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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 types of research is done in gathering information?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Main parts of instructions
Repetition
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

2. Etiquette
Conciseness
Organizational - Professional - Personal
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Rules for writing instructions

3. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Characteristics of job-related writing
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Mechanical Devices

4. What are Pros of Email?
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Emphasis
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

5. General considerations with Email Messages
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
One-third
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Main parts of internal proposals

6. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Information needed for short report
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Characteristics of job-related writing
Main parts of instructions

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?
Ethics in Business Writing
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Key draft questions
Climatic Order

8. What are three levels of Editing?
Subordination
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Main parts of instructions
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

9. Conciseness
Get Feedback From Others!
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Guidelines for successful group writing
Goal of a letter of application

10. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Get Feedback From Others!
Goal of a letter of application
One-third
Conciseness

11. What are Cons of Email?

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12. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Recursive
Casual - Informal - or Formal
One-third
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

13. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Repetition
Denotaion
Sentence Length

14. 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
Get Feedback From Others!
Procedures
Guidelines for successful group writing

15. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Wordiness
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Get Feedback From Others!
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

16. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Sentence Type
Connotation
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

17. 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
Instructions
Intensifiers
Position

18. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Buzz Words
Information needed for short report
Instructions
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

19. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Connotation
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Biased Language

20. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Subordination
Characteristics of job-related writing
Concrete Words
Four keys to effective writing

21. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Strategy and Humanness
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Procedures
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

22. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Abstract words
Direct Statements
Short report
Characteristics of job-related writing

23. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Abstract words
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Tone
Three P's for success in writing a memo

24. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Concrete Words
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Short report
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

25. 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
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Subordination
Buzz Words

26. How is formatting important?
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Main parts of a set of instructions
Position

27. Goal and audience
Sentence Variety
Things to think through when planning a website
Rules for writing instructions
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

28. Clairty
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Ethics in Business Writing
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

29. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Tone
Main parts of a set of instructions
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Main parts of internal proposals

30. Use Initialisms
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Goal of a letter of application
Outlining
Sentence Type

31. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Coherent writing
Long Dashes
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Climatic Order

32. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Examples of medium s of business communication
Goal of a letter of application
Main parts of instructions
Main parts of internal proposals

33. 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
Key draft questions
Connotation
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

34. 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
Four keys to effective writing
Characteristics of job-related writing
Emphasis
Information needed for short report

35. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Euphemismss
Sentence Length
Figures of Speech

36. 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;
Connotation
similar
Short report

37. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Position
Climatic Order
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
similar

38. How do you begin the message?

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39. Correctness
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Information needed for short report
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Repetition

40. Using short and long sentences strategically
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Cliches
Guidelines for successful group writing
Sentence Length

41. What are Individual Contexts
Cliches
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Strategy and Humanness

42. Formal
Sentence Length
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

43. What is the best advice for Drafting?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Rules for writing instructions
Key draft questions
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

44. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Telegraphic Style
Procedures
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Climatic Order

45. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Affectation

46. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
'You Viewpoint'
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Strategy and Humanness

47. What is a Memorandum?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Euphemismss
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

48. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Telegraphic Style
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Cliches
Goal of a letter of application

49. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Long Dashes
Tone
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

50. E.g. 'most important'
Direct Statements
Position
Coherent writing
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order