Worksheetschap 2+3
Total questions: 107
Worksheet time: 56mins
Human Resources Manager Claire Siu must inform Anthony that company job changes will require him to seek retraining or lose his position. The best channel for Ms. Siu to deliver this message is
an e-mail message.
face-to-face communication.
voice mail.
an instant message.
Michael usually holds team meetings on Tuesday mornings, but he needs to reschedule next week's meeting to Wednesday morning. To tell team members of the date change for the next meeting, Michael should
send an e-mail.
meet in person with each team member.
call a team meeting.
write a short team report.
What communication channel would be most appropriate to deliver data to a customer?
Business letter
Report or proposal
Memorandum
What communication channel would be most appropriate when you must share digital information with other members of your work team?
Wiki
Fax
Instant message
What communication channel would be most appropriate when a written record or formality is required?
Report or proposal
Letter
Blog
What is the preferred channel choice for today's corporate communicators?
Memos
Letters
Instant messaging
Lindsay is writing a property description for a new real estate brochure. To make her brochure more effective, Lindsay should anticipate her audience. This means she
identifies the property's outstanding traits and describes them clearly.
concentrates on the price and value of the property.
writes using familiar words and a friendly, informal tone.
considers what the readers are like and how they will react to the message.
Profiling the audience for a business message helps the writer
identify the appropriate tone, language, and channel.
guarantee that the audience will respond positively to the message.
select slang and jargon the audience will recognize and appreciate.
create a perfect first draft.
What question should you ask to visualize your audience?
What position does the person hold in the organization?
Do I need to include more background information?
Should I expect a neutral, positive, or negative response to my message?
All answer choices are questions you should ask to visualize your audience.
What is the primary way tone is conveyed through a business message?
Sentence structure
Language choice
Document design and layout
Sentence length
One technique that improves business writing is the use of empathy. Empathy refers to
using inclusive language to eliminate bias.
putting yourself in the receiver's shoes to adapt the message to the receiver's needs.
appealing to the audience by using a sender focus.
formatting documents to meet business standards.
Which of the following sentences best focuses on the audience?
We are very pleased to have you as our newest customer.
You can help us by sending us your payment immediately.
Register now to lock in your preferred travel dates.
All sentences are focused on the audience rather than the sender.
Jorge must inform Samantha that she is not eligible to have an August vacation for which she recently applied. Which of the following sentences best demonstrates the 'you' view Jorge should use in denying Samantha's application?
I have not approved your August vacation because you applied too late.
We didn't receive your application early enough for the August vacation schedule.
Although the August vacation schedule is full, you may qualify for a vacation in September if you apply now.
The August vacation schedule was posted in May. You should have consulted it earlier.
Business messages should be conversational, professional, positive, and
long.
courteous.
written from the sender's perspective.
filled with many common abbreviations.
Create a conversational but professional tone in letters, e-mail messages, instant messages, and memos by
choosing a clear format and effective document layout.
using emoticons.
using familiar words, occasional contractions, and pronouns such as you and I.
using slang and abbreviations such as IMHO and BTW.
Marketing Director Kiprova will inform the board of directors that customers are not responding positively to the company's Paris Hilton ads. Which of the following is the most appropriate announcement?
Our customers are ripping on our Paris Hilton ads, even though we know these ads rock.
Our customers are badmouthing this awesome new marketing campaign; they are obviously just out of it.
At the meeting you will receive reports on recent customer criticism of the new Paris Hilton ads.
It has come to my attention that our customers have denigrated our strategic implementation of Paris Hilton's notoriety in our novel ad campaign.
Which of the following sentences demonstrates effective business writing?
Hey, Bob. Ur proposal is rad!
Your proposal demonstrates how our call center can better meet the needs of our customers.
FYI, i liked your proposal :).
Congrats on the proposal. You rock!
Which of the following sentences demonstrates effective business writing?
As per your request, enclosed is our latest catalog.
Enclosed is our latest catalog.
The latest catalog is contained under separate cover.
Pertaining to your request, our latest catalog is enclosed.
Which of the following sentences demonstrates conversational business writing?
Your return policy really ticks me off.
I am upset about your return policy.
Your return policy has provoked me to write this letter.
All answer choices reflect conversational business writing.
As employees use instant messaging to conduct more business, they should send messages that are informal, conversational, and
professional.
streamlined (e.g., using abbreviations such as ur for you are).
casual, including low-level language.
filled with slang and jargon.
Which of the following represents the best business writing?
We regret that we are unable to accept you as a credit customer at this time.
You will never be sorry that you opened a checking account with our bank.
We cannot accept the returned merchandise because it is not resalable.
You can return all resalable merchandise for a store credit.
Business messages should use positive language rather than negative language. Positive language
has no effect on the tone of a message.
conveys less information than negative language.
grants the reader all requests or demands.
tells what is and what can be done.
Courteous business messages
avoid using words that sound demanding or preachy.
often turn demands into rhetorical questions.
avoid hostility or anger.
All answer choices are correct.
Which of the following demonstrates effective business writing?
I'm ticked! Credit my account now!
Will you please credit my account for $125 due to the computer error on May 1.
You should credit my account.
Please get it right and credit my account for $125.
Which of the following demonstrates effective business writing?
All executives and their wives will attend the Reno conference.
A salesman must meet monthly sales quotas.
The female attorney graduated from Yale.
The office personnel will assist you with your forms.
Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing?
Every physician must carry his own malpractice insurance.
Every physician must carry their own malpractice insurance.
All physicians must carry their own malpractice insurance.
Every physician must carry his or her own malpractice insurance.
Which of the following demonstrates effective business writing?
An Asian CEO was the keynote speaker.
An African American man was the next customer.
A record number of Japanese investors are purchasing real estate in the United States.
Mr. Hernandez, a Mexican, is my boss.
Which of the following demonstrates effective business writing?
Julie Neibauer, 45, was promoted to our call center.
The little, old lady needed assistance with her purchases.
Daniel Simpson, a senior citizen, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity.
The new tax rule applied to individuals over 62.
Which of the following demonstrates effective business writing?
Victoria uses a wheelchair.
Victoria is confined to a wheelchair.
Crippled by multiple sclerosis, Victoria uses a wheelchair.
Victoria is suffering from multiple sclerosis.
Business writers are encouraged to use plain English, which means
using active-voice verbs, personal pronouns, short sentences, and familiar words.
writing without weakening qualifiers.
avoiding all negative expressions.
including slang and low-level diction that everyone understands.
Francisco is writing an article for the company's intranet to encourage managers to use plain English. Which of these sentences uses an appropriate business style to express Francisco's point?
If you obliterate the obfuscation in your e-mail messages, your department members will respond more appropriately.
Employees will respond better if you write e-mail messages with familiar language and a friendly, conversational style.
Before sending an e-mail message to your department, run it up the flagpole to see if anyone salutes.
Per company directives, please cease and desist from sending incomprehensible e-mail messages to department members.
Business writers who use words such as interrogate, remuneration, and terminate are using language many readers would consider
slang.
conversational.
jargon.
unfamiliar.
Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing?
It is imperative that we ascertain whether you qualify for benefits.
Our company stipulates that you must submit your hours so that we can compensate you properly.
Please check with your supervisor for information about salary increases.
Your remuneration will perpetuate for three weeks after your termination.
Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing?
Please think about the new insurance option.
Caltrek experienced a change in profits during the last fiscal year.
Retailers can expect to pay higher amounts for their goods and services.
Sheila will examine the job proposal carefully.
The goal of persuasive writing is to make your audience believe and accept your message.
TRUE
FALSE
Following a systematic plan when preparing any document or presentation will make your job easier.
TRUE
FALSE
An important aspect of the first phase of writing a business message is anticipating the audience's reaction to the message.
TRUE
FALSE
Shannon is writing a proposal to the board of directors to upgrade the company's computer equipment. After completing the prewriting phase, Shannon should immediately start composing the report.
TRUE
FALSE
The final task in the third phase of the writing process is evaluating your message to decide whether it accomplishes your goal.
TRUE
FALSE
Proofreading and revising are the same.
TRUE
FALSE
To be effective, the three phases of the writing process must be performed in sequence, moving from Phase 1 to Phase 2 to Phase 3 in order.
TRUE
FALSE
You should plan to spend equal amounts of time on each phase of the writing process.
TRUE
FALSE
The most important phase of the writing process is the revising phase.
TRUE
FALSE
Most writers spend equal amounts of time on each of the three phases of the writing process: prewriting, writing, and revising.
TRUE
FALSE
As you become a more skilled and experienced business writer, you will be more likely to alter, compress, and rearrange the writing process steps to suit your needs.
TRUE
FALSE
The primary purposes of most business documents are to inform and to promote goodwill. A common secondary purpose is sales growth.
TRUE
FALSE
One of the most important questions you can ask yourself as you begin to compose a message is What do I hope to achieve?
TRUE
FALSE
Alonso needs to get feedback from sales representatives located across the US and Europe. Because he needs to have the most interactivity and feedback possible, the best channel of communication for Alonso is videoconferencing or teleconferencing.
TRUE
FALSE
Face-to-face conversation is a richer medium than a written report.
TRUE
FALSE
One factor affecting channel choice is the importance of the message.
TRUE
FALSE
Today's businesses increasingly use e-mail and instant messaging for conducting business, but hard-copy memos are still written for messages that require persuasion, permanence, and formality.
TRUE
FALSE
Don't send a message unless you know exactly who your audience is.
TRUE
FALSE
You are more likely to achieve your communication goals if you profile your audience and shape the message to that profile.
TRUE
FALSE
Profiling your audience helps you tailor your words to your readers or listeners.
TRUE
FALSE
Although messages may have a primary and a secondary audience, the writer needs to profile only the primary audience to determine the best presentation of the message.
TRUE
FALSE
Ben Franklin stated this opinion about business messages: To be good, it ought to have a tendency to benefit the reader. His opinion reflects the importance of analyzing the purpose of the message.
TRUE
FALSE
Empathy, which increases the likelihood of a successful message, occurs when writers put themselves in the audience's shoes when creating the message.
TRUE
FALSE
The following sentence represents an audience focus: Our product guarantee becomes effective after we receive full payment.
TRUE
FALSE
To emphasize the "you" view in e-mail messages, you must avoid any phrases that include the "I/we" view such as I'm happy or We're delighted.
TRUE
FALSE
Whether your goal is to inform, persuade, or promote goodwill, the catchiest words you can use in your business writing are "you" and "your."
TRUE
FALSE
The active voice is generally preferred in business writing.
TRUE
FALSE
Monica is writing her first safety-inspection report. To sound businesslike and professional, Monica should include expressions such as the affected party, the undersigned, and the writer.
TRUE
FALSE
Business messages are most effective if they convey an informal, conversational tone.
TRUE
FALSE
Positive language generally conveys more information than negative language does.
TRUE
FALSE
The sentence You must submit your application by Friday is a more effective business message than Please submit your application by Friday.
TRUE
FALSE
Every mechanic has ten minutes for his morning break is an effectively written sentence.
TRUE
FALSE
Never specify the age of a person in business messages.
TRUE
FALSE
Some business, legal, and government documents are written in an inflated and confusing style that obscures meaning. This style of writing is often referred to as legalese or federalese.
TRUE
FALSE
Whenever possible in business writing, substitute longer, less familiar words for shorter, simpler words.
TRUE
FALSE
A message that is shorter and more conversational is less likely to achieve its goal than a message that is longer and more formal.
TRUE
FALSE
Business messages should contain strong verbs and concrete nouns.
TRUE
FALSE
During the (a) phase of the writing process, the writer analyzes the audience and the purpose for writing.
Sam is collecting and organizing information for a marketing report he is writing. Sam is involved in the second phase of the writing process, which is the (a) phase.
Catherine is proofreading her cover letter and résumé for accuracy before emailing them to a prospective employer. She is in the third phase of the writing process, which is the (a) phase.
An interesting theory called (a) richness describes the extent to which a channel or medium recreates or represents all the information available in the original message.
The channel of choice for corporate communicators today is clearly (a) .
(a) is the process of creating a message that suits your audience. One important aspect of this process is tone. Conveyed largely by the words in a message, tone affects how a receiver feels after reading or hearing a message.
Conveyed largely by the words in a message, (a) affects how a receiver feels after reading or hearing a message.
Putting yourself in the receiver's shoes to better adapt your message to that person's needs is called ___________________.
Putting yourself in the receiver's shoes to better adapt your message to that person's needs is called (a) .
Theresa has emphasized second-person pronouns (you, your) instead of first-person pronouns (I/we, us, our) in a letter to a customer. She is using the (a) view.
(a) describes technical or specialized terms within a field.
Matthew must develop a proposal for his supervisor that will describe the cost savings for an automated call center. Where should he begin?
Writing the proposal
Locating other proposals that he can copy
Researching the proposal
Determining an appropriate layout
Before composing a business document, you should gather information that will answer which of these questions?
Will I have enough time to complete thorough research?
What is the receiver to do?
What information will be the easiest to locate?
How will I use this information?
Formal research methods are generally required for what type(s) of business document(s)?
Routine e-mail messages
Routine memos
Long reports and complex business problems
All of these choices would require formal research.
Which of the following is a formal research method?
Talking with your boss
Organizing a focus group
Brainstorming
Looking in company files
Which formal research source is best to obtain firsthand information?
Internet Web sites and articles
Reference books
Electronic databases
Interviews
Stephanie is preparing a market analysis for her business plan. For firsthand information she should
search manually in her local library.
conduct interviews and surveys or organize a focus group.
search the Internet for related Web sites.
review scientific experiments conducted by experts.
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)
manual search of other companies' price lists.
interview with a local builder.
Internet search of insulation values for weather blankets.
scientific experiment that presents price choices with controlled variables.
As interns in human resource management, Brad and his team are administering a professionally developed employee questionnaire to collect information on workplace violence. This type of research produces data that is considered
firsthand information.
informal documentation.
supplementary, secondary information.
scientific experimentation.
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?
Tightly controlled scientific experimentation
Library research rooms
Questionnaires and surveys of employees
Research in company files
Many routine writing tasks such as composing e-mail messages or informational reports require that you collect information informally by
conducting extensive Web research.
conducting a scientific experiment.
looking in the files.
searching a variety of books, journals, or magazines.
When brainstorming to generate ideas, you should
critique each idea as it is suggested.
record ideas without judging them.
always work alone for greater efficiency.
allow no more than five ideas to be discussed.
You will create clear, readable messages if you
proceed free form from one idea to the next for maximum creative effect.
avoid emphasizing important ideas to allow readers to judge for themselves.
group similar items together and emphasize important ideas.
do not follow any pattern that restricts the free flow of your ideas.
Organizing data includes two processes. These processes are
grouping and strategizing.
brainstorming and researching.
outlining and drafting.
drafting and editing.
According to communication experts, what is the greatest failing of business writers?
Poor spelling
Unclear sentence structure
Ambiguous wording
Poor organization
Organizing your ideas into an outline is especially important when you are
developing a complex project.
writing a routine memo.
replying quickly to an e-mail message.
beginning the research phase of the writing process.
The direct strategy would be most appropriate when
delivering bad news.
presenting ideas requiring persuasion.
expecting the audience to be pleased, mildly interested, or neutral.
revealing sensitive news.
Which of the following business messages would use the direct strategy?
A letter denying credit to a customer
A sales letter
A letter rejecting a customer's claim
An e-mail to your staff reminding them of the upcoming all-staff meeting
Which of the following is an advantage of the direct strategy?
Minimizes a negative reaction
Respects the feelings of the reader
Saves the reader time
Encourages a fair hearing
Which of the following message openings is the most direct opening for an e-mail message announcing a new telecommuting plan?
A number of employees have asked about telecommuting options.
Many businesses have been implementing telecommuting programs, and we have studied their programs extensively.
Rising gas prices have led many companies to allow telecommuting, and we think this might be a good idea for our company.
Our new telecommuting program will begin on August 1.
Yosevin began his memo with background information and explanations before announcing a reduction in health insurance coverage. The strategy Yosevin used is called
frontloading.
direct.
passive voice.
indirect.
Which of the following is an advantage of the indirect strategy?
Saves the reader's time
Respects the feelings of the audience
Prevents frustration
Sets a proper frame of mind
When you expect a reader of your message to be uninterested, unwilling, displeased, or hostile, you should
put the bad news first.
begin with the main idea.
explain all background information first.
send the message via e-mail, text message, or IM.
Which of the following kinds of business messages typically use the indirect strategy?
Non-sensitive memos
Routine requests
Informational reports
Sensitive messages
What kind of sentence contains only one independent clause?
Simple sentence
Compound sentence
Complex sentence
Compound-complex sentence
What kind of sentence contains two independent clauses?
Simple sentence
Compound sentence
Complex sentence
Compound-complex sentence
