Deck 5: Letters

Question 1

Which portion of a business letter is the most appropriate place for the following sentence? Would you please provide details of the project and your requirements by March 1 so that we can complete a written proposal by April 1 as we agreed.

A)the subject line
B)the opening
C)the body
D)the closing

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In which of the following situations would you probably offer explanations or justifications in the opening of an information or action request?

A)You want to make sure that the reader knows what you want.
B)You anticipate resistance to the request.
C)Your request is straightforward and neutral.
D)You want the reader to understand your message quickly..

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following would be the most effective closing statement in a routine request letter?

A)You must send us the information about your software no later than Nov. 5.
B)Thank you in advance for your cooperation. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
C)Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions.
D)Our new production run is scheduled for December 2, so I would appreciate answers to my questions about your software by November 5.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following should you do when responding to a claim letter?

A)Use a tone intended to intimidate the reader and cause him/her to abandon the claim, whether it is justified or not.
B)Remind the reader of what went wrong and indicate that the person at fault has been punished.
C)Delay responding to the letter in the hope that the writer will decide not to pursue the claim.
D)Seek to regain the customer's confidence and goodwill.

Question 5

Which of the following is one reason for including a subject line in a business letter?

A)It can eliminate the need to state your main idea in the opening.
B)It makes the letter appear more official.
C)It helps the reader to recall earlier correspondence.
D)It helps you to keep the main point of the letter in mind.

Question 6

If you want to increase the likelihood that a reader will see the main points in your message, which part of a letter should you put them in?

A)the body paragraphs
B)the headings
C)the graphic elements
D)the opening and/or closing

Question 7

"Can you answer these questions about the culinary management program at St. George College." Which of the following statements best explains why there is no question mark at the end of the sentence above?

A)It's a polite command that does not require an answer.
B)Punctuation is not needed in routine requests for information.
C)Periods should always be used at the end of summary statements.
D)Asking questions makes the writer look like he or she doesn't know the subject matter.

Question 8

Which of the following does your text say you should do in the opening of an information response letter?

A)Explain the process that you had to go through to respond to the request.
B)Provide a series of answers to the reader's questions.
C)Deliver the most important information first.
D)Include information that the reader may find useful, but didn't ask for.

Question 9

You need to send a message to a client that provides a detailed proposal for a project your company is bidding on. When you make a decision about whether to send an e-mail or a letter, which of the following might be the deciding factor in your decision?

A)Letters are longer.
B)Letters provide a more permanent record.
C)Letters are easier to write.
D)Letters are more direct.

Question 10

Which of the following does your text recommend you should do when asked to write an employment recommendation letter?

A)Exaggerate a candidate's qualifications to ensure that the candidate appears in the best possible light.
B)Refuse to write letters of recommendation in all cases.
C)Include only comments about the applicant's job skills.
D)Write an honest and realistic letter only for applicants whom you can honestly support.

Question 11

In which of the following situations would a business letter probably be the most effective communication channel?

A)The area manager of a large home furnishings chain needs to let 14 store managers know about a new procedure for handling large shipments.
B)The administrative assistant of a charitable organization has been asked to solicit donations in the form of goods and services from retailers to sell at a charity auction.
C)One employee of an organization needs information from a co-worker in order to complete a financial report.
D)The human resources manager of a national marketing group needs to inform all employees about how to access a year-end T4 online.

Question 12

In which of the following situations is it correct to use the personal business style for a letter?

A)when you know the receiver personally
B)when you need to add your own name to a letter formatted in block style
C)when you aren't using printed letterhead paper
D)when the letter is not business-related

Question 13

Which of the following is the most common mistake writers make in letters of recommendation?

A)They often lie about the quality of a candidate.
B)They include only positive comments about a candidate.
C)They neglect to identify the position the candidate is seeking.
D)They use broad, nonspecific statements that are difficult to assess.

Question 14

Which of the following should you do when formatting a business letter?

A)Allow 1 ½" margins on both the right and left sides of the letter.
B)Double-space the body of the letter.
C)Start the letter 1" from the top of the page.
D)When using a block style, begin all lines at the left margin.

Question 15

According to your text, which statement best describes a goodwill message?

A)It expresses your genuine feelings.
B)It is long, showing that you spent time writing the message.
C)It uses formal language and familiar phrases.
D)It focuses on your own thoughts and feelings.

Question 16

Which of the following does your text say you should normally do in the body of a simple claim letter?

A)Explain the problem and justify the request.
B)Provide your lawyer's contact information.
C)Describe the action you want the recipient to take.
D)Provide the name of the person who you think is responsible for the error.

Question 17

Which of the following does your text recommend doing when you give a series of details or ask a number of questions in the body of a request letter?

A)Use bold-face type for each detail or question.
B)Make sure details or questions follow the same grammatical form.
C)Combine all of the details or questions in one paragraph.
D)Make sure to expand on each detail or question in a separate paragraph.

Question 18

Which opening is most appropriate for a simple claim letter?

A)On May 16 we received the shipment of motorcycle accessories that we ordered (Invoice No. 35-450021).
B)Please send me two full-face helmets to replace the two open-face helmets sent by mistake with my May 12 order of motorcycle accessories (Invoice No. 35-450021).
C)We've been long-time customers of The Motorcycle Mall, and generally we've been pleased with the service you've given us in the past.
D)I was extremely frustrated to find that you shipped the wrong helmets with my May 12 order. I don't know how a mistake like this could have happened.

Question 19

Which of the following claims does your text make about goodwill messages?

A)It's not important when we send a goodwill message; it's just important that we send it.
B)The longer a goodwill message is, the more effective it will be at achieving its goal.
C)If we find it hard to come up with the right words for a letter, it's just as effective and appropriate to send a signed card.
D)Many people find writing goodwill messages more difficult than writing other kinds of business documents.

Question 20

Which of the following sentences would be most appropriate as the first sentence in a letter requesting information?

A)Will you please send us a copy of your latest catalogue or brochure describing the features, benefits, and prices of the various models of printers you carry.
B)I will be very grateful if you can send me some information about your products.
C)My name is Ginnette and I work for ABC Office Systems in the purchasing department.
D)ABC Office Systems is interested in replacing outdated printers at all employees' workstations, so we are writing to ask for some information.

Question 21

A request for action is most effective when an end date and reason for that date are supplied.

Question 22

The only purpose for a claim response letter is to satisfy the customer.

Question 23

When making a straightforward claim that you expect the recipient to readily agree with, it is not appropriate to write a letter.

Question 24

It is necessary to express appreciation for the action you want the reader to take in the closing of a request letter.

Question 25

Your text says that when writing a simple claim request, it is best to tell the reader immediately what action you would like taken.

Question 26

Your text says you should type the date 1 ½" below the letterhead when writing a business letter using letterhead stationery.

Question 27

When you write an employment recommendation, any prospective employer will know that the information you supply is confidential, so you don't need to say this.

Question 28

"Thank you for your letter of . . . " is a good opening sentence for a letter responding to a request for information because it shows courtesy.

Question 29

Your text says that an apology may be appropriate in a claim response letter, but it advises against admitting negligence.

Question 30

You should either make a telephone call or write a letter to make a claim, but never both.

Question 31

When writing letters of recommendation, it is important to be honest and sincere.

Question 32

When communicating with people outside an organization, messages on paper are always more appropriate than electronic messages.

Question 33

There is no relationship between the quality of the information you receive in response to a request letter and the clarity of your request.

Question 34

When responding to any inquiry, check facts and figures carefully because any letter written on company letterhead can be considered a legally binding contract.

Question 35

The opening of a letter responding to a claim should remind the reader of the reason for his/her claim and indicate that you consider the problem to be a serious one.

Question 36

Your text says that a business letter is usually more persuasive than the same message sent by e-mail.

Question 37

The direct approach is usually most appropriate for a straightforward claim.

Question 38

There are several well-used expressions of appreciation such as thanking you in advance for your cooperation that usually sound sincere.

Question 39

Will you please send me a monthly sales report on the last Friday of each month is an example of a polite command.

Question 40

The best way to begin a letter requesting information is by explaining the background of the request logically and courteously.

Question 41

Most business correspondence deals with ____________ matters that require straightforward answers.

Question 42

The ___________ of a letter that responds to several questions should provide answers to those questions, arranged logically and clearly.

Question 43

When you are writing a general letter of recommendation that is not addressed to a specific employer, you may want to use the simplified letter format which does not use a ____________.

Question 44

Most letters that carry good or neutral news should follow the ___________ pattern of organization.

Question 45

The best place to refer to a previous correspondence is in the __________ __________ (two words).

Question 46

Your text uses the word ____________ to describe a goodwill message that focuses on the recipient rather than the sender.

Question 47

Rather than bluntly demanding information or action, business writers often soften commands by disguising them as ___________.

Question 48

Letters of ____________ may be written to nominate people for awards or membership in organizations, or employment.

Question 49

When a customer writes to identify a problem and/or seeks to correct a wrong, the letter is called a ____________.

Question 50

If you plan to grant a customer's claim, you should use the ____________ pattern of organization when writing your claim response letter.