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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. E.g. 'most important'
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Recursive
Position
Direct Statements

2. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Three P's for success in writing a memo

3. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Mechanical Devices
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

4. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Active Voice
Intensifiers
Euphemismss
Characteristics of job-related writing

5. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Buzz Words
Attractive and Readable Format
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

6. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

7. How do you know what to include in your message?
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
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Selecting the proper medium

8. What are Individual Contexts
Examples of medium s of business communication
Concrete Words
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Goal of a letter of application

9. What is format of most Memos?
Active Voice
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

10. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
One-third
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Sentence Variety

11. What are Cons of Email?

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12. 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
Active Voice
Biased Language
Rules for writing instructions
Information the reader will want - put it first.

13. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Main parts of internal proposals
Abstract words

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

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15. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Sentence Type
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Position

16. How to end an email
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Wordiness
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

17. What is Direct Order?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Procedures
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

18. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Subordination
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

19. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Instructions
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Mechanical Devices
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

20. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Business Writing Style
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Figures of Speech
Information needed for short report

21. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Repetition
Figures of Speech

22. What is important in the Revising stage?
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Characteristics of job-related writing
Get Feedback From Others!
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

23. Stages can also be summarized as...
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
'You Viewpoint'

24. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Subordination
Characteristics of job-related writing
Climatic Order
Information the reader will want - put it first.

25. When to use Instant Messaging?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Denotaion
similar
Instructions

26. 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
Connotation
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Main parts of a set of instructions
Recursive

27. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Attractive and Readable Format
Conciseness
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

28. Using short and long sentences strategically
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Guidelines for successful group writing
Sentence Length
Recursive

29. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
Abstract words
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Emphasis

30. When should email NOT be used?
Procedures
Characteristics of job-related writing
Sentence Type
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

31. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Euphemismss
Characteristics of job-related writing

32. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Tone
Strategy and Humanness
'You Viewpoint'
Long Dashes

33. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Recursive
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Wordiness

34. Informal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Sentence Type
Concrete Words

35. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
One-third
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Cliches
Repetition

36. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Position
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Key draft questions
Emphasis

37. Correctness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Rules for writing instructions
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Position

38. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Cliches
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

39. How do you Plan the message?
Sentence Type
Selecting the proper medium
Cliches
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

40. Clairty
Sentence Variety
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Repetition
Tone

41. General considerations with Email Messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Purpose - Format - Composition
'You Viewpoint'

42. 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.
Garbled Sentences
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Guidelines for successful group writing

43. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Subordination
Short report
Main parts of internal proposals
Active Voice

44. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Short report
One-third
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

45. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Recursive
Main parts of internal proposals
Idioms
Short report

46. How is formatting important?
Direct Statements
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Strategy and Humanness
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

47. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Procedures
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Organizational - Professional - Personal

48. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
One-third
Idioms
Four keys to effective writing

49. What is critical to a message's success?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Attractive and Readable Format
Selecting the proper medium
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

50. 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

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