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Test your basic knowledge |
The Business Writing Process
Start Test
Study First
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 Cons of Email?
2. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Concrete Words
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
3. Formal
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Recursive
4. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Sentence Variety
similar
Buzz Words
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
5. 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
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Active Voice
Cliches
6. When to use Instant Messaging?
Mechanical Devices
Sentence Type
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Purpose - Format - Composition
7. How is formatting important?
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.
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Characteristics of job-related writing
8. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Telegraphic Style
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
9. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Tone
Climatic Order
Rules for writing instructions
10. Stages can also be summarized as...
Characteristics of job-related writing
Coherent writing
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Instructions
11. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Conciseness
Affectation
12. 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
Characteristics of job-related writing
Sentence Type
Connotation
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
13. 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
Buzz Words
Subordination
Garbled Sentences
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
14. When should email NOT be used?
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
Main parts of instructions
Intensifiers
Three P's for success in writing a memo
15. How do you begin the message?
16. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Four keys to effective writing
Goal of a letter of application
Cliches
17. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Denotaion
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Procedures
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
18. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Wordiness
Examples of medium s of business communication
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Casual - Informal - or Formal
19. Etiquette
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Outlining
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Guidelines for successful group writing
20. 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
Figures of Speech
Business Writing Style
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Four keys to effective writing
21. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Intensifiers
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
22. E.g. 'most important'
Direct Statements
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
similar
23. 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)
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Four keys to effective writing
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
24. Informal
similar
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
25. What is important in the Revising stage?
Cliches
Denotaion
Information needed for short report
Get Feedback From Others!
26. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Repetition
Things to think through when planning a website
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Conciseness
27. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Main parts of internal proposals
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
28. What should you know about a Letter?
Outlining
Purpose - Format - Composition
Examples of medium s of business communication
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
29. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Sentence Variety
Short report
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Ethics in Business Writing
30. How do you present information in long messages?
Position
Climatic Order
similar
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
31. 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
Climatic Order
Ethics in Business Writing
Position
Recursive
32. Tell and show how to do something
Instructions
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Get Feedback From Others!
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
33. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Biased Language
Figures of Speech
Ethics in Business Writing
34. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Outlining
Long Dashes
Idioms
Sentence Type
35. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Conciseness
36. Using short and long sentences strategically
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Sentence Length
Subordination
37. What are Individual Contexts
Wordiness
Main parts of internal proposals
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Direct Statements
38. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Telegraphic Style
Information needed for short report
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
39. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Long Dashes
Euphemismss
40. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Main parts of a set of instructions
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
41. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Idioms
Procedures
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Key draft questions
42. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Strategy and Humanness
'You Viewpoint'
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Three P's for success in writing a memo
43. What is Indirect Order?
Key draft questions
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
44. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Outlining
One-third
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
45. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Wordiness
Subordination
Euphemismss
Get Feedback From Others!
46. 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
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Conciseness
Characteristics of job-related writing
47. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Mechanical Devices
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Long Dashes
48. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Figures of Speech
'You Viewpoint'
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Examples of medium s of business communication
49. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Main parts of a set of instructions
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
50. 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
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Guidelines for successful group writing
Four keys to effective writing
Concrete Words