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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 are Cons of Email?

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2. Correctness
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Denotaion
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Conciseness

3. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
One-third
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Coherent writing

4. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Outlining
Characteristics of job-related writing
Active Voice
similar

5. How do you begin the message?

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6. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Examples of medium s of business communication
Telegraphic Style
Euphemismss

7. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Main parts of internal proposals
Figures of Speech
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

8. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Abstract words
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

9. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Selecting the proper medium
Sentence Length
Three P's for success in writing a memo

10. How do you know what to include in your message?
Euphemismss
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Affectation

11. General considerations with Email Messages
One-third
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Guidelines for successful group writing

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

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13. How to end an email
Wordiness
Ethics in Business Writing
Things to think through when planning a website
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

14. 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
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Euphemismss
Emphasis
Climatic Order

15. How do you present information in message?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Main parts of instructions
Mechanical Devices
Things to think through when planning a website

16. What is Direct Order?
Things to think through when planning a website
Repetition
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

17. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Abstract words
Mechanical Devices

18. Less formal than in the past - Varies from conversational style - The use of personal pronouns is important - In emails etc. something between conversational & business writing should be used - Only use we when it is company policy
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Business Writing Style
Ethics in Business Writing
Sentence Type

19. 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.
Idioms
Garbled Sentences
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Your audience is the best guide for What and How

20. 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
Rules for writing instructions
Buzz Words
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

21. Clairty
Abstract words
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
One-third

22. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Short report
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Denotaion

23. 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.
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Outlining
Idioms
Ethics in Business Writing

24. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Examples of medium s of business communication
Business Writing Style
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
'You Viewpoint'

25. What are three levels of Editing?
Characteristics of job-related writing
Purpose - Format - Composition
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

26. Stages can also be summarized as...
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

27. Etiquette
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
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
Tone
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

28. 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
Subordination
Purpose - Format - Composition
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

29. Goal and audience
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Main parts of a set of instructions
Telegraphic Style
Things to think through when planning a website

30. What is format of most Memos?
Key draft questions
Buzz Words
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Short report

31. Use Initialisms
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Denotaion
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Main parts of internal proposals

32. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
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
Buzz Words
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

33. What is Indirect Order?
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Cliches
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Active Voice

34. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

35. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Idioms
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Strategy and Humanness

36. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Affectation
Intensifiers
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Characteristics of job-related writing

37. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
Sentence Type
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Subordination

38. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Concrete Words
Key draft questions
Goal of a letter of application
Position

39. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Sentence Variety
Position
Cliches
Concrete Words

40. How do you present information in long messages?
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Strategy and Humanness
Repetition
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

41. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Position

42. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Things to think through when planning a website
Sentence Type
Repetition
Main parts of instructions

43. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Direct Statements
Biased Language
Things to think through when planning a website
Attractive and Readable Format

44. 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
Climatic Order
Sentence Length
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Ethics in Business Writing

45. 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
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Cliches
Long Dashes
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

46. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Intensifiers
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Conciseness
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

47. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Garbled Sentences
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

48. Casual
Recursive
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

49. What are Individual Contexts
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Sentence Variety
Active Voice
Organizational - Professional - Personal

50. 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
Main parts of a set of instructions
One-third
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages