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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. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Recursive
Active Voice
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

2. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
One-third
Coherent writing
Selecting the proper medium
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

3. Clairty
Short report
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Main parts of instructions

4. 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
'You Viewpoint'
Get Feedback From Others!
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

5. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Figures of Speech
Coherent writing

6. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Short report
Get Feedback From Others!
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

7. What is critical to a message's success?
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Attractive and Readable Format
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

8. What is format of most Memos?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Figures of Speech
Attractive and Readable Format

9. 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
Repetition
Selecting the proper medium
Buzz Words
Guidelines for successful group writing

10. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
One-third
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

11. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Coherent writing
Euphemismss
Information needed for short report
Intensifiers

12. E.g. 'most important'
Connotation
Instructions
Direct Statements
Denotaion

13. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

14. Goal and audience
Recursive
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Things to think through when planning a website
Characteristics of job-related writing

15. How do you begin the message?

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16. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Examples of medium s of business communication
Short report
Mechanical Devices
Position

17. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Characteristics of job-related writing
Business Writing Style
similar

18. How do you know what to include in your message?
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Procedures
Characteristics of job-related writing
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

19. How do you Plan the message?
Guidelines for successful group writing
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Attractive and Readable Format
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

20. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Strategy and Humanness
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Repetition

21. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Business Writing Style
Position

22. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Intensifiers
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Mechanical Devices

23. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Procedures
Position
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Purpose - Format - Composition

24. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Goal of a letter of application
Intensifiers

25. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Telegraphic Style
Get Feedback From Others!
Sentence Length

26. 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
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Subordination
Emphasis

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

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28. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Climatic Order
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Tone
Characteristics of job-related writing

29. What is Direct Order?
Repetition
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

30. Conciseness
Sentence Type
Goal of a letter of application
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

31. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Goal of a letter of application
Concrete Words
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

32. 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
Connotation
Affectation
Wordiness
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

33. How is formatting important?
Short report
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Organizational - Professional - Personal
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

34. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Direct Statements

35. 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
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Business Writing Style
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Things to think through when planning a website

36. Etiquette
Concrete Words
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Tone
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

37. 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
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Emphasis
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Affectation

38. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Short report

39. Formality Considerations
Rules for writing instructions
Organizational - Professional - Personal
'You Viewpoint'
Casual - Informal - or Formal

40. What is a Memorandum?
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Coherent writing
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

41. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Selecting the proper medium
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Idioms
Get Feedback From Others!

42. When to use Instant Messaging?
Examples of medium s of business communication
Information needed for short report
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

43. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Figures of Speech
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

44. Tell and show how to do something
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Guidelines for successful group writing
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Instructions

45. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Business Writing Style
similar
'You Viewpoint'
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

46. How to end an email
Get Feedback From Others!
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Idioms
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

47. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Repetition
Key draft questions
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

48. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Characteristics of job-related writing
Active Voice
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Garbled Sentences

49. What is important in the Revising stage?
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Get Feedback From Others!
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

50. Correctness
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Recursive