Test your basic knowledge |

The Business Writing Process

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 is a Memorandum?






2. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications






3. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?






4. What is the best advice for Drafting?






5. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.






6. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.






7. 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?






8. Informal






9. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -






10. General considerations with Email Messages






11. Stages can also be summarized as...






12. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb






13. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence






14. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.






15. What is important in the Revising stage?






16. What is critical to a message's success?






17. What are Individual Contexts






18. 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






19. How do you Plan the message?






20. 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)






21. 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






22. What are three levels of Revision?






23. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion






24. Casual






25. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --






26. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?






27. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites






28. What are the activities in the planning stage?






29. Audience's preferences - personal work style - how widely info needs to be distributed etc.






30. What types of research is done in gathering information?






31. What are Pros of Email?






32. What should you know about a Letter?






33. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion






34. Where you put the idea - The first & last words of a sentence - paragraph - doc - stand out in readers' minds.






35. Formality Considerations






36. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.






37. 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






38. A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning. Someone who 'runs for office'






39. General ideas - qualities - conditions - acts or relationships-intangible things that cannot be detected by the five senses






40. Are these stages recursive or linear?






41. What is format of most Memos?






42. How is formatting important?






43. Conciseness






44. 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.






45. 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






46. 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






47. Goal and audience






48. Using short and long sentences strategically






49. Introduction - list of materials - actual steps - warnings - cautions - and notes - conclusion when necessary






50. 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