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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?
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Cliches
Euphemismss

2. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Abstract words
Four keys to effective writing
Characteristics of job-related writing

3. 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
Climatic Order
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Guidelines for successful group writing

4. How do you know what to include in your message?
Denotaion
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Recursive
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

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
Tone
Business Writing Style
Examples of medium s of business communication
Characteristics of job-related writing

6. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Sentence Type
Mechanical Devices
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

7. 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
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Concrete Words
Main parts of instructions

8. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Affectation
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Long Dashes
Biased Language

9. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Long Dashes
Emphasis
Short report
Rules for writing instructions

10. General considerations with Email Messages
Attractive and Readable Format
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Connotation

11. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

12. When should email NOT be used?
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Information needed for short report
Characteristics of job-related writing
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

13. E.g. 'most important'
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Direct Statements
Ethics in Business Writing
Garbled Sentences

14. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Characteristics of job-related writing
Information the reader will want - put it first.

15. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Concrete Words
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Sentence Variety
Casual - Informal - or Formal

16. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Garbled Sentences
Repetition
One-third

17. Etiquette
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
'You Viewpoint'
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Intensifiers

18. What are Individual Contexts
Direct Statements
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Attractive and Readable Format
Organizational - Professional - Personal

19. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Procedures
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

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

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21. Informal
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Get Feedback From Others!

22. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Wordiness
Get Feedback From Others!
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Subordination

23. A sentence that is so tangled with structural and grammatical problems that it cannot be repaired - often result from trying to include too many ideas in one sentence.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Garbled Sentences
Instructions
Selecting the proper medium

24. 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)
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Main parts of a set of instructions
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Four keys to effective writing

25. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Purpose - Format - Composition
Recursive
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Coherent writing

26. Stages can also be summarized as...
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Examples of medium s of business communication
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Conciseness

27. What are three levels of Editing?
'You Viewpoint'
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Emphasis
Abstract words

28. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Affectation
Denotaion
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

29. What is the best advice for Drafting?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Euphemismss
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

30. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Mechanical Devices
Idioms
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Main parts of a set of instructions

31. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Main parts of instructions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Selecting the proper medium
Sentence Variety

32. Formal
Examples of medium s of business communication
Get Feedback From Others!
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Repetition

33. Conciseness
Instructions
Affectation
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Telegraphic Style

34. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Key draft questions
Main parts of a set of instructions
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

35. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Recursive
Rules for writing instructions
Four keys to effective writing

36. What is Indirect Order?
Sentence Variety
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

37. What are Cons of Email?

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38. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Sentence Length
Repetition
Main parts of a set of instructions
Emphasis

39. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Abstract words
Main parts of internal proposals
Outlining

40. Goal and audience
Affectation
Things to think through when planning a website
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Sentence Length

41. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Direct Statements
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

42. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Purpose - Format - Composition
Guidelines for successful group writing
Intensifiers
Concrete Words

43. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Information needed for short report
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Concrete Words

44. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Things to think through when planning a website
Strategy and Humanness
Ethics in Business Writing
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

45. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Sentence Variety
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

46. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Affectation
Short report
Coherent writing
Things to think through when planning a website

47. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Conciseness
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Get Feedback From Others!

48. How do you present information in message?
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Intensifiers

49. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Garbled Sentences
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Strategy and Humanness
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

50. What are three levels of Revision?
Sentence Type
Guidelines for successful group writing
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only