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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. 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)
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Four keys to effective writing
Outlining

2. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Emphasis
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

3. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

4. How do you begin the message?

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5. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Main parts of a set of instructions
Selecting the proper medium
Short report
Garbled Sentences

6. E.g. 'most important'
Coherent writing
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Direct Statements

7. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Intensifiers
Guidelines for successful group writing
Subordination
Figures of Speech

8. 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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9. Formality Considerations
Casual - Informal - or Formal
One-third
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Sentence Variety

10. 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.
Subordination
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Garbled Sentences
Four keys to effective writing

11. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Main parts of a set of instructions
Long Dashes
Four keys to effective writing
Coherent writing

12. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Short report
similar
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Sentence Type

13. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Idioms
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Concrete Words
Active Voice

14. 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
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Rules for writing instructions
Main parts of instructions
Coherent writing

15. Correctness
Get Feedback From Others!
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

16. How is formatting important?
similar
Recursive
Sentence Type
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

17. General considerations with Email Messages
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Emphasis
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Main parts of internal proposals

18. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Wordiness
Instructions
Conciseness

19. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Ethics in Business Writing
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Concrete Words
Instructions

20. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Main parts of internal proposals
Guidelines for successful group writing
similar

21. Using short and long sentences strategically
Sentence Length
Telegraphic Style
Recursive
Abstract words

22. How do you present information in message?
Cliches
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

23. Conciseness
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Main parts of instructions
Characteristics of job-related writing

24. Casual
Subordination
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Abstract words
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

25. What should you know about a Letter?
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Euphemismss
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Purpose - Format - Composition

26. 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
Sentence Type
Buzz Words
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
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

27. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Coherent writing
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Mechanical Devices

28. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Goal of a letter of application
Conciseness
Long Dashes
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

29. 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?
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Key draft questions
Long Dashes
Information needed for short report

30. 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.
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Get Feedback From Others!
Direct Statements
Outlining

31. What is Direct Order?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Short report
Intensifiers
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

32. How do you know what to include in your message?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Business Writing Style

33. Tell and show how to do something
Wordiness
Short report
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Instructions

34. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Strategy and Humanness
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

35. Goal and audience
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Buzz Words
Business Writing Style
Things to think through when planning a website

36. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Telegraphic Style
Outlining
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

37. What is a Memorandum?
Affectation
Conciseness
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Abstract words

38. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Repetition
Active Voice
'You Viewpoint'
One-third

39. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Things to think through when planning a website
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

40. 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
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Business Writing Style

41. Use Initialisms
Outlining
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Buzz Words

42. What is important in the Revising stage?
Get Feedback From Others!
Cliches
Long Dashes
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

43. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Things to think through when planning a website
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Repetition

44. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Sentence Variety
Recursive
Position

45. What is Indirect Order?
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Sentence Variety
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Buzz Words

46. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Attractive and Readable Format
Climatic Order

47. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Emphasis
Intensifiers
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

48. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Position
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
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
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

49. Clairty
Telegraphic Style
Cliches
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

50. 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
Guidelines for successful group writing
Ethics in Business Writing
Main parts of internal proposals
Selecting the proper medium