Deck 12: Choosing the Right Type of Report

Question 1

The direct arrangement presents the most important part of the report right away.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The majority of the reports written within companies are routine operational reports.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

External problem-solving reports are most often written by consulting companies for their clients.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Letter reports for a company's board of directors should be written using the personal style.

Question 5

Below the short-report form is a form that presents the entire report as a letter.

Question 6

The executive summary reviews only the highlights of the report.

Question 7

The problem statement conveys the goal of your investigation.

Question 8

The first two pages of a long, formal report contain identification information.

Question 9

The ending summary reviews the entire report, usually from the beginning to the end.

Question 10

Since readers of most of the shorter, more informal reports do not understand their context and purpose, the reports require introductory material.

Question 11

In addition to displaying the report title, the title page identifies the recipient and the writer.

Question 12

Because shorter reports usually solve routine problems, they are likely to be written in the indirect order.

Question 13

A company's written evaluation of its experience with a particular product may be presented in letter form and sent to the person who requests it.

Question 14

A report written in the direct order begins with whatever introductory material is needed to prepare the reader for the report.

Question 15

As the need for formality decreases and the problem becomes smaller, the makeup of the report changes.

Question 16

Letter reports should use only the direct order.

Question 17

Since letters are traditionally a personal form of communication, letter reports tend to use the personal style.

Question 18

Unlike any other report, the short report does not use graphics, an appendix, or a bibliography even if these are needed.

Question 19

The more informal the situation, the more elaborate the report is likely to be.

Question 20

A weekly sales report needs elaborate introductory material.

Question 21

Which of the following is true about letter reports?

A) Letters are traditionally an impersonal form of communication.
B) Letter reports rarely use the personal style.
C) Typically, the length of letter reports is three to four pages or less.
D) Letter reports are used primarily to present information to persons inside the organization.
E) Letter reports for the company's board of directors are written personally, using "I," "we," and "you" references.

Question 22

Which of the following is usually the first to be omitted from reports when the formality decreases and the problem becomes smaller?

A) Title page
B) Letter of transmittal
C) Table of contents
D) Executive summary
E) Title fly

Question 23

Which of the following is true about short reports?

A) The writing in shorter reports tends to be more impersonal than in long reports.
B) Short-report situations usually do not involve personal relationships.
C) Short reports rarely tend to be from and to people who know each other.
D) The shorter reports are likely to use the personal pronouns "I," "we," and "you," rather than only the third person.
E) Shorter reports seldom deal with day-to-day, routine problems.

Question 24

Which of the following is true about short reports?

A) Weekly inventory reports need no introductory material.
B) Short reports are intended only for large audiences.
C) Readers of short reports do not understand their context and purpose.
D) Shorter reports do not tend to deal with day-to-day, routine problems.
E) Shorter reports are likely to use only the third person rather than the personal pronouns "I," "we," and "you."

Question 25

Which of the following is usually the last to be omitted from reports when the formality decreases and the problem becomes smaller?

A) Title fly
B) Title page
C) Table of contents
D) Letter of transmittal
E) Executive summary

Question 26

Which of the following differentiates the writing in short reports from the writing in long reports?

A) Short reports often have long lives and are kept on file to be read in future years.
B) Short reports generally need an elaborate coherence plan.
C) Short reports are more likely to begin directly.
D) Readers of short reports will need many reminders of what they just read or previews of what they are about to read.
E) Short reports have greater need for introductory material.

Question 27

The writing in short reports differs from the writing in long reports in that:

A) short reports include the prefatory parts that are appropriate for the report's length, formality, and reader.
B) short reports generally need an elaborate coherence plan.
C) readers of short reports will need many reminders of what they just read or previews of what they are about to read.
D) most short-report situations are likely to justify personal writing because of their relatively routine nature.
E) short reports often have long lives and are kept on file to be read in future years.

Question 28

When one moves down the structural ladder toward the more informal and shorter reports, at the bottom of the ladder, the _____ order is more the rule than the exception.

A) direct
B) indirect
C) personal
D) informal
E) formal

Question 29

The _____ is the report in miniature.

A) executive summary
B) title page
C) table of contents
D) transmittal message
E) title fly

Question 30

Identify the most appropriate beginning subject matter for a letter of transmittal.

A) Identification of the report's contents and purpose
B) The key points of the report
C) Statement of the conclusion of the report
D) Friendly expression of gratitude
E) Statement of the recommendations of the report

Question 31

A report written in the _____ order begins with whatever introductory material is needed to prepare the reader for the report.

A) informal
B) formal
C) personal
D) direct
E) indirect

Question 32

Business writers use the _____ order because they know that their readers' main concern is to get the information needed to make a decision.

A) indirect
B) direct
C) formal
D) informal
E) personal

Question 33

Which of the following two prefatory parts may be combined as formality and length requirements decrease in a report?

A) Table of contents and appendix
B) Executive summary and letter of transmittal
C) Letter of authorization and letter of transmittal
D) Title page and title fly
E) Executive summary and preview

Question 34

_____ are used primarily to present information to persons outside the organization.

A) Appended parts
B) Letters of authorization
C) Email reports
D) Letter reports
E) Memo reports

Question 35

Identify one of the ways that the writing in short reports differs from the writing in long reports.

A) Short reports include the prefatory parts that are appropriate for the report's length, formality, and reader.
B) Short reports have less need for a formal coherence plan.
C) Readers of short reports will need many reminders of what they just read or previews of what they are about to read.
D) Short reports have greater need for introductory material.
E) Short reports generally need an elaborate coherence plan.

Question 36

Which of the following is true of transmittal messages?

A) A transmittal message is nonpersonalized.
B) Even in cases of extreme formality, the use of personal pronouns and conversational language is avoided in transmittal messages.
C) A transmittal letter does not identify a report's purpose or contents.
D) A transmittal message ends with a pleasant, forward-looking comment.
E) The transmittal letter and the executive summary should not be combined.

Question 37

The _____ pages, a number of pages that come before the text material, are included when the situation is formal and the report is long.

A) appendices
B) glossary
C) bibliography
D) prefatory
E) executive summary

Question 38

Which of the following is one of the ways that the writing in short reports differs from the writing in long reports?

A) Short reports include the prefatory parts that are appropriate for the report's length, formality, and reader.
B) Short reports generally need an elaborate coherence plan.
C) Readers of short reports will need many reminders of what they just read or previews of what they are about to read.
D) Short reports have less need for introductory material.
E) Most short-report situations are likely to justify impersonal writing because of their relatively routine nature.

Question 39

A report's form and contents should be based on its _____ to meet the reader's needs in each situation.

A) formality and cost
B) writing style and topic
C) formality and length
D) length and style
E) number of readers and formality

Question 40

What is the most appropriate opening for a letter of transmittal?

A) "It is a pleasure to inform you of the status of this report."
B) "Thank you for permitting me to work on this report."
C) "Here is the report on water pollution that you asked for."
D) "On January 3, you assigned me the task of studying the effects of water pollution."
E) "The effects of water pollution are serious and deserve our prompt action."

Question 41

Which of the following is true of short reports?

A) The mechanics of constructing the short report are much different than the mechanics of constructing the more formal, longer types.
B) The short report uses different forms of title page and page layout than the more formal, longer ones.
C) Unlike longer reports, shorter reports do not use headings.
D) Unlike any other report, the short report avoids graphics, an appendix, and a bibliography even when these are needed.
E) Because of the short report's brevity, the headings rarely go beyond the two-division level.

Question 42

For certain types of problem-solving reports, writers study several courses of action and then propose the most desirable one. This is known as a _____.

A) template macro
B) template micro
C) template merge document
D) progress study
E) feasibility study

Question 43

_____ is a network of explanations, introductions, summaries, and conclusions that guide the reader through a report.

A) Report plan
B) Introductory plan
C) Summary plan
D) Business plan
E) Structural coherence plan

Question 44

A researcher works under severe time constraints. What is the best advice you could give the researcher for handling this limitation?

A) Ignore the limitation.
B) Mention the limitation in the executive summary.
C) Explain the limitation in a footnote in the conclusion.
D) Present the limitation in the appendix.
E) Explain the limitation in the introduction.

Question 45

Identify the correct statement about letter reports.

A) If a letter report is begun in the direct order, a subject line is inappropriate.
B) Letter reports in the indirect order use a subject line.
C) Letter reports in the indirect order do not open with any background information.
D) As a general rule, letter reports are not written personally, using "I," "we," and "you" references.
E) The subject line of the letter report consists of identifying words appearing at the top of the letter, usually right after the salutation.

Question 46

_____ provide a written record of a group's activities and decisions, a history that includes announcements, reports, significant discussions, and decisions.

A) Feasibility studies
B) Prefatory pages
C) Checklists
D) Minutes
E) Agendas

Question 47

When using standardized forms for periodic reports, a _____ document would prompt you for the variables first, merging them with the primary document later.

A) micro
B) template merge
C) template macro
D) progress report
E) problem-solving report

Question 48

Which part of the introduction is a basic ingredient of the coherence plan of a very long report?

A) Report preview
B) Sources and methods of collecting information
C) Historical background
D) Limitations
E) Scope

Question 49

When using standardized forms for periodic reports, you should consider developing a template _____ with your word processing software as it would fill in all the standard parts for you, pausing to let you fill in the variable information.

A) micro
B) merge document
C) progress report
D) macro
E) problem-solving report

Question 50

Which of the following is true about meeting minutes?

A) Minutes include only subjective data.
B) Minutes are primarily a verbatim transcript.
C) Minutes include only descriptive data.
D) The expected format of meeting minutes varies across organizations.
E) Minutes need not provide an adequate record.

Question 51

Which of the following is true about routine operational reports?

A) The majority of the reports written within companies are routine reports that keep supervisors, managers, and team members informed about the company's operations.
B) Routine operational reports are typically either monthly or quarterly reports.
C) Routine operational reports usually cannot relate production data.
D) Information on visits to customers does not fall under the routine operational reports category.
E) It is not possible develop a template macro or merge document for routine operational reports.

Question 52

Which of the following is true about email reports?

A) Email is usually used for external reports.
B) Because email is primarily a communication between people who do not know each other, they are usually formal.
C) Unlike the longer forms, emails do not use headings to display content and graphics to support the text.
D) For the longer email reports, writers will often choose to make the report itself an attached document and use the email message as a transmittal message.
E) All emails must be informal.

Question 53

Which of the following statements is true about letter reports?

A) They should use only the direct order.
B) They should use only the indirect order.
C) They use either the direct order or the indirect order.
D) Letter reports in the indirect order always use a subject line.
E) Letter reports in the indirect order do not open with background information.

Question 54

Which of the following is true about short reports?

A) Short reports represent the second and third steps in the formality stairway.
B) The popularity of short reports may be explained by the middle-ground impression of formality that it conveys.
C) In very short reports, an incidental reference to the problem, authorization of the investigation, or the like does not provide sufficient introduction.
D) Readers of short reports will need many reminders of what they just read or previews of what they are about to read.
E) External reports that use the indirect order do not state the main findings in the transmittal message.

Question 55

In the preview section of the introduction, the report writer:

A) summarizes conclusions.
B) tells readers how the report will be presented.
C) summarizes conclusions and analyses.
D) tells readers how he/she collected the information in the report.
E) introduces the report.

Question 56

The majority of the reports written within companies are _____.

A) routine operational reports
B) progress reports
C) problem-solving reports
D) audit reports
E) long, formal reports

Question 57

A writer decides to include some of her working papers and summary tables in her report. The best place for these in the report is in:

A) the text, near this discussion.
B) a special section of the report text.
C) the introduction.
D) the appendix.
E) the preface.

Question 58

Which of the following best defines the scope of a report?

A) The goal of the study
B) A statement of the report's problem and purpose
C) Knowledge of the history of the problem
D) Boundaries of the problem
E) Preview of the report structure

Question 59

A _____ is a routine operational report except that it tends to be submitted on an as-needed basis.

A) problem-solving report
B) progress report
C) template macro
D) template merge document
E) template micro

Question 60

Which of the following is not included in the appendix?

A) Questionnaires
B) Working papers
C) Charts
D) Summary tables
E) Additional references

Question 61

What is the most common arrangement of the prefatory pages?

Question 62

Coherence helpers should be used in reports primarily on the basis of the:

A) readers' likely need for them.
B) report length.
C) formality of the report.
D) writing style used.
E) desired level of readability.

Question 63

List the four main ways in which short reports differ from long ones.

Question 64

What are the four forms of written reports other than short reports, letter reports, and email or memo reports?

Question 65

Which of the following is true of the components of long, formal reports?

A) The facts of authorization are particularly useful in reports that have transmittal messages.
B) As the report's author, you should assume that readers have the same knowledge of the problem that you do.
C) The purpose of report introduction is to prepare the readers to receive the report's findings.
D) The purpose statement is a description of the situation that prompted the investigation.
E) The problem statement conveys the goal of your investigation.

Question 66

Which of the following is true about a structural coherence plan?

A) You should use the components of the structural coherence plan repeatedly.
B) The report preview only covers the topics to be discussed.
C) The report preview only covers the order of the topics to be discussed.
D) The report preview does not cover the logic of the order of the topics to be discussed.
E) Summaries and conclusions help readers to see the relationships of the report topics.

Question 67

Identify the correct statement about the components of long, formal reports.

A) The facts of authorization are particularly useful in reports that have transmittal messages.
B) In the scope part of the report, you should describe what parts of the problem you studied and omit what parts you did not.
C) Limitations refer to anything that keeps your report from being an ideal treatment of the problem.
D) The ending summary is a prefatory part of the report.
E) The executive summary is a part of the report text.

Question 68

Explain the predominance of the direct order.

Question 69

Differentiate between the executive summary and the ending summary.

Question 70

What are letter reports? Give two examples.

Question 71

Define a transmittal message. What are the forms it takes?

Question 72

What are routine operational reports? Give at least two examples.

Question 73

Discuss the different types of appended parts in reports.

Question 74

Which of the following statements is true of the components of long, formal reports?

A) When your investigation makes heavy use of published sources, you normally include either footnotes, a bibliography, or both.
B) The executive summary reviews only the highlights of the report.
C) The ending summary reviews the entire report, usually from the beginning to the end.
D) The ending summary is more complete than the executive summary.
E) As a rule, the appendix should include the charts, graphs, and tables that directly support the report.

Question 75

Differentiate between progress reports and problem-solving reports.