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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
Connotation
Attractive and Readable Format
Telegraphic Style
Denotaion

2. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Active Voice
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Repetition
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

3. How do you present information in long messages?
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Get Feedback From Others!
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Key draft questions

4. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Outlining

5. What are Pros of Email?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Characteristics of job-related writing
'You Viewpoint'
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

6. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Things to think through when planning a website
Denotaion
Instructions

7. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Buzz Words
Main parts of instructions
Coherent writing
Recursive

8. Formal
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Main parts of instructions

9. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Ethics in Business Writing
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Main parts of internal proposals
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

10. E.g. 'most important'
Main parts of instructions
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Direct Statements

11. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

12. Casual
Get Feedback From Others!
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Connotation

13. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Characteristics of job-related writing
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

14. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Sentence Length
Coherent writing
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
Denotaion

15. What is Indirect Order?
Denotaion
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Rules for writing instructions
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

16. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Concrete Words

17. 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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18. 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.
Purpose - Format - Composition
Affectation
Outlining
Direct Statements

19. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Ethics in Business Writing
Sentence Variety
Emphasis
Figures of Speech

20. What is format of most Memos?
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Euphemismss

21. How do you know what to include in your message?
Connotation
Rules for writing instructions
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Cliches

22. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Key draft questions
Characteristics of job-related writing
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

23. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Tone
Cliches

24. Use Initialisms
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Idioms

25. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Subordination
Mechanical Devices
Active Voice
Main parts of a set of instructions

26. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Conciseness
Four keys to effective writing
Climatic Order
Garbled Sentences

27. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Position
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Main parts of a set of instructions
Short report

28. What are Individual Contexts
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Long Dashes
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

29. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Information needed for short report
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Biased Language
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

30. 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
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Cliches
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Intensifiers

31. How do you Plan the message?
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Things to think through when planning a website
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

32. Informal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Cliches
Guidelines for successful group writing
Short report

33. When to use Instant Messaging?
Goal of a letter of application
Things to think through when planning a website
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Four keys to effective writing

34. 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
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Sentence Variety

35. Stages can also be summarized as...
Buzz Words
Three P's for success in writing a memo
One-third
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

36. What is a Memorandum?
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
'You Viewpoint'

37. Steps to Successful Writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Intensifiers
Subordination
Outlining

38. Clairty
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

39. What should you know about a Letter?
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Purpose - Format - Composition
Idioms

40. Conciseness
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Characteristics of job-related writing
Goal of a letter of application
Abstract words

41. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Intensifiers
Guidelines for successful group writing
Conciseness
Short report

42. What is important in the Revising stage?
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Get Feedback From Others!

43. 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?
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Key draft questions
Sentence Length

44. Formality Considerations
Sentence Variety
Euphemismss
Get Feedback From Others!
Casual - Informal - or Formal

45. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Information needed for short report

46. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Examples of medium s of business communication
Long Dashes

47. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Euphemismss
Examples of medium s of business communication
Sentence Type

48. 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
Euphemismss
Buzz Words
Get Feedback From Others!
Ethics in Business Writing

49. What are three levels of Editing?
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Conciseness
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Coherent writing

50. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Strategy and Humanness
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages