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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 techniques can be used for gathering information?
Telegraphic Style
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Procedures

2. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Short report
Strategy and Humanness
Instructions

3. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Concrete Words
similar
Climatic Order

4. 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

5. When to use Instant Messaging?
Mechanical Devices
Climatic Order
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

6. 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
Climatic Order
Idioms
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Buzz Words

7. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Purpose - Format - Composition
Biased Language
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Sentence Type

8. Etiquette
Figures of Speech
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

9. How do you begin the message?

10. How do you present information in message?
Emphasis
Telegraphic Style
Direct Statements
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

11. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
One-third
Biased Language
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

12. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Abstract words
Subordination
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

13. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Sentence Variety
Information needed for short report
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

14. Clairty
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Business Writing Style
Climatic Order

15. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Procedures
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Conciseness

16. Stages can also be summarized as...
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Abstract words
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

17. Conciseness
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Direct Statements

18. Using short and long sentences strategically
Short report
Main parts of internal proposals
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Sentence Length

19. How do you present information in long messages?
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
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
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

20. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Figures of Speech
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Affectation
Denotaion

21. 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
Business Writing Style
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Emphasis
Strategy and Humanness

22. General considerations with Email Messages
Rules for writing instructions
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

23. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Conciseness
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
One-third
Business Writing Style

24. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Recursive
Procedures
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

25. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Abstract words
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Direct Statements
Coherent writing

26. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Characteristics of job-related writing
Cliches
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Euphemismss

27. 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
Main parts of instructions
Direct Statements
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Guidelines for successful group writing

28. 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.
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Outlining
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Four keys to effective writing

29. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Long Dashes
Information needed for short report
Coherent writing
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

30. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Abstract words
Selecting the proper medium
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

31. 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?
Key draft questions
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Main parts of internal proposals

32. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Concrete Words
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

33. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Sentence Type
Figures of Speech
Concrete Words
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

34. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Examples of medium s of business communication
Repetition
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

35. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Main parts of internal proposals
Climatic Order
Instructions
Repetition

36. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Business Writing Style
Intensifiers
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Position

37. 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
Mechanical Devices
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

38. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Main parts of a set of instructions
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Ethics in Business Writing

39. What is a Memorandum?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Telegraphic Style
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

40. What are three levels of Editing?
Sentence Length
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
'You Viewpoint'
Outlining

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

42. What should you know about a Letter?
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Purpose - Format - Composition
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Business Writing Style

43. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Figures of Speech
Goal of a letter of application
Main parts of a set of instructions
Attractive and Readable Format

44. What is critical to a message's success?
Coherent writing
Affectation
Attractive and Readable Format
Recursive

45. When should email NOT be used?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
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
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

46. Formality Considerations
similar
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Biased Language
Casual - Informal - or Formal

47. What are Individual Contexts
Organizational - Professional - Personal
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 - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Connotation

48. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Short report
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Biased Language
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

49. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
One-third
Examples of medium s of business communication
Denotaion

50. 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
Abstract words
Rules for writing instructions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order