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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. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Outlining
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Sentence Type
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

2. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Examples of medium s of business communication
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

3. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Short report
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

4. How do you begin the message?

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5. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Affectation
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Emphasis
Idioms

6. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Recursive
Things to think through when planning a website
Procedures
Casual - Informal - or Formal

7. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Mechanical Devices
Buzz Words
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Telegraphic Style

8. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Position
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Short report
Procedures

9. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Mechanical Devices
Repetition
Active Voice
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

10. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Sentence Variety
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

11. What is Indirect Order?
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Climatic Order
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Selecting the proper medium

12. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Main parts of internal proposals
Information needed for short report
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Recursive

13. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Sentence Variety
Information needed for short report
Strategy and Humanness
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

14. Formality Considerations
Casual - Informal - or Formal
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Euphemismss

15. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Coherent writing
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

16. Use Initialisms
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Main parts of instructions
Outlining
Goal of a letter of application

17. 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
Cliches
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Main parts of instructions
Emphasis

18. 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
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Selecting the proper medium

19. 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
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

20. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Guidelines for successful group writing
One-third
Denotaion
Position

21. What are three levels of Revision?
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Buzz Words
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

22. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Active Voice
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
One-third
Main parts of a set of instructions

23. 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
Repetition
Position
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.

24. What are Cons of Email?

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25. 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.
Recursive
Garbled Sentences
Climatic Order
Organizational - Professional - Personal

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
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Sentence Variety
Buzz Words

27. What is important in the Revising stage?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Get Feedback From Others!
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Three P's for success in writing a memo

28. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
similar
Subordination
Climatic Order
Sentence Variety

29. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Intensifiers
Denotaion
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
One-third

30. What is Direct Order?
Buzz Words
Figures of Speech
Intensifiers
Information the reader will want - put it first.

31. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Euphemismss
'You Viewpoint'
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

32. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Long Dashes
Guidelines for successful group writing
Main parts of instructions
Wordiness

33. What are Pros of Email?
Garbled Sentences
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Connotation
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

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

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35. E.g. 'most important'
Direct Statements
Tone
Sentence Type
Affectation

36. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Recursive
Euphemismss
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

37. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
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
Selecting the proper medium
Intensifiers

38. How do you Plan the message?
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

39. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Figures of Speech
Things to think through when planning a website
Buzz Words

40. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Main parts of instructions
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

41. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Purpose - Format - Composition
Information needed for short report
similar
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

42. How is formatting important?
Coherent writing
Cliches
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Direct Statements

43. How do you know what to include in your message?
Characteristics of job-related writing
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
similar
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

44. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Climatic Order
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Procedures
Cliches

45. Informal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
One-third
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

46. Using short and long sentences strategically
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Denotaion
Sentence Length

47. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Biased Language
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Outlining

48. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Active Voice
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Information needed for short report

49. How do you present information in message?
Connotation
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Affectation
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

50. 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
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Ethics in Business Writing
Rules for writing instructions
Cliches