Deck 5: Organizing and Writing Business Messages

Question 1

Talking with your boss to gather information is an example of an informal research method.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The best brainstorming sessions have no time limits.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The focus of a brainstorming session should be on the quality of ideas,not the quantity.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The direct organizational pattern should be used when writing to an audience that will be unwilling,uninterested,displeased,disappointed,or hostile.

Question 5

The primary difference between the direct and indirect writing strategies is where the main idea is placed.

Question 6

Organizing a message effectively involves grouping ideas to show relationships.

Question 7

The first step of Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process is to conduct research to collect all the needed information.

Question 8

Brody is writing a memo to refuse an employee's vacation request.He should use the indirect pattern.

Question 9

One advantage of the indirect organizational strategy is that it saves the time of readers.

Question 10

Madeline is writing an e-mail message to ask about conference facility availability and rates.She should use the direct pattern.

Question 11

The following contains a comma splice: June is our busiest month,February is our slowest.

Question 12

The following represents a sentence fragment: With a solid idea and careful planning.

Question 13

The following represents a run-on sentence: Marco uses Google for his research Stephanie prefers Yahoo.

Question 14

A comma splice results when a sentence with two independent clauses is fused together without a conjunction or semicolon.

Question 15

Sentences that average 20 words are most effective for business writing.

Question 16

The first ATM opened near London in 1967 is an example of an independent clause.

Question 17

Searching blogs,Twitter,wikis,and Facebook pages for information is an example of an informal research method.

Question 18

If you have any new ideas is an example of an independent clause.

Question 19

During freewriting,it is important to edit each sentence before moving on to the next one.

Question 20

Placing the main idea first or last in a sentence is a good way to emphasize the idea.

Question 21

Melanie is working on a report and has reached Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process.What should she do first in this second phase?

A)Write the rough draft of her report.
B)Decide how to organize the report.
C)Analyze her purpose and audience.
D)Gather any necessary information.

Question 22

Alex is working on a report and has reached Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process.What question should he ask while collecting information during this second phase?

A)What does the receiver need to know about the topic?
B)What is the receiver to do and how is the receiver to do it?
C)When must the receiver do it?
D)Alex should ask all of these questions.

Question 23

Brooke is working on a business proposal for a prospective client.What is the primary question Brooke should ask as she gathers information for her project?

A)How much money does the client have?
B)What does the client need to know about this topic?
C)Does the client have a good reputation in the community?
D)How can I make myself look good in the eyes of my client?

Question 24

To be most attractive and readable,paragraphs in business messages should be limited to eight or fewer printed lines.

Question 25

One question important to ask yourself in shaping a written message isWhat will happen if the receiver doesn't do what I ask?

Question 26

Which of the following scenarios would most likely require a scientific experiment?

A)A research firm wants to find out how many parents plan to send their children to private schools.
B)A company wants to measure reactions to the price of a new flavored vitamin water product to learn how much consumers would be willing to pay.
C)A student wants to find out how a business leader got his start in the industry.
D)A development team has to decide which of four possible locations would be best for a new fast-food restaurant.

Question 27

Angelica has been asked to learn how many pedestrians walk by a specific location that her company is considering for a new sporting goods retail shop.Probably the most useful way to research this information would be by ________.

A)manually searching resources in her public library
B)searching the Web
C)investigating primary sources
D)conducting a scientific experiment with controlled variables

Question 28

Which of the following statements about formal and informal research is mostaccurate?

A)Long reports and complex business problems generally require some use of formal research.
B)Because most of its information is not credible,the Web should not be used for research for business reports. 
C)Interviewing your target audience is an example of formal research.
D)​Scientific experiments are not applicable to business writing.

Question 29

The following sentence contains a dangling modifier: Working all night,the report was finished by Robert.

Question 30

Which of the following is an informal research method?

A)Searching the Web
B)Looking in the company files for information
C)Conducting a scientific experiment to gather information under controlled circumstances
D)Searching for information in public and college libraries

Question 31

Crowdfunding is an online practice that applies only in business-to-business transactions;it is not appropriate to use with family and friends.

Question 32

The verb in the following sentence is in the active voice: James responded to the inquiry.

Question 33

A company invites its Facebook fans to suggest ideas for promoting positive interaction both online and in the real world.This is an example of crowdsourcing.

Question 34

The topic sentence of a paragraph must always appear first.

Question 35

When you are persuading or delivering bad news to your audience,the indirect paragraph plan is most effective.

Question 36

The following sentence contains parallel structure: The policy affected all vendors,suppliers,and those involved with consulting.

Question 37

Which of the following is an example of a formal research method?

A)Hank talks with his boss to decide what items to include on the meeting agenda.
B)Amy conducts a Web search to find information about a competitor's products.
C)Galen looks in the company files for copies of minutes from previous meetings.
D)Emily calls a few of her colleagues to learn how they feel about carpooling.

Question 38

The verb phrase in the following sentence is in the active voice:Kaitlynwas accepted into an MBA program.

Question 39

Brandon is preparing a short informational report for his boss and wants to begin his research by conducting informal research.What should he consider doing?

A)Searching through his company's files for background information and previous correspondence
B)Talking with his boss to get more information about the type of information his boss would like included in the report
C)Conducting an informal online survey using a tool like Survey Monkey
D)Brandon should consider doing all of these.

Question 40

Which of the following is done during Phase 2 of the writing process?

A)Adapting
B)Proofreading
C)Analyzing
D)Organizing

Question 41

Taylor is writing to deny an employee's request to work from home three days a week.She should write the letter using the ________.

A)direct pattern
B)geographical pattern
C)indirect pattern
D)chronological pattern

Question 42

Which of the following documents would most likely use an introduction,a proposed solution,staffing,a schedule and/or costs,and authorization organization?

A)E-mail message
B)Analytical report
C)Proposal
D)Informational report

Question 43

Which of the following is a clause?

A)On Monday
B)Will be presenting
C)When you were on vacation
D)On our Facebook page​

Question 44

Suzanne has been told that freewriting may help her overcome writer's block.What does freewriting mean?

A)Getting your thoughts down quickly and refining them later
B)Avoiding getting bogged down with the perfect words
C)Imagining that you're talking to the reader
D)All of the above

Question 45

Which of the following documents would most likely use an introduction/problem,facts/findings,conclusions,and recommendations organization?

A)E-mail message
B)Analytical report
C)Proposal
D)Procedural document

Question 46

Organizing information includes two processes: ________ and ________.

A)researching;listing
B)grouping;strategizing
C)brainstorming;composing
D)drafting;revising

Question 47

When dependent clauses precede independent clauses,they always are followed by a ________.

A)period
B)semicolon
C)comma
D)colon

Question 48

One effective way to overcome writer's block is to ________.

A)stare at the page until you think of something to write
B)concentrate on finding the right words and perfect sentence structure before putting your ideas on paper
C)work in a quiet environment in which you can concentrate
D)check your Facebook page to see if anything inspires you

Question 49

Clauses that begin with words like although,since,because,when,and if are usually ________.

A)independent
B)dependent
C)direct
D)indirect

Question 50

Which of the following is a dependent clause?

A)On the 15th of this month
B)Except for our main competitor
C)Since the company began selling stock to the public
D)Your interview went well

Question 51

One of the most important tasks in preparing well-organized messages is ________.

A)using a direct organizational pattern
B)providing clear recommendations
C)including ample tables and charts
D)grouping similar ideas together

Question 52

Elizabeth wants to avoid monotony and add spark to her business messages.What should she do?

A)Include at least one compound-complex sentence per paragraph.
B)Start each paragraph with a question to generate interest.
C)Avoid short sentences (four to six words)because they sound choppy.
D)Use a variety of sentence types.

Question 53

You are preparing an outline for your report on Web security in the workplace.Which of the following should be a major category for this outline?

A)Spam
B)Web Security Threats
C)Phishing
D)Adware and Spyware

Question 54

Which of the following is an independent clause?

A)After he signed the contract
B)Of the two choices
C)Please call with any questions you have
D)If you have any questions

Question 55

Peter is writing an e-mail message to his staff that the new computers promised to arrive on Monday will be delayed for two weeks.He knows that many people will be frustrated because their current computers are slow and outdated.Which organizational pattern should his message follow?

A)direct pattern
B)indirect pattern
C)chronological pattern
D)geographical pattern

Question 56

Josh knows that his co-workers will be pleased by the creation of a new leave-reporting system that will save them time.Which organizational pattern should he use in writing the message about the new system?

A)indirect pattern.
B)geographical pattern.
C)chronological pattern.
D)direct pattern.

Question 57

An organizational pattern that presents the main idea followed by details,explanation,and evidence is the ________.

A)indirect organizational pattern
B)direct organizational pattern
C)geographical organizational pattern
D)chronological organizational pattern

Question 58

Which of the following should be organized in a direct pattern?

A)An online manual showing visitors how to download a software program
B)A proposal submitted to the board of directors to add a wellness program to the company's benefits package
C)An e-mail message to employees telling them that health benefits will be cut
D)A letter denying a customer's claim about a defective product

Question 59

Michelle is preparing an outline to help her write a report to her supervisor about her recent attendance at a technology symposium.Which of the following should she do?

A)Divide the main topic into at least ten major components.
B)Break each major component into at least two subpoints.
C)Ask her supervisor what the title of the report should be.
D)Don't worry if some of the components overlap in content.

Question 60

Chuck is part of a team identifying ideas to cut expenses.The team has decided to hold a brainstorming session.Which of the following strategies would likely produce the best results?

A)Discourage wild thinking;all ideas generated should be rational and feasible.
B)Critique and evaluate each idea as it is presented during the brainstorming session.
C)Set an established time limit.
D)To encourage the maximum number of ideas,avoid defining the problem at the beginning of a brainstorming session.

Question 61

Select the sentence with the passive-voice verb.

A)Michael Lewis wrote a book about the financial crisis.
B)Many new grads begin their job search on LinkedIn.
C)Even with little experience,Andrew applied for the position.
D)The website was redesigned by a team of professionals.

Question 62

Which of the following is a run-on sentence?

A)Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers;some even use Twitter.
B)Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers,and some even use Twitter.
C)Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers some even use Twitter.
D)Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers.Some even use Twitter.

Question 63

Franco wants to emphasize the new features of a product he is selling.What should he do?

A)Use vivid words to describe the features.
B)Put the most important information in the middle of his sentences.
C)Use the passive voice to describe the features.
D)Put the most important information in a dependent clause.

Question 64

To apply for a job,a résumé must be submitted contains ________.

A)an indirect modifier
B)the active voice
C)a dangling modifier
D)a limiting clause

Question 65

What type of sentence fault results when a writer punctuates a broken-off part of a complex sentence as if it were a complete sentence?

A)Run-on sentence
B)Comma splice
C)Fragment
D)Simple

Question 66

Select the sentence with an active-voice verb.

A)The sales meeting has been scheduled for Friday.
B)Many companies now offer wellness programs.
C)The contract must be signed by all parties.
D)The applicant was contacted by the hiring manager.

Question 67

Monica wants to make sure that her sentences are easily understood.How long should she make them?

A)An average of 20 words
B)At least 30 words
C)No more than 8 words
D)An average of 28 words

Question 68

Which of the following is a compound sentence?

A)If you have any questions,please e-mail me.
B)Before the meeting ended,Sofia shared her new product idea;consequently,her ideas were included in the meeting minutes.
C)Raymond applied for the position,and he was called for an interview two days later.
D)It's highly likely that your request for leave will be approved.

Question 69

Most business messages use the ________ paragraph plan because it clarifies the subject immediately.

A)dovetailing
B)pivoting
C)indirect
D)direct

Question 70

What type of sentence fault results when a writer joins two independent clauses without using a conjunction or semicolon?

A)Run-on sentence
B)Comma splice
C)Fragment
D)Simple

Question 71

Which of the following statements about paragraphs is most accurate?

A)A paragraph is a group of sentences about one idea.
B)The primary idea always appears first in a paragraph.
C)Well-constructed paragraphs can discuss more than one topic.
D)All of these statements are accurate.

Question 72

Which sentence best emphasizes the attorney?

A)The closing arguments were delivered by the attorney.
B)Because the attorney is ready,she will give her closing arguments today.
C)Before the trial resumed,the attorney practiced for her closing arguments.
D)The attorney delivered the closing arguments.

Question 73

For what purpose should the passive voice be used?

A)To strengthen most business writing
B)To de-emphasize bad news
C)To emphasize the doer of the action
D)To lengthen the message

Question 74

Shauna is writing a document that will compare and contrast different retirement plans.She will most likely use the ________ paragraph plan.

A)indirect
B)pivoting
C)transitional
D)direct

Question 75

What type of sentence fault results when a writer joins two independent clauses with a comma?

A)Run-on sentence
B)Comma splice
C)Fragment
D)Simple

Question 76

Underscoring,bolding,and italicizing are ________ ways to stress important ideas in writing.

A)stylistic
B)mechanical
C)grammatical
D)general

Question 77

Which of the following sentences demonstrates parallelism?

A)In my current position,I interact with customers,input orders,and am responsible for updating the company's Facebook page.
B)Our new CEO's objectives are to improve employee morale,to boost revenues,and to enhance community relations.
C)Collecting,organizing,and documentation -- these are important steps in researching a problem.
D)The person we hire for this position should be flexible,reliable,and have good organizational skills.

Question 78

Which of the following sentences contains a comma splice?

A)Miguel will write the document,but Alicia will proofread it.
B)Miguel will write the document,Alicia will proofread it.
C)Miguel will write the document;however,Alicia will proofread it.
D)Miguel will write the document.Alicia will proofread it.

Question 79

Which of the following is a sentence fragment?

A)Although we expect sales to increase next quarter.
B)We expect sales to increase next quarter.
C)Although we expect sales to increase next quarter,we can't afford to hire any additional employees right now.
D)We can't afford to hire any additional employees right now.

Question 80

For what purpose should the active voice be used?

A)To strengthen most business writing
B)To emphasize an action rather than a person
C)To de-emphasize negative news
D)To conceal the doer of the action