Chapter 02 Understanding the Writing Process and the Main Forms of Business Messages

Full file at

Chapter 02

Understanding the Writing Process and the Main Forms of Business Messages

True / False Questions

1.Experienced businesspeople seek strong writing skills in particular when considering whom to promote.
TrueFalse

2.There is one recommended writing process that all business writers should use.
TrueFalse

3.Writers should always move from planning to drafting to revising, with no backtracking.
TrueFalse

4.The three essential stages in preparing any piece of writing are planning, researching, and revising.
TrueFalse

5.Proofreading takes place during the ‘drafting' stage of writing a message.
TrueFalse

6.Relatively inexperienced business writers should spend roughly a third of their writing time on each of the three main stages of writing (planning, drafting, revising).
TrueFalse

7.Formatting decisions should not be a part of planning a message. It is best to save all formatting decisions until the message has been completely written.
TrueFalse

8.A message written in direct order requires a more skilful use of organization and word choice than one written in indirect order.
TrueFalse

9.There are three main levels of edit, commonly referred to as revision, editing, and proofreading.
TrueFalse

10.Letters are the oldest form of business messages.
TrueFalse

11.Especially, when corresponding with an external party whom you do not know well, instant messaging is an appropriate form to use.
TrueFalse

12.Because letters have been replaced by more modern types of messages, they are regarded as old fashioned and should be avoided.
TrueFalse

13.Memorandums have declined in usage and importance as emailing has become more and more popular.
TrueFalse

14.Because memorandums usually are sent and received by people who work with and know one another, they tend to use casual or informal language.
TrueFalse

15.Following the main heading, such as ‘Memorandum', the memorandum must have only the following four standard headings: Date, To, From, Subject.
TrueFalse

16.One advantage that email has over letters is that email is more confidential.
TrueFalse

17.The BCC in the prefatory elements of an email message stands for "backup confidential copy."
TrueFalse

18.The CC in the prefatory elements of an email message stands for courtesy copy.
TrueFalse

19.Email is cheap as it permits unlimited use at no more than the cost of an Internet connection.
TrueFalse

20.If someone other than the primary recipient is to receive a courtesy copy, his or her address should be mentioned in the ‘To' field of the email.
TrueFalse

21.When writing to someone or a group you do not know, it is appropriate to identify yourself early in the message.
TrueFalse

22.The salutations in email messages are usually the same as those used in letters.
TrueFalse

23.For most short, informative email messages, a recommended order is to present the most important information first.
TrueFalse

24.Because email tends to be informal and chatty, it would be inappropriate to send a business report by email.
TrueFalse

25.Colloquialisms, personal pronouns, and contractions have no place in email writing.
TrueFalse

26.The angle bracket (>) is commonly used in email to indicate quoted material.
TrueFalse

27.Shortcuts such as ‘b4' and ‘ur' serve to reduce message length and save time, so you should use them whenever possible in your email.
TrueFalse

28.Formal writing tends to avoid contractions and may contain no personal pronouns.
TrueFalse

29.While writing an email the writer should ensure that the sentences and the paragraphs are long.
TrueFalse

30.Emails are frequently written in informal tone.
TrueFalse

31.Because of the fast pace of email communication, grammatical correctness need not be a matter of concern.
TrueFalse

32.Although not widely used, the complimentary closes of business letters are appropriate in formal email messages.
TrueFalse

33.Flaming refers to the practice of using abusive or offensive language for writing a message.
TrueFalse

34.SMS stands for Special Message Service.
TrueFalse

35.An email should be used when the message is long, complicated, or requires negotiation.
TrueFalse

36.Businesses use text messaging primarily for data reporting purposes.
TrueFalse

37.Generally, use of email is inappropriate if the message contains sensitive issues, relays feelings, or attempts to resolve conflict.
TrueFalse

38.Abbreviations have no place in text messaging.
TrueFalse

39.With reference to text messaging, the abbreviation TC generally stands for ‘Take Care.'
TrueFalse

40.In the context of text messaging, the emoticon :-! generally indicates yelling.
TrueFalse

41.A social networking site Twitter, restricts messages to 140 characters.
TrueFalse

Multiple Choice Questions

42.It is usually more difficult to communicate successfully in writing than orally because
A.you do not have to plan oral messages.
B.it does not offer multiple information cues.
C.it is harder to be indirect than direct.
D.writing requires a more difficult vocabulary.
E.written documents cannot be supplemented with visuals.

43.Writing is what researchers call a "______medium," which means that it does not offer the multiple information cues, feedback, and intense personal focus that face-to-face or even phone conversations offer.
A.weak
B.slow
C.lean
D.expandable
E.strong

44.Expertise in which of the following forms of communication is most likely to be required often as people move up and do more and more knowledge work?
A.Facial expression
B.Gestures
C.Presentation skills
D.Writing skills
E.Oral skills

45.There are essentially three stages in preparing any piece of writing: planning, _____ and revising.
A.formatting
B.scanning
C.analyzing
D.information collecting
E.drafting

46.Which of the following statements is true regarding the three stages in preparing any piece of writing?
A.The three essential stages in preparing any piece of writing are planning, analyzing, and revising.
B.The three stages in writing are recursive.
C.The three stages in writing are strictly chronological.
D.A good rule of thumb for inexperienced writers is to spend roughly a two third of their writing time in drafting.
E.The three stages in writing are independent of each other.

47.The three essential stages in writing, planning, drafting, and revising, are _____.
A.convoluted
B.independent
C.sequential
D.chronological
E.recursive

48.Samantha has written a message and she is now revising it. Which of the following activities is most likely to be performed by her?
A.Analyzing the audience
B.Choosing a form
C.Determining goals
D.Proofreading
E.Gathering and collecting data

49.John is an inexperienced writer. A good rule of thumb for him is to spend roughly _____ of his writing time in drafting.
A.one fifth
B.three fifth
C.one third
D.half
E.two third

50.Planning a written message consists of five general activities. Which of the following is NOT one of those five activities?
A.Determining goals
B.Analyzing the audience
C.Gathering and collecting information
D.Analyzing and organizing information
E.Editing sentences and words

51.Robert is in the planning stage of writing a message. During which of the following stages of planning he is most likely to go through past sales records and warranties?
A.Determining goals
B.Analyzing the audience
C.Gathering and collecting information
D.Analyzing and organizing information
E.Editing sentences and words

52.Julia is planning to write a message. She has some information that her readers will want and she is planning to put it first. This plan is called the _____ order.
A.chronological
B.direct
C.critical
D.straight
E.convoluted

53.William wants to communicate certain information to a client but he thinks that the information runs the risk of evoking a negative response. Which of the following formats should be used by William?
A.Chronological order
B.Direct order
C.Critical order
D.Indirect order
E.Convoluted order

54.William wants to communicate information to a client but he thinks that the information runs the risk of evoking a negative response. Which of the following formats should be used by William?
A.Chronological order
B.Direct order
C.Critical order
D.Indirect order
E.Convoluted order

55.In the analyzing and organizing stage of the writing process, if you predict that your reader's reception will be positive or neutral, you will organize in _____ order.
A.chronological
B.direct
C.indirect
D.random
E.rational

56.Michel is writing a message. He is trying to find out if each word is the right one for his goals and if there are better, more concise ways of structuring his sentences. He is most likely to be in the _____ stage of writing a message.
A.formatting
B.scanning
C.revising
D.information collecting
E.drafting

57.There are three main levels of edit, commonly referred to as ___, editing, and proofreading.
A.research
B.revision
C.scanning
D.evaluating
E.formatting

58.Anna is revising a document and she is looking at top-level concerns such as whether or not she has included all necessary information. Anna is most likely performing which of the following levels of edit?
A.Research
B.Revision
C.Scanning
D.Proofreading
E.Formatting

59.Robert is revising a document and he is looking at particular mechanical and grammatical elements such as spelling, typography, punctuation, and any particular grammar problems. Identify the level of edit in the example.
A.Research
B.Revision
C.Scanning
D.Proofreading
E.Formatting

60.Which of the following is the oldest form of business messages?
A.Letters
B.Magazines
C.Text messaging
D.Instant messaging
E.Email

61.Meg is planning to correspond with an external party whom she does not know well. Ideally, which of the following forms of correspondence should be used by Meg in such situation?
A.Email
B.Phone call
C.Letter
D.Text message
E.Instant message

62._____ are typically written messages exchanged by employees in the conduct of their work.
A.Circulars
B.Notices
C.Articles
D.Instant messages
E.Memorandums

63.Which of the following is not a major advantage that email has over other forms of communication?
A.It eliminates "telephone tag."
B.It saves time.
C.It is relatively inexpensive.
D.It facilitates fast decisions.
E.It is confidential.

64.Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding e-mails?
A.Email eliminates "phone tag."
B.Email is extremely confidential.
C.Email permits rapid exchanges from all involved in the decisions.
D.Email is cheap.
E.Email doesn't communicate the sender's emotions well.

65.Robin wants to send copies of his email to some people other than the primary recipient in such a way that the recipient should not know who else is receiving a copy of the message. In which of the following fields should Robin mention email ids of all recipients other than the primary recipient?
A.To
B.Attachment
C.Subject
D.Cc
E.Bcc

66.Which of the following fields describes the message?
A.To
B.Attachment
C.Subject
D.Cc
E.Bcc

67.If someone other than the primary recipient is to receive a copy of the message in such a way that the primary recipient will know who else has received a copy of the message, the sender should use the _____ field.
A.To
B.Attachment
C.Subject
D.Cc
E.Bcc

68.With reference to email, Cc stands for _____ copy.
A.courtesy
B.complimentary
C.conventional
D.certified
E.confidential

69.Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the salutations used in the email?
A.If the writer and reader are acquainted first name only is the rule.
B.Salutation can be changed in subsequent messages if the person indicates that informality is desired.
C.A friendly generic greeting such as "Greetings" is appropriate for a group of people with whom you communicate.
D.Use of the recipient's full name is acceptable.
E.Salutation used in emails is same as the salutations commonly used in letters.

70.An email report sent to the client of a research organization should be written in which writing style?
A.Casual
B.Informal
C.Formal
D.Conversational
E.Flaming

71.When you need to refer to a previous email message, which would NOT be appropriate?
A.Paraphrase the essentials.
B.Tell your mailer to include the entire message.
C.Quote from the original message.
D.Send two emails - one with the original message and one with the new message.
E.Forward the attachment from the original email message.

72.Select the sign that is used to show beginnings and endings of quoted material in email messages.
A.
B.% %
C.( )
D.# #
E.@ @

73.Which of the following is inappropriate in an email message?
A.Sending the entire original message in your reply
B.Casual language
C.Flaming language
D.A formal complimentary close such as "Sincerely"
E.A shortcut such as "THX"

74.Most carriers limit text messaging to _____ characters.
A.1,200
B.320
C.600
D.64
E.160

75.In which of the following situations is it appropriate to use email?
A.The message is long, complicated, or requires negotiation.
B.It is important to speed up the decision making process.
C.The information is confidential or sensitive, requires security, or could be misinterpreted.
D.The message is emotionally charged and really requires tone of voice or conversational feedback to soften the words or negotiate meaning.
E.The message contains sensitive issues, relays feelings, or attempts to resolve conflict.

76.While typing a text message, Mike used the emoticon :-0 This emoticon indicates ___.
A.a standard smiley
B.frown
C.winking smile
D.yelling
E.foot in mouth

77.Instant messaging is like:
A.having a typed telephone conversation.
B.writing an email message.
C.giving a speech.
D.posting comments to a discussion board.
E.a voice mail.

78.A social networking site Twitter, restricts messages to _____ characters.
A.60
B.110
C.140
D.175
E.190

Chapter 02 Understanding the Writing Process and the Main Forms of Business Messages Answer Key

True / False Questions

1.(p.21)Experienced businesspeople seek strong writing skills in particular when considering whom to promote.
TRUE

Experienced businesspeople seek strong writing skills in particular when considering whom to promote.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Reflective Thinking
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 02-01 Describe the writing process and effective writing strategies.
Topic: The Process of Writing

2.(p.22)There is one recommended writing process that all business writers should use.
FALSE

There are several common activities involved in writing, but each person's writing process is unique. Each person should use strategies that work best for him or her.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 02-01 Describe the writing process and effective writing strategies.
Topic: The Process of Writing

3.(p.22)Writers should always move from planning to drafting to revising, with no backtracking.
FALSE

As with problem solving, writing is often a recursive activity. Later activities can lead back to earlier work to refine it.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Understand
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 02-01 Describe the writing process and effective writing strategies.
Topic: The Process of Writing

4.(p.22)The three essential stages in preparing any piece of writing are planning, researching, and revising.
FALSE

The three essential stages in preparing any piece of writing are planning, drafting, and revising.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 02-01 Describe the writing process and effective writing strategies.
Topic: The Process of Writing

5.(p.23)Proofreading takes place during the ‘drafting' stage of writing a message.
FALSE

Proofreading takes place during the ‘revising' stage of writing a message.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 02-01 Describe the writing process and effective writing strategies.
Topic: Planning the Message

6.(p.23)Relatively inexperienced business writers should spend roughly a third of their writing time on each of the three main stages of writing (planning, drafting, revising).
TRUE

Until one has reached a level of experience that makes many messages routine, all three stages deserve roughly equal attention.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective: 02-01 Describe the writing process and effective writing strategies.
Topic: The Process of Writing

7.(p.25)Formatting decisions should not be a part of planning a message. It is best to save all formatting decisions until the message has been completely written.
FALSE

Because formatting decisions have a large impact on readers' reactions, you should also think about them in the planning stage.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Hard
Learning Objective: 02-01 Describe the writing process and effective writing strategies.
Topic: The Process of Writing

8.(p.25)A message written in direct order requires a more skilful use of organization and word choice than one written in indirect order.
FALSE

A message written in indirect order requires a more skilful use of organization and word choice than one written in direct order.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Hard
Learning Objective: 02-01 Describe the writing process and effective writing strategies.
Topic: Planning the Message

9.(p.27)There are three main levels of edit, commonly referred to as revision, editing, and proofreading.
TRUE

There are three main levels of edit, commonly referred to as revision, editing, and proofreading.

AACSB: Analytic
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 02-01 Describe the writing process and effective writing strategies.
Topic: Revising

10.(p.27)Letters are the oldest form of business messages.
TRUE

Letters are the oldest form of business messages.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 02-02 Describe the current usage of the business letter.
Topic: Letter

11.(p.28)Especially, when corresponding with an external party whom you do not know well, instant messaging is an appropriate form to use.
FALSE

Especially, when corresponding with an external party whom you do not know well, a letter is an appropriate form to use.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 02-02 Describe the current usage of the business letter.
Topic: Letter

12.(p.28)Because letters have been replaced by more modern types of messages, they are regarded as old fashioned and should be avoided.
FALSE

While many other media have replaced the traditional medium of the letter, it is still an important form of communication, especially when the audience is external and/or when the desired level of formality is high.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 02-02 Describe the current usage of the business letter.
Topic: Letter

13.(p.28)Memorandums have declined in usage and importance as emailing has become more and more popular.
TRUE

Email has superseded the memo as the most prevalent form of internal communication.

AACSB: Communication
Bloom's: Remember
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 02-03 Describe the purpose and forms of memorandums.
Topic: Memorandum

14.(p.29)Because memorandums usually are sent and received by people who work with and know one another, they tend to use casual or informal language.
TRUE