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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. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Main parts of instructions
Wordiness
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

2. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Characteristics of job-related writing
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Sentence Length
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

3. What is a Memorandum?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Long Dashes
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Purpose - Format - Composition

4. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Subordination
Characteristics of job-related writing
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

5. When should email NOT be used?
Position
Buzz Words
Short report
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. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Conciseness
Characteristics of job-related writing
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Idioms

7. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Intensifiers
Concrete Words
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

8. Formal
Main parts of internal proposals
Repetition
Active Voice
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

9. 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
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Procedures
Rules for writing instructions

10. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Selecting the proper medium
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Figures of Speech
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

11. 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
'You Viewpoint'
Intensifiers
Denotaion
Business Writing Style

12. Are these stages recursive or linear?
similar
Strategy and Humanness
Recursive
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

13. Stages can also be summarized as...
Main parts of instructions
Repetition
Cliches
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

14. Correctness
Characteristics of job-related writing
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Information needed for short report
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

15. What is important in the Revising stage?
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Get Feedback From Others!
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Denotaion

16. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
similar
Euphemismss
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

17. General considerations with Email Messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Main parts of a set of instructions

18. 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.
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Characteristics of job-related writing
Outlining
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

19. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Telegraphic Style
Affectation
Emphasis

20. When to use Instant Messaging?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
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

21. What are Pros of Email?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Information needed for short report
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

22. What types of research is done in gathering information?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Mechanical Devices
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

23. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Climatic Order
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Sentence Variety
Wordiness

24. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Ethics in Business Writing
Goal of a letter of application
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Coherent writing

25. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Abstract words
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Strategy and Humanness

26. What is Indirect Order?
Cliches
Business Writing Style
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

27. What are three levels of Editing?
Sentence Type
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

28. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Concrete Words
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

29. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Repetition
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Sentence Length

30. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Information needed for short report
One-third
Euphemismss
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

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

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32. How do you begin the message?

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33. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Subordination
Mechanical Devices
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

34. Tell and show how to do something
Instructions
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Business Writing Style
Three P's for success in writing a memo

35. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Conciseness
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

36. Use Initialisms
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Sentence Variety
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

37. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Things to think through when planning a website
Long Dashes
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Business Writing Style

38. 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
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

39. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Selecting the proper medium
Characteristics of job-related writing
Euphemismss
Information needed for short report

40. Casual
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.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Wordiness

41. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Abstract words
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Characteristics of job-related writing

42. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Recursive
Ethics in Business Writing
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Climatic Order

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

44. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Abstract words
Four keys to effective writing
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Euphemismss

45. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Biased Language
Coherent writing
Subordination

46. What is critical to a message's success?
One-third
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Coherent writing
Attractive and Readable Format

47. 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.
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Garbled Sentences
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

48. Informal
Buzz Words
Figures of Speech
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

49. Conciseness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Telegraphic Style
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

50. 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
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Buzz Words
Selecting the proper medium