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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. Stages can also be summarized as...
Business Writing Style
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Attractive and Readable Format
Key draft questions

2. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Concrete Words

3. How do you present information in message?
Active Voice
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Climatic Order

4. A sentence that is so tangled with structural and grammatical problems that it cannot be repaired - often result from trying to include too many ideas in one sentence.
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Garbled Sentences
Mechanical Devices

5. When should email NOT be used?
Buzz Words
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Organizational - Professional - Personal
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

6. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Biased Language
Telegraphic Style

7. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Get Feedback From Others!
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Conciseness
Concrete Words

8. 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
Strategy and Humanness
Guidelines for successful group writing
Idioms

9. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
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
Business Writing Style

10. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Coherent writing
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Characteristics of job-related writing
Direct Statements

11. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
similar
Climatic Order
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

12. Correctness
Characteristics of job-related writing
Climatic Order
Rules for writing instructions
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

13. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Abstract words
Mechanical Devices

14. Informal
Direct Statements
Business Writing Style
Goal of a letter of application
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

15. What is a Memorandum?
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
Instructions
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

16. 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
Sentence Type
Position
Wordiness
Outlining

17. 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
Recursive
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Buzz Words
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

18. What is critical to a message's success?
Attractive and Readable Format
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Long Dashes
Sentence Length

19. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Repetition
Euphemismss
Wordiness

20. Use Initialisms
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Selecting the proper medium
Sentence Type
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

21. 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
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Intensifiers
Sentence Length

22. How is formatting important?
Rules for writing instructions
Tone
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Organizational - Professional - Personal

23. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Coherent writing
Conciseness
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Casual - Informal - or Formal

24. Using short and long sentences strategically
Sentence Length
One-third
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

25. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Long Dashes
Main parts of internal proposals
Characteristics of job-related writing

26. What is format of most Memos?
Main parts of internal proposals
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
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

27. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Main parts of instructions
Affectation
One-third
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

28. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Climatic Order
Procedures
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Sentence Type

29. General considerations with Email Messages
Selecting the proper medium
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
One-third
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

30. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Denotaion
Information needed for short report
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

31. What is Indirect Order?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Garbled Sentences
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

32. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Characteristics of job-related writing
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Sentence Length
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

33. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Subordination
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Coherent writing
Casual - Informal - or Formal

34. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

35. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Sentence Variety
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Guidelines for successful group writing

36. What are Individual Contexts
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Examples of medium s of business communication
Sentence Length
Repetition

37. What are three levels of Revision?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Concrete Words

38. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Goal of a letter of application
similar
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Idioms

39. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Main parts of a set of instructions
Outlining
Characteristics of job-related writing

40. Steps to Successful Writing
Abstract words
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Intensifiers
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

41. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Information needed for short report
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

42. When to use Instant Messaging?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Selecting the proper medium
Figures of Speech
Concrete Words

43. Formality Considerations
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Long Dashes
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

44. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Intensifiers
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

45. 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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46. What is important in the Revising stage?
Outlining
Wordiness
Get Feedback From Others!
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

47. 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
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Outlining
Telegraphic Style

48. 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)
Key draft questions
Four keys to effective writing
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

49. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Strategy and Humanness
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Subordination

50. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Characteristics of job-related writing
Euphemismss
Main parts of internal proposals