Test your basic knowledge |

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. How to end an email
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
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
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

2. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Wordiness
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Main parts of internal proposals
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

3. What is important in the Revising stage?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Euphemismss
Get Feedback From Others!
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

4. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Get Feedback From Others!
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
similar
Organizational - Professional - Personal

5. 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)
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Four keys to effective writing
Sentence Type
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

6. Casual
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Main parts of a set of instructions
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

7. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Outlining
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Examples of medium s of business communication
Euphemismss

8. 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
Business Writing Style
Main parts of a set of instructions
Garbled Sentences

9. General considerations with Email Messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Connotation

10. Stages can also be summarized as...
Idioms
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Active Voice
Things to think through when planning a website

11. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Position
Four keys to effective writing
'You Viewpoint'

12. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Affectation
similar
Main parts of instructions

13. What is format of most Memos?
Active Voice
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Main parts of a set of instructions
Ethics in Business Writing

14. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Long Dashes
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Idioms

15. What are three levels of Revision?
Conciseness
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Three P's for success in writing a memo

16. Using short and long sentences strategically
Procedures
Cliches
Sentence Length
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

17. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Information needed for short report
Short report
Conciseness
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

18. 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
Wordiness
Casual - Informal - or Formal
'You Viewpoint'
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

19. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Sentence Length
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Main parts of a set of instructions
Goal of a letter of application

20. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Rules for writing instructions
Main parts of internal proposals

21. 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
Cliches
Attractive and Readable Format
Coherent writing
Rules for writing instructions

22. Formality Considerations
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Conciseness
Coherent writing

23. 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.
Garbled Sentences
Main parts of instructions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

24. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Sentence Variety
Business Writing Style
Purpose - Format - Composition

25. 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
Rules for writing instructions
Goal of a letter of application
Recursive
Organizational - Professional - Personal

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

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183

27. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Conciseness
Key draft questions
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

28. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Four keys to effective writing
Concrete Words
Goal of a letter of application
Business Writing Style

29. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Climatic Order
Connotation
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

30. 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

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183

31. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Main parts of a set of instructions

32. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Outlining

33. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Mechanical Devices
Direct Statements
Main parts of instructions
Biased Language

34. How do you begin the message?

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183

35. What are Individual Contexts
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Tone
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

36. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Coherent writing
Strategy and Humanness
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

37. 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?
Wordiness
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Key draft questions
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

38. Correctness
Garbled Sentences
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Biased Language

39. 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
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Conciseness
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

40. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Four keys to effective writing
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Guidelines for successful group writing

41. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

42. 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
Business Writing Style
Characteristics of job-related writing
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Emphasis

43. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Get Feedback From Others!

44. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Mechanical Devices
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Affectation

45. Tell and show how to do something
Sentence Variety
Purpose - Format - Composition
Procedures
Instructions

46. What is Direct Order?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Sentence Length
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Biased Language

47. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Main parts of instructions
Information needed for short report
Sentence Type

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

49. 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
Sentence Variety
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Buzz Words

50. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Intensifiers
Denotaion
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision