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. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Emphasis
Examples of medium s of business communication
Conciseness
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

2. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Main parts of instructions
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

3. Goal and audience
Examples of medium s of business communication
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Wordiness
Things to think through when planning a website

4. What should you know about a Letter?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Emphasis
Garbled Sentences
Purpose - Format - Composition

5. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Ethics in Business Writing
Denotaion
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

6. When to use Instant Messaging?
Concrete Words
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

7. 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

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

8. What is Indirect Order?
Short report
Affectation
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Main parts of instructions

9. How is formatting important?
Main parts of internal proposals
Abstract words
Climatic Order
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

10. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Main parts of internal proposals
Wordiness
Examples of medium s of business communication
Business Writing Style

11. 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
Characteristics of job-related writing
Connotation
'You Viewpoint'
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

12. What is Direct Order?
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Wordiness

13. Use Initialisms
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
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Four keys to effective writing

14. How do you present information in long messages?
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Attractive and Readable Format

15. Correctness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Cliches
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Information needed for short report

16. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Business Writing Style
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Main parts of a set of instructions

17. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Mechanical Devices
Characteristics of job-related writing
Key draft questions
Euphemismss

18. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Denotaion

19. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Telegraphic Style
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

20. Clairty
Main parts of a set of instructions
Strategy and Humanness
One-third
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

21. What are Pros of Email?
Get Feedback From Others!
Business Writing Style
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Short report

22. 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.
Repetition
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Garbled Sentences
Wordiness

23. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Emphasis
Figures of Speech
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Tone

24. 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
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Recursive

25. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Idioms
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Strategy and Humanness

26. What are Cons of Email?

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

27. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Sentence Type
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Affectation

28. What is critical to a message's success?
Attractive and Readable Format
Mechanical Devices
Biased Language
Outlining

29. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Strategy and Humanness
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Affectation
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

30. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Characteristics of job-related writing
Short report
Recursive
Business Writing Style

31. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
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
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Sentence Variety

32. Using short and long sentences strategically
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Sentence Length

33. Informal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Recursive
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

34. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Main parts of internal proposals
Figures of Speech
Coherent writing

35. 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.
Outlining
Characteristics of job-related writing
Abstract words
Direct Statements

36. 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
Rules for writing instructions
Characteristics of job-related writing
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

37. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Sentence Type
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Four keys to effective writing
Mechanical Devices

38. 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
Biased Language
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Buzz Words
Subordination

39. Etiquette
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Information needed for short report

40. E.g. 'most important'
Direct Statements
Euphemismss
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Casual - Informal - or Formal

41. What are Individual Contexts
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Tone
Attractive and Readable Format

42. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Main parts of internal proposals
Procedures
Coherent writing
One-third

43. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Key draft questions
Concrete Words
Selecting the proper medium
Euphemismss

44. Tell and show how to do something
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Abstract words
Instructions
Strategy and Humanness

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

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

46. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Casual - Informal - or Formal

47. When should email NOT be used?
Wordiness
Information needed for short report
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
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

48. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Strategy and Humanness
Active Voice
Things to think through when planning a website

49. How do you begin the message?

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

50. Conciseness
Mechanical Devices
Euphemismss
Telegraphic Style
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications