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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. What are Individual Contexts
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Intensifiers
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

2. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Position
Purpose - Format - Composition
Direct Statements
Climatic Order

3. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Garbled Sentences
Sentence Variety
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Characteristics of job-related writing

4. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Active Voice
Characteristics of job-related writing
Strategy and Humanness
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

5. 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
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
Short report

6. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Main parts of a set of instructions
Concrete Words
Examples of medium s of business communication

7. Am I giving the reader too much or too little info? - does this point belong here? - is this point relevant? - am I repeating or contradicting myself? - have I ended appropriately?
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Key draft questions
Attractive and Readable Format
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

8. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Denotaion
Recursive
Main parts of instructions
Things to think through when planning a website

9. What is important in the Revising stage?
Get Feedback From Others!
Denotaion
Guidelines for successful group writing
Four keys to effective writing

10. Conciseness
Outlining
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Subordination
Buzz Words

11. 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
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Cliches
Buzz Words

12. Formality Considerations
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Things to think through when planning a website
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Concrete Words

13. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Main parts of instructions
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Denotaion
Sentence Variety

14. What should you know about a Letter?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Mechanical Devices
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Ethics in Business Writing

15. Casual
Characteristics of job-related writing
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Guidelines for successful group writing

16. Use Initialisms
Euphemismss
Cliches
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

17. How do you know what to include in your message?
'You Viewpoint'
Things to think through when planning a website
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Figures of Speech

18. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Long Dashes
Recursive

19. General considerations with Email Messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Rules for writing instructions
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Position

20. What is a Memorandum?
Garbled Sentences
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Procedures

21. The principle of of stressing the most important ieas in writing. You can achieve this with the careful use of: Position - Climatic Order - Sentence Type - Sentence Length - Sentence Length - Active Voice - Repetition - Intensifiers - Direct Stateme
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Emphasis
Procedures
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

22. What are three levels of Editing?
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Recursive
Sentence Length

23. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Active Voice
Conciseness
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Sentence Length

24. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Attractive and Readable Format
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

25. Formal
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Repetition
Rules for writing instructions
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

26. Correctness
Key draft questions
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
One-third

27. Stages can also be summarized as...
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Four keys to effective writing
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Climatic Order

28. What is critical to a message's success?
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Selecting the proper medium
Attractive and Readable Format
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

29. 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
Denotaion
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

30. 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
Wordiness
Subordination
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Selecting the proper medium

31. Informal
Instructions
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Garbled Sentences
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

32. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Garbled Sentences
Denotaion
Attractive and Readable Format
Casual - Informal - or Formal

33. What are three levels of Revision?
Wordiness
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Rules for writing instructions
Goal of a letter of application

34. 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
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Repetition
Coherent writing

35. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Connotation
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

36. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Subordination
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Four keys to effective writing
Telegraphic Style

37. When should email NOT be used?
Instructions
Denotaion
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
similar

38. Steps to Successful Writing
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Sentence Type
Information needed for short report
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

39. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Intensifiers
Characteristics of job-related writing
Sentence Type
Active Voice

40. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
One-third
Attractive and Readable Format
Intensifiers

41. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Cliches
Repetition
Tone
Characteristics of job-related writing

42. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Coherent writing
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
'You Viewpoint'
Sentence Type

43. What is Indirect Order?
Abstract words
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Characteristics of job-related writing

44. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
similar
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Goal of a letter of application
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

45. 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
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Purpose - Format - Composition
Cliches
Sentence Type

46. Using short and long sentences strategically
Sentence Length
similar
Rules for writing instructions
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

47. How do you begin the message?

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48. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Climatic Order
Mechanical Devices
Connotation

49. What are Pros of Email?
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

50. When to use Instant Messaging?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Cliches
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Wordiness