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. 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)
Four keys to effective writing
Recursive
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Key draft questions

2. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Coherent writing
Main parts of a set of instructions
Things to think through when planning a website
Guidelines for successful group writing

3. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Attractive and Readable Format
Garbled Sentences
Euphemismss
Short report

4. What are three levels of Editing?
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Procedures
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Active Voice

5. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Procedures
Sentence Type
Sentence Variety
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

6. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Recursive
Main parts of instructions
Garbled Sentences
Selecting the proper medium

7. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Goal of a letter of application
Figures of Speech
Selecting the proper medium
Repetition

8. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
One-third
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

9. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

10. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
similar
Subordination
Attractive and Readable Format
Instructions

11. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
similar
Long Dashes
Guidelines for successful group writing
Mechanical Devices

12. 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.
Mechanical Devices
Active Voice
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

13. How do you present information in message?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Characteristics of job-related writing
Rules for writing instructions
'You Viewpoint'

14. 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
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Business Writing Style
Buzz Words
Rules for writing instructions

15. Goal and audience
Outlining
Tone
Things to think through when planning a website
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

16. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Active Voice
Characteristics of job-related writing
Biased Language
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

17. How to end an email
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Information the reader will want - put it first.

18. What are Pros of Email?
Procedures
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

19. E.g. 'most important'
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Direct Statements
Telegraphic Style
Mechanical Devices

20. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Repetition
Biased Language
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Tone

21. What should you know about a Letter?
Affectation
Telegraphic Style
Purpose - Format - Composition
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

22. Informal
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
'You Viewpoint'
Wordiness

23. What is a Memorandum?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Telegraphic Style
Business Writing Style

24. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Organizational - Professional - Personal
One-third
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Main parts of a set of instructions

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
Short report
Rules for writing instructions
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Conciseness

26. Use Initialisms
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Key draft questions
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

27. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Euphemismss
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

28. When to use Instant Messaging?
Garbled Sentences
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Long Dashes

29. What is critical to a message's success?
Wordiness
Sentence Type
Examples of medium s of business communication
Attractive and Readable Format

30. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Position
Goal of a letter of application
Strategy and Humanness
Figures of Speech

31. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Characteristics of job-related writing
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

32. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Position
Short report
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

33. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Affectation
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

34. What is important in the Revising stage?
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Get Feedback From Others!
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
One-third

35. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Concrete Words
Characteristics of job-related writing
Main parts of a set of instructions
Conciseness

36. How is formatting important?
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

37. Formal
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Position
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

38. Using short and long sentences strategically
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Sentence Length
Buzz Words
Ethics in Business Writing

39. General considerations with Email Messages
Concrete Words
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Position

40. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Repetition
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Information needed for short report
Subordination

41. 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
Idioms
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Figures of Speech
Cliches

42. Tell and show how to do something
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Instructions
Euphemismss
Examples of medium s of business communication

43. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Sentence Variety
Goal of a letter of application
Recursive

44. 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
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Climatic Order
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

45. 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
Guidelines for successful group writing
Active Voice
Outlining
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

46. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Position
Procedures
Garbled Sentences

47. What are the activities in the planning stage?
One-third
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Position
Main parts of a set of instructions

48. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
similar
Business Writing Style
Subordination
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

49. Correctness
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Guidelines for successful group writing
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

50. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Garbled Sentences
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Casual - Informal - or Formal