Deck 6: Revising Business Messages

Question 1

Which of the following represents the best business writing?

A) This e-mail message is to inform you that the CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow.
B) The CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow.
C) You should be aware that the CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow.
D) The CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow for a period of three hours.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The sentence Your attendance at Friday's training session is absolutely essential could be improved by eliminating a(n)

A) redundancy.
B) flabby expression.
C) opening filler.
D) empty word.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is an advantage of writing concisely?

A) Concise messages are easier to comprehend than wordy messages.
B) Concise messages are more persuasive.
C) Concise messages are less emphatic than wordy messages.
D) All of these choices are advantages of writing concisely.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following represents the best business writing?

A) We want you to have each and every true fact about our products and services.
B) In addition to the above, you will find more information in the enclosed brochure.
C) There are three items that are absolutely essential for us to discuss at a later date.
D) Your plane leaves Oakland at 11 p.m., PST, and arrives in Boston at 7:30 a.m., EST.

Question 5

Which of the following sentences is free of opening fillers, redundancies, and flabby expressions?

A) There are several reasons that our company should go public.
B) Our company should go public for several reasons.
C) Due to the fact that we need to raise money, our company should go public.
D) It is perfectly clear that our company should go public.

Question 6

The sentence There are four new items that we will add to our menu next month could be made more concise by eliminating a(n)

A) redundancy.
B) flabby expression.
C) opening filler.
D) long lead-in.

Question 7

Basic fundamentals, exactly identical, and necessary prerequisite are all examples of

A) redundancies.
B) flabby expressions.
C) long lead-ins.
D) opening fillers.

Question 8

Julia is sending a letter to a client.Before sending it, she wants to make sure that she has made her point in the fewest possible words.What is Julia checking for?

A) Conciseness
B) Format
C) Clarity
D) Vigor

Question 9

Which of the following sentences does not contain a long lead-in?

A) I am writing this e-mail message to inform you that our meeting time has been changed.
B) Please be advised that our meeting time has changed.
C) Our meeting time has been changed.
D) You might be interested to learn that our meeting time has been changed.

Question 10

Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process begins with doing which of the following?

A) Evaluating your document to determine whether it achieves its purpose
B) Deciding how to organize the message
C) Composing the first draft
D) Revising the message to improve content and sentence structure

Question 11

To make your business messages concise, you should avoid which of the following?

A) Flabby expressions
B) Unnecessary introductory words
C) Redundancies and empty words
D) All of these choices

Question 12

The sentence I am writing this e-mail message to let you know that we have received and processed your return

A) contains a redundancy.
B) contains a long lead-in.
C) contains empty words.
D) is an example of good business writing.

Question 13

At this point in time, due to the fact that, and feel free to are examples of

A) redundancies.
B) flabby expressions.
C) long lead-ins.
D) opening fillers.

Question 14

Carl was promoted to a position that will require extensive writing.What is the best writing advice you can give him?

A) Spend the most time analyzing the purpose and audience.
B) Revision is necessary only for longer, more important documents.
C) If you try hard enough, you can write a perfect first draft.
D) When you finish a first draft, put the document aside and return to it after a break for revision.

Question 15

The sentence In the event that you earn your master's degree, please consider applying again could be made more effective by eliminating a(n)

A) opening filler.
B) redundancy.
C) long lead-in.
D) flabby expression.

Question 16

The final phase of the 3-x-3 writing process focuses on

A) revising.
B) proofreading.
C) evaluating.
D) all of these.

Question 17

Which of the following phrases is free of redundancies?

A) Essential items
B) Big in size
C) Combined together
D) New beginning

Question 18

Which of the following statements about Phase 3 of the writing process is most accurate?

A) A significant amount of a writer's time should be spent in this phase.
B) Expert writers can expect to get their documents correct on the first try.
C) Do not attempt to revise as you write; revision must always take place at the end.
D) The first version of a document is usually satisfactory for most business messages.

Question 19

Joani is writing a proposal to submit to her company's board of directors.She should spend the most time in the ____ phase to make sure that her document is clear and correct.

A) prewriting
B) writing
C) revising
D) Joani will spend an equal amount of time in all three phases.

Question 20

One important of the revision process is to test the ____ to make sure that your message will be immediately understood by the reader.

A) clarity
B) conciseness
C) mechanics
D) punctuation

Question 21

Which of the following sentences does not contain a verb that has been converted into a noun?

A) The task force made a recommendation to start a recycling program.
B) Our supervisor made a decision to eliminate overtime.
C) The jury concluded that the defendant was guilty.
D) The accountant will perform an analysis of the quarter's financial statements.

Question 22

Leonard has just written an e-mail message to his colleagues.Before sending it, he wants to make sure that his colleagues will immediately understand the message.What is Leonard checking for?

A) Conciseness
B) Format
C) Clarity
D) Punctuation

Question 23

Which of the following sentences does not contain any clichés?

A) Her comment during the meeting really hit me below the belt.
B) If you study hard, you'll pass the CPA exam with flying colors.
C) Just do your best during your job interview.
D) The best business communicators are able to think outside the box.

Question 24

Which of the following is free of wordy or trite phrases?

A) It is my personal opinion that we cannot create a reduction in our inventory unless we lower prices.
B) You may be assured that every effort will be made to ship your order by October 1.
C) Management has been unable to reach a conclusion regarding contract negotiations with the union.
D) Although Chinese is the language spoken by the largest number of native speakers in the world, English is considered the language of international business.

Question 25

A trite business phrase such as as per your request

A) contains unnecessary redundancy.
B) is a stale expression that other writers have used over the years.
C) is unclear because it is too technical.
D) sounds professional and businesslike.

Question 26

Which of the following is a goal of business writing?

A) To impress your reader
B) To keep your writing short and simple
C) To maintain a formal tone by using indirect, pompous language
D) All of these choices are goals of business writing.

Question 27

Which of the following sentences makes the best use of verbs?

A) The health care industry is dependent on a highly trained staff.
B) The task force reached a conclusion that the company should go public.
C) In some parts of the world, business is not conducted over meals.
D) We have made plans to create a reduction in our operating expenses.

Question 28

Which of the following sentences avoids use of trite business phrases?

A) The application will be sent under separate cover.
B) Enclosed please find a coupon to use during your next visit.
C) We have received your loan application.
D) Please do not hesitate to call me if you have questions.

Question 29

Jessica has written a marketing report for her boss.Before presenting it, she wants to make sure that the report does not contain overused expressions.What is Jessica checking for?

A) Conciseness
B) Proper punctuation
C) Buried verbs
D) Clichés

Question 30

What should you do to make a business message clear?

A) Keep your message short and simple.
B) Dump trite business phrases.
C) Avoid clichés and slang.
D) All of these choices.

Question 31

Which of the following represents the best writing?

A) Dominique conducted an investigation of the company's financial statements.
B) Elena reported her findings.
C) Please give consideration to my proposal.
D) The general manager made the assumption that Alex had contacted the customer.

Question 32

Which of the following sentences best demonstrates clarity?

A) Employees should be notified without delay of next week's gathering.
B) It is imperative that all employees be notified of next week's assembly.
C) It is the duty of all supervisors to inform their subordinates of next week's congregation.
D) Please let your employees know about next Friday's meeting.

Question 33

Conduct a discussion of, give consideration to, and reach a conclusion that are all examples of

A) verbs that have been converted to nouns.
B) long lead-ins.
C) trite business phrases.
D) redundancies.

Question 34

Which of the following sentences does not contain any trite business phrases?

A) We received your application for the marketing position.
B) As per your request, we are processing your application for the marketing position.
C) Every effort will be made to process your application for the marketing position shortly.
D) Thank you in advance for your interest in our marketing position.

Question 35

Pursuant to your request, enclosed please find, and with reference to are all examples of

A) long lead-ins.
B) redundancies.
C) trite business phrases.
D) professional business phrases.

Question 36

The sentence Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions could be made more effective by eliminating a(n)

A) trite business phrase.
B) flabby expression.
C) redundancy.
D) opening filler.

Question 37

Which of the following is an example of an effective, businesslike expression?

A) Enclosed herewith please find
B) In accordance with your wishes
C) Every effort will be made
D) None of these choices

Question 38

Which of the following is the best example of business writing?

A) It would be advantageous for you to enlighten your employees regarding the company's new e-mail guidelines.
B) Please tell your employees about the company's new e-mail guidelines.
C) You are hereby advised to inform your employees about the new e-mail guidelines that have been adopted by the company.
D) The individual referenced above must inform his or her subordinates in regard to the company's new e-mail policy.

Question 39

Which of the following sentences sounds most conversational?

A) The undersigned is sincerely grateful for the kind assistance you provided last week.
B) Thanks for your help last week.
C) It is my sincere hope that it was not too much of an inconvenience for you to sacrifice your valuable time to assist a colleague last week.
D) My sincere gratitude is offered to you in exchange for the support you offered to me last week.

Question 40

Which of the following represents the best business writing?

A) Thank you in advance for considering my application for the finance position.
B) Enclosed are three samples of our fabric.
C) Do you know what her phone call was in reference to?
D) Pursuant to your request, we have added you to our mailing list.

Question 41

When proofreading a document, be concerned with

A) spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
B) format.
C) names and numbers.
D) all of these choices.

Question 42

Which of the following statements about readability is most accurate?

A) Headings can help a reader separate major ideas from details.
B) Headings are used only in reports.
C) Graphic techniques such as underlining, bold type, and italics should be avoided in professional business messages.
D) All business documents should have fully justified (even) left and right margins.

Question 43

Alexis must proofread a complex business document.What is the best advice you can give her?

A) Proofread the document on your computer screen to save paper.
B) Be prepared to find errors.
C) Read the document just once to save time.
D) Alexis should do all of these.

Question 44

Which of the following sentences demonstrates parallel structure?

A) In my current position, I interact with customers, input orders, and am responsible for updating the company's Web site.
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 organization skills.

Question 45

When proofreading a document,

A) rely on the spell checker to locate all spelling and typographical errors.
B) do so continuously while the document is being written.
C) make sure introductory clauses are followed by commas.
D) All of these choices.

Question 46

Most experts who have had a lot of practice can prepare a perfect document on the first try.

Question 47

The first step of Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process is evaluating the document.

Question 48

Which of the following sentences best controls exuberance?

A) We totally understand that you really didn't mean to actually come across that way during the interview.
B) Our customers are extremely pleased with our really excellent customer service.
C) We are happy to learn that your banquet room is available on December 15.
D) We definitely think that the company could actually reduce turnover by offering new benefits.

Question 49

To make your business messages more readable, you can do which of the following?

A) Add footnotes.
B) Incorporate numbered and bulleted lists.
C) Include a bibliography at the end.
D) Eliminate white space.

Question 50

As a general rule, feel free to, and in the near future are examples of redundancies.

Question 51

Lawrence is evaluating a report that he will be submitting to his supervisor.What should Lawrence ask himself during the evaluation process?

A) Will the report attract my supervisor's attention?
B) Will the report convince my supervisor that I am worth listening to?
C) How will I know whether the report is successful?
D) Lawrence should ask all of these questions.

Question 52

Which of the following statements about numbered and bulleted lists is most accurate?

A) Use a bulleted list when the sequence of items is important.
B) In a numbered or bulleted list, capitalize the first word only if the listed item is a complete sentence.
C) The items in a numbered or bulleted list should be parallel.
D) Add end punctuation to all items in a numbered or bulleted list.

Question 53

The best way to evaluate your finished written message is by

A) determining the readability level.
B) running it through a grammar/style checker program.
C) receiving feedback.
D) paying a professional to proofread it for you.

Question 54

Some experts recommend spending about half the total composition time revising, proofreading, and evaluating a document.

Question 55

Expressions such as at this point in time and due to the fact that can help your business documents sound more professional.

Question 56

Concise messages are easier to read and comprehend than wordy messages.

Question 57

The sentence This letter is to inform you that your loan application has been approved is an example of effective business writing.

Question 58

In the sentence Let me refer back to something I said earlier, the expression refer back is redundant.

Question 59

There are and it is are examples of unnecessary opening fillers.

Question 60

Opening fillers, long lead-ins, compound prepositions, and redundancies all make business documents wordier.

Question 61

This sentence contains parallel construction: Our new copier sorts, collates, and it can staple documents.

Question 62

All items in a bulleted or numbered list should be parallel in construction.

Question 63

Underlining, bold type, or italics can be used to call attention to important points and terms.

Question 64

The sentence Enclosed please find the contract we have prepared for you contains wording that is preferred over Enclosed is the contract that we have prepared for you.

Question 65

If you want to sound professional, avoid using slang such as bombed and getting burned in your business writing.

Question 66

The following sentence contains a redundancy: After studying the basic fundamentals of the provisions, I have decided to vote for the contract.

Question 67

To sound professional and businesslike, you should try to use common expressions such as last but not least and shoot from the hip.

Question 68

Allan is writing instructions for filing an employee grievance.He should use a bulleted list because the order of steps in the process is important.

Question 69

The primary goal of business writing is to impress your reader.

Question 70

Numbered and bulleted lists can improve readability, comprehension, and retention.

Question 71

Use phrases such as please do not hesitate to and feel free to to make your writing sound businesslike.

Question 72

Ragged right margin-that is, without alignment or justification-rovide more white space and improve readability.

Question 73

Use a wide variety of typefaces in a business document to make it interesting and exciting.

Question 74

Clauses beginning with that, which, and who can often be shortened without loss of clarity.

Question 75

The following sentence contains a verb that has been converted to a noun: Morgan performed an analysis of the quarterly sales figures.

Question 76

Blank white space in a document can improve readability.

Question 77

One way to achieve clarity is to use active-voice sentences in your messages.

Question 78

To add exuberance to your business documents, freely use words such as totally, definitely, extremely, and actually.

Question 79

The following is an example of effective business writing: Further instructions will be sent to you under separate cover.

Question 80

Add ending punctuation to a numbered or bulleted list only if the items in the list are complete sentences.