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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. Informal
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Selecting the proper medium

2. 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
Denotaion
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

3. Use Initialisms
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Telegraphic Style
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Procedures

4. 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
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Rules for writing instructions
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

5. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Four keys to effective writing
Biased Language
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Rules for writing instructions

6. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Tone
Instructions

7. Plan what you are going to say - polish what you wrote before you sent it - proofread everything

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8. General considerations with Email Messages
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

9. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Key draft questions
Goal of a letter of application
Subordination

10. Casual
Active Voice
Ethics in Business Writing
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Characteristics of job-related writing

11. 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
Casual - Informal - or Formal
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Guidelines for successful group writing

12. 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
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Main parts of a set of instructions
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

13. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Sentence Type
Intensifiers
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

14. Formality Considerations
Garbled Sentences
Figures of Speech
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Casual - Informal - or Formal

15. 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
One-third
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Ethics in Business Writing

16. How do you present information in message?
Position
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Ethics in Business Writing

17. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Figures of Speech
Sentence Type
Examples of medium s of business communication
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

18. Correctness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Active Voice
Outlining
Mechanical Devices

19. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Subordination
Sentence Type
One-third
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

20. Stages can also be summarized as...
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
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
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

21. 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)
Business Writing Style
Four keys to effective writing
Euphemismss
Emphasis

22. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Telegraphic Style
Guidelines for successful group writing
Direct Statements

23. What is format of most Memos?
Biased Language
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Conciseness
Purpose - Format - Composition

24. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Strategy and Humanness
Things to think through when planning a website
Main parts of a set of instructions
Information needed for short report

25. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Climatic Order
Sentence Length
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

26. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Business Writing Style
Euphemismss
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

27. Tell and show how to do something
Get Feedback From Others!
Instructions
Guidelines for successful group writing
Idioms

28. 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
Garbled Sentences
Buzz Words
Position
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

29. 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
Subordination
One-third
Cliches
Attractive and Readable Format

30. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Goal of a letter of application
Procedures
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

31. What should you know about a Letter?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Attractive and Readable Format
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

32. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Outlining
Main parts of instructions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Climatic Order

33. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Denotaion
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Concrete Words
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

34. What are Pros of Email?
Intensifiers
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Euphemismss
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

35. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
similar
Figures of Speech
Guidelines for successful group writing

36. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Information needed for short report
Active Voice
Four keys to effective writing
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

37. 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
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Business Writing Style
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

38. A sentence that is so tangled with structural and grammatical problems that it cannot be repaired - often result from trying to include too many ideas in one sentence.
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Garbled Sentences
Goal of a letter of application
Mechanical Devices

39. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
One-third
Sentence Variety
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

40. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Telegraphic Style
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Recursive

41. How do you present information in long messages?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Purpose - Format - Composition
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Sentence Length

42. What are three levels of Revision?
Selecting the proper medium
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Sentence Length
Casual - Informal - or Formal

43. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Characteristics of job-related writing
Instructions
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

44. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
One-third
Strategy and Humanness
Rules for writing instructions
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

45. When to use Instant Messaging?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Concrete Words
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

46. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Purpose - Format - Composition
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Conciseness
Sentence Variety

47. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Strategy and Humanness
Instructions
Things to think through when planning a website
Characteristics of job-related writing

48. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Ethics in Business Writing
Outlining
Procedures
Denotaion

49. How do you know what to include in your message?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Rules for writing instructions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

50. E.g. 'most important'
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Sentence Length
Direct Statements
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience