Deck 5: Writing Business Messages

Question 1

The connotative meaning of a word is

A) its literal meaning.
B) all the associations and feelings the word evokes.
C) its objective meaning.
D) its dictionary meaning.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

It is best to limit your use of the word "you" in business messages if

A) you know your audience well.
B) it will make your message sound overly authoritative or accusing.
C) you are filling your audience's informational needs.
D) your organization prefers an informal, personal style.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following sentences contains the strongest and most effective wording?

A) Given the parameters of the situation, the most propitious choice would be to make adjustments in certain budget areas.
B) Someone's going to need to do some budget cutting around here or heads will roll.
C) Perusal of budgetary figures reveals that a 12 percent reduction in operations is called for if we are to stave off a negative impact on profits.
D) We need to cut the operating budget by 12 percent or profits will plummet.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Using the term crippled in business communication is an example of

A) disability bias.
B) the "you" attitude.
C) emphasizing the positive.
D) none of the above.

Question 5

In business messages, using terms such as "if," "hope," and "trust" is

A) common courtesy.
B) a good way to show your modesty.
C) acceptable for very formal contexts.
D) usually a bad idea since it takes away from the writer's credibility.

Question 6

The casual, acronym-laden language used in text messaging and IM is

A) generally considered inappropriate and unprofessional in business.
B) a good way to display your technical savvy to coworkers and managers.
C) accepted and even appreciated among today's busy professionals.
D) none of the above.

Question 7

Select the sentence with the most positive emphasis:

A) We hope to complete the process audit by Friday.
B) We failed to complete the process audit on time.
C) Because of Joan's inaccurate figures on the Haymen project, we are not finished with the process audit.
D) We haven't completed the process audit.

Question 8

A euphemism is a word or phrase that is

A) highly technical.
B) possibly offensive.
C) a milder term for one with negative connotations.
D) general or abstract in meaning.

Question 9

Which of the following is not an example of pompous language?

A) Please be advised that
B) We are in receipt of
C) We wish to inform you
D) Please let us know

Question 10

Using humor in business messages is

A) usually not effective, and is always inappropriate for formal and intercultural messages.
B) an effective way to build strong relationships with clients you are not familiar with.
C) appropriate for external messages, but never for internal.
D) none of the above.

Question 11

In part because of limited opportunities for feedback, written and most forms of electronic communication require ________ than oral communication.

A) more informality
B) fewer nouns
C) less care
D) more tact

Question 12

Identify the voice in the following sentence: "Based on negative client feedback, the marketing department abandoned the campaign."

A) Active
B) Vocative
C) Passive
D) State of being

Question 13

Select the sentence with the best "you" attitude:

A) Because your report was poorly written, we cannot accept it.
B) When we receive a report that is professional, we can act on your recommendations.
C) Your report failed to meet company requirements.
D) Once your application is complete, you should receive a response within two weeks.

Question 14

When you are criticizing or correcting, it is best to

A) be honest and call attention to the audience's failures or shortcomings.
B) emphasize the audience's mistakes so that they will not make the same ones again.
C) single out the guilty audience members as an example for everyone else to learn from.
D) focus on what the audience members can do to improve.

Question 15

The preferred title for women in business is ________, unless the individual says otherwise.

A) Mrs.
B) Miss
C) Madam
D) Ms.

Question 16

To establish credibility with your audience, you should

A) impress them with a long list of your accomplishments.
B) be modest and deferential.
C) use hedge words ("maybe," "perhaps") to demonstrate your knowledge that no issue is fully cut and dried.
D) show that you are confident and that you believe in yourself and in your message.

Question 17

The rules of grammar and usage

A) no longer matter in business writing.
B) are complex and some evolve over time.
C) used to be very complex, but have become simpler than ever.
D) have not changed in decades, and tend to remain constant over time.

Question 18

Plain language is a style of writing

A) aimed primarily at readers for whom English is a second language.
B) inappropriate for business communication.
C) designed to make complex materials more understandable to the audience.
D) used only for casual correspondence.

Question 19

Using the passive voice makes sense when

A) you want your sentence to be easier to understand.
B) you need to make your sentences shorter.
C) you want to emphasize the subject.
D) you want to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error.

Question 20

Which of the following statements that would appear in a business letter best reflects the "you" attitude?

A) You failed to enclose a check for $25.
B) We will send you the merchandise as soon as we receive your check for $25.
C) You will have your merchandise by July 15 if you send us your check for $25 today.
D) We need a check from you for $25 so that we can send the merchandise by May 15.

Question 21

When you want to develop a paragraph by showing how a general idea is broken into specific categories, which of these methods would you use?

A) Illustration
B) Cause and effect
C) Comparison and contrast
D) Classification

Question 22

You should always avoid using euphemisms, because they are inherently dishonest.

Question 23

Boilerplate is

A) a machine used in professional printing.
B) a standard block of text used in various documents without being changed.
C) a list of most-used email addresses.
D) a piece of computer hardware used to increase modem speed.

Question 24

Which of the following identifies a paragraph that focuses on the reasons that something gets developed?

A) Problem and solution
B) Illustration
C) Comparison and contrast
D) Cause and effect

Question 25

"Although our servers are stable, the telephone system is a serious concern" is a

A) compound sentence.
B) simple sentence.
C) complex sentence.
D) compound-complex sentence.

Question 26

To downplay a dependent clause in a complex sentence, you should

A) place it at the end of the sentence.
B) place it in the middle of the sentence.
C) place it at the beginning of the sentence.
D) set it off with a semicolon.

Question 27

"Insurance premiums have increased, and cost-of-living raises have not kept up" is a

A) simple sentence.
B) complex sentence.
C) compound-complex sentence.
D) compound sentence.

Question 28

Words such as "nevertheless," "however," "but," and "therefore"

A) occur only in complex sentences.
B) are useful for making transitions.
C) introduce modifiers.
D) are called pointer words.

Question 29

A typical paragraph contains the three basic elements of

A) a problem, discussion, and a solution.
B) the main idea, supporting ideas, and evidence.
C) a topic sentence, support sentences, and transitional words and phrases.
D) simple, compound, and complex sentences followed by compound-complex sentences.

Question 30

In general, the word "you" should be avoided when you are assigning responsibility for a mistake or problem.

Question 31

To ensure a consistent look for all company documents, many organizations provide employees with approved

A) autocompletion software.
B) macros.
C) style sheets.
D) spreadsheets.

Question 32

A piece of text copied from the main body of the document and formatted as a large, eye-catching visual element is known as a

A) style sheet.
B) pull quote.
C) template.
D) boilerplate.

Question 33

Which of the following words are the most abstract?

A) Software, code, signal
B) Kick, move, walk
C) Productivity, excellence, motivation
D) Two, contract, performance

Question 34

A complex sentence consists of

A) two or more independent clauses along with all modifying phrases.
B) a single subject and a single predicate plus any modifying phrases.
C) one main thought and one or more subordinate thoughts.
D) two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

Question 35

You can emphasize key points by

A) placing them at the beginning or end of a sentence.
B) making important ideas the subject of the sentence.
C) using extra words to describe them.
D) doing all of the above.

Question 36

Which type of software feature inserts a ready-made block of text when you type the first few characters?

A) Autocorrection
B) Mail merge
C) Machine translation
D) Autocompletion

Question 37

Adopting a "you" attitude in business writing is simply a matter of using the pronoun "you" as much as possible.

Question 38

Which of the following is a compound sentence?

A) Low interest rates make this an excellent time to buy a home.
B) Because interest rates are low, now is an excellent time to buy a home.
C) With interest rates low, now is an excellent time to buy a home.
D) Interest rates are low, and now is an excellent time to buy a home.

Question 39

Using the word "young" to describe an employee can have negative implications.

Question 40

When delivering negative news, it is misleading to emphasize any positive aspects of the situation.

Question 41

A conversational tone is not appropriate for most business messages.

Question 42

You should strive to use the passive voice as much as possible in business writing.

Question 43

Honor and progress are concrete words.

Question 44

"The evaluator noted several shortcomings" is written in the active voice.

Question 45

Enlivening business messages with humor will always please your readers, especially if they don't know you very well.

Question 46

The rules of grammar and usage do not change over time.

Question 47

Bragging about your company's accomplishments can be offensive to readers.

Question 48

Clichés are a valuable tool in business writing, as readers find such words and phrases to be comfortable and familiar.

Question 49

Abstract words are direct and can be easily visualized.

Question 50

The amount of jargon you use in a message should reflect your audience's level of familiarity with your topic.

Question 51

Being too modest can reduce your credibility with your audience.

Question 52

Connotative meanings are the literal or dictionary meanings of words.

Question 53

Plain language is a style of writing used primarily for communicating to those who do not have a college degree.

Question 54

"Our clients have become more knowledgeable, and we need to accommodate them" is a complex sentence.

Question 55

When composing a draft, you should never skip to another section of the document until you've finished the current one.

Question 56

Abstract words should be completely avoided in business writing.

Question 57

A compound sentence is one that contains one main thought (independent clause) and one or more subordinate thoughts (dependent clauses).

Question 58

In business communication, it is best to use words that are low in connotative meaning.

Question 59

Good business letters use language that is as formal as possible and use proven terminology such as "please be advised that" and "attached please find."

Question 60

The denotative meaning of a word is its dictionary definition.

Question 61

________ ________ is a way of presenting information in a simple, unadorned style so that your audience can easily grasp your meaning.

Question 62

Terms such as "handicapped employees" are examples of ________ bias.

Question 63

Coherence between thoughts is achieved through the use of transitional words and phrases.

Question 64

When developing paragraphs, you should use only one method within each paragraph and throughout a document.

Question 65

If your audience is unfamiliar with you, you need to devote the initial part of your message to establishing ________-a measure of your believability based on how reliable you are and how much trust you evoke in others.

Question 66

Templates and style sheets can both help to ensure a consistent look for all company documents.

Question 67

Replacing harsh, unpleasant terms with milder words, or ________, can avoid negative connotations for your audience.

Question 68

Skilled business writers avoid complex sentences altogether.

Question 69

Autocompletion software is essentially the same thing as autocorrection software.

Question 70

A sentence is in the ________ voice when the subject performs the action and the object receives the action.

Question 71

The ________ meaning of a word is its literal, dictionary meaning, whereas the ________ meaning includes all the associations and feelings it evokes.

Question 72

"The startup costs on this project increased considerably" is a simple sentence.

Question 73

If you are preparing a form letter, file merge enables you to personalize each letter by automatically inserting names and addresses from the database.

Question 74

Using the ________ attitude allows you to establish empathy with your audience.

Question 75

"If we can't meet the deadline, our losses will be significant" is a compound sentence.

Question 76

A properly constructed paragraph should deal with more than one topic.

Question 77

To emphasize a dependent clause, it is better to place it at the end of a sentence rather than in the middle.

Question 78

Style is the way you use words to achieve a certain ________, or overall impression.

Question 79

In messages that need to deal with difficult negative situations, it is best to emphasize the ________ aspects of your topic.

Question 80

To avoid embarrassing blunders in language related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, or disability, use ________ language.