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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?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Buzz Words
similar

2. When to use Instant Messaging?
Emphasis
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Characteristics of job-related writing
'You Viewpoint'

3. Etiquette
Things to think through when planning a website
Tone
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Recursive

4. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Short report
Intensifiers
Concrete Words
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

5. 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)
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Four keys to effective writing
Direct Statements

6. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Mechanical Devices
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
One-third
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

7. Informal
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Climatic Order
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

8. Correctness
Examples of medium s of business communication
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
One-third
Buzz Words

9. What should you know about a Letter?
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Purpose - Format - Composition
Attractive and Readable Format
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

10. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Denotaion
Abstract words

11. 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
Biased Language
Garbled Sentences
Connotation

12. What is format of most Memos?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Denotaion
Connotation
Information needed for short report

13. Formal
Sentence Variety
Purpose - Format - Composition
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

14. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Conciseness
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

15. A sentence that is so tangled with structural and grammatical problems that it cannot be repaired - often result from trying to include too many ideas in one sentence.
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Tone
Garbled Sentences
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

16. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Purpose - Format - Composition
Sentence Type

17. 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
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Guidelines for successful group writing
Sentence Variety
Concrete Words

18. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Garbled Sentences
Telegraphic Style
Examples of medium s of business communication
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

19. 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
Mechanical Devices
Emphasis
Garbled Sentences
Casual - Informal - or Formal

20. What are three levels of Editing?
Key draft questions
Selecting the proper medium
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

21. What is a Memorandum?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

22. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Recursive
Main parts of instructions
Tone

23. How do you begin the message?

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24. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Purpose - Format - Composition
Biased Language
Long Dashes
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

25. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Position
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Mechanical Devices

26. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Get Feedback From Others!
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Main parts of instructions
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

27. What are three levels of Revision?
Denotaion
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Coherent writing
Sentence Length

28. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Procedures
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Biased Language
Denotaion

29. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Attractive and Readable Format
Biased Language

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

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31. When should email NOT be used?
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
Short report
Ethics in Business Writing
Four keys to effective writing

32. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Selecting the proper medium
Examples of medium s of business communication
Long Dashes
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

33. What is Indirect Order?
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Characteristics of job-related writing
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

34. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Outlining
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Idioms
Intensifiers

35. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Rules for writing instructions
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Buzz Words
Intensifiers

36. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Goal of a letter of application
Selecting the proper medium
Main parts of instructions

37. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Denotaion
Procedures
Examples of medium s of business communication

38. 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
Recursive
Outlining
Sentence Type
Buzz Words

39. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Rules for writing instructions
Affectation
Long Dashes
Telegraphic Style

40. What is critical to a message's success?
Affectation
Attractive and Readable Format
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Garbled Sentences

41. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Recursive

42. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Abstract words
Main parts of instructions
Subordination

43. How do you know what to include in your message?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Goal of a letter of application
Strategy and Humanness
Main parts of a set of instructions

44. Stages can also be summarized as...
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Instructions

45. Casual
Telegraphic Style
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Key draft questions
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

46. General considerations with Email Messages
Euphemismss
Examples of medium s of business communication
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

47. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Characteristics of job-related writing
Position

48. Use Initialisms
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Main parts of internal proposals

49. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Euphemismss
Subordination

50. What is Direct Order?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress