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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. Formal
Recursive
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

2. Casual
Attractive and Readable Format
Goal of a letter of application
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

3. What are three levels of Revision?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Short report
Repetition

4. 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
Recursive
'You Viewpoint'
Wordiness
Direct Statements

5. What is format of most Memos?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Things to think through when planning a website
Characteristics of job-related writing
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

6. Conciseness
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Procedures
Short report
Intensifiers

7. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
similar
Goal of a letter of application
Climatic Order
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

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
Business Writing Style
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Emphasis
Outlining

9. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Goal of a letter of application
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

10. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Attractive and Readable Format
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Casual - Informal - or Formal

11. 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
Connotation
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
Concrete Words

12. How to end an email
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Emphasis

13. Correctness
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Sentence Length
Connotation
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

14. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Things to think through when planning a website
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

15. 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
Abstract words
Business Writing Style
Cliches
Things to think through when planning a website

16. 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
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Guidelines for successful group writing
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

17. What is important in the Revising stage?
Affectation
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Get Feedback From Others!
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

18. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Denotaion
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

19. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Cliches
Procedures
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

20. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Euphemismss
Climatic Order
Intensifiers

21. Steps to Successful Writing
Strategy and Humanness
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Main parts of internal proposals
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

22. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Concrete Words
Characteristics of job-related writing

23. Use Initialisms
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Information the reader will want - put it first.
'You Viewpoint'
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

24. Informal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Main parts of a set of instructions
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Short report

25. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
One-third
Characteristics of job-related writing
Position
Climatic Order

26. What are Pros of Email?
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Information needed for short report
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

27. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Long Dashes
Sentence Variety
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
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

28. Stages can also be summarized as...
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Recursive
Repetition

29. 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
Subordination
Attractive and Readable Format
Buzz Words
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

30. What should you know about a Letter?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Purpose - Format - Composition
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Attractive and Readable Format

31. 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
Garbled Sentences
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

32. What are three levels of Editing?
Euphemismss
Outlining
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Guidelines for successful group writing

33. How do you present information in message?
Short report
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Main parts of instructions
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

34. 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
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Procedures

35. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Information needed for short report
Selecting the proper medium
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Examples of medium s of business communication

36. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Denotaion
'You Viewpoint'

37. Goal and audience
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Mechanical Devices
Things to think through when planning a website
Purpose - Format - Composition

38. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Main parts of a set of instructions
Main parts of instructions
Get Feedback From Others!

39. What is Direct Order?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Figures of Speech
One-third
Sentence Type

40. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Four keys to effective writing
Mechanical Devices
Conciseness

41. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Subordination
Sentence Type

42. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Business Writing Style
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Figures of Speech

43. 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.
Ethics in Business Writing
Garbled Sentences
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

44. General considerations with Email Messages
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Rules for writing instructions
Cliches

45. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Main parts of instructions
Climatic Order

46. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Buzz Words
Connotation
Tone
Procedures

47. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Direct Statements
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Main parts of instructions

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

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49. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Strategy and Humanness
Abstract words
Euphemismss

50. 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
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
'You Viewpoint'
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Connotation