Exam 5: Organizing and Drafting Business Messages

Ragged right margins⎯those without alignment or justification⎯provide more white space and improve readability.

When should the passive voice be used?

Which sentence best emphasizes the attorney?

Caitlin is writing a sales letter to encourage customers to add features to their wireless data plans. She should use the direct approach.

Elizabeth wants to avoid monotony and add spark to her business messages. Which of the following should she do?

Madison is writing to an employee to deny the employee's request to work from home three days a week. Which pattern should Madison use to write the letter?

To achieve parallel construction, use similar structures to express similar ideas.

The first word of every item in a numbered or bulleted list should be capitalized.

Jacob is writing an e-mail message to his staff about an upcoming training session, and he is sure they'll be pleased with the news. Which pattern should Jacob use?

In the ____________________ organizational pattern, the main idea comes first, followed by details, explanation, or evidence.

Talking with your boss to gather information is an example of an informal research method.

Samuel is working on a report and has reached Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process. What question should he ask while collecting information during this second phase?

Since our restaurant opened last week, we have been booked solid is an example of a compound sentence.

What type of sentence fault results when a writer punctuates a broken-off part of a complex sentence as if it were a complete sentence?

Melanie is working on a report and has reached Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process. What should she do first in this second phase?

A(n) ____________________ is usually a broken-off part of a complex sentence and is one of the most serious errors a writer can make.

Compare and contrast active voice and passive voice. When should each be used in business writing?

A comma ____________________ results when a writer joins two independent clauses with a comma.

The direct organizational pattern should be used when writing to an audience that will be unwilling, uninterested, displeased, disappointed, or hostile.

Andrew must deny a customer's application for credit. What organizational pattern should he use?