Deck 5: Organizing and Drafting Business Messages

Question 1

Many communication experts regard ______________ as the greatest failing of business writers.

A)poor organization 
B)bad spelling 
C)limited education 
D)overconfidence

Answer 1

A

Question 2

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

Answer 2

B

Question 3

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

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

Answer 3

D

Question 4

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 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

Which of the following is an example of using 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 9

When you expect the reader to be pleased, mildly interested, or neutral the most effective organizational pattern is the 

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

Question 10

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

A)using a direct organizational pattern.
B)creating a well-formatted title page.
C)including ample tables and charts.
D)grouping similar ideas together.

Question 11

Samuel 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)Samuel should ask all of these questions.

Question 12

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 13

Michelle is preparing an outline to help her write a report about her recent attendance at a technology symposium. What advice would you give her? 

A)Divide the main topic into at least ten major components.
B)Break each major component into subpoints, realizing that it's okay if a major component has just one subpoint.
C)Define the main topic in the outline title.
D)Don't worry if some of the components overlap in content.

Question 14

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

A)Long reports and complex business problems generally require some use of formal research.
B)When you work on a business report, avoid using the Web for research because much of what is available on the Web isn't credible.
C)Most routine writing tasks require data that you can collect informally.
D)Some routine writing tasks will require no research at all.

Question 15

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 16

Chuck is part of a team identifying ideas to cut expenses. The team has decided to hold a brainstorming session. What is the best strategy the team can do during this session? 

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 17

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 18

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 19

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 20

An organizational pattern that presents the main idea after the details, explanation, and evidence is the 

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

Question 21

Edwin has just been hired as an executive assistant and will be doing a lot of writing on the job. What is the best advice you can give him about composing documents? 

A)Set aside a given time for writing during which he will have no visitors, phone calls, or interruptions.
B)Create an outline only for long, complex documents.
C)To save time, begin working immediately on the final draft.
D)Avoid freewriting because it results in sloppy documents.

Question 22

Which of the following is not an advantage of the indirect pattern? 

A)Reduces frustration 
B)Respects the feelings of the audience 
C)Facilitates a fair hearing 
D)Minimizes a negative reaction

Question 23

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 24

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 25

Peter is writing an e-mail message to his staff about an upcoming training session, and he is sure they'll be pleased with the news. Peter should use the 

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

Question 26

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

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

Question 27

Which of the following is a clause? 

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

Question 28

If an audience will be unwilling, uninterested, displeased, disappointed, or hostile, the most effective organizational pattern is the 

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

Question 29

Which of the following should be organized in an indirect pattern? 

A)An e-mail message to customers about a free shipping offer 
B)An e-mail message to employees telling them that overtime will be eliminated 
C)A letter offering a position to a job applicant 
D)A letter to members of a professional organization telling them about an upcoming event

Question 30

Which of the following is not an advantage of the direct pattern? 

A)Reduces frustration 
B)Saves the reader's time 
C)Facilitates a fair hearing 
D)Sets a proper frame of mind

Question 31

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

A)Make sure that every sentence is compound-complex because this is the most complicated type of sentence type.
B)Use a brightly colored font when she prints her documents.
C)Spritz her printed messages with an exciting fragrance.
D)Use a variety of sentence types.

Question 32

Andrew must deny a customer's application for credit. What organizational pattern should he use? 

A)An indirect pattern 
B)A geographical pattern 
C)A direct pattern 
D)A pivoting pattern

Question 33

Sensitive messages that deliver bad news should usually be organized 

A)in an indirect pattern.
B)by geographical area.
C)in a direct pattern.
D)in a pivoting pattern.

Question 34

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

A)Using a special software program call Freewriting 
B)Writing quickly without getting bogged down with the perfect words 
C)Writing without getting paid for it 
D)Using a pen or pencil to record your ideas rather than a computer

Question 35

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

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

Question 36

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)take a creativity-enhancing vitamin supplement.

Question 37

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

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

Question 38

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 39

Natalya is writing a message to persuade her supervisor to reimburse her for the cost of a business class she took. What organizational pattern should she use? 

A)An indirect pattern 
B)A geographical pattern 
C)A direct pattern 
D)A pivoting pattern

Question 40

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 41

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 42

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 43

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)None of the above

Question 44

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)None of the above

Question 45

Select the passive-voice sentence.

A)Michael Lewis wrote a book about the financial crisis.
B)The market closed over 14,000 points for the first time in July 2007.
C)Although he has no experience, Andrew applied for the position.
D)The website was redesigned by a team of professionals.

Question 46

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 47

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 48

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)None of the above

Question 49

Which of the following is not a mechanical technique for stressing important ideas? 

A)Underscoring 
B)Bolding 
C)Using vivid words 
D)Italicizing

Question 50

When should the active voice be used? 

A)For 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.

Question 51

When should the passive voice be used? 

A)For most business writing 
B)To de-emphasize bad news 
C)To emphasize the doer of the action 
D)Never

Question 52

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 53

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 54

You can build paragraph coherence by incorporating which of the following techniques? 

A)Using pronouns 
B)Using transitional expressions such as therefore, however, and then 
C)Dovetailing sentences 
D)All of these choices

Question 55

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

A)a misplaced modifier.
B)the active voice.
C)a dangling modifier.
D)a limiting clause.

Question 56

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 57

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 58

Select the active-voice sentence.

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 59

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 60

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

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

Question 61

Many communication experts regard poor organization as the greatest failing of business writers.

Question 62

With a solid plan and careful planning is a sentence fragment.

Question 63

In the direct pattern, the main idea comes first, followed by details, explanation, or evidence. In the indirect pattern, the main idea follows the details, explanation, and evidence.

Question 64

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

Question 65

Each major component in an outline should be divided into at least five subcategories.

Question 66

Since our restaurant opened last week, we have been booked solid is an example of a compound sentence.

Question 67

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

Question 68

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

Question 69

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

Question 70

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

Question 71

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

Question 72

Organizing one's ideas ahead of time and working from an outline are good ways to prevent writer's block.

Question 73

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

Question 74

Caitlin is writing a sales letter to encourage customers to add features to their wireless data plans. She should use the direct approach.

Question 75

The best brainstorming sessions have no time limits.

Question 76

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

Question 77

Most experts recommend trying to produce error-free first drafts of your documents.

Question 78

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

Question 79

A well-organized message helps the reader understand relationships and accept the writer's view.

Question 80

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