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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. Steps to Successful Writing
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

2. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
similar
Key draft questions

3. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Instructions
Active Voice
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

4. What should you know about a Letter?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Sentence Length
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

5. 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
Connotation
Procedures
Characteristics of job-related writing
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

6. Casual
Wordiness
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Coherent writing

7. 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
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Coherent writing
Information the reader will want - put it first.

8. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Sentence Type
Characteristics of job-related writing

9. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Sentence Variety
Direct Statements

10. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Attractive and Readable Format
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Abstract words
Tone

11. Use Initialisms
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Organizational - Professional - Personal

12. 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.
Instructions
Outlining
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Climatic Order

13. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Sentence Length
Coherent writing
Biased Language

14. What is important in the Revising stage?
Get Feedback From Others!
Goal of a letter of application
Subordination
Main parts of instructions

15. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Idioms
Abstract words
Repetition

16. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
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;
Key draft questions

17. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Sentence Type
Examples of medium s of business communication
Goal of a letter of application
Direct Statements

18. E.g. 'most important'
Direct Statements
Figures of Speech
Instructions
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

19. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Main parts of a set of instructions
Selecting the proper medium
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

20. How do you present information in message?
Subordination
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Biased Language

21. Clairty
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Key draft questions
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Sentence Type

22. Conciseness
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Information needed for short report
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

23. 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
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Direct Statements
Cliches
Main parts of a set of instructions

24. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Things to think through when planning a website
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

25. How do you Plan the message?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Subordination
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Denotaion

26. 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
Buzz Words
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Denotaion
Euphemismss

27. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Subordination
Mechanical Devices
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Get Feedback From Others!

28. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Intensifiers
Four keys to effective writing
Strategy and Humanness
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

29. What are Individual Contexts
Purpose - Format - Composition
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Direct Statements

30. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Intensifiers
Procedures
Casual - Informal - or Formal

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

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32. How do you know what to include in your message?
Key draft questions
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Business Writing Style
similar

33. General considerations with Email Messages
Recursive
Characteristics of job-related writing
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Coherent writing

34. 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
Ethics in Business Writing
Key draft questions
similar

35. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Things to think through when planning a website
Figures of Speech
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Conciseness

36. Stages can also be summarized as...
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Casual - Informal - or Formal

37. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Sentence Type
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Selecting the proper medium
Telegraphic Style

38. How do you begin the message?

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39. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Four keys to effective writing
Subordination
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Conciseness

40. What is a Memorandum?
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Things to think through when planning a website

41. 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
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Short report
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

42. What is format of most Memos?
Denotaion
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Conciseness
Sentence Variety

43. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Characteristics of job-related writing
Coherent writing
'You Viewpoint'

44. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Buzz Words
Repetition
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Euphemismss

45. Etiquette
Get Feedback From Others!
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Telegraphic Style

46. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

47. Formal
Get Feedback From Others!
Characteristics of job-related writing
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

48. Formality Considerations
Main parts of a set of instructions
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Main parts of instructions
Casual - Informal - or Formal

49. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Emphasis
Strategy and Humanness
Telegraphic Style
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

50. Tell and show how to do something
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Instructions
Denotaion
Conciseness