Deck 3: Composing Business Messages

Question 1

Which of the following is a simple sentence?

A) If health insurance costs continue to rise, employee copays may increase.
B) Having healthy employees decreases the cost of monthly premiums; therefore, we will be implementing a wellness program.
C) HMO and PPO insurance plans offer additional cost savings.
D) Because we will be reducing employee health insurance benefits, some employees may be unhappy; however, we must make sure that they understand the reason for the change.

Answer 1

C
Explanation:Only the sentence "HMO and PPO insurance plans offer additional cost savings" is a simple sentence. The sentence beginning with "if" is a complex sentence. The sentence with the conjunction "therefore" is a compound sentence. The sentence containing the conjunctions "Because" and "however" is a compound-complex sentence.

Question 2

You will create messages that are clear and easy to read if you

A) proceed free form from one idea to the next for maximum creative effect.
B) avoid emphasizing important ideas so that readers may judge for themselves.
C) group similar items together and emphasize important ideas.
D) do not follow any pattern that might restrict the free flow of your ideas.

Answer 2

C
Explanation:Your messages will be clear and easy to read if you group similar items together and emphasize important ideas. These techniques help readers see relationships and follow your arguments. Free-form messages are confusing.

Question 3

Quality Building Materials Inc. has developed a new whole-house weather blanket and needs to determine the price point at which builders would switch to this new product. The best research method for this is a(n)

A) manual search of other companies' price lists.
B) interview with a local builder.
C) Internet search of insulation values for weather blankets.
D) scientific experiment that presents price choices with controlled variables.

Answer 3

D
Explanation:To find a competitive price for this new product, this company should conduct a scientific experiment. An interview of a builder, manual search of price lists, or Internet searches will not provide the needed information.

Question 4

How should the following be classified? ReliaCare Health increased insurance premiums by 28 percent for our next fiscal year, that is why we are seeking new insurance bids.

A) Complete sentence
B) Fragment
C) Fused or run-on sentence
D) Comma splice

Question 5

As interns in human resource management, Brad and his team are using a professionally developed questionnaire that will be administered to all employees to collect information on workplace violence. This type of research produces data that is considered

A) firsthand information.
B) informal documentation.
C) supplementary, secondary information.
D) scientific experimentation.

Question 6

Organizing your ideas into an outline is especially important when you are

A) developing a complex project.
B) writing a routine memo.
C) replying quickly to an e-mail message.
D) beginning the research phase of the writing process.

Question 7

Which of the following is an advantage of the direct pattern?

A) Minimizes a negative reaction
B) Respects the feelings of the reader
C) Saves the reader time
D) Encourages a fair hearing

Question 8

Ahna is sending a persuasive memo to her staff asking them to participate in the new wellness program. Which of the following sources of information would be most appropriate to help Ahna shape an effective persuasive message for her staff?

A) Tightly controlled scientific experimentation
B) Library research rooms
C) Questionnaires and surveys of employees
D) Looking in company files

Question 9

Stephanie is preparing a market analysis for her business plan. For firsthand information, she should

A) search manually in her local library.
B) conduct interviews and surveys or organize a focus group.
C) search the Internet for related Web sites.
D) review scientific experiments conducted by experts.

Question 10

Ryan is collecting information about trends in corporate blogging for a report he is writing for his supervisor. This process of collecting information is called

A) scientific experimentation.
B) information processing.
C) research.
D) data analysis.

Question 11

Many routine writing tasks, such as composing e-mail messages or informational reports, require that you collect information informally by

A) conducting extensive Web research.
B) conducting a scientific experiment.
C) looking in the files.
D) searching a variety of books, journals, or magazines.

Question 12

Yosevin began his memo with background information and explanations before announcing a reduction in health insurance coverage. The pattern Yosevin used is called

A) frontloading.
B) direct.
C) passive voice.
D) indirect.

Question 13

Organizing data includes two processes. These processes are

A) grouping and patterning.
B) brainstorming and researching.
C) outlining and drafting.
D) drafting and editing.

Question 14

When you expect a reader of your message to be uninterested, unwilling, displeased, or hostile, you should

A) put the bad news first to get it over with.
B) begin with the main idea.
C) explain all background information first.
D) send the message via e-mail, text message, or IM.

Question 15

Which of the following message openings is the most direct opening for an e-mail message announcing a new telecommuting plan?

A) A number of employees have asked about telecommuting options.
B) Many businesses have been implementing telecommuting programs, and we have studied their programs extensively.
C) Rising gas prices have led many companies to allow telecommuting, and we think this might be a good idea for our company.
D) Our new telecommuting program will begin on August 1.

Question 16

Formal research methods are generally required for what type(s) of business document(s)?

A) Routine e-mail messages
B) Routine memos
C) Long reports and complex business problems
D) All of the above would require formal research.

Question 17

How should the following be classified? Liana called ReliaCare she also requested a new bid for health insurance premiums.

A) Complete sentence
B) Fused or run-on sentence
C) Fragment
D) Comma splice

Question 18

Which of the following contains no sentence faults?

A) Which is why we are considering new health insurance options.
B) HealthNet's coverage is extensive, and the rates are fair.
C) Review the list of benefits, then let me know what you think.
D) Having good health insurance is important to employees we need to keep that in mind.

Question 19

When collecting information before composing a business document, you should gather information that will answer which of these questions?

A) What does the receiver need to know about this topic?
B) What is the receiver to do after reading this document?
C) What will happen if the receiver doesn't do what you're requesting?
D) The information you collect should answer all of these questions.

Question 20

When brainstorming to generate ideas, you should

A) critique each idea as it comes up.
B) record ideas without judging them.
C) always work alone for greater efficiency.
D) allow no more than five ideas to be discussed.

Question 21

Because sentences of 20 or fewer words have the most impact, business writers must restrict all sentences to fewer than 20 words.

Question 22

Which of the following sentences is most effective in de-emphasizing the bad news?

A) Although cash refunds are not offered, you can exchange resalable merchandise.
B) Although you can exchange returned merchandise, cash refunds are not available.
C) Since we only exchange merchandise, it is impossible for you to receive a cash refund.
D) Because of our exchange policy, you may not receive a cash refund.

Question 23

Paragraphs are coherent when

A) all sentences are written in the active voice.
B) each sentence includes dependent and independent clauses.
C) ideas are linked; that is, one idea leads logically to the next.
D) All answer choices are correct.

Question 24

Which of the following uses active voice in a complete sentence?

A) The company's rigid return policy was criticized by a few unhappy customers.
B) Because a few unhappy customers criticized the company's rigid return policy.
C) Managers were told about the unhappy customers who criticized the company's rigid return policy.
D) A few unhappy customers criticized the company's rigid return policy.

Question 25

The indirect pattern works well with three kinds of messages: (a) bad news, (b) ideas that require persuasion, and (c) sensitive news.

Question 26

Most routine business writing tasks allow you to use informal research techniques to gather sufficient information.

Question 27

Jonathan is researching the financial impact of a job-sharing benefit for employees. Talking with his boss about the possible effects of offering this benefit to employees is an effective method of formal research.

Question 28

When you fail to collect all needed research before beginning to organize and write your business document, you may end up starting over and reorganizing.

Question 29

Another name for the direct pattern is frontloading.

Question 30

When should passive voice be used in business writing?

A) When you want to de-emphasize the action or the recipient of the action
B) When you want to emphasize the doer of the action
C) When you want to de-emphasize negative news
D) Never

Question 31

What do most writers use as the first sentence in a paragraph?

A) Supporting sentence
B) Transitional sentence
C) Topic sentence
D) Pivoting sentence

Question 32

To emphasize an idea through style, place it

A) in a simple sentence.
B) in a dependent clause.
C) in the middle of a sentence.
D) Any of the above techniques would emphasize the idea.

Question 33

Which of the following uses parallel structure?

A) Our new paralegal must be smart, efficient, and have flexibility.
B) The accident shattered her pelvis, dislocated her foot, and her spinal column was broken in three places.
C) Big business demands superior forecasting, reporting, and analyzing.
D) A good financial planner must be certified, competent, and must possess ethical standards.

Question 34

Many communication experts regard poor organization as the greatest failing of business writers.

Question 35

The most compelling and effective messages contain one repeated sentence pattern rather than a variety of sentences.

Question 36

Most writers can compose their business messages more effectively if they

A) have a quiet environment in which to concentrate.
B) turn on a TV, CD player, stereo, or other device to stimulate their thinking.
C) maintain a normal working environment, including accepting phone calls, text messages, IMs, and occasional visitors.
D) hold off writing until the perfect wording forms the complete message in their minds.

Question 37

Research is necessary only when composing formal documents.

Question 38

Writer's block can best be defined as

A) a block of time set aside to compose documents and projects.
B) the organization of research and ideas into an outline or scratch list.
C) an inability to produce a first draft because of poor preparation.
D) A neighborhood in a city or town where writers live and work together.

Question 39

Transitional expressions such as next, first, and finally are useful to show

A) cause and effect.
B) illustration.
C) comparison and contrast.
D) time association.

Question 40

When you expect the reader to be pleased, mildly interested, or neutral, use the indirect pattern of organization.

Question 41

Active voice is more direct, clear, and concise. Therefore, passive voice should never be used in business writing.

Question 42

Persuasive and bad news messages should usually use the ___________ pattern.

Question 43

Good writers should avoid repetition of words or key ideas because it shows lack of creativity.

Question 44

Communicators who have not completed their preparatory work may suffer from writer's block as they sit staring at their computer screens waiting for inspiration.

Question 45

Experts recommend that business writers avoid freewriting, which is similar to cramming for final exams and likely to produce similarly poor results.

Question 46

Nicola is collecting information for a business document she is writing. We call this collection process_______________.

Question 47

Although mechanical means are occasionally appropriate, more often a writer achieves emphasis stylistically.

Question 48

Words and phrases such as as opposed to, conversely, and on the other hand can be used to show contrast in business messages.

Question 49

In active voice, the subject is acted upon. In passive voice, the subject is the doer of the action.

Question 50

Mechanical techniques to emphasize important ideas include underlining, italics, boldface, font changes, all caps, dashes, tabulation, columns, and headings.

Question 51

In the _____________ pattern of organization, the main idea comes first, followed by details, an explanation, or evidence.

Question 52

The following sentence effectively uses a stylistic device to de-emphasize the bad news: Although we don't have any available positions at this time, we were pleased to receive your application and will keep it on file for six months.

Question 53

The following sentence contains a dangling or misplaced modifier: Working all night, the brief was filed with the court on time.

Question 54

Long reports and complex business problems generally require some use of _____________ research methods.

Question 55

Looking in the files and talking with your boss are methods of _____________ research.

Question 56

Pronouns can be used to promote paragraph coherence.

Question 57

Careful writers avoid labeling main ideas because they know that readers prefer to identify main ideas for themselves.

Question 58

Business writers should strive for paragraphs with eight or fewer printed lines.

Question 59

Sentence fragments are often introduced by such words as although, as, because, even, if, that, and which.

Question 60

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

Question 61

A(n) ____________________ is a group of sentences about one idea.

Question 62

Before and meanwhile are examples of transitional expressions that show ____________ association.

Question 63

The refund authorization was processed by our customer service representative is an example of a sentence using the ________ voice.

Question 64

A ________________ sentence contains an independent clause (a complete thought) and a dependent clause (a thought that cannot stand by itself).

Question 65

A dangling _________ results when the word or phrase the modifier describes is missing from its sentence.