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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. E.g. 'most important'
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Direct Statements
Examples of medium s of business communication

2. General considerations with Email Messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

3. Tell and show how to do something
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Outlining
Instructions
Garbled Sentences

4. Steps to Successful Writing
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
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
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

5. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Main parts of internal proposals
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Position

6. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Concrete Words
Idioms
Position

7. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
Main parts of a set of instructions
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

8. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Intensifiers
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Climatic Order
Main parts of instructions

9. How do you present information in long messages?
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Conciseness
Sentence Length
Ethics in Business Writing

10. What is format of most Memos?
Main parts of internal proposals
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
'You Viewpoint'

11. What are Individual Contexts
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Characteristics of job-related writing
Recursive
Concrete Words

12. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Four keys to effective writing
Conciseness

13. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Affectation
Biased Language

14. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
Abstract words
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Conciseness

15. 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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16. What should you know about a Letter?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Short report
Denotaion
Abstract words

17. Clairty
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Outlining
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Concrete Words

18. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Emphasis
Main parts of instructions
Biased Language

19. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Strategy and Humanness
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Main parts of instructions
Goal of a letter of application

20. Formal
Garbled Sentences
Biased Language
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Strategy and Humanness

21. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Recursive
Active Voice
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Goal of a letter of application

22. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Strategy and Humanness
Tone
Coherent writing

23. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Examples of medium s of business communication
Coherent writing

24. How do you present information in message?
Attractive and Readable Format
Sentence Type
Instructions
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

25. 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
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Information needed for short report
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
'You Viewpoint'

26. 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.
Sentence Length
One-third
Four keys to effective writing
Outlining

27. When should email NOT be used?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
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
Business Writing Style

28. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Attractive and Readable Format
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Selecting the proper medium
Recursive

29. 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
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Wordiness
Rules for writing instructions

30. What are three levels of Editing?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

31. Casual
Examples of medium s of business communication
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

32. What is critical to a message's success?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Direct Statements
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Attractive and Readable Format

33. What are three levels of Revision?
'You Viewpoint'
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Euphemismss
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

34. Conciseness
Active Voice
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

35. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Sentence Length
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Active Voice
Intensifiers

36. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Intensifiers
Mechanical Devices
Procedures
Strategy and Humanness

37. What are Cons of Email?

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38. Correctness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Denotaion

39. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Subordination
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Repetition

40. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Casual - Informal - or Formal
One-third
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Sentence Type

41. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Denotaion
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Subordination
Repetition

42. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Four keys to effective writing
Position
Get Feedback From Others!

43. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Long Dashes
Concrete Words
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

44. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Main parts of instructions
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

45. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Characteristics of job-related writing
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Get Feedback From Others!
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

46. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Instructions
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Repetition
Telegraphic Style

47. Using short and long sentences strategically
Sentence Length
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Main parts of a set of instructions

48. Etiquette
Wordiness
Main parts of a set of instructions
Main parts of instructions
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

49. 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
Mechanical Devices
Emphasis
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Climatic Order

50. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Business Writing Style
Tone