Principles of Business Correspondence
1. Letters are used for in-house communications among members of the same organization, and memos are used for first contacts with new associates or clients and for other official communications with outside constituencies. ___ T ___ F
2. It is appropriate to be less concerned with accuracy and correctness when communicating via email.___ T ___ F
3. The first things to consider when beginning a piece of correspondence are your purpose, your audience, and the circumstances. ___ T ___ F
4. The active voice creates a friendlier more courteous tone than the passive voice, which tends to sound impersonal and unfriendly. ___ T ___ F
5. When you do not know the name or title of the recipient of your letter, it is appropriate to use “Dear Sirs” or “Gentlemen” as your salutation. ___ T ___ F
6. It’s important to avoid slang and jargon only in international correspondence. ___ T ___ F
7. Which of the following sentences best displays the “you” viewpoint? (Check one.)
____ So you can receive your merchandise promptly, please enclose your payment with your order.
____ The payment must be enclosed with the order before we can ship the merchandise.
8. To organize routine correspondence that will achieve goodwill, in what order should the following be presented? (Label 1st, 2nd, and 3rd)
___ Statement of goodwill
___ Main point or good news
___ Explanation of details or facts
9. What is the best general pattern for most bad-news letters or other sensitive correspondence? (Label 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
___ Bad news
___ Goodwill statement
___ Context or buffer statement
___ Explanation of details or facts
Using “I” for indirect and “D” for direct, label each of the following based on the appropriate organizational pattern for the situation:
10. ____ Letter thanking a guest speaker for her presentation at your event.
11. ____ Letter declining an invitation to attend a conference.
12. ____ Letter to a former employer requesting a recommendation letter.
13. ____ Letter rejecting a sales proposal.
14. When you are not using company letterhead, which of the following should you include in the heading? (Check all that apply.)
___ writer’s name
___ writer’s address
___ date
15. Which form of punctuation should follow the name in the salutation (e.g., “Dear Dr. Smith”)?
___ colon (:)
___ comma (,)
___ semicolon (;)
16. Which opening sentence would be most effective in a letter refusing a job offer?
____ I regret to inform you that I have been offered another position.
___ I was pleased to receive your offer of employment as a medical assistant.
17. Which opening sentence would be most effective in a letter requesting information?
___ I am interested in learning more about heating systems.
____Could you please send me some information on heating systems?
18. Which opening sentence would be most effective in a follow-up letter after an interview?
___ Thank you for the informative and pleasant interview we had last Wednesday.
___ I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your time for our interview last Wednesday.
Short answer:
19. What do skeptics look for when they read?
20. Define “goodwill” as it relates to workplace correspondence, and explain its importance. In your answer, include an explanation of what is meant by the “you” viewpoint.