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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. How do you Plan the message?
'You Viewpoint'
Mechanical Devices
Subordination
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

2. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Examples of medium s of business communication
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
similar
Figures of Speech

3. Tell and show how to do something
Concrete Words
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Instructions
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

4. What is critical to a message's success?
Instructions
Main parts of instructions
Attractive and Readable Format
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

5. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
similar
Buzz Words
Examples of medium s of business communication
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

6. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Active Voice
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

7. What are three levels of Editing?
'You Viewpoint'
Sentence Length
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
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

8. What should you know about a Letter?
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Telegraphic Style
Purpose - Format - Composition
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

9. 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
Business Writing Style
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Sentence Variety
Rules for writing instructions

10. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Position

11. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Sentence Type
Goal of a letter of application
Information needed for short report
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

12. What is Indirect Order?
Emphasis
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

13. How do you know what to include in your 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;
Information needed for short report
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

14. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Strategy and Humanness
Information needed for short report
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
Position

15. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Sentence Variety
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

16. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Sentence Length
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Selecting the proper medium

17. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Climatic Order
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Main parts of instructions

18. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Intensifiers
Affectation
Business Writing Style
Organizational - Professional - Personal

19. 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
Coherent writing
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Wordiness
Recursive

20. What are three levels of Revision?
Repetition
Things to think through when planning a website
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

21. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
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
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Characteristics of job-related writing

22. When to use Instant Messaging?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Key draft questions
Telegraphic Style
Organizational - Professional - Personal

23. Using short and long sentences strategically
Things to think through when planning a website
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Sentence Length
Climatic Order

24. E.g. 'most important'
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Euphemismss
Ethics in Business Writing
Direct Statements

25. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Procedures
Emphasis
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

26. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Strategy and Humanness
Idioms
'You Viewpoint'
Characteristics of job-related writing

27. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Information needed for short report

28. Formality Considerations
Emphasis
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Active Voice
Guidelines for successful group writing

29. When should email NOT be used?
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
Idioms
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

30. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Mechanical Devices
One-third
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Information the reader will want - put it first.

31. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Telegraphic Style
Attractive and Readable Format
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

32. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Recursive
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Goal of a letter of application

33. What are Pros of Email?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Business Writing Style
Active Voice
Conciseness

34. 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
Climatic Order
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Mechanical Devices

35. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Figures of Speech
Four keys to effective writing
Characteristics of job-related writing
'You Viewpoint'

36. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Position
Biased Language
Mechanical Devices
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

37. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Telegraphic Style
Selecting the proper medium
Instructions
Sentence Variety

38. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Direct Statements
Coherent writing
Four keys to effective writing

39. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Buzz Words
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Abstract words
Long Dashes

40. Formal
Main parts of instructions
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Procedures
Mechanical Devices

41. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Conciseness
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Sentence Length
One-third

42. What are Individual Contexts
Cliches
Concrete Words
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Sentence Variety

43. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Abstract words
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Affectation

44. How do you present information in message?
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Four keys to effective writing
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

45. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
'You Viewpoint'
Denotaion
Get Feedback From Others!

46. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Guidelines for successful group writing
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Climatic Order
Euphemismss

47. What is Direct Order?
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Euphemismss

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

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
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Ethics in Business Writing
Buzz Words
Goal of a letter of application

50. 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
Coherent 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
Things to think through when planning a website