Deck 5: Routine Writing Situations

Question 1

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

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The text says that a claim submitted promptly is taken more seriously.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

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

Question 5

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

Question 6

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

Question 7

The text says that when writing a simple claim request, it is best to let the reader infer what action you would like to be taken.

Question 8

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

Question 9

When sending a message to share information, it is important to first set the context for sharing.

Question 10

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

Question 11

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 12

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

Question 13

According to the text, 95 percent of work e-mails are considered to be routine.

Question 14

The claim should be filed as soon as possible is an example of using the imperative mood to give instructions.

Question 15

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

Question 16

Claim response letters often include apologies to the customer.

Question 17

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 18

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

Question 19

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

A)Describe the desired action.
B)Provide your lawyer's contact information.
C)Explain the problem thoroughly.
D)Provide a goodwill statement.

Question 20

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

Question 21

Which portion of a business letter is the most appropriate place for the following sentence? 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

Question 22

Which of the following claims does the 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 23

Can you please answer these questions about the culinary management program at St. George College? Which of the following statements best explains why this is an appropriate opening statement to an e-mail requesting information?

A)It's a polite command that does not require a lead-in.
B)It is important to mention the company name where the recipient works.
C)Questions should always appear in the opening of an e-mail.
D)All requests should be brief, whether the writer anticipates resistance from the recipient or not.

Question 24

Your colleague must send a notice to the other employees giving instructions on the new printing process. Which of the following would be the most effective way for her to give instructions?

A)Printing all documents from the first floor printing lab should begin immediately.
B)Use of the first floor printing lab is necessary for this step.
C)Select "First Floor Printing Lab" from the drop-down menu.
D)First, you must choose the "First Floor Printing Lab" option from the menu.

Question 25

According to the 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 26

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 27

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.

Question 28

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

Question 29

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 30

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 31

Which of the following does the 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 boldface 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 32

Which of the following moods, or verb forms, does the text recommend you should use for giving instructions?

A)indicative
B)interrogative
C)imperative
D)subjunctive

Question 33

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 34

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 35

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 36

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 or 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 37

Which of the following does the 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 38

Which of the following statements would be most effective in an adjustment letter?

A)We apologize for the defective product you purchased from our store on May 3, 2014.
B)Unfortunately, you must provide the receipt in order to receive a full refund.
C)This misunderstanding will be handled directly by our Customer Relations supervisor.
D)We will be happy to issue you a full refund after you submit your receipt to our head office.

Question 39

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.

Question 40

In addition to supplying information in a reply message to a customer, what does the text also suggest for the body of your message?

A)Promote your organization and products.
B)Explain the process that you had to go through to respond to the request.
C)Give a list of reasons that the reader should avoid buying products from your competitors.
D)Include information that the reader may find useful, but didn't ask for.

Question 41

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

Question 42

Instead of making general assessments, your recommendation letter should describe the subject's ____________.

Question 43

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

Question 44

Letters that deal with sensitive information require the ___________ pattern of organization.

Question 45

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

Question 46

The text suggests that you write a letter of ____________ only for someone you truthfully support.

Question 47

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(n) ____________.

Question 48

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

Question 49

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