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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. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Position
Main parts of a set of instructions
Main parts of instructions
Active Voice

2. Tell and show how to do something
Characteristics of job-related writing
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Instructions
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

3. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Idioms
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

4. Clairty
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Intensifiers
Information needed for short report

5. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Subordination
similar
Strategy and Humanness
Connotation

6. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Conciseness
Connotation
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

7. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Get Feedback From Others!

8. General considerations with Email Messages
Key draft questions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Long Dashes
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

9. What should you know about a Letter?
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Purpose - Format - Composition
Guidelines for successful group writing
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

10. What is Direct Order?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Ethics in Business Writing
Idioms
similar

11. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Main parts of internal proposals
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Cliches
Sentence Type

12. How do you present information in long messages?
Strategy and Humanness
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Cliches
Recursive

13. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Denotaion
'You Viewpoint'
Biased Language
Outlining

14. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Biased Language
Long Dashes
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

15. E.g. 'most important'
Get Feedback From Others!
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Direct Statements
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

16. What is a Memorandum?
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Telegraphic Style
Cliches
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

17. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
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
similar
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

18. Informal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Long Dashes
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Active Voice

19. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Information needed for short report
Mechanical Devices
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

20. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
One-third

21. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Biased Language
Repetition
Position
Business Writing Style

22. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Concrete Words
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

23. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Cliches
Procedures
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

24. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Abstract words
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

25. What is important in the Revising stage?
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Subordination
Get Feedback From Others!

26. What are three levels of Editing?
Long Dashes
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Connotation
'You Viewpoint'

27. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Abstract words
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Coherent writing
Sentence Variety

28. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Main parts of internal proposals
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Coherent writing

29. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Tone
Instructions
Short report
Examples of medium s of business communication

30. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Euphemismss
Purpose - Format - Composition
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

31. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
One-third
Main parts of a set of instructions
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

32. 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
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Short report
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

33. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Main parts of a set of instructions
Information needed for short report
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Characteristics of job-related writing

34. Correctness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Main parts of internal proposals

35. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Short report
Climatic Order
Affectation
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

36. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Recursive
Outlining
Characteristics of job-related writing
Affectation

37. What is critical to a message's success?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Attractive and Readable Format
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Main parts of instructions

38. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Repetition
Characteristics of job-related writing
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

39. How do you begin the message?

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40. 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?
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Conciseness
Key draft questions
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

41. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Wordiness
Ethics in Business Writing

42. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Procedures
Instructions
Idioms
'You Viewpoint'

43. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Concrete Words
Wordiness
Active Voice
Telegraphic Style

44. What are Cons of Email?

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45. 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
Long Dashes
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Buzz Words

46. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Coherent writing
Figures of Speech
Characteristics of job-related writing
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

47. Conciseness
Intensifiers
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Connotation

48. Steps to Successful Writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Subordination
Conciseness

49. When should email NOT be used?
Sentence Variety
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
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
Organizational - Professional - Personal

50. 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
Main parts of instructions
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume