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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. 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
Main parts of internal proposals
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Connotation

2. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Climatic Order
Idioms
Organizational - Professional - Personal

3. How to end an email
Position
Tone
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Casual - Informal - or Formal

4. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Idioms
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Guidelines for successful group writing
Figures of Speech

5. 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

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6. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Information needed for short report
Position
Telegraphic Style
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

7. General considerations with Email Messages
Strategy and Humanness
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Sentence Type

8. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Mechanical Devices
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Get Feedback From Others!

9. What are Pros of Email?
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Buzz Words
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

10. What is Indirect Order?
Characteristics of job-related writing
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Tone

11. What are Individual Contexts
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Information needed for short report
Instructions

12. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Affectation
Biased Language
Guidelines for successful group writing
'You Viewpoint'

13. Conciseness
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
One-third
Wordiness

14. 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
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Euphemismss
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Examples of medium s of business communication

15. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Euphemismss
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

16. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Position
Denotaion
Rules for writing instructions

17. E.g. 'most important'
Cliches
Attractive and Readable Format
Direct Statements
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

18. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Garbled Sentences
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
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
Goal of a letter of application

19. Correctness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Buzz Words
Attractive and Readable Format
Purpose - Format - Composition

20. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Denotaion
Biased Language
Characteristics of job-related writing

21. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Active Voice
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Sentence Type

22. What are three levels of Revision?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Examples of medium s of business communication
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Guidelines for successful group writing

23. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Goal of a letter of application
Ethics in Business Writing
Mechanical Devices
Conciseness

24. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Selecting the proper medium
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Long Dashes
Telegraphic Style

25. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
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
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

26. Goal and audience
Characteristics of job-related writing
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Things to think through when planning a website
Strategy and Humanness

27. Etiquette
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Wordiness
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

28. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Ethics in Business Writing
Outlining
Repetition
Tone

29. How do you begin the message?

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30. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Instructions
Recursive
Characteristics of job-related writing

31. What is important in the Revising stage?
Get Feedback From Others!
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Outlining
Key draft questions

32. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
Sentence Variety
Ethics in Business Writing
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

33. 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
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Buzz Words
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Guidelines for successful group writing

34. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Euphemismss
Mechanical Devices
Long Dashes
Abstract words

35. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Goal of a letter of application
Telegraphic Style
Rules for writing instructions
Selecting the proper medium

36. Clairty
Main parts of a set of instructions
Position
Get Feedback From Others!
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

37. Formality Considerations
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Sentence Type
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

38. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Rules for writing instructions
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

39. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Garbled Sentences
Guidelines for successful group writing
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

40. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Concrete Words
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Short report

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
Ethics in Business Writing
Active Voice
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Main parts of instructions

42. 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.
Attractive and Readable Format
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

43. What is Direct Order?
Abstract words
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

44. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Mechanical Devices
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Main parts of internal proposals
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

45. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

46. Stages can also be summarized as...
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Climatic Order
Position
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

47. What is a Memorandum?
Recursive
Direct Statements
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

48. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Recursive
Attractive and Readable Format
Idioms
Sentence Length

49. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Concrete Words
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Repetition

50. What are Cons of Email?

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