Deck 11: Writing Proposals and Reports

Question 1

Which of the following options should NOT be included in an information report?

A)An introductory paragraph summarizing the problems or successes of the project
B)A discussion of alternate solutions to the problem, and the likelihood of their success
C)A chronological account of how the problem was discovered, what was done, and what the results were
D)A concluding paragraph with suggestions for later action

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Billie is writing a proposal for a class project that focuses on maximizing click-through rates for online campus advertisements.Within her proposal, she notes that she needs additional information from the IT department in order to thoroughly investigate her problem.In which of the following proposal sections should she place this information?

A)The problem section
B)The feasibility section
C)The topics to investigate section
D)The qualifications/facilities/resources section

Answer 2

D

Question 3

You're trying to decide whether to read a report that has been handed to you by a colleague, without its executive summary.You're principally interested in whether the report discusses the issues you think it should; you're willing to wait to find out about the specific content later.Which of the following kinds of executive summaries should you request from your colleague?

A)Just an executive summary
B)An informative executive summary
C)A descriptive executive summary
D)A mixed executive summary

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following explanations BEST describes how you should use pronouns in reports?

A)As long as you have established your credibility, you should use "I" frequently to reinforce that credibility
B)You should frequently speak to "you," the reader, since this demonstrates you-attitude
C)You should avoid both "I" and "you," since the first lacks you-attitude, and since you don't actually know who your readers are, and thus cannot speak to "you"
D)You should use "we" and "you," since the first includes your reader in the solution to your problem, and the second is personal and therefore persuasive

Question 5

Which of the following options describes a situation in which the title of the report should NOT omit recommendations?

A)The reader will find the recommendations hard to accept
B)Putting all the recommendations in the title will make it too long
C)The report does not offer recommendations
D)The report needs to build reader anticipation

Question 6

Which of the following options is NOT a good reason to discuss alternatives separately in a feasibility report?

A)Alternatives are themselves indivisible, so you can't pull them apart and discuss their components separately
B)One alternative is clearly superior
C)The criteria interact, so you need to keep alternatives separate in order to examine the interaction of criteria in each one
D)The choice depends on the weight given to each criterion, so the most logical structure is to discuss the best alternative first

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a purpose for a letter of transmittal?

A)To record the submission of the report
B)To orient the reader to the report
C)To summarize the body of the report
D)To build a good image of the report and its writer

Question 8

Which of the following is the BEST summary of progress in progress report?

A)Our progress has been very fast
B)We have not stayed on schedule, but actually exceeded it
C)We are two weeks ahead of schedule
D)We are able to work with a tighter deadline than we had thought

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT true of a heading?

A)It can be composed of single words, short phrases, or complete sentences
B)It can have as little as one paragraph under it, or as much as several pages
C)It should indicate the first idea covered immediately underneath it, but not necessarily all ideas covered underneath it
D)It can be topical/functional (in this case, it focuses on the structure of the report), or talking/informative (in this case, it tells the reader what to expect)

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a political purpose for progress reports?

A)Complimenting your audience
B)Enhancing your image
C)Floating trial balloons: testing audience reception of new ideas
D)Minimizing potential problems

Question 11

You are writing a report that recommends that your company organize a fundraising campaign to aid several hundred people in your community whose homes have been destroyed by the worst flood your city has ever seen.You anticipate that readers will be very supportive of your recommendation.Which of the following is the BEST title for your report?

A)Creating a Campaign to Fund Flood Recovery Efforts
B)ABC Corporation and the Flood
C)Supporting Flood Victims
D)Money Required to Do Our Part

Question 12

In a report on the grade inflation on your campus, you distributed a questionnaire to 250 students and interviewed students, faculty, and the dean for undergraduate studies.Where would you include this information?

A)Scope section
B)Limitations section
C)Assumptions section
D)Methods section

Question 13

You are writing a report on a vegetarian restaurant on the north side of town, contrasting its success with the failure of a vegetarian restaurant on the south side of town that is owned by the same person.You believe that the most crucial area to examine is the traffic flow pattern, and plan to focus on it.Where would you explain this focus?

A)Scope section
B)Limitations section
C)Assumptions section
D)Methods section

Question 14

You think that, given your audience's interests, the executive summary for your report should comment on the kind of information provided in the report, and present the main thesis and its proof.Which of the following kinds of executive summaries should you write?

A)Just an executive summary
B)An informative executive summary
C)A descriptive executive summary
D)A mixed executive summary

Question 15

You have decided to include a source in your report because it is widely cited, although you think it has serious logical flaws.Which of the following is the BEST identification of how you should introduce this source, and the BEST explanation of why you should introduce it this way?

A)Use phrasing that distances you from the source ("Smith contends that......"), since this focuses your reader's attention on the reasoning in the source
B)Use phrasing that distances you from the source ("Smith contends that ...."), since this signals to your readers that you're going to disagree with him
C)Use neutral phrasing ("Smith says ...."), since this emphasizes your objectivity
D)Use neutral phrasing ("Smith says ...."), since this is a stylistic convention in reports

Question 16

Which of the following parts of the formal report would be the BEST place to include proof for the recommendations?

A)Conclusion
B)Executive Summary
C)Body
D)Introduction

Question 17

Which of the following report sections tends to draw the attention of experts?

A)The executive summary
B)The body of the report
C)The conclusions and recommendations of the report
D)The appendix

Question 18

Amberlee is writing a proposal for a class project that focuses on improving the marketing success of the on-campus restaurant.She has decided that, while she will briefly discuss online advertising, she will focus mainly on advertising in the form of flyers, brochures, and ads in hard-copy student newspapers.In which of the following report sections should she mention this decision?

A)The problem section
B)The feasibility section
C)The topics to investigate section
D)The qualifications/facilities/resources section

Question 19

Which of the following kinds of information should be included in the conclusion of a report?

A)A summary of the main points in the body of the report
B)A review of the report's recommendations
C)A discussion of additional information that cements the worth of the report
D)A list of sources consulted by the writer

Question 20

Manoj is writing a proposal for a class project that focuses on teaching students effective study skills.He believes ineffective study skills are artificially depressing students' final grades, and thinks it is important for the college's reputation to fix this problem.In which of the following report sections should he discuss this information?

A)The problem section
B)The feasibility section
C)The topics to investigate section
D)The qualifications/facilities/resources section

Question 21

Save a copy of your questionnaire or interview questions to use as an appendix.

Question 22

"Informative" and "descriptive" executive summaries are interchangeable terms for the same type of summary.

Question 23

The Conclusions section presents new information to support the analysis of the body of the report.

Question 24

When you're writing a report for a class project, your background reading can form the first draft of your list of references.

Question 25

By convention, a Table of Contents is used only in reports longer than 25 pages.

Question 26

Which of the following BEST describes the function of a topic sentence?

A)It focuses on the main topic of a report
B)It summarizes the main topic of a paragraph
C)It forecasts the main topic of the next paragraph
D)It is a kind of heading

Question 27

Analytical reports interpret data but do not recommend action.

Question 28

Stating your assumptions explicitly weakens the credibility of a report.

Question 29

Feasibility reports should always begin by recommending the best alternative.

Question 30

Every formal report should contain a Statement of Purpose in the Introduction.

Question 31

Organizations that issue RFPs are most likely to appreciate proposals that are unique and innovative, and restructure the suggestions in the RFP as needed.

Question 32

Every formal report should contain a Methods section in the Introduction.

Question 33

A closure report does not have to be very specific since it indicates a close to a failed project.

Question 34

Which of the following BEST introduces a visual?

A)Table 1
B)Here is Table 1
C)As is shown in Table 1 .......
D)As Table 1 shows .....

Question 35

The word "problem," used to introduce a section of a report is known as which of the following?

A)A functional heading
B)A subheading
C)A talking head
D)An informative heading

Question 36

Raza is writing a proposal for a class project that focuses on hand washing campaigns on campus.He believes that the on-campus health unit will want to look over his report, in addition to his professor.In which of the following sections should he place this information?

A)Problem
B)Audience
C)Topics to investigate
D)Qualifications/facilities/resources

Question 37

Use "you" in reports to help your readers identify with your recommendations.

Question 38

When your reader is unfamiliar with the content of your proposal, use the indirect pattern to prepare him/her for your findings.

Question 39

A formal report includes the history of the problem because this type of report is used only for those outside your own organization, who cannot be expected to know this history.

Question 40

Justification reports should begin with the action needed to implement your recommendation.

Question 41

Always explain in reports any definitions (of terms, acronyms, etc.) needed to understand the conclusions and recommendations of the report.

Question 42

Only the minority of proposals for class research projects discuss feasibility.

Question 43

Proposals for class research projects should include a work plan.

Question 44

You should end a proposal for a class research project with a call to action, which orders your professor to approve your proposal.

Question 45

The triple bottom line measures corporate performance in terms of ethical, environmental, and community impacts.

Question 46

The _____ section in the introduction to a formal report identifies how broad an area the report surveys.

Question 47

_____ make your recommendations less valid or valid only under certain conditions.

Question 48

A strong business plan should demonstrate profitability in at least five years.

Question 49

A _____ is an overview or forecast that tells the reader what you will discuss in a section or in the entire report.

Question 50

If your reader will be resistant to your recommendation, use the indirect pattern to structure your justification report.

Question 51

Trip reports should open by thanking your reader for providing you with the opportunity to experience the trip.

Question 52

A(n) ____________ executive summary is part summary and part description; it allows you to comment about the kind of information and present the thesis and its proof.

Question 53

A proposal must specify the tangible products you'll produce.

Question 54

Research shows that strong writers of progress reports focus the vast majority of the report's length on the exact details of what they've accomplished so far.

Question 55

General readers tend to focus on the executive summary of a report.

Question 56

Asking for too little money in your proposal increases the chance of it being accepted, since the agency funding the project will see it as more cost-effective.

Question 57

_____ reports measure corporate or organizational performance in terms of social, environmental, and economic impacts.

Question 58

The _____ section of a formal report summarizes points you have made in the body of the report.

Question 59

Lots of technical terminology is very persuasive in sales proposals.

Question 60

Feasibility reports should not seriously consider doing nothing as an option.

Question 61

List in order the steps you should normally follow in writing a transmittal.

Question 62

A report that interprets data but does not recommend action is known as an __________ report.

Question 63

If your report builds on previous documents, you should include those documents in the report's ______________.

Question 64

A _________ report evaluates two or more alternatives ad recommends one of them.

Question 65

Explain at least three stylistic tips that you can give a writer to ensure that a report, whether submitted as a paper copy or online, is easy to read and easy to follow.

Question 66

Explain the differences between the Conclusions section and the Recommendations section of a formal report.

Question 67

Briefly explain how formal reports differ from other kinds of reports, and identify the conventional components and sections of formal reports.

Question 68

A ______________ is a document written to raise capital for new business ventures.

Question 69

A visual in a report that consists of words or numbers arranged in rows and columns is known as a _____________.

Question 70

The _______________ in a report are action items that emerge from the report's findings and conclusions.

Question 71

The ____________ date of a report is usually the date on which the report is scheduled for discussion by decision makers.

Question 72

How should you organize a justification report when your reader will be reluctant to grant your request? Why will this organization help you achieve your goals?

Question 73

What is an information report? Also, what are the parts usually included in one?

Question 74

A ____________ is a word, phrase, or sentence that tells the reader whether the discussion is continuing on the same point or shifting points.

Question 75

If you are not a regular employee at the organization for which you are writing a report, you should include a __________ of transmittal in your report.

Question 76

RFP stands for ______________.

Question 77

_____________ executive summaries indicate what topics the report covers and how deeply it goes into each topic, but do not summarize what the report says about each topic.

Question 78

The ___________ of a formal report presents and interprets data in words and visuals, analyzes causes of the problem, evaluates possible solutions, and demonstrates the evidence that will support the report's conclusions and recommendations.

Question 79

You should discuss the factors or standards that you are considering and the relative importance of each in the ___________ section of a formal report's introduction.

Question 80

____________ executive summaries present the logical skeleton of the report: the thesis or recommendation and its proof.