Deck 5: Completing Business Messages

Question 1

________ headings identify a topic but are not self-contained, i.e., readers cannot skim just the headings and subheadings to understand the document; they need to read the rest of the document, as well.

A) Subjective
B) Informative
C) Objective
D) Descriptive

Answer 1

D

Question 2

To lengthen sentences, ________.

A) use passive voice
B) look for ways to combine a mixture of sentences
C) avoid using commas
D) do all of the above

Answer 2

B

Question 3

"Miss Simms had been drenched with rain, bombarded with telephone calls, and her boss shouted at her." This is an example of ________.

A) too many nouns
B) a dangling modifier
C) lack of parallelism
D) hedging

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Robert is writing an instruction manual for a line of power tools. Though the manual is in English, it will be used by people from many different countries. What should Robert do to improve the readability of the document?

A) He should use mostly medium-length sentences to show relationships among ideas.
B) He should use only short sentences in order to explain the concepts clearly.
C) He should use only long or medium-length sentences as the processes are complex.
D) He should primarily use short sentences, but vary sentence length as required.

Question 5

"Walking to the office, a red sports car passed her." This is an example of ________.

A) too many nouns
B) a dangling modifier
C) lack of parallelism
D) hedging

Question 6

Graphical elements that precede each item in a list are known as ________.

A) call-outs
B) slugs
C) buttons
D) bullets

Question 7

In any document, headings in a series should always be ________.

A) informative
B) descriptive
C) grammatically parallel
D) self-contained

Question 8

Clare has been asked to edit and revise a document written by her colleague Megan. Which of the following should Clare do?

A) She should rewrite the document according to her own impression of Megan's intent.
B) She should concentrate more on the style of writing than on the readability of the message.
C) She should rewrite the document to suit her own style of writing in order to make the piece more effective.
D) She should stick to Megan's style of writing unless absolutely necessary and ask Megan about the intention of the message.

Question 9

Which of the following includes a dangling modifier?

A) The vending machines are situated in the break room.
B) The break room has several vending machines for employees to use.
C) Employees will find the vending machines situated in the break room.
D) Situated in the break room, employees will find the vending machines.

Question 10

In a list, bullets are preferred over numbers unless ________.

A) the list is brief-less than five items long
B) specific list items will be referred to later
C) the list deals with complex concepts
D) individual items in the list are long

Question 11

What are descriptive headings?

A) Sub-headings
B) Self-contained
C) Identify a topic
D) Tell your reader about the content

Question 12

When revising a document, ________.

A) first read through it quickly to evaluate overall effectiveness
B) pay closest attention to the document's spelling
C) read just one time to finish quickly
D) first look carefully for grammatical errors

Question 13

When revising for clarity, it is important to ________.

A) keep subject and predicate as close as possible
B) avoid using active voice
C) always write in the third person
D) do all of the above

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a hedging sentence?

A) The financial statement needs to have two sections.
B) The report seems to be incomplete.
C) The deadline is next Tuesday.
D) None of the above

Question 15

The main tasks in completing a business message consist of all the following EXCEPT ________.

A) revising
B) proofreading
C) forecasting
D) producing

Question 16

When trying to make a message more concise, ________.

A) remove adverbs that don't add to the meaning
B) add shorter words
C) examine every word
D) do both A and C

Question 17

A conclusion should ________.

A) summarize the main points
B) bring up any additional point that you forgot to include in the message
C) leave a positive impression
D) both A and C

Question 18

________ headings are self-contained, which means that readers can skim through just the headings and subheadings and understand them without reading the rest of the document.

A) Objective
B) Informative
C) Descriptive
D) Subjective

Question 19

When revising for clarity, it is important to do all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A) avoid writing in the first person
B) use parallel construction for similar ideas
C) avoid stringing several nouns together
D) try not to display too much enthusiasm

Question 20

Which of the following does NOT have parallel construction?

A) After completing the survey and finishing the exam, he went home.
B) He needed to format the report, bind the document, and turn it in to his supervisor.
C) She enjoys singing, dancing, and reading.
D) He opened the office, checked the mail, and was turning on the computers.

Question 21

Boldface and italics ________.

A) can draw attention to specific points
B) can slow down readers if overused
C) should be used for complicated words
D) are both A and B

Question 22

Justified margins are NOT preferred for business documents because they ________.

A) make the document look like a form letter
B) often cause excessive hyphenation
C) make the document harder to read
D) do all of the above

Question 23

Flush left, ragged-right type should be used in business documents because ________.

A) spacing between the words is larger
B) it "lightens" your message's appearance
C) it gives documents an informal, contemporary feeling of openness
D) of both B and C

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a method to make your message more concise.

A) Shorten long words and phrases.
B) Begin sentences with short phrases like it is or there are.
C) Delete unnecessary words.
D) Eliminate redundancies.

Question 25

The four design elements include all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A) type styles
B) page size
C) justification
D) white space

Question 26

What is the length of a short sentence?

A) Up to 15 words
B) 15 to 25 words
C) 25 to 35 words
D) 35 to 45 words

Question 27

Typeface refers to ________.

A) the size of the letters, numbers, and other text characters
B) the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters
C) underlining, boldface, italics, and other modifications made to the letters, numbers, and other text characters
D) all of the above

Question 28

All of the following phrases are redundant EXCEPT ________.

A) return home
B) free gift
C) follows after
D) round in shape

Question 29

All of the following EXCEPT ________ are ways to improve proofreading.

A) proofread one to two days after writing the document
B) proofread quickly, looking at the document in large chunks rather than at individual words to speed up the process
C) have a friend or colleague do the proofreading for you
D) read the document out loud

Question 30

Instead of the phrase "due to the fact that," you should use the word ________.

A) because
B) since
C) if
D) before

Question 31

A kind of sans serif typeface is ________.

A) Times Roman
B) Wingdings
C) Helvetica
D) Courier

Question 32

What does "hedging" mean?

A) Trying to persuade someone to do something
B) Taking a risk that may result in a negative consequence
C) Investing in a new idea or product
D) Pulling back from making an absolutely certain, definitive statement

Question 33

To help make your writing more concise, do all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A) avoid using wordy phrases
B) avoid using "you" statements
C) avoid the clutter of too many relative pronouns like who, that, or which
D) eliminate redundancies

Question 34

White space is important in a document because it ________.

A) allows writers to get more text on one page
B) provides visual contrast for readers
C) gives readers' eyes a resting point
D) does both B and C

Question 35

Which of the following is TRUE about justified text?

A) It is used in most business documents.
B) It creates a denser and more formal look that can be more difficult to read.
C) It results in a more open appearance on the page.
D) It can accommodate less text in a given space.

Question 36

Proofreading is important because it ________.

A) carries your message and your reputation
B) ensures that your document is the correct length
C) prevents other writers from stealing your ideas
D) all of the above

Question 37

Valuable software functions on your word processor include ________.

A) a formatter
B) a grammar checker
C) a spell checker
D) both B and C

Question 38

The best font size to use for the text on most business documents is ________.

A) 10-12
B) 13-15
C) 7-9
D) 16-18

Question 39

When designing a business document, a writer should ________.

A) always centre all headings and subheadings
B) try to balance graphics and text on the page
C) use at least three different typestyles to add visual appeal
D) do all of the above

Question 40

Type style refers to ________.

A) any modification that lends contrast or emphasis to type
B) serif and sans serif styles
C) the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters
D) all of the above

Question 41

Change verbs to nouns whenever it is possible in order to make your writing sound more formal. For example, use the word "implementation" rather than "implement."

Question 42

If possible, it is better to revise a few days after completing a rough draft rather than right away.

Question 43

What layout should be considered for communication received by mobile devices?

A) Both horizontal and vertical
B) Neither horizontal nor vertical
C) Only horizontal
D) Only vertical

Question 44

Avoiding dangling modifiers is one way to improve the clarity of your document.

Question 45

One good way to shorten your sentences and improve clarity is to string many nouns together as modifiers.

Question 46

Parallel construction occurs when a writer uses the same grammatical pattern to express similar ideas.

Question 47

Which of the following is critical on the small screens of mobile devices?

A) Small chunks of information
B) White space
C) Vertical layouts
D) Spell check

Question 48

When should cost be considered in message distribution?

A) Multiple copies
B) Lengthy reports
C) Multimedia productions
D) All of the above

Question 49

When you proofread a document, you should check ________.

A) the spelling
B) the grammar
C) the margin
D) both A and B

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT a consideration when distributing a message?

A) Privacy
B) Security
C) Readability
D) Time

Question 51

All of the following EXCEPT ________ are ways of making your document design more effective.

A) being detail-oriented
B) being consistent
C) maintaining balance
D) using spell check

Question 52

The main points of a message should be put in chronological order.

Question 53

Long sentences are sometimes needed to convey complex ideas, to list a number of related points, or to summarize or preview information.

Question 54

What is the name of the communication method that involves sending and receiving messages purely through the power of the mind?

A) Kinesthetic
B) Telepathic
C) Extra-sensory
D) Futuristic

Question 55

Dangling modifiers occurs when there is no connection between the subject of a sentence and the phrase that modifies the subject.

Question 56

Use headings to emphasize key content.

Question 57

What is a preferred document type for attachments?

A) PDF
B) Word
C) Either PDF or Word
D) Neither PDF nor Word

Question 58

Which of the following is a perceptual trick to use when proofreading?

A) Read backwards.
B) Read aloud.
C) Cover everything but the line you're reading.
D) All of the above

Question 59

Revision should only occur after you have completed the entire first draft of your message.

Question 60

What should you do when reviewing complex documents online in the proofreading stage?

A) Review them on paper.
B) Revise for conciseness.
C) Revise for clarity
D) Eliminate complex graphics.

Question 61

A majority of executives no longer care about grammar, spelling, or clarity in messaging.

Question 62

Whenever possible, use word combinations, i.e., "reduce down," to add emphasis.

Question 63

Like the tone of your language, visual balance can be too formal, just right, or too informal for a given message.

Question 64

Lists simplify complex subjects, highlight the main point, enable skimming, and give readers a breather.

Question 65

The typeface you choose can affect the tone of your message.

Question 66

In business writing, it is a good idea to minimize the use of underlining, boldface, italics, shadow, all caps, and other type styles that will slow your reader down.

Question 67

One of the best ways to make your document more visually appealing and interesting is to use a wide variety of different typefaces-three to five per page is ideal.

Question 68

In business writing, electronic media makes you sound more professional.

Question 69

When creating a document, the only thing that really matters is the quality of the writing; the appearance of the document is unimportant.

Question 70

A sentence that begins with a starter such as it or there is probably longer than it needs to be.

Question 71

All business documents should have justified margins because it makes the document look more professional.

Question 72

Sometimes the best way to deal with a troublesome element in a sentence is to remove it rather than trying to rewrite it.

Question 73

It is a good idea to reduce your type size and decrease your margins to keep documents to as few pages as possible.

Question 74

If you select the right design elements, your message is guaranteed to be successful.

Question 75

The distribution medium you use for your message makes no difference so long as your document is effectively designed and well written.

Question 76

Never use one-sentence paragraphs in business documents.

Question 77

Avoid using phrases like "due to the fact that" or "until such time as" because they are inefficient.

Question 78

To make your message look professional, interesting, and up-to-date, use elements such as white space, margin, justification, type faces, and type styles.

Question 79

Business writers should try to incorporate as many design elements as possible into their documents in order to make them more visually appealing and interesting to readers.

Question 80

Using words such as "that," "which," and "who" can shorten sentences and make them clearer.