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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. When to use Instant Messaging?
Get Feedback From Others!
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Affectation

2. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Figures of Speech
Key draft questions
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Intensifiers

3. What is critical to a message's success?
Wordiness
Emphasis
Attractive and Readable Format
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

4. Informal
Main parts of internal proposals
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Repetition
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

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
Telegraphic Style
Business Writing Style
Idioms
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

6. 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.
Procedures
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Outlining

7. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Attractive and Readable Format
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Emphasis
Abstract words

8. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Cliches
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Concrete Words
Repetition

9. Using short and long sentences strategically
'You Viewpoint'
Guidelines for successful group writing
Sentence Length
Repetition

10. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Procedures
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

11. 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?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Tone
Key draft questions
Climatic Order

12. 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
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Cliches
Euphemismss

13. 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
Connotation
Get Feedback From Others!
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Idioms

14. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Mechanical Devices
Telegraphic Style
Sentence Type
Characteristics of job-related writing

15. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Long Dashes
Business Writing Style
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Wordiness

16. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
Conciseness
Sentence Length
Intensifiers

17. Are these stages recursive or linear?
'You Viewpoint'
Recursive
Business Writing Style
Organizational - Professional - Personal

18. What are Cons of Email?

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19. 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
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Characteristics of job-related writing
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Ethics in Business Writing

20. Plan what you are going to say - polish what you wrote before you sent it - proofread everything

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21. 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
Selecting the proper medium
Wordiness
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

22. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Figures of Speech
Characteristics of job-related writing
Examples of medium s of business communication

23. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Euphemismss
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Idioms
Main parts of instructions

24. What are three levels of Editing?
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Active Voice
Subordination

25. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Selecting the proper medium
Affectation
Position
Concrete Words

26. 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
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
'You Viewpoint'
Guidelines for successful group writing
One-third

27. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Sentence Type

28. How is formatting important?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Procedures
Biased Language

29. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Characteristics of job-related writing
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Procedures

30. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Main parts of instructions
Denotaion

31. What are Pros of Email?
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
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Active Voice

32. Steps to Successful Writing
Main parts of a set of instructions
Mechanical Devices
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

33. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Instructions
Tone
Intensifiers
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

34. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Examples of medium s of business communication
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Tone
Telegraphic Style

35. What are Individual Contexts
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Sentence Type
Cliches
Buzz Words

36. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Things to think through when planning a website
Short report
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Concrete Words

37. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Characteristics of job-related writing
Things to think through when planning a website
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

38. Formality Considerations
Affectation
Concrete Words
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Casual - Informal - or Formal

39. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Selecting the proper medium
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Short report
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

40. What is format of most Memos?
Biased Language
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Telegraphic Style

41. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Emphasis
Active Voice
Tone
Three P's for success in writing a memo

42. Casual
Sentence Variety
Climatic Order
Sentence Length
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

43. Correctness
Garbled Sentences
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Active Voice

44. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Intensifiers
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Four keys to effective writing
Strategy and Humanness

45. 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
Purpose - Format - Composition
Rules for writing instructions
Coherent writing
Organizational - Professional - Personal

46. What is important in the Revising stage?
Garbled Sentences
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Get Feedback From Others!

47. 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
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Goal of a letter of application
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Emphasis

48. What should you know about a Letter?
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Purpose - Format - Composition

49. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Coherent writing
Wordiness
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
similar

50. 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
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Buzz Words
Figures of Speech