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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. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Coherent writing
Examples of medium s of business communication
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

2. Stages can also be summarized as...
Procedures
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Intensifiers
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

3. 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
Four keys to effective writing
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Emphasis
Abstract words

4. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Affectation

5. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Abstract words
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Mechanical Devices

6. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Key draft questions
Climatic Order
Characteristics of job-related writing
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

7. Goal and audience
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Rules for writing instructions
Things to think through when planning a website
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

8. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Tone
Cliches
Buzz Words
Position

9. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Denotaion
Intensifiers
Attractive and Readable Format
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

10. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Key draft questions
Main parts of instructions
Position

11. Places the reader's interest and perspective foremost. It is based on the principle that most readers are naturally more concerned about their own needs than they are about those of a writer or a writer's organization - often means using the words y

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12. What are three levels of Revision?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Idioms
Repetition
Buzz Words

13. Formality Considerations
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Get Feedback From Others!
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

14. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Ethics in Business Writing
Things to think through when planning a website
similar

15. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Recursive
Intensifiers
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Selecting the proper medium

16. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Active Voice
Position
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Tone

17. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Strategy and Humanness
Procedures
Subordination
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

18. 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
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

19. How do you know what to include in your message?
Instructions
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Tone
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

20. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Instructions
Four keys to effective writing
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

21. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Concrete Words
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Information needed for short report
Characteristics of job-related writing

22. Casual
Short report
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

23. How to end an email
Goal of a letter of application
Key draft questions
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

24. 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
Garbled Sentences
Wordiness
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Sentence Variety

25. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Denotaion
Main parts of internal proposals
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Subordination

26. General considerations with Email Messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Rules for writing instructions
Business Writing Style
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

27. When to use Instant Messaging?
Rules for writing instructions
Recursive
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

28. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Active Voice
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

29. What are Individual Contexts
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

30. What are Cons of Email?

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31. Steps to Successful Writing
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Tone
Outlining

32. 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
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Figures of Speech
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

33. What is Indirect Order?
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Telegraphic Style

34. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Short report
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
similar

35. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Direct Statements
Biased Language
Selecting the proper medium

36. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Active Voice
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Climatic Order
Attractive and Readable Format

37. What is important in the Revising stage?
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
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
Get Feedback From Others!

38. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Long Dashes
Four keys to effective writing
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Figures of Speech

39. Etiquette
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

40. Use Initialisms
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Denotaion

41. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Coherent writing
Attractive and Readable Format
Strategy and Humanness

42. How do you present information in long messages?
'You Viewpoint'
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

43. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Examples of medium s of business communication
Strategy and Humanness
Active Voice
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

44. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

45. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Idioms
Emphasis
Procedures

46. What is a Memorandum?
Emphasis
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Garbled Sentences

47. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Biased Language
Repetition
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

48. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Emphasis
Sentence Type
Information needed for short report
Characteristics of job-related writing

49. E.g. 'most important'
Buzz Words
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Direct Statements
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

50. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Telegraphic Style
Conciseness
Long Dashes
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better