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Test your basic knowledge |
The Business Writing Process
Start Test
Study First
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. How do you Plan the message?
similar
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Rules for writing instructions
2. 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
Short report
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Active Voice
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
3. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Sentence Variety
Concrete Words
Four keys to effective writing
Denotaion
4. When to use Instant Messaging?
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Idioms
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
5. 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
Main parts of internal proposals
Selecting the proper medium
Business Writing Style
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
6. How is formatting important?
Connotation
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Recursive
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
7. 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
Rules for writing instructions
Telegraphic Style
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
8. How do you know what to include in your message?
Euphemismss
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Subordination
Climatic Order
9. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Active Voice
Recursive
10. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Coherent writing
Characteristics of job-related writing
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
11. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Euphemismss
Wordiness
12. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Biased Language
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Main parts of instructions
13. Clairty
Characteristics of job-related writing
Selecting the proper medium
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Repetition
14. 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
15. Correctness
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
16. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
17. 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
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Garbled Sentences
18. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Figures of Speech
Characteristics of job-related writing
Get Feedback From Others!
19. 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
Four keys to effective writing
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Connotation
20. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Euphemismss
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Subordination
21. Stages can also be summarized as...
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Procedures
Instructions
Mechanical Devices
22. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Business Writing Style
Key draft questions
Short report
'You Viewpoint'
23. What is Direct Order?
Instructions
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Garbled Sentences
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
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
Procedures
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Cliches
Abstract words
25. How to end an email
Subordination
Biased Language
Long Dashes
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
26. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Buzz Words
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Strategy and Humanness
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
27. What are Individual Contexts
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Four keys to effective writing
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
28. 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
Concrete Words
Repetition
Emphasis
Rules for writing instructions
29. What are Pros of Email?
Short report
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Long Dashes
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
30. 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
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
Ethics in Business Writing
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Organizational - Professional - Personal
31. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Selecting the proper medium
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Coherent writing
Cliches
32. What should you know about a Letter?
Ethics in Business Writing
Characteristics of job-related writing
Purpose - Format - Composition
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
33. 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
Buzz Words
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Main parts of internal proposals
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
34. Plan what you are going to say - polish what you wrote before you sent it - proofread everything
35. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Cliches
Telegraphic Style
'You Viewpoint'
Sentence Type
36. What is a Memorandum?
Subordination
Information needed for short report
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Strategy and Humanness
37. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Figures of Speech
Characteristics of job-related writing
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Position
38. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Sentence Type
One-third
Sentence Variety
Biased Language
39. Tell and show how to do something
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Instructions
40. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Biased Language
Direct Statements
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Characteristics of job-related writing
41. Formal
Ethics in Business Writing
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Coherent writing
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
42. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Long Dashes
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Telegraphic Style
Instructions
43. E.g. 'most important'
Selecting the proper medium
Direct Statements
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
44. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Recursive
Ethics in Business Writing
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
45. Etiquette
Characteristics of job-related writing
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Key draft questions
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
46. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Sentence Type
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Main parts of instructions
47. What are Cons of Email?
48. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Idioms
Goal of a letter of application
Attractive and Readable Format
49. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
similar
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Attractive and Readable Format
Recursive
50. Casual
Concrete Words
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Figures of Speech