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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. Informal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Euphemismss
Outlining
Conciseness

2. Conciseness
Mechanical Devices
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
Purpose - Format - Composition
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

3. 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
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Wordiness
Conciseness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

4. What is Indirect Order?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Coherent writing
'You Viewpoint'

5. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Position
Business Writing Style
Characteristics of job-related writing

6. 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
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Sentence Length
Rules for writing instructions
Direct Statements

7. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Garbled Sentences
Mechanical Devices
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

8. 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
Sentence Type
Guidelines for successful group writing
Three P's for success in writing a memo
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

9. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Characteristics of job-related writing
Telegraphic Style
Examples of medium s of business communication
Strategy and Humanness

10. Correctness
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Abstract words
Attractive and Readable Format
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

11. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Ethics in Business Writing
Active Voice
Four keys to effective writing

12. What are Pros of Email?
Sentence Variety
Strategy and Humanness
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Main parts of a set of instructions

13. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Denotaion
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Sentence Length

14. How do you present information in long messages?
Things to think through when planning a website
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Main parts of instructions
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

15. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Short report
Sentence Variety
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Rules for writing instructions

16. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Mechanical Devices
Key draft questions
Sentence Type
Tone

17. How is formatting important?
Tone
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

18. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Buzz Words
Abstract words
Position
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

19. 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
Biased Language
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Cliches
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

20. Use Initialisms
Purpose - Format - Composition
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Subordination

21. When should email NOT be used?
Get Feedback From Others!
Affectation
Rules for writing instructions
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

22. What is critical to a message's success?
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Attractive and Readable Format
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Recursive

23. What is a Memorandum?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Main parts of a set of instructions
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

24. How do you know what to include in your message?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Coherent writing
Ethics in Business Writing

25. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Short report
Intensifiers
Instructions
Goal of a letter of application

26. General considerations with Email Messages
Four keys to effective writing
Intensifiers
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Tone

27. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Intensifiers
Main parts of a set of instructions
Euphemismss
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

28. Using short and long sentences strategically
Subordination
Selecting the proper medium
Sentence Length
Sentence Variety

29. 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?
Key draft questions
Denotaion
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

30. How do you begin the message?

31. What are Cons of Email?

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

33. What is Direct Order?
Climatic Order
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Mechanical Devices

34. 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

35. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Conciseness
'You Viewpoint'
Ethics in Business Writing
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

36. Clairty
Long Dashes
Intensifiers
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

37. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Active Voice
'You Viewpoint'
Repetition
similar

38. When to use Instant Messaging?
Guidelines for successful group writing
Intensifiers
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Instructions

39. 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
Abstract words
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Connotation
Repetition

40. 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.
Recursive
Outlining
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Intensifiers

41. Avoid language that attempts to evade responsibility - Avoid deceptive language - Do not deemphasize or suppress important information - Do not emphasize misleading or incorrect information - Avoid using language that is biased - racist - or sexist o
Attractive and Readable Format
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Climatic Order
Ethics in Business Writing

42. 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
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Buzz Words
Conciseness
Three P's for success in writing a memo

43. E.g. 'most important'
Short report
Direct Statements
Recursive
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

44. What should you know about a Letter?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

45. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Tone
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

46. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Biased Language
Buzz Words
Selecting the proper medium

47. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Long Dashes
Sentence Type
Procedures
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

48. 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
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Rules for writing instructions
Instructions
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

49. What is important in the Revising stage?
Get Feedback From Others!
Conciseness
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Examples of medium s of business communication

50. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
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
One-third
Intensifiers
Long Dashes