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. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Coherent writing
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
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

2. 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
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Four keys to effective writing
Cliches
Selecting the proper medium

3. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Active Voice
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Wordiness
Recursive

4. 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
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Business Writing Style

5. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Denotaion
Information needed for short report

6. What is a Memorandum?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
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
Ethics in Business Writing
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

7. 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
Subordination
Main parts of a set of instructions
Connotation
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

8. What is critical to a message's success?
Active Voice
Attractive and Readable Format
Long Dashes
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

9. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
One-third
similar

10. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Buzz Words
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Characteristics of job-related writing
Four keys to effective writing

11. 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
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Garbled Sentences
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Rules for writing instructions

12. Using short and long sentences strategically
Sentence Length
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

13. 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
Connotation
Cliches
'You Viewpoint'

14. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Biased Language
Conciseness
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

15. 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
Ethics in Business Writing
Telegraphic Style
Abstract words
Connotation

16. Casual
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

17. How do you present information in message?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Telegraphic Style
Tone
Sentence Type

18. What should you know about a Letter?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
One-third
Purpose - Format - Composition
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

19. Steps to Successful Writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Instructions
Denotaion

20. Etiquette
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Examples of medium s of business communication

21. When to use Instant Messaging?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Purpose - Format - Composition
Cliches

22. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Active Voice
Short report
Sentence Variety
Main parts of a set of instructions

23. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Recursive
Garbled Sentences
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

24. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Selecting the proper medium
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Tone

25. What are Pros of Email?
Connotation
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Figures of Speech
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

26. What is Direct Order?
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
'You Viewpoint'
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Abstract words

27. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Mechanical Devices
Intensifiers
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

28. How do you begin the message?

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

29. When should email NOT be used?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Instructions
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

30. How do you Plan the message?
Recursive
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Guidelines for successful group writing

31. 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)
Four keys to effective writing
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

32. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Denotaion
Strategy and Humanness
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
One-third

33. How is formatting important?
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Repetition
Coherent writing

34. Conciseness
Characteristics of job-related writing
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

35. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Ethics in Business Writing
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

36. How do you know what to include in your message?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Things to think through when planning a website

37. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Selecting the proper medium
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Idioms

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
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Buzz Words
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

39. What are three levels of Editing?
Active Voice
Information needed for short report
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

40. What is format of most Memos?
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Selecting the proper medium

41. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Active Voice
Direct Statements
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

42. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Abstract words
Three P's for success in writing a memo

43. Clairty
Telegraphic Style
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

44. What is Indirect Order?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Intensifiers
Rules for writing instructions

45. What is important in the Revising stage?
Get Feedback From Others!
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Affectation
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

46. General considerations with Email Messages
Long Dashes
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Procedures
Abstract words

47. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Sentence Type
Guidelines for successful group writing
Procedures
Subordination

48. Use Initialisms
Sentence Variety
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Concrete Words
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

49. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Telegraphic Style
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Characteristics of job-related writing
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

50. 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
Strategy and Humanness
Guidelines for successful group writing
Biased Language
Your audience is the best guide for What and How