Test your basic knowledge |

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. General considerations with Email Messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
One-third
Active Voice
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

2. Stages can also be summarized as...
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Position
Rules for writing instructions
Main parts of a set of instructions

3. Conciseness
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Main parts of internal proposals
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

4. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Idioms
Instructions
Coherent writing
Position

5. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Garbled Sentences
Selecting the proper medium
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

6. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Sentence Type
Main parts of internal proposals
Climatic Order
Affectation

7. Formality Considerations
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Intensifiers
Affectation

8. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Sentence Type
Information needed for short report
Recursive
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

9. How do you present information in long messages?
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Emphasis
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

10. 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
Long Dashes
similar
Wordiness

11. 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
Information needed for short report
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Garbled Sentences

12. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Connotation
Tone
One-third
Sentence Variety

13. 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
Wordiness
Coherent writing
Ethics in Business Writing
Selecting the proper medium

14. 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.
Four keys to effective writing
Wordiness
Garbled Sentences
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

15. Steps to Successful Writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Characteristics of job-related writing
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Concrete Words

16. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Active Voice
Main parts of internal proposals
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

17. What is critical to a message's success?
Connotation
Attractive and Readable Format
Selecting the proper medium
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

18. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Short report
Sentence Type
Climatic Order
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

19. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Examples of medium s of business communication
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Information needed for short report
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

20. Clairty
Conciseness
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Attractive and Readable Format

21. What is format of most Memos?
One-third
Strategy and Humanness
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Garbled Sentences

22. What are Individual Contexts
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Main parts of a set of instructions

23. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Four keys to effective writing

24. Goal and audience
Repetition
Things to think through when planning a website
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

25. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Goal of a letter of application
Attractive and Readable Format

26. 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;
Characteristics of job-related writing
Information needed for short report
Main parts of a set of instructions

27. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Examples of medium s of business communication
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Mechanical Devices
Organizational - Professional - Personal

28. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Main parts of instructions
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Figures of Speech
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

29. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Active Voice
Idioms
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

30. How is formatting important?
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Wordiness
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

31. How do you Plan the message?
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

32. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Characteristics of job-related writing
Subordination
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

33. 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
Telegraphic Style
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Cliches
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

34. Formal
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Things to think through when planning a website
Denotaion

35. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Intensifiers
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Active Voice

36. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Figures of Speech
Sentence Variety
Procedures
Rules for writing instructions

37. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Sentence Length
Denotaion
Sentence Type
Climatic Order

38. What are three levels of Revision?
Main parts of instructions
Key draft questions
Outlining
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

39. What are Cons of Email?

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183

40. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Euphemismss

41. What is Direct Order?
Outlining
Information the reader will want - put it first.
similar
Figures of Speech

42. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Long Dashes
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

43. Correctness
Business Writing Style
Position
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Instructions

44. 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
Connotation
Main parts of internal proposals
Strategy and Humanness
Wordiness

45. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Abstract words
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Coherent writing
Buzz Words

46. How do you present information in message?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Four keys to effective writing
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Ethics in Business Writing

47. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Examples of medium s of business communication
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Sentence Length
similar

48. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Characteristics of job-related writing
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Idioms

49. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Key draft questions
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Main parts of internal proposals
One-third

50. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Telegraphic Style
Active Voice
'You Viewpoint'
Emphasis