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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. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Biased Language
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

2. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Mechanical Devices
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Denotaion
Attractive and Readable Format

3. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Denotaion
Ethics in Business Writing
Concrete Words
Recursive

4. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Key draft questions
Subordination
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Climatic Order

5. 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
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Idioms

6. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Subordination
Mechanical Devices
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

7. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Four keys to effective writing
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
One-third
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

8. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Sentence Type
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

9. How do you know what to include in your message?
Buzz Words
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose

10. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

11. Informal
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Figures of Speech
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

12. Goal and audience
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Idioms
Things to think through when planning a website
Main parts of internal proposals

13. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Characteristics of job-related writing
Wordiness
Affectation
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

14. What are three levels of Editing?
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

15. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Short report
Abstract words
Tone
Intensifiers

16. What is Direct Order?
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Business Writing Style
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

17. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Main parts of a set of instructions
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only

18. 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.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Outlining
Sentence Length

19. 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
Buzz Words
Procedures
Affectation
Figures of Speech

20. How is formatting important?
Cliches
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Sentence Length
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

21. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Purpose - Format - Composition
Active Voice
Business Writing Style

22. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
similar

23. How do you Plan the message?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Abstract words
Procedures
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

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
Strategy and Humanness
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Ethics in Business Writing
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

25. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Position
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

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
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status
Rules for writing instructions
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
'You Viewpoint'

27. Steps to Successful Writing
Selecting the proper medium
Figures of Speech
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

28. 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
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Key draft questions
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

29. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Climatic Order
Instructions
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

30. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
similar
Procedures
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

31. Using short and long sentences strategically
Affectation
Idioms
Coherent writing
Sentence Length

32. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.
Figures of Speech
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Selecting the proper medium
One-third

33. General considerations with Email Messages
Main parts of internal proposals
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Cliches
Garbled Sentences

34. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Figures of Speech
Main parts of internal proposals
Procedures
Long Dashes

35. What is critical to a message's success?
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Attractive and Readable Format
Ethics in Business Writing

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

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37. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'
Biased Language
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Idioms
Connotation

38. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Things to think through when planning a website
Characteristics of job-related writing
Selecting the proper medium
Rules for writing instructions

39. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Intensifiers
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Information needed for short report

40. Stages can also be summarized as...
Wordiness
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better

41. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.
Four keys to effective writing
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Position

42. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Selecting the proper medium
Wordiness
Four keys to effective writing
Strategy and Humanness

43. 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
Subordination
Main parts of a set of instructions
Wordiness
Main parts of internal proposals

44. How do you begin the message?

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45. Repeating keywords and key phrases
Repetition
Four keys to effective writing
Tone
Information needed for short report

46. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Guidelines for successful group writing
Telegraphic Style
Intensifiers

47. 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
Concrete Words
Mechanical Devices
Position
Business Writing Style

48. What are Individual Contexts
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Three P's for success in writing a memo

49. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Goal of a letter of application
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume

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 -
Concrete Words
Recursive
Characteristics of job-related writing
Things to think through when planning a website