Deck 6: Completing Business Messages

Question 1

Informative headings and subheadings

A) simply identify topics covered in the document.
B) guide readers to think a certain way about the topics covered.
C) are easier to write than descriptive headings.
D) are less helpful to readers than descriptive headings.
E) are unnecessary in business documents; descriptive headings are sufficient.

Answer 1

B
Explanation: B)Informative headings such as "Redesigning Material Flow to Cut Production Costs" guide readers to think in a certain way about the topic.Well-written informative headings are self-contained,which means readers can read just the heading and subheadings and understand them without reading the rest of the document.Descriptive headings such as "Cost Considerations" identify a topic but do little more.Informative headings do require a little more work from the writer,but they also provide a little more information than descriptive headings.Both types of headings are acceptable to use in business documents.

Question 2

Which of the following is not a technique for helping readers who skim your document?

A) Using lists and bullets instead of narrative
B) Keeping all sentences the same length
C) Including headings and subheadings
D) Using shorter paragraphs
E) All of the above are helpful techniques.

Answer 2

B
Explanation: B)An effective alternative to using conventional sentences is to set off important ideas in a list - a series of words,names,or other items.You can separate list items with numbers,letters,or bullets.Bullets are generally preferred over numbers,unless the list is in some logical sequence or ranking or you need to refer to specific list items elsewhere in a document.You can also add headings and subheadings to help the reader who skims the document to know what the content of that section is about.Short paragraphs,generally 100 words or fewer,are easier to read than long ones,and they make your writing look inviting.Varying sentence length helps maintain reader interest,but does not help someone who skims the document.

Question 3

What is wrong with the following sentence? "Having sat on them for two days,the figures Marcy provided were already too late to help."

A) It lacks parallelism.
B) It contains a dangling modifier.
C) It contains an awkward pointer.
D) It contains hedging.
E) Nothing-it is grammatically correct as written.

Answer 3

B
Explanation: B)A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence.A modifier describes,clarifies,or gives more detail about a concept.For example,"Walking to the office,a red sports car passed her." "Walking to the office" is the dangling modifier because the modifier does not refer to the sports car.The noun that the modifier refers to is not in the sentence.

Question 4

When creating a list for a business document

A) always use bullets, rather than numbers or letters.
B) keep in mind that the items need not be parallel.
C) be sure to introduce it clearly.
D) any text in the list should be typed in all caps.
E) it should always contain at least 7 items.

Question 5

"If the figures are in by the end of the month we will hopefully be able to begin planning for the upcoming year's budget,but if they are not then the planning process will most definitely have to wait until later" is an example of

A) a comma splice.
B) an overly long sentence.
C) an indefinite pronoun starter.
D) an awkward pointer.
E) parallelism.

Question 6

The main tasks in completing a business message consist of all except

A) proofreading.
B) revising.
C) forecasting.
D) producing.
E) All of the above are part of the completing step.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of a hedging sentence?

A) The employee's performance appears to be less than satisfactory.
B) The deadline is next Tuesday.
C) The financial statement needs to have two sections.
D) We must act on these recommendations.
E) None of the above are hedging.

Question 8

In business messages,varying the length of your sentences

A) confuses readers and makes documents less interesting.
B) helps you control the emphasis given to major and minor points.
C) makes you look like an amateur.
D) makes the revision process much more difficult.
E) is a waste of time unless your document is highly technical.

Question 9

Skilled business writers

A) use long sentences to emphasize important information.
B) keep their sentences to an average length of 40 words or fewer.
C) vary the length of their sentences to maintain reader interest and convey information effectively.
D) never use sentences that contain fewer than 10 words.
E) do all of the above.

Question 10

When reviewing your document for content,you should be concerned with

A) grammar and usage.
B) punctuation and spelling.
C) the accuracy and relevance of the information.
D) style and tone.
E) type styles and typefaces.

Question 11

As a general rule,if a document you have written scores well on a readability index,

A) it is probably too simple for business communication.
B) you should assume that it is well-written.
C) you should not assume that it is well-written.
D) you should increase the length of your sentences, but not your paragraphs.
E) none of the above

Question 12

When evaluating the work of others,you should

A) make sure you understand the writer's intent before you begin suggesting or making changes.
B) talk with the writer about his or her intent only after you suggest changes, since this is a good way to test the effectiveness of the document.
C) avoid talking with the writer about the document, since other readers may not have that opportunity.
D) compare the other person's writing style with your own, and if yours is better, rewrite the document in your own style.
E) always point out problems and make suggestions for improvement, even when you do not believe they are truly needed.

Question 13

Messages sent via IM,text messaging,email and blogging

A) do not require revision, even when used for business purposes.
B) should be revised, even if it involves nothing more than a quick review before sending.
C) do not need to be revised unless a potential sale is involved.
D) cannot be revised.
E) don't need to be revised, since software editing features will eliminate any errors.

Question 14

What is wrong with the following sentence? "To waste time and missing deadlines are bad habits."

A) Similar ideas are not parallel.
B) It contains a dangling modifier.
C) It contains a split infinitive.
D) It contains a camouflaged verb.
E) Nothing-it is grammatically correct as written.

Question 15

Putting your first draft aside for a day or two before you begin the revision process

A) is a waste of valuable time.
B) generally makes it more difficult to revise effectively.
C) is often helpful, especially with more complex messages.
D) is unnecessary unless you are an unskilled writer.
E) can be helpful, but not for electronic documents.

Question 16

"Environmental impact consultant study results" is an example of

A) redundancy.
B) a dangling modifier.
C) a dependent clause.
D) a long noun sequence.
E) hedging.

Question 17

When revising a document,you should

A) first read through it to evaluate its overall effectiveness.
B) first look carefully for grammatical errors.
C) try to accomplish all revision tasks in one pass, in order to finish quickly.
D) pay closest attention to the document's spelling.
E) keep in mind that a few errors here and there are no big deal.

Question 18

Which of the following is an informative heading?

A) Cost Considerations
B) Production Costs
C) Costs and Other Items
D) Redesigning Material Flow to Cut Production Costs
E) Costs

Question 19

When it comes to paragraph length,you should

A) use long paragraphs with detailed information for direct-mail letters.
B) use long paragraphs if you want your document to look more inviting.
C) keep all paragraphs to fewer than 60 words.
D) use one-sentence paragraphs only occasionally, for emphasis.
E) limit all paragraphs to three sentences.

Question 20

If a message draft scores well on a readability index,you should

A) send it right away-it does not need to be revised.
B) rewrite it to make it sound more complex and professional.
C) still revise it since there may be other factors you need to address.
D) add a comment to that effect at the beginning of your text.
E) ignore any suggestions you receive for improvement.

Question 21

When using a computer thesaurus,you

A) can assume that any alternatives it proposes are correct and appropriate.
B) should always select the most impressive-sounding words it suggests.
C) should be careful to use only those words that convey your intended meaning.
D) can count on it to list the best alternative first, followed by less desirable substitutes.
E) should combine it with the "replace all" function.

Question 22

"Visible to the eye" is an example of

A) a cliché.
B) redundancy.
C) the passive voice.
D) obsolete language.
E) hedging.

Question 23

Justified type is type that is

A) set flush on the left and flush on the right.
B) centered.
C) set flush left and ragged on the right.
D) set flush right and ragged on the left.
E) none of the above

Question 24

"The above-mentioned book" is potentially an example of

A) a redundancy.
B) a strung-out sentence.
C) an indefinite pronoun starter.
D) an awkward reference.
E) a camouflaged verb.

Question 25

Editing for conciseness is

A) less important than editing for clarity.
B) simply a matter of cutting all paragraphs to no more than three sentences each.
C) not necessary for business messages.
D) easy, and should be done as you write.
E) helpful to readers, and can make them more likely to read your documents.

Question 26

Which of the following sentences contains a camouflaged verb?

A) Some do; others don't.
B) She is a marketing manager but also serves as ad manager.
C) The recommendation of the committee is to proceed as planned.
D) He slowly, deliberately added the numbers.
E) We tried, and then tried again.

Question 27

Which of the following is not discussed in the chapter as an important principle to follow in designing business documents?

A) Balance
B) Restraint
C) Detail
D) Variety
E) Consistency

Question 28

The "replace all" feature in word-processing programs

A) tracks down words or phrases and automatically changes them all.
B) can save you time when revising messages.
C) must be used with care, since it can make undesirable changes.
D) can create words that are not really words, such as strengthful.
E) is characterized by all of the above.

Question 29

Serif typefaces are generally preferable to sans serif fonts for

A) display treatments.
B) all business documents.
C) headings and captions.
D) regular paragraph text.
E) none of the above.

Question 30

Typeface refers to

A) a set of characters in a specific style.
B) the lettering commonly used on the title-pages and covers of business documents.
C) the part of a laser printer that imprints letters on the page.
D) the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters.
E) the margin settings of a document.

Question 31

A spell checker

A) cannot automatically correct misspelled words as you type.
B) highlights words it doesn't recognize.
C) suggests synonyms.
D) has eliminated the need for proofreading.
E) is always more effective than a human editor.

Question 32

A computer thesaurus

A) catches punctuation as well as grammar errors.
B) highlights phrases in passive voice.
C) suggests correct spelling.
D) can help you find just the right word for a given situation.
E) is not included with common word processing software

Question 33

Centered type in business documents is

A) never appropriate.
B) rarely used for text but commonly used for headings.
C) acceptable for long sections of text but not for headings.
D) always preferred for exceptionally long paragraphs.
E) best for the text of highly technical reports.

Question 34

Starting a sentence with "It is" or "There are" is

A) usually a sign that the sentence could be shorter and more active.
B) perfectly acceptable, and you need not try to rewrite the sentence.
C) a sign that you are using active voice.
D) a sign that you are using passive voice.
E) a good way to emphasize your point.

Question 35

The default margin setting for most word processing software is ________,with the left margin aligned vertically and a ________ margin on the right.

A) ragged-left, flush
B) justified, ragged
C) ragged-right, flush
D) flush-right, justified
E) flush-left, ragged

Question 36

Which of the following sentences is the most concisely worded?

A) The project manager is in charge of furnishing specifications until such time as the project gets underway.
B) All specifications should be provided by the project manager prior to the start of a project.
C) Project managers have the capability of changing specifications before the official start date.
D) Before the project begins, the engineers need the revised specifications from the project manager.
E) When it comes to specifications, the project manager must certainly be the only one to change them.

Question 37

Using white space in a document

A) is considered "cheating."
B) is only an option when you can't use color.
C) makes your document look unappealing.
D) provides visual contrast and important resting points for your readers.
E) is helpful only when you lack adequate information.

Question 38

Justified margins

A) make the document easier to read.
B) create a cleaner look because of increased white space along the right margin.
C) make messages look more formal.
D) help get audience members' attention, even before they start to read.
E) are impossible to create without specialized publishing software.

Question 39

In revising an important report,you want to make sure all numbers are written with numerals rather than being spelled out.Which of the following tools can help with this task?

A) Spell checker
B) Style checker
C) Thesaurus
D) Link checker
E) Commenting

Question 40

For effective document design,you should

A) fit as much material as possible on each page.
B) use a mix of several typefaces and type sizes and include a variety of decorative touches to make the pages look more interesting.
C) balance the space devoted to text, artwork, and white space.
D) use bright background colors to make your messages stand out.
E) do all of the above.

Question 41

Headings have only one function,which is to break up long blocks of type.

Question 42

One challenge of creating multimedia documents is

A) exorbitant costs.
B) the need for professional designers, even when the requirements are simple.
C) the difficulty of distribution.
D) the freedom readers have to take multiple, individualized paths through your material.
E) the lack of user-friendly web editors.

Question 43

You should strive for a sixth-grade reading level for most business messages.

Question 44

Which of the following techniques can help you proofread more effectively?

A) Read each page backward, from the bottom to the top.
B) Proofread the document as soon as you complete the draft.
C) To ensure consistency, proofread long documents from beginning to end without stopping.
D) Always proofread using your monitor (rather than printing out a hard copy of the document).
E) Don't get bogged down: just make a casual scan up and down the page (or screen), correct any obvious problems, and move on.

Question 45

With practice,most writers can create first drafts that do not need to be revised.

Question 46

When selecting typefaces for most business documents,you should

A) generally avoid using more than two typefaces on a page.
B) make generous use of such styles as all caps, underlines, and boldface.
C) choose a popular sans serif face for your main body text.
D) use a large type size (at least 14 points) for your basic text if you need to fill up space.
E) use those that best reflect your individual personality.

Question 47

Although you should vary the length of paragraphs in your business messages,in general you should strive for short paragraphs.

Question 48

Using a variety of type styles in a document

A) helps readers stay interested in what you have to say.
B) generally slows your audience's progress through the message.
C) makes your document look especially professional.
D) is a helpful way to emphasize key information.
E) makes it more legible.

Question 49

After you have completed the first draft of your business message,the next step is to make a final,quick pass through it to check for typos and spelling errors.

Question 50

Items in a list do not need to have parallel construction.

Question 51

If you're sending extremely large files,you should

A) use overnight delivery to send a hard copy rather than sending them electronically.
B) consider using recordable media such as DVDs or a file-hosting site.
C) always send them as MS Word attachments.
D) send them through the mail to avoid excessive costs.
E) send duplicate copies as email attachments to ensure that they reach your audience.

Question 52

An example of an informative heading would be "Redesigning Material Flow to Cut Material Costs."

Question 53

Multimedia documents

A) are generally too expensive to produce to be useful in business.
B) require highly technical training in order to create.
C) convey information more slowly than traditional documents.
D) can allow recipients to personalize the communication process to their own needs.
E) are fine for use in technical fields, but not otherwise.

Question 54

Compared to word processing software,desktop publishing applications

A) are less advanced and useful only for the simplest documents.
B) tend to be used only by amateurs.
C) are far less expensive.
D) are produced only by small, largely unrecognized companies.
E) offer more advanced and precise layout capabilities.

Question 55

When using graphics,photos,video clips and other online content in multimedia documents,

A) it is vital to make sure you can legally use them.
B) copyright is not a concern as long as the items were obtained from the Internet.
C) citation is unnecessary unless your audience asks where you found something.
D) you do not need permission unless you want to use a celebrity photo.
E) you can protect yourself against all potential copyright violations by simply including a sentence that reads, "All outside content is the property of the respective owners."

Question 56

With more complex messages,it is a good idea to set aside a first draft for a day or two before beginning the revision process.

Question 57

Boldface,italic,underlining,and color are all examples of

A) typefaces.
B) fonts.
C) justification.
D) type styles.
E) none of the above

Question 58

Using overnight delivery for a business message

A) is always a good idea, since it shows that the message is highly important.
B) is no longer needed, since electronic delivery options are always preferable.
C) hurts your image, since it suggests that you are a procrastinator.
D) is usually a waste of money unless the audience truly needs to receive it right away.
E) should always be your first choice among distribution methods if you work for a large company.

Question 59

Skilled business writers keep all their sentences as short as possible.

Question 60

The middle section of a message has the greatest impact on the audience.

Question 61

"Take an action" is an example of a camouflaged verb.

Question 62

Because the first thing that readers will notice about your message is its appearance,you should pay special attention to design and page layout.

Question 63

To make your message more interesting and accessible,you should use as many design elements and decorative touches as possible.

Question 64

If you regularly edit for conciseness and clarity,you'll likely find that audiences are more likely to read your documents.

Question 65

One advantage of justified type is that it makes a message look more personalized and less like a form letter.

Question 66

Words that do not affect the meaning of a sentence are usually unnecessary and contribute to sentence clutter.

Question 67

The subject and predicate of a sentence should be kept as close together as possible.

Question 68

Readers can understand descriptive headings without reading the rest of the document.

Question 69

To avoid legal problems in your business messages,you should use as many hedging words (such as may or seems)as possible.

Question 70

To draw attention to important points or terms italic type is more effective than boldface.

Question 71

"Future plans" is an example of a redundancy.

Question 72

Using a spell checker guarantees that your documents will be free of spelling errors.

Question 73

If you find graphics,photos,videos,and other elements online,you can use them in your own documents without worrying about copyright violations.

Question 74

Today's powerful grammar checkers can easily determine whether your document states your message correctly and communicates it clearly.

Question 75

In business documents,items in a list should always be numbered-using bullets or other graphics is unprofessional.

Question 76

Short words are generally more vivid and easier to read than long words.

Question 77

To improve the readability of your messages,make liberal use of references such as "the latter," "the former," "the aforementioned," and "as mentioned above."

Question 78

A dangling modifier is one that has no connection to the subject of the sentence.

Question 79

Using many different fonts in the same document will make it more appealing to your audience.

Question 80

The sentence,"It is imperative that we hire more employees" begins with an indefinite pronoun and should be shortened.