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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. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Examples of medium s of business communication
Goal of a letter of application
Guidelines for successful group writing
Recursive

2. General considerations with Email Messages
Information needed for short report
Guidelines for successful group writing
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Goal of a letter of application

3. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Telegraphic Style
Abstract words
Repetition

4. Goal and audience
Things to think through when planning a website
Intensifiers
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Sentence Length

5. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Recursive
One-third
Sentence Type
Main parts of internal proposals

6. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Goal of a letter of application
similar
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
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

7. What are Pros of Email?
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Outlining
Attractive and Readable Format

8. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Things to think through when planning a website
Subordination
Tone
Four keys to effective writing

9. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Things to think through when planning a website
Key draft questions
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

10. 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
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Repetition
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Buzz Words

11. 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
Abstract words
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Tone

12. When should email NOT be used?
Three P's for success in writing a memo
One-third
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
Outlining

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

14. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Cliches
Climatic Order
Sentence Variety

15. Using short and long sentences strategically
Sentence Length
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Long Dashes

16. 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)
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Examples of medium s of business communication
Four keys to effective writing

17. What is critical to a message's success?
Sentence Type
Attractive and Readable Format
Buzz Words
Things to think through when planning a website

18. What are Cons of Email?

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19. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Recursive
Denotaion
Connotation
Characteristics of job-related writing

20. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Coherent writing
Long Dashes
One-third

21. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Goal of a letter of application
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.

22. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Idioms
Affectation
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Wordiness

23. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Coherent writing
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed

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
Denotaion
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Ethics in Business Writing
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

25. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Instructions
Biased Language
Information needed for short report

26. 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
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Guidelines for successful group writing
Emphasis
Garbled Sentences

27. E.g. 'most important'
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
One-third
Attractive and Readable Format
Direct Statements

28. 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
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Idioms
Emphasis

29. 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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30. 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
Telegraphic Style
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Examples of medium s of business communication

31. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Intensifiers
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

32. Tell and show how to do something
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Affectation
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Instructions

33. What are Individual Contexts
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Climatic Order
Figures of Speech
Organizational - Professional - Personal

34. What should you know about a Letter?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Direct Statements
Purpose - Format - Composition
Strategy and Humanness

35. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Procedures
Buzz Words
Wordiness
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

36. Informal
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Emphasis
Characteristics of job-related writing

37. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Attractive and Readable Format
Rules for writing instructions
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Figures of Speech

38. What are three levels of Editing?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Emphasis
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

39. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Active Voice
Subordination
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

40. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Denotaion
Procedures

41. 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
Goal of a letter of application
Abstract words
Rules for writing instructions
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

42. 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
Mechanical Devices
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Guidelines for successful group writing

43. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Euphemismss
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Three P's for success in writing a memo

44. What is Direct Order?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Repetition
Subordination
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

45. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Conciseness
Active Voice
Idioms
Guidelines for successful group writing

46. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Short report
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Concrete Words
Long Dashes

47. 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.
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Garbled Sentences
Characteristics of job-related writing
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

48. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Short report
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Things to think through when planning a website

49. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Climatic Order
Position
'You Viewpoint'
Strategy and Humanness

50. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Intensifiers
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Telegraphic Style