Deck 6: Communicating in Writing

Question 1

As a writer, you should be consistently telling your readers or where they are going, where they are at, and where they have been so they don't become confused or have to expend a lot of their own energy trying to figure out your message.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

It isn't necessary to provide introductions in written messages written for business audiences since they don't have time to read them.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

If you provide headings in a written message, it is not necessary to also include topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph, since we all read the same way.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Forecasting refers to the logical flow of ideas both throughout the message and within its subsections or paragraphs.

Question 5

Even when writing short, routine email messages, it is a good idea to include a goodwill close.

Question 6

When planning the delivery of a "bad news" message, you should first consider whether you can reframe the message by focusing on a positive aspect of the situation.

Question 7

When applying for a job, you should consider what your competitors offer and show that you are as well or better qualified.

Question 8

Generally, the type of benefit that is most persuasive to a business audience has to do with money: making it or saving it in some way.

Question 9

When communicating with a resistant or even hostile audience, you should state your proposed idea clearly and immediately.

Question 10

One of the easiest ways to make a logical appeal is to cite authorities on a particular subject.

Question 11

Failure to use conventional business formats for written messages may indicate to your reader that you are not aware of professional expectations and practices, thus damaging your credibility.

Question 12

It is important for an e-mail message to be as grammatically correct as any other type of written message and to use correct punctuation and spelling, since errors can negatively affect the clarity of the message as well as the credibility of the sender.

Question 13

Business communication typically should use business style, which is less formal than traditional academic writing and the same level of formality as a conversation.

Question 14

You should always use first- and second-person pronouns, or what is sometimes called the "you" focus, in business messages.

Question 15

In terms of tone, business messages should be at worst neutral.

Question 16

Written business messages generally should use all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) Standard English
B) Short yet complete sentences and short paragraphs
C) First- and second-person pronouns
D) Big words so that you will sound intelligent

Question 17

When creating a persuasive message, you should consider all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) How your audience will initially react to your proposed idea
B) How your audience feels about you, your company, or your product or service
C) How you feel about your audience
D) What obstacles or objections you must overcome

Question 18

A well-written application letter should do all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) Show that you are as well or better qualified as your competitors
B) Clearly state how the job will benefit you
C) Focus on the employer's needs and concerns
D) Provide concrete evidence that you have the skills for which the employer is looking

Question 19

All of the following are examples of claims, EXCEPT:

A) Thirty-three percent of Americans approve of the President's performance this term.
B) Americans are concerned about the ethics of CEOs.
C) You could have performed this task better.
D) I am well qualified for this position.

Question 20

An appeal that uses facts and statistics is called

A) Ethos or an ethical appeal
B) Logos or a logical appeal
C) Pathos or an emotional appeal
D) Telos or an existential appeal

Question 21

A television commercial that shows young people enjoying a day at the beach in their SUV is an example of the use of the ___________appeal.

A) Ethical
B) Logical
C) Emotional
D) Existential

Question 22

Tests of the validity of evidence include all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) Statistics
B) Testimony
C) Comparisons and analogies
D) Emotions

Question 23

Poorly organized messages can send all of the messages about the writer, EXCEPT

A) He or she is a poor thinker
B) He or she is too lazy to write a clearer message
C) He or she uses exhibits excellent analytical skills
D) He or she is unaware of or insensitive to the needs of his or her audience

Question 24

Three common types of conclusions are

A) Goodwill, summary, and sales or call to action
B) Informative, persuasive, and bad news
C) Informative, summary, and persuasive
D) Summary, persuasive and bad news

Question 25

The AIDA approach is an acronym for

A) Action, Interest, Desire, and Attention
B) Attraction, Interest, Desire, and Action
C) Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action
D) Attraction, Invitation, Desire, and Attention

Question 26

When organizing a persuasive message to a resistant or hostile audience, you should use all of the following steps, EXCEPT:

A) Immediately state your proposed solution or idea
B) Include a plan for implementation of your proposed idea
C) Eliminate your audience's objections
D) Demonstrate the need for change

Question 27

When writing email messages, you should

A) Worry little about grammatical correctness since they are expected in routine messages.
B) Use all capital letters since these are faster to type.
C) Pay little attention to tone, since email is conversational.
D) Provide a specific and informative subject line intended to gain the attention of your audience.

Question 28

When making decisions about the use of space in business message, you should

A) Double space throughout
B) Leave a one-inch margin on all sides of the page
C) Create paragraphs 12-14 lines in length
D) Provide plenty of space-three or four blank lines-between paragraphs

Question 29

Chunking provides all of the following benefits, EXCEPT:

A) Makes a document look easier to skim
B) Makes a document look easier to read generally
C) Makes a document more pleasing aesthetically
D) Makes a document easier to write

Question 30

Bulleted lists should be used

A) As a forecasting device for information that will be further elaborated upon in subsequent paragraphs.
B) To provide as much of a business message as possible since they are easy to skim.
C) For information that is to be used sequentially as in a series of steps or instructions.
D) To deliver a persuasive message.

Question 31

List the techniques you can use to make a written message easier for its reader to skim.
Provide an example of a claim as well as evidence to support it.

Question 32

Provide an example of a claim as well as evidence to support it.

Question 33

List the four types of mechanical errors in the order of their significance and give examples of each.

Question 34

Identify three important skills for a professional position for which you might potentially apply. Then provide evidence intended to show that you have those skills.

Question 35

List the steps in the AIDA approach and explain how you might use them to persuade an audience. Identify the audience and specific purpose of your message.