Deck 4: E-Mails, Instant Messages, Memos

Question 1

Which of the following types of messages would it be appropriate to send by e-mail?

A)a layoff notice
B)an announcement of a change in a meeting date
C)a quarterly performance appraisal of an employee
D)an announcement of a major benefit change that will reduce employee benefits

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which one of the following steps would be included in the prewriting phase of the writing process?

A)revising for clarity
B)planning for feedback
C)proofreading for accuracy
D)determining why you are writing

Answer 2

D

Question 3

You are writing a memo to all employees explaining the benefits that have been written into the latest contract. Which one of the following four items in your list needs to be revised so that it is in a parallel form to the other three?

A)claiming disability benefits
B)sick leave
C)professional development allowance
D)annual paid vacation

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following channels is most commonly used for internal communication?

A)memo
B)phone
C)e-mail
D)meeting

Question 5

When responding to a memo that requests information, what is the best way to provide the requested information?

A)Order your responses in a list.
B)Order your responses in the same sequence as the request.
C)Order your responses from the most important to the least important.
D)Order your responses from the least important to the most important.

Question 6

According to your text, which of the following items should be included in the opening sentence of a routine e-mail or memo?

A)an end-date
B)a request for action
C)a summary of the message
D)a restatement of the subject line

Question 7

Which of the following would be presented most effectively as a bulleted list?

A)a procedure for filing a workers' compensation claim
B)a list of steps describing how to operate the fax machine
C)a list of organizational goals that have not been prioritized
D)a ranking of applicants for an administrative assistant position

Question 8

Stan is writing an e-mail to a supplier in China to express his satisfaction with the latest shipment of machine parts his company has received. Which of the following sentences shows that Stan considers cultural differences when he sends a message?

A)The parts we received last week fit our requirements to a T.
B)We are very pleased with the parts we received last week.
C)You hit one out of the ballpark with the order we received last week.
D)We're good to go with the order we received last week.

Question 9

Which of the following sentences would be the most effective closing in a request memo?

A)I would appreciate receiving your response to this request as soon as possible.
B)Thank you in advance for your cooperation in sending a technician to install these computers by August 31.
C)If you want us to be able to serve our students effectively, I trust that you will send a technician by August 31.
D)Because the computers need to be installed before the first day of classes, please send a technician by August 31.

Question 10

Which one of the following techniques is an example of graphic highlighting?

A)using templates
B)writing directly
C)using headings
D)specifying an end-date

Question 11

Which of the following is the most effective opening sentence for a memo or e-mail message that responds to a request?

A)Thank you for your request.
B)Here are the answers to the questions raised in your memo of June 30.
C)Pursuant to your request, I take great pleasure in responding to your inquiries.
D)This memo is regarding your inquiry on June 30 in which you ask a number of questions.

Question 12

Which one of the following would be the best subject line for an e-mail or memo?

A)I need to change my order of July 6.
B)Please change my July 6 order to add 12 cases of EarthFriendly white letter-size paper, cat. # X629.
C)UPDATE.
D)CHANGE TO ORDER #7490832

Question 13

Your company's human resources department needs to send a personal, confidential message to each employee that includes a yearly performance appraisal and salary review. What would be the most appropriate type of message to use?

A)a business letter
B)an instant message
C)a text message
D)a memo

Question 14

Which of the following sentences would be most appropriately placed in the body of a routine memo or e-mail?

A)I hope that I have answered your questions.
B)Our customers have told us that the Samsung SPC12824 desktop computer performs well under both heavy- and light-use conditions.
C)On Aug. 10, you wrote to ask me five questions about the Samsung model.
D)I am writing to you to respond to the five questions in your last e-mail.

Question 15

Which of the following sentences correctly introduces a list?

A)Follow these steps to submit your expense claim for payment:
B)Follow these steps to submit your expense claim for payment.
C)Follow these steps to submit your expense claim for payment,
D)Follow these steps to submit your expense claim for payment;

Question 16

You work as a sales associate for a supplier of office equipment. You have just finished visiting one client and are in your car preparing to travel to your next appointment. Before you start driving, you realize that you don't have the client's address in your BlackBerry. You decide to contact Jim, your supervisor, who is at the office and can find the address quickly. Which of the following would likely be the best way to contact Jim?

A)Create an e-mail.
B)Create a text message.
C)Create a podcast.
D)Create a wiki.

Question 17

You have several questions for a colleague who works for your organization in a branch office in another province. You would like to ask him about a new procedure he initiated. Considering the merits and drawbacks of various channels, which of the following choices would probably be a good way to contact him?

A)instant message
B)podcast
C)fax
D)letter

Question 18

Which of the following sentences would be the most effective opening in a request memo?

A)I am writing this memo to make a request for brochures.
B)Please send 150 copies of the new marketing brochure to the Accounting Department.
C)My name is Caitlin, and I work in the Accounting Department. We need to order some brochures.
D)According to the latest company newsletter, you have published a new marketing brochure.

Question 19

Your text recommends limiting the length of an e-mail message to a certain number of screens. How many?

A)one
B)two
C)three
D)four

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of an internal electronic message as defined by your text?

A)an instant-message to a colleague
B)a fax to a government agency
C)a telephone call to a supplier
D)an e-mail to a customer

Question 21

Routine e-mails and memos may travel to secondary audiences.

Question 22

E-mail is usually reserved for sending internal messages because it is so informal.

Question 23

To be most helpful, the subject line of an e-mail message should be a short, complete sentence.

Question 24

If a message is an extremely important one, consider having a colleague critique it during Phase 3 of the writing process.

Question 25

If someone sends you an e-mail that angers you, you should respond immediately to set the record straight.

Question 26

Every message you send displays your writing skills, including those using newer communication channels.

Question 27

Never send a long document as an e-mail attachment.

Question 28

Sending an e-mail is almost always preferable to face-to-face or telephone contact.

Question 29

Anything included in the subject line of a memo or e-mail does not have to be repeated in the body.

Question 30

In today's workplaces, internal messages are usually less important and employees don't usually use them as much as in the past.

Question 31

A writing plan is effective for helping organize memos, but not e-mails, as they are less formal.

Question 32

Using all capital letters when writing an e-mail is equivalent to shouting in a conversation.

Question 33

When writing a memo or an e-mail message, put any deadlines or action information in the opening so that they won't be missed.

Question 34

A blog is a Web site with journal entries, usually written by one person, to which others can respond.

Question 35

You need to send a customer a formal quotation that includes prices and other details about an order. The quotation must include an original signature. A business letter would be the best channel to use for this message.

Question 36

The major difference between text-messaging and instant messaging is that instant messaging takes place in real time.

Question 37

When you send an e-mail, you don't need to worry because today's computers will correct any errors you make when entering the recipient's address.

Question 38

Headings and bulleted lists help improve the readability of messages and can shorten reading time.

Question 39

When items in a numbered or bulleted list are parallel, they are balanced grammatically.

Question 40

Successful business communicators know that e-mail is a simple, private communication system.

Question 41

Because an e-mail message does not include ______________ cues, humour can easily be misunderstood.

Question 42

The rules of polite online interaction are known as _______________.

Question 43

Including a _________ in the subject line of a message makes it "talk" -that is, makes it stronger and more active.

Question 44

Even though the purpose of the e-mail or memo is summarized in the subject line, that purpose should be restated - and amplified - in the __________.

Question 45

A _________ is a digital media file that is distributed over the internet and downloaded on portable media players and personal computers.

Question 46

The ___________ ________.(two words) of a memo or e-mail message is critical because it determines whether or how quickly the receiver will read the message and how easily he/she will be able to locate it later.

Question 47

E-mails and hard-copy memos are similar in content and development, but the ________ of each is slightly different.

Question 48

In the ______________ phase of the writing process, the writer decides whether the memo or e-mail message even needs to be written.

Question 49

When listing items in order of importance, a __________ list should be used.

Question 50

Memos that make requests are usually most effective when they use the _________ approach.