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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. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Main parts of instructions

2. Clairty
Idioms
Business Writing Style
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

3. 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
Key draft questions
Connotation
Examples of medium s of business communication

4. Repeating keywords and key phrases
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Repetition
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Strategy and Humanness

5. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Attractive and Readable Format
similar
Information the reader will want - put it first.

6. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Characteristics of job-related writing
Main parts of a set of instructions
Information needed for short report
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

7. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Long Dashes
Active Voice
Four keys to effective writing
Get Feedback From Others!

8. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Main parts of internal proposals
Short report
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

9. Casual
Main parts of a set of instructions
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Garbled Sentences

10. Goal and audience
Concrete Words
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Things to think through when planning a website
Organizational - Professional - Personal

11. 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
Active Voice
Biased Language
Intensifiers
Cliches

12. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Selecting the proper medium
Long Dashes
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

13. What is critical to a message's success?
Strategy and Humanness
Attractive and Readable Format
Outlining
Sentence Type

14. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Examples of medium s of business communication
Key draft questions
Abstract words
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

15. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Conciseness
Four keys to effective writing
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

16. How do you present information in message?
Procedures
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Direct Statements

17. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

18. Informal
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Concrete Words

19. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Subordination
Tone

20. 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
Active Voice
Wordiness
Abstract words
Sentence Variety

21. Conciseness
Euphemismss
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

22. 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
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Mechanical Devices
Idioms
Business Writing Style

23. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Characteristics of job-related writing
Intensifiers

24. Tell and show how to do something
Intensifiers
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Buzz Words
Instructions

25. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Rules for writing instructions
Mechanical Devices
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

26. How do you know what to include in your message?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Mechanical Devices
Repetition

27. 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
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
Euphemismss
Attractive and Readable Format

28. Etiquette
Abstract words
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
'You Viewpoint'
Subordination

29. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
Tone
Organizational - Professional - Personal
'You Viewpoint'

30. 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;
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Direct Statements
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

31. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Sentence Type
Short report
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

32. 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
Affectation
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Buzz Words

33. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
One-third
Business Writing Style
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Information needed for short report

34. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Figures of Speech
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Cliches
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

35. How do you present information in long messages?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Selecting the proper medium
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

36. How to end an email
Intensifiers
Subordination
Ethics in Business Writing
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

37. General considerations with Email Messages
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Main parts of a set of instructions
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

38. What are Cons of Email?

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39. What is important in the Revising stage?
Get Feedback From Others!
Information needed for short report
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Denotaion

40. Using short and long sentences strategically
Things to think through when planning a website
Sentence Length
Emphasis
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

41. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Goal of a letter of application
Active Voice
Idioms
Abstract words

42. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Mechanical Devices
Selecting the proper medium
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Climatic Order

43. Formality Considerations
Conciseness
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Sentence Type
Characteristics of job-related writing

44. Correctness
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Guidelines for successful group writing

45. 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
Sentence Variety
Rules for writing instructions
Long Dashes
Concrete Words

46. How do you begin the message?

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47. What are three levels of Editing?
Business Writing Style
Mechanical Devices
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

48. What should you know about a Letter?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Outlining
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Affectation

49. 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)
Four keys to effective writing
Information needed for short report
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

50. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Position
Coherent writing
Climatic Order
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages