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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. 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.
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Garbled Sentences
Sentence Length
Denotaion

2. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Coherent writing
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Active Voice

3. 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)
Figures of Speech
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Four keys to effective writing
Buzz Words

4. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Abstract words
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
Rules for writing instructions

5. What are Pros of Email?
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

6. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Sentence Variety
Subordination
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

7. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Sentence Type

8. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Short report
Mechanical Devices
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Denotaion

9. Are these stages recursive or linear?
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
Recursive
Coherent writing
Rules for writing instructions

10. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Characteristics of job-related writing
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

11. How do you present information in message?
Figures of Speech
Main parts of instructions
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

12. How do you present information in long messages?
Active Voice
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Strategy and Humanness
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

13. What are three levels of Revision?
Key draft questions
Wordiness
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Figures of Speech

14. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Selecting the proper medium
Position
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

15. How do you begin the message?

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16. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Biased Language
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
similar

17. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Long Dashes
Conciseness
Information the reader will want - put it first.
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

18. 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
Selecting the proper medium
Wordiness
Information needed for short report
Buzz Words

19. How is formatting important?
Information needed for short report
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
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

20. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Information needed for short report
Affectation
Examples of medium s of business communication

21. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
Procedures
Coherent writing
Three P's for success in writing a memo

22. What is format of most Memos?
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Abstract words
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Denotaion

23. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Procedures
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Connotation

24. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Coherent writing
Idioms
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Main parts of instructions

25. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Instructions
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Information needed for short report
Recursive

26. Using short and long sentences strategically
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Sentence Length
Selecting the proper medium

27. Formality Considerations
Characteristics of job-related writing
Procedures
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Casual - Informal - or Formal

28. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Characteristics of job-related writing
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Main parts of a set of instructions

29. 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
Instructions
Rules for writing instructions
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Denotaion

30. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Sentence Variety
Position
Figures of Speech

31. Stages can also be summarized as...
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

32. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Repetition
Coherent writing
Tone
Main parts of instructions

33. Clairty
Euphemismss
Attractive and Readable Format
Characteristics of job-related writing
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

34. What is Indirect Order?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

35. Etiquette
Intensifiers
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

36. 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
Business Writing Style
Selecting the proper medium
similar

37. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Repetition

38. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Key draft questions
Climatic Order
One-third
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

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

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40. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Examples of medium s of business communication
Main parts of a set of instructions
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Rules for writing instructions

41. What is important in the Revising stage?
Tone
Get Feedback From Others!
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Organizational - Professional - Personal

42. Steps to Successful Writing
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Cliches
Goal of a letter of application
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

43. E.g. 'most important'
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Recursive
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Direct Statements

44. How do you Plan the message?
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Ethics in Business Writing
Four keys to effective writing
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

45. When should email NOT be used?
Affectation
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
Sentence Variety
Long Dashes

46. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Procedures
Tone
Purpose - Format - Composition

47. 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 the reader will want - put it first.
Instructions
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

48. What is Direct Order?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

49. 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
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Guidelines for successful group writing
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

50. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Telegraphic Style
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Active Voice
Selecting the proper medium