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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. What are Cons of Email?

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2. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Figures of Speech
One-third
Examples of medium s of business communication
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

3. Stages can also be summarized as...
Main parts of instructions
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Characteristics of job-related writing
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

4. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
'You Viewpoint'
Information the reader will want - put it first.

5. 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

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6. How do you know what to include in your message?
Sentence Length
Sentence Variety
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

7. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Affectation
Euphemismss
Climatic Order
Goal of a letter of application

8. How to end an email
Guidelines for successful group writing
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
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

9. 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.
Climatic Order
Sentence Variety
Outlining
Emphasis

10. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Rules for writing instructions

11. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Telegraphic Style
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Position
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

12. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Euphemismss
Abstract words
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

13. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Short report
Goal of a letter of application
Biased Language
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

14. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
One-third
Goal of a letter of application
Emphasis

15. What is a Memorandum?
Main parts of instructions
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Procedures
Main parts of internal proposals

16. Informal
Procedures
One-third
Ethics in Business Writing
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

17. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Coherent writing
Selecting the proper medium
Concrete Words
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

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?
Euphemismss
Key draft questions
Outlining
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

19. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Cliches
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
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Strategy and Humanness

20. What should you know about a Letter?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Rules for writing instructions

21. 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
Abstract words
Main parts of internal proposals
Ethics in Business Writing
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

22. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Climatic Order
Concrete Words
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Instructions

23. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Position
Main parts of instructions
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Purpose - Format - Composition

24. 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
Denotaion
Connotation
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Biased Language

25. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Sentence Variety
Affectation
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Emphasis

26. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

27. 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
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Guidelines for successful group writing
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Business Writing Style

28. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Sentence Length
Position
Purpose - Format - Composition
Affectation

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
Cliches
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Mechanical Devices
Long Dashes

30. Formality Considerations
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Key draft questions
Selecting the proper medium
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

31. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Characteristics of job-related writing
Garbled Sentences
Business Writing Style
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

32. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Purpose - Format - Composition
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Tone
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

33. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Main parts of instructions
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Idioms

34. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Buzz Words
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Characteristics of job-related writing
Conciseness

35. What is critical to a message's success?
Euphemismss
Attractive and Readable Format
Sentence Variety
Main parts of internal proposals

36. When to use Instant Messaging?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
'You Viewpoint'
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Recursive

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

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

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39. 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
One-third
Recursive
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

40. 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
Main parts of internal proposals
Buzz Words
Purpose - Format - Composition
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

41. How do you present information in message?
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
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Rules for writing instructions

42. How do you Plan the message?
Conciseness
Active Voice
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Things to think through when planning a website

43. Repeating keywords and key phrases
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Key draft questions
Ethics in Business Writing
Repetition

44. What are three levels of Editing?
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Main parts of instructions
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Garbled Sentences

45. What is important in the Revising stage?
Procedures
Short report
Get Feedback From Others!
Recursive

46. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Things to think through when planning a website
Repetition
Active Voice
Strategy and Humanness

47. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Concrete Words
Information needed for short report
Affectation

48. What is format of most Memos?
Direct Statements
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Cliches

49. What are Pros of Email?
Sentence Length
Procedures
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

50. Clairty
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Sentence Variety
Abstract words