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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. 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
Repetition
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams

2. What are Cons of Email?

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3. Iitalics - bold type - underlining etc.
Repetition
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Mechanical Devices

4. What are Individual Contexts
Organizational - Professional - Personal
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Not Confidential - Doesn't Communicate Emotions - Tone of Voice - or Unspoken Communications - Can be Ignored or Delayed
Keep Distance between Writer and Reader - Avoid Personal References/Contractions - Longer Sentences - for people of Higher Status

5. What is a Memorandum?
Examples of medium s of business communication
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
One-third
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports

6. 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?
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress
Key draft questions
Rules for writing instructions
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself

7. Listing the ideas or facts within a sentence in sequence from least to most important
Emphasis
Short report
Climatic Order
similar

8. Purpose - findings - conclusion - and recommendations
Emphasis
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Information needed for short report
Main parts of internal proposals

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.
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Outlining
Past Correspondence - Employees - Records - Warranties - Product Descriptions - Survey - Interviews

10. Are these stages recursive or linear?
Recursive
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Goal of a letter of application

11. The attitude a writer expresses toward the subject and his or her readers. May range depending on purpose etc.
Telegraphic Style
Date - To - From - Subject Headings
Abstract words
Tone

12. The use of language that is more formal - technical - or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader.
Recursive
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Affectation

13. Purpose - problem - plan/solution - conclusion
Four keys to effective writing
Main parts of internal proposals
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

14. How much time should a student spend in each writing stage?
Most Important Information First - and then Descending Order
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
One-third
Information the reader will want - put it first.

15. The ____________ of a word are its literal meanings - as defined in a dictionary.
Main parts of a set of instructions
Denotaion
Preparation - Research - Organization - Writing - Revision
Sentence Variety

16. An inoffensive substitute for a word or phrase that could be distasteful - offensive - or too blunt.
Connotation
Tone
Euphemismss
Casual - Informal - or Formal

17. How do you know what to include in your message?
Your audience is the best guide for What and How
Characteristics of job-related writing
Business Writing Style
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING

18. What is the best advice for Drafting?
Repetition
Connotation
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Be Flexible - Avoid Perfectionism - Keep Going - Keep making progress

19. How do you Plan the message?
similar
Cautiously i.e. BTW: by the way
Casual - Informal - or Formal
Define the Problem - Consider the Audience and their Individual Contexts - Consider your own Contexts - Best Way to Achieve message;

20. Correctness
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Characteristics of job-related writing
Write Correctly so others will not think you are stupid or lack credibility
Outlining

21. E.g. 'most important'
Direct Statements
Characteristics of job-related writing
Main parts of internal proposals
Four keys to effective writing

22. When to use Instant Messaging?
Characteristics do employers like to see in a resume
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Recipient's Name and Introduce Yourself
Affectation

23. Condenses writing by omitting articles - pronouns - conjunctions - and transitions - e.g. ' Per 5/21 email 12 copies of instruction needed asap'
Repetition
Telegraphic Style
Climatic Order
Garbled Sentences

24. Etiquette
Intensifiers
Idioms
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Goal of a letter of application

25. What should you know about a Letter?
Affectation
Main parts of internal proposals
Active Voice
Purpose - Format - Composition

26. Used to show - by the structure of a sentence - the appropriate relationship between ideas of unequal importance.
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Subordination
Cliches
Connotation

27. What is the general Purpose of a Letter?
Revision of content - Organization - Formatting
Attractive and Readable Format
Strategy and Humanness
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.

28. To set you apart from the others; show that you have customized your resume for that company/job opening
Climatic Order
Goal of a letter of application
Get Feedback From Others!
'You Viewpoint'

29. Informal
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Garbled Sentences
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Date - To - From - Subject Headings

30. Provide practical information - give facts not impressions - provide visuals to clarify and condense information - give accurate measurements - state responsibilities precisely - persuade and offer recommendations -
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
Abstract words
Characteristics of job-related writing

31. Clairty
Recursive
Slang; Colloquialisms - Contractions - Short Sentences - for close friends only
Strive for Concreteness - Vigor - Precision - Short sentences and paragraphs
Business Writing Style

32. How to end an email
Your Name - Closing Statement such as Thanks - Regards in more formal messages
Mechanical Devices
Position
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.

33. What are the activities in the planning stage?
Use Direct Pattern if positive - Use Indirect Pattern if neutral or negative; State Objective - ALWAYS Consider Audience and Purpose
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications
Ethics in Business Writing

34. Use to call attention to a particular word or statement --
Long Dashes
Goal of a letter of application
Telegraphic Style
Instructions

35. What is Indirect Order?
Represent writer and topic formally to recipient. Correspondence with People Outside the your organization.
Get Feedback From Others!
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Put it Last - using the opening to prepare the audience

36. What are three levels of Editing?
Idioms
Guidelines for effective business e-mail messages
Figures of Speech
Revision - Editing - Proofreading

37. Introduction; list of equipment and materials; steps for your instructions; warnings - cautions - and notes; conclusion
Main parts of a set of instructions
NO offensive or abusive emails should be sent - and no upper case - as that is considered SCREAMING
Main parts of internal proposals
Gathering and Collecting Information - Analyzing and Organizing Information - Choosing the Form - Channel - and Format of the Message

38. What is Direct Order?
Idioms
It is integral in how your audience will receive and accept the information.
Emphasis
Information the reader will want - put it first.

39. 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
Main parts of a set of instructions
Purpose - Format - Composition
Rules for writing instructions
Biased Language

40. To emphasize the performer of an action: make the performer the subject of the verb
Goal of a letter of application
Sentence Type
Internal Letters. Sometimes classified as Reports
Active Voice

41. What are Pros of Email?
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
'You Viewpoint'
Eliminates phone tag - saves time - facilitates fast decisions - cheap - provides written record
Climatic Order

42. Provide practical info - give facts - not impressions - provide visuals to clarify - give accurate measurements - stating responsibility precisely - persuading and offering recommendations
Procedures
Affectation
Characteristics of job-related writing
Coherent writing

43. Conciseness
Outlining
Attractive and Readable Format
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Cut out nonessentials - Minimize references to Previous Communications

44. Using short and long sentences strategically
Stress Brevity - uses abbreviations - Convey ideas completely - minimal need for response - Telephone message - but in writing.
Procedures
Sentence Length
Main parts of a set of instructions

45. Stages can also be summarized as...
What do you want to say - Say It - Say it Better
Tone
Recursive
Figures of Speech

46. 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
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
similar
Casual - Informal - or Formal

47. Concern policies and regulations found in employee handbooks and other internal corporate communications
Coherent writing
Proper Conversation - Personal Pronouns/Contractions - Sentences are Short - Organized - Well Structured;
Three P's for success in writing a memo
Procedures

48. Letters - memos - email - instant messages - telephone calls - Faxes - Face-to-face meetings - video conferences - web sites
Idioms
Wordiness
Examples of medium s of business communication
Main parts of a set of instructions

49. A sentence that is so tangled with structural and grammatical problems that it cannot be repaired - often result from trying to include too many ideas in one sentence.
Short report
Garbled Sentences
Visualize Readers - Keep their interests in mind - List Pertinent Facts - Brainstorming - Diagrams
Characteristics of job-related writing

50. Formality Considerations
Goal of a letter of application
Conciseness - Clarity - Etiquette - Correctness
Connotation
Casual - Informal - or Formal