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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. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Characteristics of job-related writing
Figures of Speech
similar

2. An organized presentation of relevant data on any topic that a company or agency tracks in its day-to-day operations
Short report
Conciseness
Four keys to effective writing
Intensifiers

3. 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
Attractive and Readable Format
Information needed for short report
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Emphasis

4. Formality Considerations
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

5. Why Avoid Perfectionism in Drafting?
Guidelines for successful group writing
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise

6. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Sentence Type
Concrete Words
Abstract words

7. How to end an email
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Information needed for short report
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Characteristics of job-related writing

8. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
Characteristics of job-related writing
Euphemismss
Main parts of internal proposals
Four keys to effective writing

9. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
'You Viewpoint'
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Procedures

10. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Biased Language
Intensifiers
Goal of a letter of application
Sentence Type

11. What is important in the Revising stage?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Get Feedback From Others!
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Euphemismss

12. 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
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
similar
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

13. What are Pros of Email?
Things to think through when planning a website
One-third
similar
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

14. What are three levels of Editing?
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Figures of Speech
Characteristics of job-related writing
Direct Statements

15. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Sentence Variety
Subordination
Position
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

16. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Main parts of instructions
Intensifiers
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

17. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
One-third
Procedures
Intensifiers

18. When should email NOT be used?
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
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Concrete Words

19. How is formatting important?
Key draft questions
Figures of Speech
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

20. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Main parts of internal proposals
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record

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

22. 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
'You Viewpoint'
Figures of Speech
Idioms

23. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Recursive
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Selecting the proper medium
Repetition

24. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Selecting the proper medium
Tone
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility

25. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Four keys to effective writing
Mechanical Devices
Emphasis
Sentence Type

26. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
similar
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Characteristics of job-related writing
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order

27. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
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
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Selecting the proper medium

28. What is format of most Memos?
Buzz Words
Sentence Type
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

29. 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)
Four keys to effective writing
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Coherent writing
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

30. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Active Voice
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Long Dashes
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. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Position
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

32. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Climatic Order
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
Strategy and Humanness

33. How do you Plan the message?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

34. How do you begin the message?

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35. How do you know what to include in your message?
Conciseness
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Strategy and Humanness

36. 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
Main parts of a set of instructions
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Business Writing Style

37. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses
Recursive
Cliches
'You Viewpoint'
Abstract words

38. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Abstract words
Selecting the proper medium
Coherent writing
Main parts of a set of instructions

39. What are Individual Contexts
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Idioms

40. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Outlining
Tone
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

41. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Characteristics of job-related writing
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Affectation

42. What is a Memorandum?
'You Viewpoint'
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Repetition

43. What is Indirect Order?
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Conciseness
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

44. Using short and long sentences strategically
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Sentence Length
Long Dashes
Affectation

45. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Concrete Words
Position
Procedures
Coherent writing

46. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Four keys to effective writing
Affectation
Sentence Variety
Instructions

47. Clairty
Information needed for short report
Direct Statements
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

48. Steps to Successful Writing
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Conciseness
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Recursive

49. 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
Emphasis
Wordiness
Recursive
One-third

50. 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?
Sentence Type
Position
Key draft questions
Instructions