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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 use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Emphasis
Tone
Affectation
Recursive

2. Using short and long sentences strategically
Sentence Length
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Buzz Words

3. What is a Memorandum?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Main parts of internal proposals
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

4. 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.
Outlining
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Short report
Emphasis

5. What are three levels of Revision?
Connotation
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
'You Viewpoint'
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

6. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Climatic Order
Business Writing Style
Goal of a letter of application
Three P's for success in writing a memo

7. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Main parts of instructions
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Conciseness
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

8. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Coherent writing
Outlining
Idioms
Strategy and Humanness

9. Clairty
Business Writing Style
One-third
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Tone

10. What are Cons of Email?

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11. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Strategy and Humanness
Business Writing Style
Selecting the proper medium
Biased Language

12. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Sentence Length
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Buzz Words

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

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14. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
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
Recursive
Active Voice

15. How do you Plan the message?
Abstract words
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

16. 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
Get Feedback From Others!
Strategy and Humanness
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

17. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Main parts of instructions
Procedures
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Subordination

18. Use Initialisms
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Position
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Short report

19. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Direct Statements
Garbled Sentences
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

20. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Tone
Conciseness
Purpose - Format - Composition

21. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Main parts of internal proposals
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Cliches
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

22. Formality Considerations
Procedures
Guidelines for successful group writing
Casual - Informal - or Formal
One-third

23. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Procedures
Get Feedback From Others!
Position

24. What are Pros of Email?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
'You Viewpoint'
Key draft questions
Three P's for success in writing a memo

25. 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
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Cliches

26. Conciseness
Guidelines for successful group writing
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

27. What is Indirect Order?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Idioms
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

28. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Procedures
Position
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Biased Language

29. What should you know about a Letter?
Figures of Speech
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Purpose - Format - Composition

30. 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)
Rules for writing instructions
Sentence Type
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Four keys to effective writing

31. How do you present information in message?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

32. When to use Instant Messaging?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Sentence Length
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Goal of a letter of application

33. 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
Wordiness
Cliches
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

34. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
similar
Active Voice
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

35. Stages can also be summarized as...
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Short report
Climatic Order

36. Modifiers that repeat an idea implicit or present in the word being modified contribute to wordiness by being redundant (basic essentials - final outcome) - Coordinated synonyms (each and every - first and foremost.) - Expletives - relative pronouns
Characteristics of job-related writing
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Wordiness
Direct Statements

37. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Rules for writing instructions
Characteristics of job-related writing
Denotaion
Tone

38. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Recursive
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Short report
similar

39. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Affectation
Telegraphic Style
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

40. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Strategy and Humanness
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Climatic Order

41. What is important in the Revising stage?
Direct Statements
Telegraphic Style
Biased Language
Get Feedback From Others!

42. 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?
Key draft questions
Examples of medium s of business communication
Repetition
Direct Statements

43. How do you know what to include in your message?
Key draft questions
Goal of a letter of application
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

44. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Get Feedback From Others!
Business Writing Style
Idioms

45. How do you present information in long messages?
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Instructions

46. 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
Sentence Variety
Business Writing Style
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Idioms

47. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Wordiness
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Procedures
Main parts of a set of instructions

48. What are Individual Contexts
Examples of medium s of business communication
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Affectation

49. Formal
Conciseness
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
Idioms

50. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Mechanical Devices
Examples of medium s of business communication
Denotaion
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise