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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 critical to a message's success?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Attractive and Readable Format
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
'You Viewpoint'

2. How do you begin the message?

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3. 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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4. 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
Business Writing Style
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Concrete Words
Cliches

5. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Characteristics of job-related writing
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Wordiness
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

6. 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
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
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Coherent writing

7. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Concrete Words
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Biased Language
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

8. Using short and long sentences strategically
Main parts of internal proposals
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Sentence Length

9. Correctness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Denotaion
Outlining

10. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Selecting the proper medium
Goal of a letter of application
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

11. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
similar
Goal of a letter of application

12. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Climatic Order
Euphemismss
Information needed for short report
Casual - Informal - or Formal

13. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Key draft questions
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

14. How do you present information in message?
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Buzz Words
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

15. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Telegraphic Style
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Main parts of a set of instructions
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

16. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Instructions
Sentence Type
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

17. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Main parts of internal proposals
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

18. What is important in the Revising stage?
Conciseness
Get Feedback From Others!
Direct Statements
Ethics in Business Writing

19. Conciseness
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Connotation
Main parts of internal proposals
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

20. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Business Writing Style
Examples of medium s of business communication
Sentence Variety

21. Stages can also be summarized as...
Main parts of a set of instructions
Position
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Long Dashes

22. When should email NOT be used?
Sentence Variety
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Attractive and Readable Format
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

23. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Main parts of instructions
Key draft questions
Recursive
Characteristics of job-related writing

24. Etiquette
Business Writing Style
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

25. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Abstract words
Guidelines for successful group writing
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

26. 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
Wordiness
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

27. 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.
Outlining
Euphemismss
Long Dashes
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

28. Steps to Successful Writing
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

29. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Climatic Order
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Cliches

30. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Subordination
Mechanical Devices
Information needed for short report
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

31. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Mechanical Devices
Coherent writing
Information needed for short report
Main parts of instructions

32. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Short report
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Business Writing Style

33. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Mechanical Devices
similar

34. How is formatting important?
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Abstract words
Selecting the proper medium
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

35. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Subordination
Strategy and Humanness
Garbled Sentences
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

36. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Characteristics of job-related writing
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Emphasis
Tone

37. Clairty
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
Get Feedback From Others!
Figures of Speech

38. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Intensifiers
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Coherent writing
Concrete Words

39. Tell and show how to do something
Instructions
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

40. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Denotaion
Instructions
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

41. Formality Considerations
Conciseness
Buzz Words
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Instructions

42. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Main parts of instructions
Affectation
Outlining
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

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

44. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Strategy and Humanness
Concrete Words
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Guidelines for successful group writing

45. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Repetition
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

46. Informal
Euphemismss
Goal of a letter of application
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Main parts of internal proposals

47. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Conciseness
Connotation
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

48. What should you know about a Letter?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Cliches
Guidelines for successful group writing
Purpose - Format - Composition

49. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Main parts of a set of instructions
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Buzz Words
One-third

50. Goal and audience
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Guidelines for successful group writing
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Things to think through when planning a website