage?
Get Feedback From Others!
Guidelines for successful group writing
Sentence Type
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews