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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 is Indirect Order?
Repetition
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Emphasis
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

2. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Business Writing Style
similar
Main parts of instructions

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

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4. Casual
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Cliches
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

5. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Short report
Repetition
Things to think through when planning a website
Sentence Length

6. How to end an email
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Outlining
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

7. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Repetition
Emphasis
Active Voice
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

8. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Strategy and Humanness
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

9. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Intensifiers
Ethics in Business Writing
Conciseness

10. Etiquette
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Goal of a letter of application
Outlining

11. Using short and long sentences strategically
Sentence Length
Characteristics of job-related writing
Instructions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

12. How do you Plan the message?
Sentence Length
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
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

13. What are three levels of Editing?
Climatic Order
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

14. 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
Abstract words
Sentence Type
Examples of medium s of business communication

15. What are Individual Contexts
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Guidelines for successful group writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

16. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Intensifiers
Goal of a letter of application
Recursive
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

17. How do you present information in long messages?
Three P's for success in writing a memo
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
Recursive

18. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Information needed for short report
Ethics in Business Writing
Sentence Type
Main parts of internal proposals

19. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Subordination
Denotaion
Rules for writing instructions
Abstract words

20. 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
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Outlining

21. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Main parts of internal proposals
Sentence Variety
Outlining
Euphemismss

22. What is format of most Memos?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

23. 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
Euphemismss
Figures of Speech
Buzz Words
Mechanical Devices

24. 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
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

25. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Mechanical Devices
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

26. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Abstract words
Telegraphic Style
Examples of medium s of business communication
Procedures

27. What is a Memorandum?
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Ethics in Business Writing

28. 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
Short report
Cliches
Guidelines for successful group writing
Four keys to effective writing

29. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Information needed for short report
Affectation
Repetition
Characteristics of job-related writing

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
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Business Writing Style
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

31. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Selecting the proper medium

32. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Ethics in Business Writing
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

33. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
similar
Emphasis
Tone

34. When to use Instant Messaging?
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Connotation
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

35. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Main parts of a set of instructions
Cliches
Purpose - Format - Composition

36. 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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37. Use Initialisms
Instructions
Idioms
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Wordiness

38. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Climatic Order
Concrete Words
Ethics in Business Writing
Tone

39. 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
Coherent writing
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Wordiness
Strategy and Humanness

40. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
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
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Strategy and Humanness

41. E.g. 'most important'
Characteristics of job-related writing
Direct Statements
Outlining
One-third

42. What are three levels of Revision?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Position
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

43. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Things to think through when planning a website
Figures of Speech
Connotation

44. 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
Intensifiers
One-third
Connotation
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

45. Steps to Successful Writing
Emphasis
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

46. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Selecting the proper medium
Affectation
Biased Language
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

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

48. 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
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Attractive and Readable Format

49. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Biased Language
Long Dashes
Direct Statements
Goal of a letter of application

50. When should email NOT be used?
Biased Language
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
Cliches
Garbled Sentences