Deck 6: Persuasive Techniques for Writing Short Reports-Informative, Progress, and Status Reports

Question 1

Which of the following report titles is the most effective?

A) The Results of a Study on the Chemical Stability of Detergents
B) The Effects of Heat on the Chemical Stability of Detergents
C) What we Noticed about How Heat Changes the Chemical Structure of Detergents
D) A Study on the Stability of Detergents

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What is a topic sentence?

A) A statement that conveys a main idea
B) A variant of a financial statement
C) A personal statement that describes ones interests and achievements
D) The closing paragraph in a report

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What is the purpose of a progress report?

A) To provide an update on the status of a report and any changes to the task at hand
B) To analyze business information and make recommendations
C) To assess business opportunities
D) To show compliance with policies and regulations

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Your roommate is working on a research project for her finance class, and knowing that you are taking a business communication class, asks for your advice on what to include in the report's introduction. What advice would you give her?

A) To introduce the research methodology in the opening of the report
B) To start the report by providing evidence to substantiate the claims that she makes in the body of the report
C) To exclude an introduction because it will extend the length of the report
D) To include a claim statement and the context of the report in the introduction

Question 5

As a marketing intern at a communications consulting company, you've conducted a research on the external communications of your client, KP Industries, and developed recommendations to maximize the visibility of your client's organization on social media. Which of the following claim statements would be most effective in orienting your reader towards the report's purpose?

A) The main problem that this report discusses is KP's inability to increase its organic visibility on social media.
B) This report finds out why KP is not achieving organic visibility growth on social media.
C) This report provides strategies to maximize KP's organic visibility on social media.
D) This report is about the visibility of KP on social media.

Question 6

In research, when you retrieve information that someone else has gathered, what type of source are you using?

A) An internal source
B) An external or secondary source
C) A primary source
D) A research source

Question 7

When using APA documentation style, in-text citations should include which of the following?

A) Source title and page number
B) Source title
C) Author's last name and year of publication
D) Source title and year of publication

Question 8

What is the difference between paraphrasing and quoting?

A) Paraphrasing is used in short, informal reports, whereas quoting is used in long, formal reports.
B) They are the same thing, except when you paraphrase you do not need to give credit to the original author while when you quote, you have to give credit to the original author.
C) Quoting is using the exact same words and grammatical structure used by the author, while paraphrasing is using your own words and grammatical structure to relate the author's line of thought. In both quoting and paraphrasing you have to give credit to the original author.
D) Paraphrasing is to use fewer words than those used by an author to relate what he or she said.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of an analytical report?

A) Progress report
B) Company policy on tuition reimbursement
C) Weekly production records report
D) A report to identify and evaluate new markets for Saskatchewan grown pulses

Question 10

What is the difference between the conclusion and the recommendation parts in an analytical report?

A) They are basically the same thing, but a recommendation is more detailed than a conclusion.
B) A recommendation analyzes the research findings, whereas a conclusion summarizes the report.
C) A conclusion recaps the main findings of a report and is based on information that is in the report; a recommendation suggests strategies or actions.
D) They compliment one another; the recommendation analyzes the report information and the conclusion suggests actions based on the analysis.

Question 11

Which of the following sentences does not use formal English language?

A) This report suggests ways for our customers to get the best bang for their buck.
B) This report suggests ways to provide customers with the best return on investment.
C) The report makes recommendations to enhance customers' experiences.
D) The report identifies ways to increase the return on investment.

Question 12

Which of the following sentences uses passive voice?

A) The report will be submitted by Manuel next week.
B) Isobel met the deadline for her class project.
C) Winnipeg is hosting the 2017 Canada Summer Games.
D) Malcolm Gladwell is the author of Blink.

Question 13

Which of the following is not a characteristic of effective written business communication?

A) It is action oriented.
B) The reader may skip around the document.
C) The longer the document, the better the results.
D) Documents need to have headings and guideposts.

Question 14

Which of the following statements about APA documentation style is accurate?

A) Bibliographic information is documented in a Works Cited page.
B) Paraphrasing involves substituting the source words with synonyms while keeping the source grammar and sentence structure.
C) You do not need to document your sources when paraphrasing.
D) Bibliographic information is documented in a references page.

Question 15

Which of the following does not create an explicit structure in business reports?

A) Unbroken text
B) Headings
C) The variety of the fonts used
D) Bulleted lists

Question 16

Which of the following is not a good reason to use visuals in a business document?

A) To express flowcharts and organization charts
B) To explain data and trends
C) To convey ideas and concepts
D) To decorate your document

Question 17

Which of the following elements would you include in the body of a report?

A) The purpose of the report
B) Evidence for the claims made in the report
C) A summary of the main ideas of the report
D) The context of the report

Question 18

Which of the following is not true about visuals in a report?

A) They should be referred to in the text.
B) They should have titles.
C) Data should be cited.
D) They must be vibrant and colourful.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of a primary source?

A) Government database
B) Focus groups
C) Magazine
D) Academic journal

Question 20

Important material that you do not include in the body of the report is usually included where?

A) In an appendix
B) In the References page
C) In the Works Cited page
D) In the transmittal letter

Question 21

In North America, there is a standard format for all short reports.

Question 22

The readability of a report is enhanced when all report headings are underlined.

Question 23

A professional business report could be in the form of a written, bound document or a one-page template.

Question 24

Progress reports never have timelines.

Question 25

When writing formal reports to a Canadian audience, you should use idioms to relate to and connect with your audience.

Question 26

A quarterly sales report is an example of an informational report.

Question 27

An example of proper in-text APA citation is (Arthur, p.12).

Question 28

In business writing, a claim statement is included in the conclusion of the report.

Question 29

Effective reports use clusters and road maps to guide the reader through the document.

Question 30

In progress reports, as long as a visual has a title, you do not need to refer to it in the text.

Question 31

What is the function of a title in a report?

Question 32

Your friend is writing an industry analysis report for his Organizational Behaviour class. Knowing that you are taking a business communication class, he asks for your advice on how to evaluate research sources. What advice would you give your friend?

Question 33

How can writers build their credibility and get by in from their readers by following the standards of business ethics in writing?

Question 34

A group of students from the University of Saskatchewan are writing a report on the sales of hoodies in Canada to present in a business competition in Ontario. Because in Saskatchewan, a hoodie is referred to as a bunny hug, the students believe that "The Rising Sales of Bunny Hugs across Canada" is an informative, specific title for their report. Do you agree with these students? Why or why not?

Question 35

What is a methodology section in a report? What is its function?

Question 36

What are the steps involved in effective business report writing?

Question 37

How does the design of a document compliment its content and help in delivering its message?

Question 38

In business writing, what are transitions? How are they used in business documents?