Deck 13: Completing Reports and Proposals

Question 1

The letter of transmittal introduces your report to your audience.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A synopsis is generally more comprehensive than an executive summary.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Unlike a synopsis,an executive summary may contain headings and visual aids.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Use a descriptive synopsis if your audience is skeptical.

Question 5

The title fly is a single sheet of paper with the title of the report on it.

Question 6

Reports that are less than 10 pages do not require a synopsis or executive summary.

Question 7

Every component of a formal report should start on a new page.

Question 8

You need to allow extra time for formatting and production of reports and proposals.

Question 9

An introduction is never longer than a sentence or two.

Question 10

A report title always starts with "A Study of" or "A Report on."

Question 11

Covers for reports are usually sheets of heavy stock paper imprinted with the company name and logo.

Question 12

Prefatory parts like the table of contents don't need to be on separate pages.

Question 13

The letter of acceptance is the reply to the letter of authorization.

Question 14

Technology and software for producing reports are available,but employees usually leave the production of their reports to a special department set up for that purpose.

Question 15

For formal reports the components fall into two categories.

Question 16

The type,length,audience,and organizational expectations all dictate what is included in formal reports.

Question 17

The table of contents should always include all levels of headings for the report.

Question 18

A synopsis of a 15-page report is at least two to three pages long.

Question 19

The letter of transmittal should use the indirect approach,especially if the report is an analytical one.

Question 20

Short reports often combine the synopsis with the letter of transmittal.

Question 21

Including too much data in the body of the report can often be a problem for inexperienced writers.

Question 22

Most proposals have at least three supplementary parts.

Question 23

The purpose of the title fly is to ___________________

A)give the name of the company for which the report has been prepared.
B)add a touch of formality to the report.
C)protect the report from dirt and careless handling.
D)provide a page for the reader to make notes on.

Question 24

The "close" of a report is another name for the report's conclusions.

Question 25

When you proofread the text part of a report,you should look for the same types of mistakes as you would look for in any business message.

Question 26

A good introduction will often invite the reader to continue reading by telling them what the report is about,why they should be concerned,and how the report is organized.

Question 27

The most common items to include in an appendix are the bibliography and the index.

Question 28

A synopsis or executive summary is less useful in a formal proposal than in other types of formal reports.

Question 29

Which of the following is included in the prefatory parts of a formal report?

A)Introduction
B)Letter of authorization
C)Body
D)Summary

Question 30

To complete a successful business report you should always complete the following: ___________________

A)sub-contract the work to a business writing firm.
B)revise,produce,proofread,and distribute.
C)evaluate the design elements,revise,and distribute.
D)produce,revise,and distribute.

Question 31

The goal of a proposal is to impress readers with your professionalism and to make your offering and company stand out from the competition.

Question 32

When checking over your report,you shouldn't consult others because they do not know your work.

Question 33

In addition to the title and submission date,the title page of a formal report should include information on ___________________

A)who prepared and who authorized the report.
B)who authorized and who will receive the report.
C)the contents.
D)the copyright.

Question 34

When proofreading it is helpful to have one expert check for technical details and one non-expert make sure it's understandable.

Question 35

A formal report ______________

A)must be at least 10 pages long.
B)is always for outsiders;internal reports are always informal.
C)is informational as opposed to analytical.
D)uses a conversational tone,yet is still businesslike and respectful.

Question 36

When writing an unsolicited proposal you can organize it loosely on the details in the RFP.

Question 37

An appendix contains materials related to the report but not included in the text because they are too lengthy,too bulky,or perhaps not relevant to everyone in the audience.

Question 38

The letter of transmittal ___________________

A)introduces your report to your audience.
B)has a more formal style than the report itself.
C)is usually included as an appendix.
D)is all of the above.

Question 39

An index is always done in the Chicago Manual of Style format.

Question 40

If a proposal is unsolicited,the letter of transmittal should follow the format for persuasive messages.

Question 41

In the body section of a proposal,you ___________________

A)summarize the problem and your solution.
B)emphasize the benefits of your solution.
C)describe how the job will be done.
D)do all of the above.

Question 42

The letter of transmittal conveys the report to the readers.

Question 43

The close portion of a formal proposal ___________________

A)includes a copy of the RFP.
B)states when the work will begin and end.
C)urges the reader to act.
D)adds that little bit extra.

Question 44

The text of a proposal is composed of three main parts: ___________________

A)beginning,middle and end.
B)an introduction,a body,and a close.
C)an RFP,synopsis and appendix.
D)summary,problem,and benefits.

Question 45

Proofreading the textual part of your report is ______________________________

A)more important than proofreading other types of documents because reports usually have more typographical errors.
B)usually quick because the visual aids in reports don't usually need proofing.
C)essentially the same as proofreading any business message.
D)is not necessary because word-processors catch grammar and spelling errors.

Question 46

A letter of acceptance is a written acknowledgment of the letter of authorization.

Question 47

To avoid the legal and ethical problems of plagiarism,provide ___________________

A)a description of the sources and methods used.
B)an overview of the report's organization.
C)definitions of terms used in the report.
D)cited documentation in a bibliography.

Question 48

The title fly is a plain sheet of paper with only the title of the report on it.

Question 49

In a formal proposal,a synopsis or executive summary may be ___________________

A)essential for highlighting your competitive advantage.
B)useful if the proposal is fairly short.
C)placed in an appendix.
D)often less useful than in a formal report.

Question 50

The key details and benefits of a report are stated in the ___________________

A)executive summary.
B)conclusions.
C)recommendations.
D)notes.

Question 51

The difference between formal proposals and other formal reports lies mainly in ___________________

A)the text and prefatory parts.
B)the introduction.
C)the prefatory parts.
D)the appendices.

Question 52

Quite often the materials in an appendix may not be incorporated into the text because ___________________

A)they are controversial.
B)they include bad news.
C)they are too lengthy.
D)they are boring.

Question 53

The cover,title page,and table of contents are called the prefatory parts of a formal report

Question 54

Which of the following is a supplementary part of a report?

A)Letter of transmittal
B)Appendix
C)Executive summary
D)Letter of authorization

Question 55

Transmittal letters for unsolicited proposals should be approached like ___________________

A)persuasive messages.
B)bad-news messages.
C)good-news messages.
D)routine messages.

Question 56

Formal proposals must be ____________________________

A)reviewed for errors and inconsistencies.
B)as brief as possible.
C)produced using presentation software.
D)produced in the same format as a formal report.

Question 57

The prefatory parts of a formal proposal may include ___________________

A)a letter of authorization.
B)a copy of the RFP.
C)an index.
D)visual aids.

Question 58

The table of contents for a complex formal report lists ___________________

A)every heading in the report plus all illustrations and table titles.
B)only the top two or three levels of headings plus prefatory and supplementary parts.
C)everything but prefatory parts.
D)everything but supplementary parts.

Question 59

An executive summary ___________________

A)is never longer than a few paragraphs.
B)may contain headings and visual aids.
C)comes before the synopsis in the prefatory section of a report.
D)is always included with reports longer than 10 pages.

Question 60

The synopsis section of a formal report ___________________

A)is a concise overview of the report's most important points.
B)is a short summary containing subheadings and visual aids.
C)is usually anywhere from two to five pages.
D)is all of the above.

Question 61

What is one advantage of starting each section of your report on a separate page?

Question 62

A proposal usually contains a(n)copy of the request for proposal issued by the client.

Question 63

A writer's summary of the main ideas,highlight conclusions and recommendations (if any)would typically be placed in a section labeled close .

Question 64

Describe the primary function of the letter of transmittal.

Question 65

The appendix,bibliography,and index make up the supplementary parts of a formal report.

Question 66

A(n)bibliography is a list of sources consulted when preparing a report.

Question 67

List at least three types of materials commonly included in appendixes.

Question 68

A(n)executive summary is a fully developed "mini" version of the report itself.

Question 69

Briefly explain the difference between an informative synopsis and a descriptive synopsis.

Question 70

What is an RFP,and why is important when writing proposals?

Question 71

Explain why it is generally best to prepare the prefatory parts of your report after you've written the text.

Question 72

A(n)appendix contains materials that are too lengthy or too bulky to include in the main body of a report.

Question 73

What three main parts make up the text of a report?

Question 74

List at least three elements normally included in the body of a formal proposal.

Question 75

A(n)informative synopsis presents conclusions and key points of a report in the order in which they appear in the text.

Question 76

When should you include a separate list of illustrations with your report?

Question 77

A(n)descriptive synopsis simply tells what the report is about.

Question 78

List at least three factors that can help you decide what parts to include in a business report.

Question 79

Explain the difference between a title fly and a title page.

Question 80

Briefly explain the difference between a synopsis and an executive summary.