Deck 6: Revising Business Messages

Question 1

To make your business messages concise, you should avoid which of the following? 

A)Flabby expressions 
B)Unnecessary introductory words 
C)Redundancies and empty words 
D)All of these choices

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The final phase of the 3-x-3 writing process focuses on 

A)revising.
B)proofreading.
C)evaluating.
D)all of these tasks.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Khalida is sending an e-mail message to a client. Before sending it, she wants to make sure that she has made her point in the fewest possible words. What is Khalida checking for? 

A)Conciseness 
B)Format 
C)Clarity 
D)Vigor

Answer 3

A

Question 4

At this point in time, due to the fact that, feel free to, and in the near future are examples of 

A)redundancies.
B)flabby expressions.
C)long lead-ins.
D)opening fillers.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about Phase 3 of the writing process is most accurate? 

A)A significant amount of a writer's time should be spent in this phase.
B)Expert writers can expect to get their documents correct on the first try.
C)Do not attempt to revise as you write; revision must always take place at the end.
D)The first version of a document is usually satisfactory for most business messages.

Question 6

Carla was promoted to a position that will require extensive writing. What is the best writing advice you can give her? 

A)Spend the most time analyzing the purpose and audience.
B)Revision is necessary only for longer, more important documents.
C)If you try hard enough, you can write a perfect first draft.
D)When you finish a first draft, put the document aside and return to it after a break for revision.

Question 7

Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process begins with doing which of the following? 

A)Evaluating your document to determine whether it achieves its purpose 
B)Deciding how to organize the message 
C)Composing the first draft 
D)Editing the message to improve content and sentence structure

Question 8

Which of the following sentences does not contain a long lead-in? 

A)I am writing this e-mail message to inform you that our meeting time has been changed.
B)Please be advised that our meeting time has changed.
C)Our meeting time has been changed.
D)You might be interested to learn that our meeting time has been changed.

Question 9

The sentence Your attendance at Monday's marketing meeting is absolutely essential could be improved by eliminating a(n) 

A)redundancy.
B)flabby expression.
C)opening filler.
D)empty word.

Question 10

Which of the following sentences is free of opening fillers, redundancies, and flabby expressions? 

A)There are several reasons that we should start using social media to communicate with customers.
B)Our company should start using social media to communication with customers for several reasons.
C)Due to the fact that we need to improve communication with customers, our company should start using social media.
D)It is perfectly clear that our company should start using social media to communicate with customers.

Question 11

A newly hired colleague has asked for your advice about revising e-mail messages, text messages, and tweets. What is the best advice you can give her? 

A)In today's fast-paced digital age, you shouldn't take time to revise e-mail messages, text messages, or tweets because doing so reduces productivity.
B)People don't expect informal text messages and tweets to be perfect, so don't worry about revising them.
C)To avoid messages that waste time, create confusion, and reduce your credibility, take time to revise e-mail messages, text messages, and tweets.
D)Text messages and tweets are too informal to be used in a business environment.

Question 12

The sentence I am writing this e-mail message to let you know that we have received your application for the receptionist position 

A)contains a redundancy.
B)contains a long lead-in.
C)contains empty words.
D)is an example of good business writing.

Question 13

Basic fundamentals, exactly identical, and repeat again are all examples of 

A)redundancies.
B)flabby expressions.
C)long lead-ins.
D)opening fillers.

Question 14

Which of the following phrases is free of redundancies? 

A)Essential items 
B)Big in size 
C)Combined together 
D)New beginning

Question 15

During Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process, Jamar is correcting his document's grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, and mechanics. What is Jamar doing? 

A)Proofreading 
B)Evaluating 
C)Editing 
D)Anticipating

Question 16

What is an advantage of concise business messages? 

A)Concise messages are easier to read.
B)Concise messages save reading time and, thus, money.
C)Concise messages are easier to understand.
D)All of these are advantages of concise business messages.

Question 17

The sentence There are five new items that we will add to our menu next week could be made more concise by eliminating a(n) 

A)redundancy.
B)flabby expression.
C)opening filler.
D)long lead-in.

Question 18

Justin is writing a proposal to submit to his company's board of directors. He should spend the most time in the ____ phase to make sure that his document is clear and correct.

A)prewriting 
B)writing 
C)revising 
D)Justin will spend an equal amount of time in all three phases.

Question 19

The sentence In the event that you pass the CPA exam, please consider applying again could be made more effective by eliminating a(n) 

A)opening filler.
B)redundancy.
C)long lead-in.
D)flabby expression.

Question 20

During Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process, Donalyn is analyzing her message to make sure it will achieve its purpose. What is Donalyn doing? 

A)Proofreading 
B)Evaluating 
C)Editing 
D)Anticipating

Question 21

A trite business phrase such as please do not hesitate to 

A)contains unnecessary redundancy.
B)is a stale expression that other writers have used over the years.
C)is unclear because it is too technical.
D)sounds professional and businesslike.

Question 22

Which of the following sentences does not contain any clichés? 

A)Understanding this new software is easier said than done.
B)If you study hard, you'll pass the CPA exam with flying colors.
C)Just do your best during your job interview.
D)The best business communicators are able to think outside the box.

Question 23

Vanessa has written a marketing report for her boss. Before presenting it, she wants to make sure that the report does not contain expressions that have become exhausted by overuse. What is Vanessa checking for? 

A)Conciseness 
B)Proper punctuation 
C)Buried verbs 
D)Clichés

Question 24

Which of the following represents the best business writing? 

A)This e-mail message is to inform you that the CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow.
B)The CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow.
C)You should be aware that the CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow.
D)The CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow for a period of three hours.

Question 25

Which of the following sentences avoids use of trite business phrases? 

A)The application will be sent under separate cover.
B)Enclosed please find a coupon to use during your next visit.
C)We have received your loan application.
D)Please do not hesitate to call me if you have questions.

Question 26

One important part of the revising process is to test for ________ to make sure that your message will be immediately understood by the reader.

A)clarity 
B)conciseness 
C)mechanics 
D)punctuation

Question 27

Blake has just written an e-mail message to his colleagues. Before sending it, he wants to make sure that his colleagues will immediately understand the message. What is Blake checking for? 

A)Conciseness 
B)Format 
C)Clarity 
D)Punctuation

Question 28

As per your request, enclosed please find, and thank you in advance are all examples of 

A)long lead-ins.
B)redundancies.
C)trite business phrases.
D)professional business phrases.

Question 29

Which of the following is the best example of business writing? 

A)It would be advantageous for you to enlighten your employees regarding the company's new social media policy.
B)Please tell your employees about the company's new social media policy.
C)You are hereby advised to inform your employees about the new social media policy that has been adopted by the company.
D)The individual referenced above must inform his or her subordinates in regard to the company's new social media policy.

Question 30

The sentence Every effort will be made to ship your package by the end of the day could be made more effective by eliminating a(n) 

A)trite business phrase.
B)flabby expression.
C)redundancy.
D)opening filler.

Question 31

You have just been given the job to write tweets for your company and to respond to customers' tweets using the Twitter microblogging service. What should you do? 

A)Don't worry about trying to make your tweets concise; the most important thing is to get your message across.
B)Include only main ideas and choose descriptive but short words.
C)Don't worry about using conventional spelling, grammar, and punctuation; this is not expected in tweets.
D)You should do all of these.

Question 32

Which of the following represents the best business writing? 
A)m., PST, and arrives in Atlanta at 3 p.m., EST.

A)We want to thank each and every one of you for sharing the true facts during our meeting.
B)In addition to the above, you will find more information in the attached brochure.
C)There are three items that are absolutely essential for us to discuss at a later date.
D)Your plane leaves San Francisco at 7:20

Question 33

Which of the following is an example of an effective, businesslike expression? 

A)Pursuant to your request 
B)In accordance with your wishes 
C)With reference to 
D)None of these choices

Question 34

Which of the following is a goal of business writing? 

A)To impress your reader 
B)To keep your writing short and simple 
C)To maintain a formal tone by using indirect, pompous language 
D)All of these choices are goals of business writing.

Question 35

What is the most accurate statement about slang and buzzwords? 

A)If you want to sound professional, avoid using slangy expressions and buzzwords in your writing.
B)Buzzwords are informal words with arbitrary and extravagantly changed meanings that quickly go out of fashion.
C)Buzzwords are technical terms that are meant to express rather than impress.
D)Slang and buzzwords will help your writing sound hip and current.

Question 36

Which of the following sentences sounds most conversational? 

A)The undersigned is sincerely grateful for the kind assistance you provided last week.
B)Thanks for your help last week.
C)It is my sincere hope that it was not too much of an inconvenience for you to sacrifice your valuable time to assist a colleague last week.
D)My sincere gratitude is offered to you in exchange for the support you offered to me last week.

Question 37

What should you do to make a business message clear? 

A)Keep your message short and simple.
B)Dump trite business phrases.
C)Avoid clichés, slang, and buzzwords.
D)All of these choices

Question 38

Which of the following represents the best business writing? 

A)Thank you in advance for considering my application for the finance position.
B)Enclosed are three samples of our fabric.
C)Do you know what her phone call was in reference to? 
D)Pursuant to your request, we have added you to our mailing list.

Question 39

Which of the following sentences does not contain any slang or buzzwords? 

A)I can't believe that I totally bombed my presentation.
B)We need to do everything possible to stay ahead of our competition.
C)We hope to incentivize our employees to work hard to meet the project deadline.
D)I hope we don't get burned, but we really need this paradigm shift.

Question 40

Which of the following sentences does not contain any trite business phrases? 

A)We received your application for the management position.
B)As per your request, we are processing your application for the management position.
C)Every effort will be made to process your application for the management position shortly.
D)Thank you in advance for your interest in our management position.

Question 41

Which of the following sentences does not contain any buried verbs? 

A)The health care industry is dependent on a highly trained staff.
B)The task force reached a conclusion that the company should go public.
C)In some parts of the world, business is not conducted over meals.
D)We have made plans to create a reduction in our operating expenses.

Question 42

Which of the following sentences best demonstrates clarity? 

A)Every effort should be made to notify each and every employee without delay of next week's gathering.
B)First and foremost, it is imperative that all employees be notified of next week's assembly.
C)It is the duty of all supervisors to inform their subordinates of next week's congregation.
D)Please let your employees know about next Friday's meeting.

Question 43

Lawrence is evaluating a report that he will be submitting to his supervisor. What should Lawrence ask himself during the evaluation process? 

A)Will the report attract my supervisor's attention? 
B)Will the report convince my supervisor that I am worth listening to? 
C)How will I know whether the report is successful? 
D)Lawrence should ask all of these questions.

Question 44

When proofreading a document, be concerned with 

A)spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
B)format.
C)names and numbers.
D)all of these choices.

Question 45

Alexis must proofread a complex business document. What is the best advice you can give her? 

A)Proofread the document on your computer screen to save paper.
B)Be prepared to find errors.
C)Read the document just once to save time.
D)Alexis should do all of these.

Question 46

Which of the following represents the best writing? 

A)Dominique conducted an investigation of the company's financial statements.
B)Elena reported her findings.
C)Please give consideration to my proposal.
D)The general manager made the assumption that Alex had contacted the customer.

Question 47

You are formatting a business document and want to make the best use of margins. What should you do? 

A)Use side margins of 1 to 1.5 inches.
B)Left-justify your text (make it even at the left margin).
C)Use ragged-right margins without justification.
D)You should do all of these.

Question 48

Which of the following sentences does not contain a verb that has been converted into a noun? 

A)The task force made a recommendation to start a wellness program.
B)Our supervisor made a decision to eliminate overtime.
C)The jury concluded that the defendant was guilty.
D)The accountant will perform an analysis of the quarter's financial statements.

Question 49

You have created a bulleted list showing features that you are including on your company's Facebook page. Which of the following items is not parallel with the others? 

A)Links to important pages on our company's website 
B)Photos showing customers using our products 
C)We will hold a weekly prize giveaway 
D)Information about upcoming events

Question 50

To make your business messages more readable, you can do which of the following? 

A)Add footnotes.
B)Incorporate numbered and bulleted lists.
C)Include a bibliography at the end.
D)Eliminate white space.

Question 51

The best way to evaluate your finished written message is by 

A)determining the readability level.
B)running it through a grammar/style checker program.
C)receiving feedback.
D)paying a professional to proofread it for you.

Question 52

Which of the following statements about numbered and bulleted lists is most accurate? 

A)Use a bulleted list when the sequence of items is important.
B)In a numbered or bulleted list, capitalize the first word only if the listed item is a complete sentence.
C)Make the items in a numbered or bulleted list parallel.
D)Add end punctuation to all items in a numbered or bulleted list.

Question 53

What is the most accurate statement about white space in a business document? 

A)Use as little white space as possible to ensure that all space on your page is being put to good use.
B)Strive for paragraphs of nine or more printed lines to make your document more readable.
C)Use headings, bulleted or numbered lists, and effective margins to create the desired amount of white space.
D)Business communicators should do all of the above when formatting business messages.

Question 54

Which of the following is free of wordy or trite phrases? 

A)It is my personal opinion that we cannot create a reduction in our inventory unless we lower prices.
B)You may be assured that every effort will be made to ship your order by October 1.
C)Management has been unable to reach a conclusion regarding contract negotiations with the union.
D)Although Chinese is the language spoken by the largest number of native speakers in the world, English is considered the language of international business.

Question 55

What is the least accurate statement about typefaces and fonts? 

A)A typeface defines the shape of text characters, and a font refers to a specific style (such as boldface) within a typeface family.
B)Serif typefaces have small features at the ends of strokes, and sans serif typefaces do not.
C)San serif typefaces are best for business messages and longer documents.
D)Readers are generally most comfortable with 10- to 12-point type for body text.

Question 56

What is an advantage of creating well-designed documents? 

A)Well-designed documents are easier to read.
B)Well-designed documents are easier to comprehend.
C)Well-designed documents make the writer look well-organized and intelligent.
D)All of these are advantages of a well-designed document.

Question 57

Conduct a discussion of, give consideration to, and perform an analysis of are all examples of 

A)verbs that have been converted to nouns.
B)long lead-ins.
C)trite business phrases.
D)redundancies.

Question 58

What is the least accurate statement about proofreading and document errors? 

A)Documents with errors affect your credibility and the success of your organization.
B)You should proofread your document continuously while it is being written.
C)When you finish your first draft of an important document, put it aside for at least 24 hours before proofreading it.
D)It can be difficult to catch our own errors because most of us read what we thought we wrote.

Question 59

Which of the following sentences best controls exuberance? 

A)We totally understand that you really didn't mean to actually come across that way during the interview.
B)Our customers are extremely pleased with our really excellent customer service.
C)We are happy to learn that your banquet room is available on December 15.
D)We definitely think that the company could actually reduce turnover by offering new benefits.

Question 60

Which of the following statements about headings is least accurate? 

A)Headings can help a reader separate major ideas from details.
B)Headings are used only in reports.
C)Headings are an effective tool for highlighting information and improving readability.
D)Headings can assist the writer by encouraging the grouping of similar information.

Question 61

Some experts recommend spending about half the total composition time editing, proofreading, and evaluating a document.

Question 62

Expressions such as due to the fact that and in the near future can help your business documents sound more professional.

Question 63

The primary goal of business writing is to impress your reader.

Question 64

If you want to sound professional, avoid using slang such as bombed and getting burned and buzzwords such as right-size and leveraging in your business writing.

Question 65

The following sentence contains a redundancy: After studying the basic fundamentals of the provisions, I have decided to vote for the contract.

Question 66

The following is an example of effective business writing: As per your request, further instructions will be sent to you under separate cover.

Question 67

The first step of Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process is evaluating the document.

Question 68

Concise messages are easier to read and comprehend than wordy messages.

Question 69

Underlining, bold type, or italics can be used to call attention to important points and terms.

Question 70

The sentence This e-mail message is to inform you that your employment application has been received is an example of effective business writing.

Question 71

There are, there is, and it is are examples of unnecessary opening fillers.

Question 72

The following sentence contains a verb that has been converted to a noun: Morgan performed an analysis of the quarterly sales figures.

Question 73

One way to achieve clarity is to use passive-voice sentences in your messages.

Question 74

To sound professional and businesslike, you should try to use common expressions such as easier said than done, last but not least, and think outside the box.

Question 75

Most experts who have had a lot of practice can prepare a perfect document on the first try.

Question 76

Microblogging messages such as tweets should be concise, but they don't have to include conventional spelling, grammar, or punctuation.

Question 77

Use phrases such as please do not hesitate to and thank you in advance to make your writing sound businesslike.

Question 78

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

Question 79

In the sentence It is absolutely essential that you turn your expense claim in by Friday, the expression absolutely essential is redundant.

Question 80

To add exuberance to your business documents, freely use words such as totally, definitely, extremely, and actually.