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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. Tell and show how to do something
Instructions
Mechanical Devices
Affectation
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

2. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Sentence Variety
Abstract words

3. How do you begin the message?

4. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
Key draft questions
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Three P's for success in writing a memo

5. 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
Ethics in Business Writing
Business Writing Style
Telegraphic Style
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

6. Using short and long sentences strategically
Things to think through when planning a website
Sentence Length
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
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

7. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Concrete Words
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Sentence Variety
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

8. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Biased Language
One-third
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

9. 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
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Recursive
Buzz Words
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

10. What are three levels of Editing?
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Recursive
Main parts of a set of instructions
'You Viewpoint'

11. How to end an email
Outlining
Strategy and Humanness
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Short report

12. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Procedures
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Organizational - Professional - Personal

13. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Goal of a letter of application
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

14. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Instructions
Intensifiers
Coherent writing
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

15. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Buzz Words
Climatic Order
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

16. What is important in the Revising stage?
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
Attractive and Readable Format
Main parts of instructions
Get Feedback From Others!

17. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Mechanical Devices
Characteristics of job-related writing
Intensifiers
Information needed for short report

18. 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?
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Rules for writing instructions
Conciseness
Key draft questions

19. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Rules for writing instructions
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Mechanical Devices

20. What are Pros of Email?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Denotaion
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
Garbled Sentences

21. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Conciseness
Strategy and Humanness
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Cliches

22. 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
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Main parts of instructions
Business Writing Style

23. Conciseness
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Key draft questions

24. How is formatting important?
Wordiness
Telegraphic Style
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Mechanical Devices

25. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Position
Goal of a letter of application
Recursive

26. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Sentence Type
Purpose - Format - Composition
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

27. Correctness
Outlining
Garbled Sentences
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Characteristics of job-related writing

28. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Repetition
Rules for writing instructions
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

29. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Telegraphic Style
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

30. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Outlining
Denotaion
Mechanical Devices
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

31. 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
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Emphasis
Characteristics of job-related writing
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

32. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Denotaion
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Instructions

33. 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

34. When should email NOT be used?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Repetition
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
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

35. Formality Considerations
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Characteristics of job-related writing
Short report

36. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Outlining
Climatic Order
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
Examples of medium s of business communication

37. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Affectation
Main parts of instructions
Euphemismss
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

38. What is Indirect Order?
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Tone
Examples of medium s of business communication
Coherent writing

39. How do you present information in message?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

40. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Intensifiers
Denotaion
Key draft questions
Casual - Informal - or Formal

41. 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
Recursive
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Guidelines for successful group writing

42. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
similar
Main parts of instructions
'You Viewpoint'
Things to think through when planning a website

43. Stages can also be summarized as...
Strategy and Humanness
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Things to think through when planning a website
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

44. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Cliches
Characteristics of job-related writing
'You Viewpoint'
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

45. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Coherent writing
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Abstract words
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

46. How do you Plan the message?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Active Voice
Repetition

47. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Coherent writing
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

48. What is critical to a message's success?
Attractive and Readable Format
Coherent writing
Affectation
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

49. What are three levels of Revision?
Key draft questions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Goal of a letter of application
Repetition

50. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Sentence Type
Active Voice
Main parts of a set of instructions
Sentence Length