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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. What is Indirect Order?
Direct Statements
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Attractive and Readable Format
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

2. What are Cons of Email?

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3. 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.
Telegraphic Style
Garbled Sentences
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Goal of a letter of application

4. What should you know about a Letter?
Goal of a letter of application
Purpose - Format - Composition
Direct Statements
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

5. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Buzz Words
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

6. What is critical to a message's success?
Main parts of a set of instructions
Subordination
Sentence Length
Attractive and Readable Format

7. 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
Intensifiers
Four keys to effective writing
similar

8. How do you present information in long messages?
Mechanical Devices
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Idioms
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

9. 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.
Coherent writing
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Outlining
Affectation

10. 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
'You Viewpoint'
similar
Idioms
Guidelines for successful group writing

11. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
Recursive
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
One-third

12. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Strategy and Humanness
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
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
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

13. How do you begin the message?

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14. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Tone
Three P's for success in writing a memo

15. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Coherent writing
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

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

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17. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Business Writing Style
Position
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

18. 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
Cliches
One-third
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

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

20. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Coherent writing
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Conciseness

21. General considerations with Email Messages
Biased Language
Intensifiers
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

22. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Direct Statements
Recursive
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

23. Casual
Information the reader will want - put it first.
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
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Guidelines for successful group writing

24. Avoid language that attempts to evade responsibility - Avoid deceptive language - Do not deemphasize or suppress important information - Do not emphasize misleading or incorrect information - Avoid using language that is biased - racist - or sexist o
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Ethics in Business Writing
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

25. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
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
Instructions

26. Informal
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

27. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Abstract words
Key draft questions
One-third

28. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Concrete Words
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

29. Using short and long sentences strategically
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Recursive
Sentence Length
Direct Statements

30. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Key draft questions
Attractive and Readable Format
Repetition
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

31. What is a Memorandum?
Affectation
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

32. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Characteristics of job-related writing
Main parts of a set of instructions
Euphemismss

33. When to use Instant Messaging?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Telegraphic Style
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

34. What are Pros of Email?
Tone
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
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

35. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Affectation
Sentence Length
Main parts of instructions
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

36. 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
Emphasis
Recursive
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

37. 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
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Business Writing Style
Denotaion

38. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Get Feedback From Others!
Affectation
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

39. What is format of most Memos?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Outlining
Buzz Words
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages

40. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Procedures
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Four keys to effective writing

41. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Short report
Examples of medium s of business communication
Recursive
Guidelines for successful group writing

42. Steps to Successful Writing
Main parts of internal proposals
Ethics in Business Writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

43. 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
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Concrete Words
Wordiness
Idioms

44. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Connotation
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

45. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Long Dashes
Connotation
Idioms
Direct Statements

46. Conciseness
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Main parts of a set of instructions
Strategy and Humanness
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

47. How do you present information in message?
Tone
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Characteristics of job-related writing
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

48. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Strategy and Humanness
Ethics in Business Writing
Direct Statements
Sentence Variety

49. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Conciseness
Short report
Repetition
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

50. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Telegraphic Style
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Sentence Length
Repetition