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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. 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
Main parts of internal proposals
Guidelines for successful group writing
Biased Language

2. How is formatting important?
Things to think through when planning a website
Long Dashes
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

3. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Active Voice
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

4. What are Pros of Email?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Strategy and Humanness
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

5. How do you present information in message?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Things to think through when planning a website
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

6. What is format of most Memos?
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Short report
Characteristics of job-related writing

7. Correctness
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Repetition
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

8. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Telegraphic Style
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Intensifiers

9. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Emphasis
Abstract words
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Conciseness

10. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Concrete Words
Sentence Variety

11. When should email NOT be used?
Characteristics of job-related writing
Examples of medium s of business communication
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
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

12. What should you know about a Letter?
Long Dashes
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Purpose - Format - Composition
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

13. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Subordination
Main parts of internal proposals
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

14. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Denotaion
Goal of a letter of application
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

15. Steps to Successful Writing
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
'You Viewpoint'
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

16. What is a Memorandum?
Denotaion
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

17. Formality Considerations
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Figures of Speech
Tone

18. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Denotaion
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Biased Language

19. What is important in the Revising stage?
Biased Language
Rules for writing instructions
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Get Feedback From Others!

20. Goal and audience
Things to think through when planning a website
Attractive and Readable Format
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Main parts of a set of instructions

21. Conciseness
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
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
Conciseness
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

22. How to end an email
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Garbled Sentences
Goal of a letter of application

23. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
One-third
Business Writing Style
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Affectation

24. How do you present information in long messages?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

25. 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?
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
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Key draft questions

26. The principle of of stressing the most important ieas in writing. You can achieve this with the careful use of: Position - Climatic Order - Sentence Type - Sentence Length - Sentence Length - Active Voice - Repetition - Intensifiers - Direct Stateme
Telegraphic Style
Emphasis
Coherent writing
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

27. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Recursive
Business Writing Style
Sentence Type
Main parts of a set of instructions

28. 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
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Characteristics of job-related writing
Wordiness

29. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Idioms
Characteristics of job-related writing

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

31. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Concrete Words
Position
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

32. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Attractive and Readable Format
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

33. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Procedures
Sentence Variety
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

34. What is Indirect Order?
Sentence Type
Affectation
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Sentence Length

35. Etiquette
Buzz Words
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Biased Language
Sentence Length

36. What are Individual Contexts
Sentence Variety
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Organizational - Professional - Personal
'You Viewpoint'

37. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Things to think through when planning a website
Position
Affectation

38. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Coherent writing
Main parts of internal proposals
Intensifiers

39. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Key draft questions
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Figures of Speech

40. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
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
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

41. What are three levels of Editing?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Key draft questions
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

42. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Intensifiers
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Four keys to effective writing
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

43. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Get Feedback From Others!
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

44. 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
'You Viewpoint'
Buzz Words
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Ethics in Business Writing

45. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Repetition
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

46. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Examples of medium s of business communication
Biased Language
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Figures of Speech

47. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Idioms
Subordination
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

48. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Active Voice
Conciseness
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Rules for writing instructions

49. Using short and long sentences strategically
Sentence Length
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Examples of medium s of business communication
Rules for writing instructions

50. 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
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Sentence Variety
Guidelines for successful group writing
Key draft questions