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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. What is a Memorandum?
Characteristics of job-related writing
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Intensifiers

2. What should you know about a Letter?
Purpose - Format - Composition
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Climatic Order
Ethics in Business Writing

3. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Recursive
Telegraphic Style
Long Dashes

4. How is formatting important?
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
One-third
Affectation
Goal of a letter of application

5. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Mechanical Devices
Sentence Length

6. Words and expressions that offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender - ethnicity - physical or mental disability - age or sexual orientation.
Goal of a letter of application
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Biased Language
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

7. 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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8. Tell and show how to do something
Guidelines for successful group writing
Instructions
Wordiness
Emphasis

9. 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.
Outlining
Key draft questions
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Concrete Words

10. Stages can also be summarized as...
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
Mechanical Devices

11. 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
Wordiness
Outlining
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Casual - Informal - or Formal

12. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Long Dashes
Information needed for short report
Idioms
Attractive and Readable Format

13. 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
Sentence Type
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Main parts of a set of instructions
Guidelines for successful group writing

14. How do you Plan the message?
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages

15. Steps to Successful Writing
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision

16. How do you present information in message?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Climatic Order
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Sentence Length

17. They dentify things that can be perceived by the 5 senses - such as diploma - manager - or keyboard
Concrete Words
Characteristics of job-related writing
Guidelines for successful group writing
'You Viewpoint'

18. Honesty - attractive - carefully organized - concise accurate - current information - relevance
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Selecting the proper medium

19. 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)
Main parts of instructions
Main parts of internal proposals
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Four keys to effective writing

20. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Denotaion
Cliches
Main parts of a set of instructions
Active Voice

21. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Sentence Type
Characteristics of job-related writing
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Telegraphic Style

22. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Sentence Length
Business Writing Style
Goal of a letter of application
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way

23. Goal and audience
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
similar
Things to think through when planning a website
Characteristics of job-related writing

24. When should email NOT be used?
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
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
Examples of medium s of business communication
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

25. What techniques can be used for gathering information?
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Repetition
Main parts of a set of instructions

26. What is critical to a message's success?
Attractive and Readable Format
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Sentence Variety
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

27. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Biased Language
Main parts of instructions
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Concrete Words

28. E.g. 'most important'
Direct Statements
Wordiness
similar
Sentence Type

29. Conciseness
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Information needed for short report
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness

30. 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
Idioms
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Main parts of a set of instructions
Emphasis

31. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Euphemismss
Garbled Sentences
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Rules for writing instructions

32. What is Direct Order?
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Information the reader will want - put it first.
Examples of medium s of business communication
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

33. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Tone
Long Dashes
Wordiness
'You Viewpoint'

34. How do you begin the message?

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35. Using short and long sentences strategically
Denotaion
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Business Writing Style
Sentence Length

36. What is current emphasis on for a Letter?
Strategy and Humanness
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Helps include all important information; Makes you more willing to revise
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

37. Repeating keywords and key phrases
'You Viewpoint'
Direct Statements
Short report
Repetition

38. What is Indirect Order?
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;

39. Sentences can vary in sentence length - word order - loose and periodic sentences
Sentence Variety
Sentence Length
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting

40. How do you know what to include in your message?
Outlining
Goal of a letter of application
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Attractive and Readable Format

41. Means that extraneous words - phrases - clauses - and sentences have been removed from writing without sacrificing clarity or appropriate detail.
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Information needed for short report
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Conciseness

42. How to end an email
Selecting the proper medium
Main parts of instructions
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Garbled Sentences

43. Varying sentences by using a compound sentence - a complex sentence - or a simple sentence
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Active Voice
Sentence Type
Emphasis

44. Formality Considerations
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience
Direct Statements
Connotation
Casual - Informal - or Formal

45. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Examples of medium s of business communication
Goal of a letter of application
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Concrete Words

46. When to use Instant Messaging?
Information needed for short report
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

47. Etiquette
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Characteristics of job-related writing
Buzz Words

48. Using words like 'most - much - very' with caution - wthout overdoing it.
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Intensifiers
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

49. An imaginative expression that often compares two things that are basically not alike but have at least one thing in common.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Figures of Speech
Telegraphic Style
Repetition

50. Techniques for writing memos and emails are...
Four keys to effective writing
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Revision - Editing - Proofreading
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