Deck 6: Completing Business Messages

Question 1

Using short paragraphs will help you improve the readability of your business messages because

A)they will make your writing look more daunting.
B)they can help you emphasize key ideas.
C)they are more time consuming to read than long paragraphs.
D)they eliminate the need for transitional elements.
E)they can be easily understood by a less educated audience.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is not a technique for helping readers who skim your document?

A)using lists and bullets instead of narrative
B)keeping all sentences the same length
C)including headings and subheadings
D)using shorter paragraphs
E)using informative headings

Answer 2

B

Question 3

After you have completed the first draft of your business message,the next step is to make a final,quick pass through it to check for typos and spelling errors.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In business communication,the ________ of a message usually have the greatest impact on the readers.

A)body paragraphs
B)appendix sections
C)topics and subtopics
D)beginning and ending sections
E)visual aids

Question 5

When you begin the ________,focus your attention on content,organization,style,and tone.

A)production process
B)editing process
C)revision process
D)research process
E)distribution process

Question 6

When you're writing a business message,use headings and subheadings to

A)achieve parallelism.
B)identify subordinate clauses.
C)focus on specific ideas.
D)minimize the relationship between ideas.
E)group related paragraphs together.

Question 7

For general business messages,gear your writing toward

A)technical experts.
B)readers at the fifth-grade to sixth-grade level.
C)readers at the eighth-grade to eleventh-grade level.
D)readers at the twelfth-grade to fourteenth-grade level.
E)college graduates.

Question 8

When evaluating the work of others,you should

A)make sure you understand the writer's intent before you begin suggesting or making changes.
B)talk with the writer about his or her intent only after you suggest changes,since this is a good way to test the effectiveness of the document.
C)avoid talking with the writer about the document,since other readers may not have that opportunity.
D)compare the other person's writing style with your own,and if yours is better,rewrite the document in your own style.
E)suggest ways to improve the writing,even if you don't believe the author really needs them.

Question 9

When you need to revise a long,complex document,

A)start the process as soon as you've finished your first draft.
B)start by focusing on misspelled words and grammar errors.
C)save time by multitasking while you're revising the document.
D)try to put your draft aside for a couple of days before you start.
E)start by looking for sentence level issues,such as grammar and spelling.

Question 10

Skilled business writers

A)use long sentences to emphasize important information.
B)keep their sentences to an average length of 40 words or fewer.
C)vary the length of their sentences.
D)use sentences that are between 25-30 words.
E)never use sentences that contain fewer than 10 words.

Question 11

When evaluating for content,organization,style,and tone,the conclusion of the message should

A)be open ended.
B)offer an opportunity for further information.
C)present new ideas.
D)include links to research.
E)summarize the main idea and create a positive impression.

Question 12

Revising your message is important because readers are likely to equate the quality of your writing with the quality of your thinking.

Question 13

The first draft a document is often

A)clear.
B)compelling.
C)improvable.
D)tightly written.
E)perfect.

Question 14

Readability indexes measure ________,so they offer a useful reference point for improving your writing.

A)style and syntax
B)sentence length
C)tone of voice
D)proper word usage
E)correct spelling and grammar

Question 15

Regarding the three-step writing process,all of the following except ________ are important elements of the completing step.

A)proofreading the message
B)revising the message
C)forecasting the message
D)producing the message
E)distributing the message

Question 16

Briefly explain what the opening of a document should accomplish.

Question 17

When reviewing your document for content,you should be concerned with

A)grammar and usage.
B)punctuation and spelling.
C)the accuracy and relevance of the information.
D)style and tone.
E)type styles and typefaces.

Question 18

Business writers use bulleted and numbered lists to

A)simplify complex subjects.
B)minimize negative key points.
C)lighten the visual impact of the document.
D)add decorative elements to their messages.
E)extend the length of the work.

Question 19

Messages with spelling and grammar errors create an impression of

A)multitasking.
B)poor autocorrecting software.
C)blog use.
D)simple revision focus.
E)poor quality thinking.

Question 20

Before revising someone else's work,

A)identify the writing style you wish to use.
B)identify key points you wish to make.
C)identify the writer's intent of the message.
D)identify ways you can help the writer change the emphasis of the piece.
E)identify ways to help the writer incorporate your agenda into the piece.

Question 21

When it comes to paragraph length,

A)use long paragraphs with detailed information for direct-mail letters.
B)use long paragraphs if you want your document to look more inviting.
C)keep all paragraphs to fewer than 60 words.
D)use one-sentence paragraphs only occasionally,for emphasis.
E)avoid using topic sentences for each paragraph.

Question 22

Which of the following is an example of a hedging sentence?

A)The employee's performance appears to be less than satisfactory.
B)The deadline is next Tuesday.
C)The financial statement needs to have two sections.
D)We must act on these recommendations.
E)Please meet me at 3:00.

Question 23

What three functions do effective headings serve in business documents? Explain each one.

Question 24

Readers can get a more out of a document just by reading its descriptive headings than by reading its informative headings.

Question 25

Word endings such as -ion,-ing,and -ment often change verbs into nouns and are referred to as

A)noun sequences.
B)awkward references.
C)camouflaged verbs.
D)parallel nouns.
E)dangling modifiers.

Question 26

Briefly describe at least three advantages of using lists in business documents.

Question 27

________ headings identify a topic but do little more; ________ headings guide readers to think in certain ways about a topic.

A)Topical; interrogative
B)Universal; relational
C)Descriptive; informative
D)First level; second level
E)Major; sub

Question 28

Although you should vary the length of paragraphs in your business messages,in general you should strive for short paragraphs.

Question 29

When you're editing a document for conciseness,

A)change verbs into nouns.
B)separate subjects and predicates.
C)delete unnecessary words and phrases.
D)convert sentences to "it is" or "there are" structures.
E)eliminate awkward references.

Question 30

To best convey complex ideas,use a

A)short sentence.
B)bullet list.
C)medium sentence.
D)descriptive heading.
E)long sentence.

Question 31

When incorporating lists into a document,they should all use the same grammatical pattern,referred to as

A)repetitiveness.
B)bulleting.
C)clauses.
D)mix.
E)parallelism.

Question 32

The ________ assesses the readability of a document by ranking it on a 100-point scale.

A)Plain Language Manifesto
B)Carnegie Readability Ratio
C)Flesch Reading Ease score
D)Simplified Technical English equation
E)Kincaid Grade Level score

Question 33

When ________ are strung together as modifiers,they should be replaced with a single well-chosen word to make the sentence easier to read.

A)bullet points.
B)dangling modifiers.
C)dependent clauses.
D)nouns.
E)references.

Question 34

What is wrong with the following sentence? "To waste time and missing deadlines are bad habits."

A)Similar ideas are not parallel.
B)It contains a dangling modifier.
C)It contains a split infinitive.
D)It contains a hedging sentence.
E)It contains a camouflaged verb.

Question 35

Skillful writers use informative headings and subheadings to

A)conceal the basic structure of the document.
B)guide readers to think a certain way about the topics covered.
C)add a decorative flair to mundane documents.
D)take up space so the document doesn't look too short.
E)simply identify topics covered in the document.

Question 36

Readability indexes are useful when determining

A)smooth transitions.
B)"you" attitude.
C)clear sentence structure.
D)proper word usage.
E)number of syllables.

Question 37

When creating a list for a business document,

A)always use bullets,rather than numbers or letters.
B)mix listed items as phrases and sentences.
C)be sure to introduce it clearly.
D)any text in the list should be typed in all caps.
E)make sure it contains at least 7 items.

Question 38

What is wrong with the following sentence? "Having stalled for two days,the assignment was now late."

A)It lacks parallelism.
B)It contains a dangling modifier.
C)It contains an awkward pointer.
D)It contains hedging.
E)It contains a dependent clause.

Question 39

Briefly explain the difference between descriptive headings and informative headings.

Question 40

To guide readers to think a certain way about a topic,incorporate

A)descriptive headings.
B)parallelism.
C)bullet lists.
D)informative headings.
E)subheadings.

Question 41

Starting a sentence with "It is" or "There are" is

A)usually a sign that the sentence could be shorter and more active.
B)perfectly acceptable,and you need not try to rewrite the sentence.
C)a sign that you are using active voice.
D)a sign that you are using passive voice.
E)a way to impose parallelism.

Question 42

Which of the following will best improve the message's readability?

A)using long,parallel sentences
B)avoiding bulleted and numbered lists
C)using headings and subheadings
D)making sure that the information is accurate,relevant,and sufficient
E)writing in the past tense

Question 43

Rewrite the following sentence to avoid camouflaged verbs: "The customer will ultimately make a determination about whether a purchase will occur."

Question 44

When you're using digital media to write a message,you don't need to worry about grammar,spelling,or clarity.

Question 45

Because mobile users consume information one screen at a time,you should ________ when you're writing to them.

A)always format your message to be viewed from a vertical perspective
B)include long,fully justified paragraphs in small font sizes
C)divide your message into independent,easy-to-consume bites
D)use stylized typefaces and complex layouts)use several bullets and lists

Question 46

Word combinations such as basic fundamentals,anonymous stranger,and future plans are examples of

A)predicates.
B)redundancies.
C)split modifiers.
D)camouflaged verbs.
E)parallel terms.

Question 47

Briefly describe two strategies for clarifying sentence structure.

Question 48

Rewrite the following sentence to eliminate the unnecessary phrases: "In view of the fact that the customer service department is closed,we do not have the capability of offering refunds until such a time as they reopen."

Question 49

Rewrite the following sentence to improve clarity and avoid the long noun sequence: "The financial estimates and accounting consulting firm will be closed next week."

Question 50

Many changes made to improve clarity will also improve

A)parallelism.
B)tone.
C)understanding.
D)readability index scores.
E)conciseness.

Question 51

A ________ is a verb that has been changed into a noun or an adjective.

A)transitive verb
B)transformed predicate
C)predicate nominative
D)camouflaged verb
E)camouflaged pronoun

Question 52

"The above-mentioned book" is an example of

A)a redundancy.
B)a strung-out sentence.
C)an indefinite pronoun starter.
D)an awkward reference.
E)a camouflaged verb.

Question 53

Which of the following sentences is the most concisely worded?

A)The project manager is in charge of furnishing specifications until such time as the project gets underway.
B)All specifications should be provided by the project manager prior to the start of a project.
C)Project managers have the capability of changing specifications before the official start date.
D)The project manager must give the engineers the revised specifications before the project starts.
E)When it comes to specifications,the project manager must certainly be the only one to change them.

Question 54

"Visible to the eye" is an example of

A)a cliché.
B)a redundancy.
C)the passive voice.
D)obsolete language.
E)hedging.

Question 55

Explain why editing for conciseness is important,then list the four steps it involves.

Question 56

You can improve the clarity of your messages if you break up overly long sentences into shorter sentences.

Question 57

To edit for conciseness,

A)eliminate wordy phrases.
B)add relative pronouns.
C)use longer,more complex words.
D)add redundancy.
E)include double modifiers.

Question 58

Explain the steps involved in editing documents for clarity.

Question 59

A ________ uses words such as may and seems to avoid stating a judgment or fact directly.

A)hedging sentence
B)hypothetical clause
C)defensive sentence
D)tortuous statement
E)parallel sentence

Question 60

When you have two or more similar ideas to express in writing,use parallelism to

A)show that the ideas are related.
B)show that the ideas are of dissimilar importance.
C)show that the ideas are on the same level of generality.
D)eliminate overly long words and phrases.
E)incorporate infinitives.

Question 61

To achieve an effective design,pay careful attention to

A)content,graphics,and paragraph length.
B)consistency,restraint,and detail.
C)visual aids,headings,and use of white space.
D)type face,use of white space,and color.
E)consistency,color,and graphics.

Question 62

Any space in a message that doesn't contain text or artwork,both in print and online,is considered to be

A)ambiguous.
B)unnecessary.
C)neutral noise.
D)white space.
E)wasted.

Question 63

Rewrite the following sentence to eliminate redundancies: "The engineers collaborated together in order to produce the uniquely original final outcomes of their research."

Question 64

The term type style refers to

A)the space around text and between text columns.
B)any modification that lends contrast or emphasis to type.
C)a combination of text,graphics,photographs,audio,video,and interactivity.
D)the letters,numbers,and other text characters in a message.
E)the word choices made.

Question 65

Which one of the following is usually included in a typical memo format?

A)the writer's signature
B)a salutation
C)a subject line
D)a complimentary close
E)an indication of those who are copied on the memo

Question 66

To make your messages mobile friendly,

A)use large paragraphs.
B)divide the message into easy to consume bites.
C)avoid white space.
D)include graphics.
E)write for a vertical perspective.

Question 67

Using white space in a document

A)is considered "cheating."
B)is only an option when you can't use color.
C)makes your document look unappealing.
D)provides visual contrast.
E)is helpful when you lack adequate information.

Question 68

Like the tone of your language,________ can be too formal,just right,or too informal for a given message.

A)spacing
B)use of white space
C)restraint
D)visual balance
E)margins

Question 69

When producing a document for mobile technology,the preferred typeface is ________ because screens have lower resolution than printed text.

A)serif
B)sans serif
C)calligraphy
D)bold
E)standard

Question 70

According to your textbook,lines of text that are justified are

A)set flush or aligned vertically on both the right and left.
B)presented in bold and italics.
C)set flush left and ragged on the right.
D)set flush right and ragged on the left.
E)centered on the page.

Question 71

Centered type is commonly used for

A)making the document easier to read.
B)text paragraphs.
C)headings and subheadings.
D)bullet lists.
E)visual aids.

Question 72

________ such as Times New Roman and Garamond have small cross lines at the ends of each letter stroke.

A)Specialty typefaces
B)Serif typefaces
C)Rococo typefaces
D)Sans serif typefaces
E)Calligraphic typefaces

Question 73

The ________ of a message involves the total effect of elements such as page or screen design,typography,and graphics.

A)resonance
B)semantic structure
C)production quality
D)information value
E)layout

Question 74

For most printed business messages,use a type size of ________ for regular text and ________ for headings and subheadings.

A)8 to 10 points; 12 to 14 points
B)10 to 12 points; 12 to 18 points
C)12 to 14 points; 14 to 20 points
D)14 to 16 points; 20 to 24 points
E)16 to 20 points; 20 to 28 points

Question 75

The ________ of a message sends a nonverbal message to the reader that may influence their perception of the communication.

A)consistency
B)clarity
C)readability
D)tone
E)visual design

Question 76

When selecting typefaces for most business documents,you should

A)generally avoid using more than two typefaces on a page.
B)make generous use of all caps,underlining,and boldface.
C)use the same typeface for the entire document.
D)use a large type size (at least 14 points)for your basic text if you need to fill up space.
E)use smaller typeface to same room when including headings.

Question 77

For effective document design in business communication,you should

A)fit as much material as possible on each page.
B)mix different typefaces and decorative touches throughout the document.
C)let "simpler" and "fewer" be your guiding concepts.
D)use a one-size-fits-all approach to balance design elements.
E)use bright background colors to make your message stand out.

Question 78

White space provides ________ for the reader.

A)resting points
B)design elements
C)an identification of important information
D)justification
E)headings

Question 79

The term ________ refers to the physical design of letters,numbers,and other text characters.

A)type style
B)typography
C)typeface
D)serigraphy
E)white space

Question 80

Businesspeople who compose messages for mobile devices should

A)keep formats simple.
B)write complex paragraphs.
C)fill in all on-screen white space.
D)assume device compatibility.
E)use a non-standard typeface.