Deck 6: Revising Business Messages

Question 1

One way of controlling your enthusiasm in business writing is to avoid overusing intensifiers such asvery,definitely,and actually.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Editingandproofreadingare interchangeable terms for correcting a message's grammar,spelling,punctuation,format,and mechanics.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Slang and buzzwords in business writing can make you sound unprofessional.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Common expressions known as clichés are effective in business writing because they are universally understood and conversational.

Question 5

In view of the fact thatis considered a flabby expression.

Question 6

The phrase create a reduction in costs contains an example of a buried verb.

Question 7

The following sentence is an example of effective business writing: As per your request,further instructions will be sent to you under separate cover.

Question 8

Ragged right margins (without alignment or justification)provide more white space and improve readability.

Question 9

Bulleted lists are most effective for items representing a sequence or chronology.

Question 10

There are,there is,and it is are examples of unnecessary opening fillers.

Question 11

You will know that you are an effective business writer when you can prepare a perfect document on the first try.

Question 12

Some experts recommend spending about half of the total writing time on the editing,proofreading,and evaluating phase.

Question 13

Underlining,bold type,or italics can be used to call attention to important points and terms.

Question 14

The following sentence is an example of effective business writing because the message requires formality:This e-mail message is to inform you that we have received your employment application.

Question 15

The following sentence is effectively phrased to express the importance of the message:It is absolutely essential that you turn your expense claim in by Friday.

Question 16

Allan is writing instructions for filing an employee grievance.He should use a numbered list because the order of steps in the process is important.

Question 17

If you send tweets,you are a microblogger.

Question 18

One way to achieve clarity is to use passive-voice verbs in your messages.

Question 19

"Zombie nouns" often end in-ion,-ment,and -anceand are useful tools for making messages clear and powerful.

Question 20

The primary goal of business writing is to impress your reader.

Question 21

During Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process,Jamar is correcting his document's grammar,spelling,punctuation,format,and mechanics.What is Jamar doing?

A)Proofreading
B)Evaluating
C)Editing
D)Anticipating

Question 22

_______ expressions can often be shortened to one word.

A)Trite
B)Slang
C)Lead-in
D)Flabby

Question 23

Add end punctuation to a numbered or bulleted list only if the items in the list are complete sentences.

Question 24

Editing is the process of ________.

A)correcting the grammar,spelling,punctuation,format,and mechanics of your message
B)finding and correcting errors in documents seeking to persuade 
C)improving the content and sentence structure of your message
D)improving text messages and tweets

Question 25

Some expertsrecommend devoting about ________ of the total writing time to the third phase of the writing process.

A)10 percent
B)30 percent
C)50 percent
D)75 percent

Question 26

During Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process,Donalyn is analyzing her message to make sure it will achieve its purpose.What is Donalyn doing?

A)Proofreading
B)Evaluating
C)Editing
D)Anticipating

Question 27

Routine documents and complex documents can be effectively proofread using the same method.

Question 28

Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process begins with doing which of the following?

A)Evaluating your document to determine whether it achieves its purpose
B)Deciding how to organize the message
C)Composing the first draft
D)Editing the message to improve content and sentence structure

Question 29

This is to inform you thatis an effective way to begin a message because it speaks directly to the reader.

Question 30

At this point in time,due to the fact that,feel free to,and in the near future are examples of ________.

A)redundancies
B)flabby expressions
C)long lead-ins
D)opening fillers

Question 31

The first word of every item in a numbered or bulleted list should not be capitalized because the item is part of a larger whole.

Question 32

Khalida is sending an e-mail message to a client.Before sending it,she wants to make sure that she has made her point in the fewest possible words.What is Khalida checking for?

A)Conciseness
B)Format
C)Clarity
D)Vigor

Question 33

It is best to proofread complex documents immediately after finishing them while the content is still fresh in your mind.

Question 34

Encouraging the receiver to respond to your message is an effective way to judge the success of your communication.

Question 35

Concise writing significantly affects organizations because time equals ________.

A)business
B)money
C)vacation
D)customers

Question 36

It is safer to proofread on your computer screen than to proofread from a printed copy because you will catch more errors.

Question 37

Headings are appropriate only in messages that will be submitted as hard copies,such as reports or letters.They should not be used in electronic messages.

Question 38

Congratulating yourself when you find an error in your writing can help you proofread more effectively.

Question 39

The final phase of the 3-x-3 writing process focuses on ________.

A)revising
B)proofreading
C)evaluating
D)all of these tasks

Question 40

Today's advanced spell checkers are capable of identifying all spelling errors.

Question 41

Which of the following about Twitter is accurate?

A)Twitter is a form of microblogging.
B)Conciseness is especially important because posts have a character limit.
C)Conventional spelling,grammar,and punctuation are important.
D)All of these choices are accurate. 

Question 42

Vanessa has written a marketing report for her boss.Before presenting it,she wants to make sure that the report does not contain too many words like extremely,totally,andvery.She wants to sound emphatic but businesslike.What is Vanessa checking for?

A)Conciseness
B)Redundancy
C)Clichés
D)Intensifiers

Question 43

Which of the following represents the best business writing?

A)We will perform an analysis of the data.
B)Enclosed are three samples of our fabric.
C)We totally agree that his proposal did not actually seem very feasible.
D)Once you sign the document,we'll be good to go. 

Question 44

Which of the following is a goal of business writing?

A)To impress your reader
B)To keep your writing short and simple
C)To use company buzz words
D)To earn a promotion

Question 45

What is the most accurate statement about slang and buzzwords?

A)If you want to sound professional,avoid using slangy expressions and buzzwords in your writing.
B)Buzzwords are informal words with arbitrary and extravagantly changed meanings that quickly go out of fashion.
C)Buzzwords are technical terms that are meant to express rather than impress.
D)Slang and buzzwords will help your writing sound hip and current.

Question 46

Which of the following is the best example of business writing?

A)It would be advantageous for you to enlighten your employees regarding the company's new social media policy.
B)Please tell your employees about the company's new social media policy.
C)You are hereby advised to inform your employees about the new social media policy that has been adopted by the company.
D)The individual referenced above must inform his or her subordinates in regard to the company's new social media policy.

Question 47

Which of the following sentences avoids a cliché?

A)First and foremost,I would like to thank you for attending.
B)We need to think outside the box in creating new products.
C)His presentation was well received by the board of trustees.
D)Meeting that early deadline is easier said than done.

Question 48

One important part of the revising process is to test for ________ to make sure that your message will be immediately understood by the reader.

A)clarity
B)conciseness
C)mechanics
D)punctuation

Question 49

Which of the following phrases is free of redundancies?

A)Essential items
B)Big in size
C)Combined together
D)New beginning

Question 50

Study the following sentence: Social media have created an enormous paradigm shift in what types of stories are considered "breaking news."This sentence would be improved by eliminating a(n) ________.

A)buzzword
B)flabby expression
C)redundancy
D)opening filler

Question 51

The sentenceI am writing this e-mail message to let you know that we have received your application for the receptionist positioncontains a ________.

A)redundancy
B)long lead-in
C)buried verb
D)spelling error

Question 52

As per your request,enclosed please find,and thank you in advance are all examples of ________.

A)long lead-ins
B)redundancies
C)trite business phrases
D)professional business phrases

Question 53

Blake has just written an e-mail message to his colleagues.Before sending it,he wants to make sure that it has high skim value.In doing so,he is checking ________.

A)conciseness
B)format
C)clarity
D)punctuation

Question 54

Nouns ending in-tion,-ment,and-anceare sometimes called ________ nouns because they can suck the life out of active verbs.

A)slang
B)zombie
C)dead
D)buried

Question 55

The sentence There are five new items that we will add to our menu next week could be made more concise by eliminating a(n)________.

A)redundancy
B)flabby expression
C)opening filler
D)long lead-in

Question 56

Which of the following sentences avoids the use of trite business phrases?

A)The application will be sent under separate cover.
B)Enclosed please find a coupon to use during your next visit.
C)We have received your loan application.
D)Please do not hesitate to call me if you have questions.

Question 57

Which of the following represents the best business writing?

A)This e-mail message is to inform you that the CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow.
B)The CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow.
C)You should be aware that the CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow.
D)The CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow for a period of three hours.

Question 58

Avoiding clichés and slang is important to ________.

A)make your message clear
B)keep your writing fresh
C)maintain professionalism
D)all of these choices

Question 59

Basic fundamentals,exactly identical,and repeat again are all examples of ________.

A)redundancies
B)flabby expressions
C)long lead-ins
D)opening fillers

Question 60

Which of the following sentences avoidsslang or buzzwords?

A)I can't believe that I totally bombed my presentation.
B)We need to work hard to meet the deadline.
C)We hope to incentivize our employees to work hard to meet the project deadline.
D)I hope we don't get burned,but we really need this paradigm shift.

Question 61

Which of the following statements about numbered and bulleted lists is most accurate?

A)Use a bulleted list when the sequence of items is important.
B)In a numbered or bulleted list,capitalize the first word only if the listed item is a complete sentence.
C)Make the items in a numbered or bulleted list parallel.
D)Add end punctuation to all items in a numbered or bulleted list.

Question 62

In making sure that subjects agree with their verbs in your message,you are checking for ________.

A)spelling
B)grammar
C)tone
D)format

Question 63

In asking herself Does this message achieve my purpose?,Nicoleis in the ________ stage of the writing process.

A)proofreading
B)composing
C)evaluating
D)submitting

Question 64

Which of the following statements about headings is least accurate?

A)Headings can help a reader separate major ideas from details.
B)Headings are used only in reports.
C)Headings are an effective tool for highlighting information and improving readability.
D)Headings can assist the writer by encouraging the grouping of similar information.

Question 65

"Light" proofreading of routine messages should include ________.

A)looking for typos and misspellings
B)searching for easily confused words
C)reading for missing words and inconsistencies
D)all of these items

Question 66

You have created a bulleted list showing features that you are including on your company's Facebook page.Which of the following items is not parallel with the others?

A)Links to important pages on our company's website
B)Photos showing customers using our products
C)We will hold a weekly prize giveaway
D)Information about upcoming events

Question 67

Alexis must proofread a complex business document.What is the best advice you can give her?

A)Proofread the document on your computer screen to save paper.
B)Be prepared to find errors.
C)Read the document just once to save time.
D)Alexis should do all of these.

Question 68

Confirming your use ofaffectvs.effectwhen proofreading is an example of checking for ________.

A)spelling
B)grammar
C)tone
D)format

Question 69

Fully justified text (when lines of text align on both the left and right)________.

A)refers only to documents with margins of 1 to 1.5 inches
B)is preferred for business documents because it increases white space and readability
C)results in awkward and uneven spaces between words
D)​is easier to skim

Question 70

Serif typefaces ________.

A)​include Times New Roman and Century
B)have small features at the ends of strokes
C)suggest tradition,maturity,and formality
D)all of these choices

Question 71

Breaking up long paragraphs into shorter chunks is a way to increase ________.

A)alignment
B)word count
C)white space
D)correctness

Question 72

Which of the following sentences best controls exuberance?

A)We totally understand that you really didn't mean to actually seem arrogant during the interview.
B)Our customers are extremely pleased with our really excellent customer service.
C)We are happy to learn that your banquet room is available on December 15.
D)We definitely think that the company could actually reduce turnover by offering new benefits.

Question 73

Which of the following sentences does not contain any buried verbs?

A)The health care industry is dependent on a highly trained staff.
B)The task force reached a conclusion that the company should go public.
C)In some parts of the world,business is not conducted over meals.
D)We have made plans to create a reduction in our operating expenses.

Question 74

The best way to evaluate your finished written message is by ________.

A)determining the readability level
B)running it through a grammar/style checker program
C)receiving feedback
D)asking someone to proofread it for you

Question 75

To make your business messages more readable,you can do which of the following?

A)Add footnotes.
B)Incorporate numbered and bulleted lists.
C)Include a bibliography at the end.
D)Eliminate white space.

Question 76

Which of the following sentences best demonstrates clarity?

A)Every effort should be made to notify each and every employee without delay of next week's gathering.
B)First and foremost,it is imperative that all employees be notified of next week's assembly.
C)It is the duty of all supervisors to inform their subordinates of next week's congregation.
D)Please let your employees know about next Friday's meeting.

Question 77

Conduct a discussion of,give consideration to,and perform an analysis of are all examples of ________.

A)verbs that have been converted to nouns
B)long lead-ins
C)trite business phrases
D)redundancies

Question 78

What is the mostaccurate statement about proofreading and document errors?

A)Documents with errors do not affect your credibility or the success of your organization.
B)You should proofread your document continuously while writing it.
C)Checking format is not part of the proofreading stage.
D)It can be difficult to catch our own errors because most of us read what we thought we wrote.

Question 79

When proofreading a document,be concerned with ________.

A)spelling,grammar,and punctuation
B)format
C)names and numbers
D)all of these choices.

Question 80

Lawrence is evaluating a report that he will be submitting to his supervisor.What should Lawrence ask himself during the evaluation process?

A)Will the report attract my supervisor's attention?
B)Will the report convince my supervisor that I am worth listening to?
C)How will I know whether the report is successful?
D)Lawrence should ask all of these questions.