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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 are Cons of Email?

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2. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Cliches
Concrete Words
Biased Language

3. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Conciseness
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

4. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Biased Language
Instructions
Buzz Words

5. 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.
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Rules for writing instructions
Main parts of instructions
Outlining

6. How do you begin the message?

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7. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Emphasis
Main parts of a set of instructions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Mechanical Devices

8. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Position
Attractive and Readable Format
Main parts of internal proposals

9. What is critical to a message's success?
Attractive and Readable Format
Main parts of a set of instructions
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
Concrete Words

10. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Main parts of internal proposals
Strategy and Humanness

11. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Repetition
One-third
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Key draft questions

12. Steps to Successful Writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Conciseness
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

13. Tell and show how to do something
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Things to think through when planning a website
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Instructions

14. What should you know about a Letter?
Main parts of a set of instructions
Sentence Variety
Purpose - Format - Composition
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

15. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Repetition
Guidelines for successful group writing

16. 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
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Concrete Words

17. Goal and audience
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Intensifiers
Things to think through when planning a website
One-third

18. 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
Denotaion
Guidelines for successful group writing
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Main parts of a set of instructions

19. 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
Cliches
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Sentence Length

20. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Mechanical Devices
Garbled Sentences
Subordination
Rules for writing instructions

21. What is a Memorandum?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Get Feedback From Others!
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

22. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
similar
Tone
Main parts of instructions

23. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
'You Viewpoint'
Short report
Guidelines for successful group writing
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

24. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Main parts of a set of instructions
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Affectation
Purpose - Format - Composition

25. 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)
Short report
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
similar
Four keys to effective writing

26. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Main parts of internal proposals
Sentence Variety
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

27. Etiquette
Short report
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Business Writing Style

28. What are Individual Contexts
Purpose - Format - Composition
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Abstract words
Repetition

29. What are three levels of Revision?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Conciseness
Get Feedback From Others!
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

30. How do you present information in long messages?
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Get Feedback From Others!
Instructions
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

31. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Things to think through when planning a website
Sentence Type
Biased Language
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

32. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Purpose - Format - Composition
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Subordination

33. How do you present information in message?
Euphemismss
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

34. 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?
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
'You Viewpoint'
Mechanical Devices
Key draft questions

35. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Euphemismss
Denotaion
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

36. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
One-third
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

37. What are Pros of Email?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Coherent writing
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Main parts of instructions

38. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Cliches
Active Voice
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Four keys to effective writing

39. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Cliches
Goal of a letter of application
Connotation

40. 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
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Buzz Words
Examples of medium s of business communication

41. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Figures of Speech
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Idioms

42. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Position
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Ethics in Business Writing
Procedures

43. 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
Ethics in Business Writing
Concrete Words
Direct Statements
Sentence Type

44. 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
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Wordiness

45. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Sentence Type
similar
Cliches
Recursive

46. Use Initialisms
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

47. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Business Writing Style
Examples of medium s of business communication
Information needed for short report
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

48. 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
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Garbled Sentences
Connotation
Biased Language

49. Conciseness
'You Viewpoint'
Get Feedback From Others!
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

50. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.