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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. Goal and audience
Things to think through when planning a website
Selecting the proper medium
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

2. Are these stages recursive or linear?
similar
Position
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Recursive

3. Stages can also be summarized as...
Rules for writing instructions
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

4. Clairty
Main parts of internal proposals
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Emphasis
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

5. Tell and show how to do something
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
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Instructions

6. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Recursive
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Get Feedback From Others!
One-third

7. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Goal of a letter of application
Biased Language
Get Feedback From Others!
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

8. What is Direct Order?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Abstract words
Things to think through when planning a website

9. What is format of most Memos?
Buzz Words
Coherent writing
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Position

10. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Subordination
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Euphemismss
Tone

11. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Things to think through when planning a website
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Direct Statements
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

12. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

13. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Characteristics of job-related writing
Strategy and Humanness
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

14. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Strategy and Humanness
Sentence Length
Main parts of instructions

15. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Goal of a letter of application
Repetition
Four keys to effective writing

16. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Concrete Words
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
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

17. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Climatic Order
Abstract words
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Coherent writing

18. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Euphemismss
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Information needed for short report
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

19. Using short and long sentences strategically
Mechanical Devices
Sentence Length
Outlining
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

20. Use Initialisms
Sentence Variety
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

21. What is important in the Revising stage?
Affectation
Mechanical Devices
Short report
Get Feedback From Others!

22. When to use Instant Messaging?
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
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

23. How do you know what to include in your message?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Selecting the proper medium
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Sentence Type

24. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Mechanical Devices
Abstract words
Position
Telegraphic Style

25. The skeleton of the document you are going to write--structures your writing by ensuring that it has a beginning - middle - and end.Types: topic outlines - sentence outlines etc.
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Outlining
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Garbled Sentences

26. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Active Voice
Characteristics of job-related writing
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Position

27. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Figures of Speech
Rules for writing instructions
Telegraphic Style
Examples of medium s of business communication

28. What are three levels of Revision?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
One-third
Figures of Speech
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

29. General considerations with Email Messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Outlining
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

30. What is critical to a message's success?
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Attractive and Readable Format
Concrete Words

31. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Four keys to effective writing
Conciseness

32. Formal
Conciseness
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

33. 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
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
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

34. 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
Connotation
Characteristics of job-related writing
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

35. Steps to Successful Writing
Active Voice
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Denotaion
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

36. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Sentence Variety
Idioms
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

37. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Long Dashes
Four keys to effective writing

38. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Sentence Type
Idioms

39. 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
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Things to think through when planning a website
Procedures
Buzz Words

40. Etiquette
Business Writing Style
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Examples of medium s of business communication
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

41. How do you begin the message?

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42. 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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43. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Telegraphic Style
Ethics in Business Writing
Conciseness
Selecting the proper medium

44. How do you present information in message?
Figures of Speech
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Buzz Words
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

45. 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
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Rules for writing instructions
Short report

46. 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
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Intensifiers
Get Feedback From Others!

47. 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?
Concrete Words
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Characteristics of job-related writing
Key draft questions

48. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Sentence Variety
Concrete Words
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

49. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Figures of Speech
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Goal of a letter of application

50. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Climatic Order
Concrete Words
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Main parts of internal proposals