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Test your basic knowledge |
The Business Writing Process
Start Test
Study First
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 techniques can be used for gathering information?
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Subordination
Rules for writing instructions
2. 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
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Business Writing Style
Main parts of internal proposals
Tone
3. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Selecting the proper medium
Garbled Sentences
Sentence Variety
Main parts of a set of instructions
4. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Selecting the proper medium
Instructions
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
5. How do you know what to include in your message?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
6. Casual
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
7. 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
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Active Voice
Connotation
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
8. 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?
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Key draft questions
Purpose - Format - Composition
Conciseness
9. How do you present information in message?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Mechanical Devices
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Goal of a letter of application
10. 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
Figures of Speech
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
'You Viewpoint'
Main parts of internal proposals
11. 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
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
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
Guidelines for successful group writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
12. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Short report
Characteristics of job-related writing
Attractive and Readable Format
Idioms
13. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Tone
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Main parts of a set of instructions
14. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Subordination
One-third
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
15. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Garbled Sentences
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Long Dashes
16. How to end an email
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
17. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Telegraphic Style
Procedures
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
18. Clairty
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Emphasis
19. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Ethics in Business Writing
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Intensifiers
20. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Buzz Words
Recursive
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
21. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Rules for writing instructions
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Repetition
similar
22. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Telegraphic Style
Mechanical Devices
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
23. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Connotation
Four keys to effective writing
Strategy and Humanness
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
24. 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
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Denotaion
Organizational - Professional - Personal
25. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Long Dashes
Idioms
Position
26. 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
Instructions
Cliches
Rules for writing instructions
Long Dashes
27. How do you present information in long messages?
Mechanical Devices
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Active Voice
Business Writing Style
28. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Conciseness
'You Viewpoint'
29. What should you know about a Letter?
Sentence Type
Wordiness
Repetition
Purpose - Format - Composition
30. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Concrete Words
Subordination
Tone
Climatic Order
31. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Buzz Words
Information needed for short report
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Mechanical Devices
32. 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
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Ethics in Business Writing
Procedures
Get Feedback From Others!
33. Using short and long sentences strategically
Sentence Length
Strategy and Humanness
Garbled Sentences
Tone
34. 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
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Main parts of internal proposals
Telegraphic Style
35. What types of research is done in gathering information?
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Sentence Type
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
36. General considerations with Email Messages
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Examples of medium s of business communication
Four keys to effective writing
37. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Sentence Length
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Idioms
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
38. When should email NOT be used?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
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
Guidelines for successful group writing
39. E.g. 'most important'
Direct Statements
Buzz Words
Position
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
40. What is critical to a message's success?
Direct Statements
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Goal of a letter of application
Attractive and Readable Format
41. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Long Dashes
Characteristics of job-related writing
Main parts of a set of instructions
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
42. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Main parts of a set of instructions
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Main parts of instructions
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
43. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Subordination
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
44. Formal
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Business Writing Style
Garbled Sentences
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
45. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Wordiness
Connotation
Recursive
46. What are three levels of Revision?
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Long Dashes
Instructions
47. What is Direct Order?
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
48. 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
Conciseness
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Rules for writing instructions
49. Conciseness
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Organizational - Professional - Personal
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
50. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Concrete Words
Mechanical Devices
Subordination