Question 1

Examine the sentence taken from a report. Which relationship is established by the transitional phrase "for example" with its preceding content? "Similarly, Crompton has outstanding qualities."
A) Contrast
B) Cause-result
C) Likeness
D) Explanation
E) Elaboration

Accepted Answer

The transitional phrase "for example" is used to illustrate or provide an instance of a point made earlier. In this context, it suggests that Crompton's outstanding qualities are an instance of the likeness mentioned before.

Question 2

_____ are short constructions, frequently consisting of one or two words.
A) Talking headings
B) Topic headings
C) Sub headings
D) Format headings
E) Space headings

Accepted Answer

Topic headings are typically short, often consisting of one or two words, designed to encapsulate the subject or main idea of the content that follows.

Question 3

Using present-time viewpoint requires that:
A) all the verbs used should be in the present tense.
B) all the verbs used should be in the past tense.
C) all the verbs used should be in the past continuous tense.
D) all the current information be presented in the passive voice.
E) all the information other than the current information be presented in its proper place in the past or future.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Using present-time viewpoint requires that:
A) all the...

Question 4

Which of the following words does not share the same transitional relationship as the others?
A) On the other hand
B) In spite of
C) In contrast
D) In like manner
E) On the contrary

Accepted Answer

The other four options all express a contrast or contradistinction between two ideas, while "in like manner" implies a similarity or comparison between two ideas.

Question 5

The conventional system typically uses _____ to show the lesser headings in a report.
A) Roman numerals
B) whole numbers
C) Arabic numbers
D) rational numbers
E) irrational numbers

Accepted Answer

The conventional system typically uses Arabic numbers to show the lesser headings in a report, as they are straightforward and universally understood for numbering sections and subsections.

Question 6

Which of the following is true about talking headings?
A) They are short constructions consisting of one word.
B) The word limit in talking headings is restricted to two words.
C) Their job ends at identifying the topic of discussion.
D) They should be avoided when targeting readers who are extremely busy and are likely to skim the supporting facts.
E) They summarize the material they cover.

Accepted Answer

Talking headings summarize the material they cover.

Question 7

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.
A) "Adequacy of natural gas"
B) "Proximity to raw materials"
C) "Abundance of skilled labor"
D) "High tax rate is a problem"
E) "Availability of adequate transportation"

Accepted Answer

All other headings follow a consistent pattern of noun + preposition + adjective, while heading D breaks this pattern by using a complete sentence structure.

Question 8

The decimal system uses _____ to show the major sections in a report.
A) Roman numerals
B) Arabic numbers
C) letters of the alphabet
D) whole numbers
E) ratios

Accepted Answer

The answer of The decimal system uses _____ to show...

Question 9

If the information you have collected has some relation to geographic location, you should typically use a _____ division.
A) place
B) time
C) quantity
D) progress
E) quality

Accepted Answer

A place division is the best choice when dealing with information related to geographic location as it allows for easy categorization and visualization of data based on specific regions, cities, or countries. Time, quantity, progress, and quality divisions would not be relevant in this context.

Question 10

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.
A) Managers prefer to communicate via mails.
B) U.S. employees waste a lot of time on social media site.
C) A virtual team is preferred by overseas employees.
D) Employees everywhere form informal networks at workplace.
E) The recent recession has greatly affected the U.S. job market.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is C) "A virtual team is preferred by overseas employees." This choice violates parallelism because it uses passive voice, whereas the other options (A, B, D, E) are in active voice, maintaining a consistent structure.

Question 11

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.
A) "Slight increase in bank debits"
B) "Freight loadings increase slightly"
C) "Postal receipts remain unchanged"
D) "Retail sales reach new high"
E) "Construction activity stabilizes"

Accepted Answer

The first two headings use the same format of "verb + noun + adverb" (increase slightly), while the last two headings use the same format of "noun + verb + adjective" (sales reach new high, activity stabilizes). However, heading A uses a different format of "adjective + noun + preposition" (slight increase in) and violates parallelism.

Question 12

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.
A) "Morale is declining"
B) "Production is lagging"
C) "Breakdowns are occurring"
D) "Equipment is wearing out"
E) "Absenteeism, a problem"

Accepted Answer

The other headings are all in a noun-verb pattern ("Morale is declining," "Production is lagging," etc.), but "Absenteeism, a problem" is a noun phrase followed by a comma and then a sentence fragment. This violates parallelism of construction.

Question 13

When using the past time viewpoint in your report, you:
A) should report the results of a recent survey in the present tense.
B) can violate parallelism of construction for the headings.
C) should use present tense viewpoint for research methodology.
D) should avoid using the past time viewpoint for prevailing concepts.
E) can use the past time viewpoint for proven conclusions.

Accepted Answer

When using the past time viewpoint in a report, it is appropriate to use it for proven conclusions because these have already been established and do not need to be reported as ongoing. However, it is important to use present tense for research methodology to accurately convey the methodology used, and to avoid using past tense for prevailing concepts that are still relevant and ongoing. Additionally, violating parallelism of construction for headings can make the report harder to read and understand, so this should be avoided. Finally, reporting the results of a recent survey in the present tense is the most appropriate choice to accurately reflect the current state of the data.

Question 14

Examine the sentence taken from a report. Which relationship is established by the transitional phrase "for example" with its preceding content? "The Mills Company, for example, has conducted such a program for the past eleven years."
A) Contrast
B) Cause-result
C) Likeness
D) Explanation or elaboration
E) Listing or enumeration of subjects

Accepted Answer

The transitional phrase "for example" is used to provide an elaboration or explanation of the preceding content, indicating that the Mills Company is an example of a company that has conducted such a program. Therefore, the correct answer is D) Explanation or elaboration.

Question 15

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.
A) "Assessment of production facilities"
B) "Consumer demands are high"
C) "Postal receipts remain unchanged"
D) Necessary finances are absent.
E) The product design is competitive.

Accepted Answer

All choices except A use a clause structure, making A the one that violates parallelism by using a noun phrase instead.

Question 16

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.
A) "Increasing transportation costs"
B) "Recreation costs"
C) "Declining costs of clothing"
D) "Increasing food expenses"
E) "Increasing costs of housing"

Accepted Answer

All other options follow the pattern of "Increasing/Declining [noun] [noun/form of the noun]," making "Recreation costs" the one that violates parallelism as it lacks an adjective describing the trend of the costs.

Question 17

Which of the following is true about collaborative writing projects?
A) The specialized knowledge of different people can degrade the quality of the work.
B) The combined talents of the members in the group are likely to produce a document better than any one of the members could produce alone.
C) Dividing the work can increase the time needed for the project.
D) There are not many software tools available that allow groups to collaborate easily.
E) There are not many software tools available that allow groups to collaborate well from different places.

Accepted Answer

Collaborative writing projects benefit from the diverse perspectives, skills, and expertise of the group members. This can lead to a higher quality product than if any one member had created the work alone. Dividing the work can also help the project be completed more efficiently by utilizing the strengths of each member. While there may be challenges in coordinating schedules and communication, there are numerous software tools available that enable effective collaboration from different locations. Therefore, options A, C, D, and E are incorrect.

Question 18

Which of the following divisions is best suited for creating an outline of a report regarding the progress of a new manufacturing plant under construction?
A) Place
B) Quantity
C) Place-Quantity
D) Time
E) Quality

Accepted Answer

When creating an outline of a report about the progress of a new manufacturing plant under construction, the best division to use would be time-based. This would allow for outlining the various stages of construction and the timeline for completion. The other options (Place, Quantity, Place-Quantity, Quality) may be important factors to include in the report, but they would not be the best overall division to structure the outline around.

Question 19

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.
A) "Leading position of the East"
B) "Runner-up status of Midwest"
C) "Third position for Far West"
D) "Rapidly gaining South ranks fourth"
E) "Last position for Mountain States"

Accepted Answer

The other headings all follow a parallel structure of "adjective + position + region," while D breaks this pattern by using the verb phrase "gaining" instead of an adjective to describe the South.

Question 20

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.
A) "Wilson leading in sales productivity"
B) "Kennison has the best training record"
C) "White shows all-around competency"
D) "Cannon is the most stable player in this field"
E) "Dawkins has a mediocre record"

Accepted Answer

The heading "Wilson leading in sales productivity" lacks a verb form that matches the structure of the other headings, which all use a form of "has" or "is" to maintain parallelism.

Quiz 11: Preparing Informative and Influential Business Reports

Examine the sentence taken from a report. Which relationship is established by the transitional phrase "for example" with its preceding content? "Similarly, Crompton has outstanding qualities."

_____ are short constructions, frequently consisting of one or two words.

Using present-time viewpoint requires that:

Which of the following words does not share the same transitional relationship as the others?

The conventional system typically uses _____ to show the lesser headings in a report.

Which of the following is true about talking headings?

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.

The decimal system uses _____ to show the major sections in a report.

If the information you have collected has some relation to geographic location, you should typically use a _____ division.

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.

When using the past time viewpoint in your report, you:

Examine the sentence taken from a report. Which relationship is established by the transitional phrase "for example" with its preceding content? "The Mills Company, for example, has conducted such a program for the past eleven years."

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.

Which of the following is true about collaborative writing projects?

Which of the following divisions is best suited for creating an outline of a report regarding the progress of a new manufacturing plant under construction?

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.

Of the following headings from a report, _____ violates parallelism of construction.