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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. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Figures of Speech
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Rules for writing instructions
Short report

2. 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.
Garbled Sentences
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Active Voice
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

3. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Mechanical Devices
Emphasis

4. Using short and long sentences strategically
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Euphemismss
Sentence Length
Intensifiers

5. What are three levels of Revision?
Three P's for success in writing a memo
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs

6. How do you present information in message?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Business Writing Style
Characteristics of job-related writing

7. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Sentence Length
Conciseness
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Denotaion

8. 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
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Characteristics of job-related writing
Three P's for success in writing a memo

9. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Euphemismss
Business Writing Style
Short report

10. The relationships among ideas are clear to readers. A logical sequence of related ideas and clear transitions between these ideas.
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Coherent writing
Get Feedback From Others!
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

11. 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
Short report
Ethics in Business Writing
Active Voice
Get Feedback From Others!

12. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Main parts of instructions
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Climatic Order
Sentence Type

13. 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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14. 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
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

15. Formal
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Affectation
One-third

16. 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
Rules for writing instructions
Idioms
Subordination
Main parts of instructions

17. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
'You Viewpoint'
Wordiness
Get Feedback From Others!

18. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Coherent writing
Abstract words
Repetition
Connotation

19. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Selecting the proper medium
One-third
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Short report

20. General considerations with Email Messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Things to think through when planning a website
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

21. What are Pros of Email?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Information needed for short report
Strategy and Humanness
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

22. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Goal of a letter of application
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Rules for writing instructions
Recursive

23. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Sentence Type
Short report
Cliches

24. Correctness
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

25. Use Initialisms
Sentence Length
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Coherent writing

26. What is Indirect Order?
Telegraphic Style
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Organizational - Professional - Personal

27. Stages can also be summarized as...
Emphasis
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Instructions
Recursive

28. 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
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Guidelines for successful group writing
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Buzz Words

29. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Active Voice
Tone
Characteristics of job-related writing
Subordination

30. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Main parts of instructions
Active Voice
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

31. Goal and audience
Attractive and Readable Format
Things to think through when planning a website
Organizational - Professional - Personal
One-third

32. 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
Instructions
Get Feedback From Others!
Guidelines for successful group writing
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

33. Steps to Successful Writing
Business Writing Style
Active Voice
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

34. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

35. When to use Instant Messaging?
Mechanical Devices
Emphasis
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Main parts of instructions

36. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Sentence Length
Figures of Speech
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Long Dashes

37. Casual
Mechanical Devices
Buzz Words
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Climatic Order

38. What are Individual Contexts
Recursive
'You Viewpoint'
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Connotation

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

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40. Am I giving the reader too much or too little info? - does this point belong here? - is this point relevant? - am I repeating or contradicting myself? - have I ended appropriately?
Denotaion
Key draft questions
One-third
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

41. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Sentence Length
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
similar

42. What is format of most Memos?
'You Viewpoint'
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Get Feedback From Others!
Casual - Informal - or Formal

43. What is critical to a message's success?
Attractive and Readable Format
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Repetition
Connotation

44. What is a Memorandum?
Connotation
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Short report

45. Informal
Sentence Type
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

46. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Intensifiers
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

47. What are Cons of Email?

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48. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Telegraphic Style
Mechanical Devices
Idioms
Main parts of instructions

49. Clairty
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

50. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
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
Characteristics of job-related writing