Home Page Flashcards COMM 3160 test 2 - Flashcards

COMM 3160 test 2 – Flashcards

Livia Baldwin

8 July 2022

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The three primary steps involved in preparing a business message are

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planning, writing, and completing

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In developing business messages, the step during which you evaluate whether your have expressed your ideas clearly is

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completing

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In preparing business messages, you should generally devote about ______ percent of your time to planning.

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Inexperienced communicators tend to

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dive directly into writing the message without taking sufficient time to plan

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which of the following is NOT a general purpose common to business communication?

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to negotiate

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An example of a specific purpose for a business message would be

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to inform employees about the new vacation policy

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Most messages should not be sent unless they will

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bring about a change

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In most cases, a message should be deferred or cancelled if

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the time is wrong

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The primary audience for your message is made up of

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they key decision makers in the audience

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In general, for internal communication, the higher up your message goes, the

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fewer details people want to see

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Messages should contain additional detail and background information when

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you are unsure about the audience's level of understanding

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Forecasting your audience's probable reaction to your message is

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vital, because potential audience reaction affects message organization

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You're writing a proposal to allow certain employees at your company to telecommute. You know management will be skeptical, so you should

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introduce your proof gradually before revealing your conclusions and recommendations

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A knowledge-management system

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is a centralized database of experiences and insights of employees throughout an organization

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When it comes to planning business messages, social media

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enable you to quickly locate experts and vital information on a wide variety of topics

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When meeting your audience's informational needs, you should emphasize ideas

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of greatest interest to the audience

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In business communication, using discovery techniques such as free writing and sketching

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is helpful when you need to generate ideas and uncover possible avenues to research

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A good way to test the thoroughness of your business message is to check ir for

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the who, what, when, where , why and how

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After sending project esetimate costs to a longtime client, you realize you failed to include information on some discount options, The best thing to do is

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contact the primary audience immediately and correct the error

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Choosing the right medium for your message

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is an important communication skill

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Which media would be best for keeping in touch with a sales team whose members live in several different states

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electronic media

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In today's high-tech business environment, the need for managers to engage in frequent "walk-arounds" (chatting with employees to get input and answer questions)

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still exists, according to many experts

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Using oral media for business communications

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can lead to awkward conversations, but also help you earn a reputation as an honest caring manager

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form letters in business

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can be helpful when communication about routine matters

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In business contexts, reports and proopsals

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vary in length, and may be written in many formats, including letters and memos

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In general, traditional business messages rely

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primarily on text, with occasional support from graphical elements (such as charts and diagrams)

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Infographics are

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messages that combine powerful visuals with supporting text

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telephone calls are

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capable of conveying quite a few nonverbal signals

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which of the following media would be best for sending a brief internal message (requiring no response from your audience) about an upcoming software update?

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VoIP is an

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technology used for making telephone calls via the internet

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When it ocomes to business communications, YouTube

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has quickly become an important medium for a variety of messages

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In part, media richness refers to

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a medium ability to facilitate feedback

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The richest communication medium is

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a face-to-face coversation

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a key advantage of oral communication is

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the opportunity to get immediate feedback

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As a new supervisor, you need to introduce yourself to your team of ten employees. The best medium for this type of nonroutine message would be

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a face-to-face meeting

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Leaner media are best used for messages that

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are routine

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Of the following media, which is the richest?

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an interactive website enabling audiences to participate in the communication process

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Which of the following media would be best to make a formal introduction to a potential client?

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letter

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In high- context culture, ________ media re often more effective than ______ ones.

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oral, written

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Which of the following is not listed amonf factors to consider when choosing a medium for your message?

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sender preference

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In general, audiences are likely to

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form inaccurate conclusions from poorly organized messages

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Organizing messages effectively helps readers by

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all of the above

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The primary difference between the topic of a message and the main idea is

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the main idea is more specific than the topic

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Which of the following is an example of a message topic?

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"Funding for research and development"

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When you message is complex and includes a large amount of information,

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a variety of techniques (such as brainstorming) can help determind your main idea

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Story telling is

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an effective way to organize messages in a surprising number of business communication scenarios

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In a business message, the range of information you present, the overall length, and the level of detail is known as your

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scope

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Whatever the length of your message, you should limit the number of major support points to roughly

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six

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Taking the time to outline your points as you prepare business messages

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will save you time in the long tun and lead to better results

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The three general purposes of business messages are to inform, persuade, and collaborate

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TRUE

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In the planning stage of an important business report, you should never engage in free writing since doing so will only confuse you

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FALSE

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Media richness refers to the relative costs of advertising in the various mass media

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FALSE

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To inform coworkers that the project you've all worked on for months has been unexpectedly eliminated, you should use the indirect approach

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TRUE

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Which of the following statements best reflects the "you" attitude?

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you will have your merchandise as soon as we receive your check for $25

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Select the sentence with the best "you" attitude

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Once your application is complete, you should receive a response within two weeks

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It is best to limit your use of the word "you" in business messages if

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using it will make our message sound overly authoritative or accusing

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When it comes to using the "you" attitude

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it is important to recognize and accommodate cultural differences

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In business communication, good etiquett

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indicates respect for the audience and minimizes negative emotional reaction

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In part because of limited opportunities for feedback, written communication and most forms of electronic communication require _______ than oral communication

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more tact

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When delivering negative news

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it is important to look for positive points that will foster a good relationship with yuor audience

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Select the sentence with the most positive emphasis

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we will complete the process audit on time

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When you are criticizing or correcting, it is best to

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focus on what the audience members can do to improve

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A euphemism is a word or phrase that is

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a milder term for one with negative connotations

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Which of the following is a euphemism?

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pre-owned

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The title 'chairman'

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is sometimes used to refer to a woman who leads a board of directors

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The preferred title for women in business _______, unless the individual requests otherwise

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Ms.

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If you must refer to someone's disability, the best wording would be

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an employee with physical handicaps

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Using the term crippled in a business communication is an example of

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disability bias

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To help establish credibility with your audience, you should

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show that you are confident and that you believe in yourself and in your message

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Using endorsements to gain credibility with your audience

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can be an effective strategy, as long as your audience views the person making the endorsement as an expert

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Using hyperbole when offering praise to fellow employees

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is less effective than pointing out specific qualities that warrant praise

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In business messages, using phrases such as, "we trust that this will resolve the issue"

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require care, since it can take away from the writer's credibility

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Your communication _______ involves the choices you make to express yourself- the words you select, the manner in which you use those words in sentences and the way you build paragraphs from individual sentences

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style

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_______ refers to the overall impression of your messages

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tone

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The best tone for most business messages is

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conversational

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The casual, acronym -laden language used in text messaging and IM is

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generally considered inappropriate and unprofessional in business

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Which of the following is NOT an example of pompous language?

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Please let us know

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Using humor in business messages is

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usually not effective for formal and intercultural messages

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'Plain language' is a style of writing

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designed to make information more understandable to the audience

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Which of the following sentences contains the strongest and most effective wording?

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We need to cut the operating budget by 12% or profits will plummet

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Identify the voice in the following sentence: "Based on negative client feedback, the marketing department abandoned the campaign"

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active

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Using the active voice is helpful when you

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want to make your writing more direct, livelier, and easier to read

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Using the passive voice makes sense when you

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want to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error

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In business messages, errors in grammar and usage

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cause you to lose credibility with your audience

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The connotative meaning of a word is

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all the associations and feelings that the word evokes

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Which of the following words are the most abstract?

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productivity, quality, motivation

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Software, database and website are ______ words

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concrete

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"It's not all fun and games" is one example of

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a cliche

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"Although our servers are stable, the telephone system is a serious concern" is a

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complex sentence

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"Insurance premiums have increase, and cost-of-living raises have not kept up" is a _________ sentence

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compound

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Which of the following is a compound sentence?

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Interest rates are low, and now is an excellent time to buy a home

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A complex sentence consists of

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one main thought and one or more subordinate thoughts

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You can emphasize key points by

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doing all the above

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To downplay a dependent clause in a complex sentence, you should

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place it in the middle of the sentence

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A typical paragraph contains the three basic elements of

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a topic sentence, support sentences, and transitional words and phrases

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In business writing, the topic sentence of a paragrapph

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is generally explicit (rather than implied) and is often the first sentence in the paragraph

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Words such as "nevertheless, however, but and therefore"

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are useful for making transitions

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A paragraph that focuses on the reasons why some event has occurred is developed according to which method

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cause and effect

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When you want to develop a paragraph by showing how a general idea is broken into specific categories, which of these methods would you use?

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classification

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To ensure a consistent look for all company documents, many organizations provide employees with approved

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style sheets

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Boilerplate is

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a standard block of text used in multiple documents to ensure consistency and improve efficiency

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Unlike style sheets and templates, ______ addresses the overall look and feel of a page or screen, including color palettes and background images

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themes

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Which type of software feature inserts a ready-made block of text when you type the first few characters?

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autocompletion

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The main tasks in completing a business message consist of all except

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forecasting

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Messages sent via MI, text messaging, email and blogging

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should be revised, even if it involves nothing more than a quick review before sending

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When revising a document, you should

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first read through it to evaluate its overall effectiveness

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Putting your first draft aside for a day or two before you begin the revision process

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is often helpful, especially with more complex messages

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

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the accuracy and relevance of the information

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When evaluating the work of others, you should

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make sure you understand the writer's intent before you begin suggesting or making changes

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If a message draft scores well on a readability index, you should

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still revise it since there may be other factors you need to address

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As a general rule, if a document you have written scores well on a readability index

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you should not assume that is well-written

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

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keeping all sentences the same length

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Skilled business writers

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vary the length of their sentences to maintain reader interest and convey information effectively

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In business messages, varying the length of your sentences

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helps you control the emphasis give to minor and major points

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When it comes to paragraph length, you should

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use one sentence paragraphs only occasionally for emphasis

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When creating a list for a business document

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be sure to introduce it clearly

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Informative headings and subheadings

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guide the readers to think a certain way about the topics covered

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Which of the following is an informative heading?

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redesigning material flow to cut production costs

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"if the figures are in by the end of the month we will hopefully be able to begin planning the upcoming year's budget, but if they are not then the planning process will most definitely have to wait until later" is an example of

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an overly long sentence

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

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the employee's performance appears to be less than satisfactory

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

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similar ideas are not parallel

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What is wrong with the following sentence? Having sat on them for two days, the figures Marcy provided were already too late to help.

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it contains a dangling modifier

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"environmental impact consultant study results" is an example of

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a long noun sequence

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Which of the following sentences contains a camouflaged verb?

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the recommendation of the committee is to proceed as planned

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"the above-mentioned book" is potentially an example of

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an awkward reference

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editing for conciseness is

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helpful to readers, and can make them more likely to read your documents

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Which of the following sentences is the most concisely worded?

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before the project begins, the engineers need to revised specifications from the project manager

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"visible to the eye" is an example of

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redundancy

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starting a sentence with "it is" or "there are" is

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usually a sign that the sentence could be shorter and more active

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the "replace all" feature in word-processing programs

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is characterized by all of the above

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a spell checker

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highlights words it doesnt recognize

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a computer thesaurus

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can help you find ust the right word for a given situation

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When using a computer thesaurus, you

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should be careful to use only those words that convey your intended meaning

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In revising an important report, you want to make sure all numbers are written with numerals rather than being spelled out. Which of the following tools can help with this task?

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style checker

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Which of the following is not discussed in the chapter as an important principle to follow in designing business documents?

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variety

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For effective document design, you should

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balance the space devoted to text, artwork and white space

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Using white space in a document

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provides visual contrast and important resting points for your readers

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The default margin setting for most word processing software is ________, with the left margin aligned vertically and a _______ margin on the right

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flush-left, rugged

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Justified type is type that is

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set flush on the left and flush on the right

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Justified margins

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make messages look more formal

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centered type in business documents is

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rarely used for text but commonly used for headings

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typefact refers to

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the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters

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Serif typefaces are generally preferable to sans serif fonts for

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regular paragraph text

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When selecting typefaces for most business documents, you should

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generally avoid using more tan type typefaces ona page

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bold, italic, underlining and color are all examples of

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type styles

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using a variety of type styles in a document

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generally shows your audience's progress through the message

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multimedia documents

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can allow recipients to personalize the communication process to their own needs

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Whenusing graphics, photos, video clips and other online content in multimedia documents,

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it is vital to make sure you can legally use them

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One challenge of creating multimedia documents is

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the freedom readers have to take multiple, individualized paths through your material

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Compared to word processing software, desktop publishing applications

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offer more advanced and precise layout capabilities

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Which of the following techniques can help you proofread more effectively?

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read each page backward, from bottom to the top

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If you're sending extremely large files, should

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consider using recordable media such as DVDs or a file-hosting site

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Using overnight delivery for a business message

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is usually a waste of money unless the audience truly needs to receieve it right away

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Which of the following statements is true?

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social networking capabilities have led to a fundamental change in business communication

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Email is to be used for external communication

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regularly, although it has been replaced in many cases by other tools

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Compared to email, instant messaging

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offers greater speed and is less susceptible to privacy problems

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Which of the following is NOT TRUE of instant messaging?

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it costs more than phone calls or email

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Which of the following is a particularly helpful medium when you need to update content for a large audience quickly?

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blog

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In terms of the three-step writing process, podcasts differ mostly from written messages in the _______ step

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completing

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Many companies are now using _______ to replace or supplement some conference calls, training courses, and other communication activities

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podcasts

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When it comes to writing messages in today's business environment

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printed letters are still used for external communication

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Despite your numerous emails and voicemail messages, a normally dependable vendor has not responded to your important question. Which of the following would be a sensible next step?

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consider sending a printed message

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Which of the following compositional modes for electronic media involves helping people find their way through an unfamiliar system or new subject?

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orientation

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Using "teasers" in electronic media as a way to pull readers or listeners into a story or other document

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is acceptable, as long as the payoff is valuable and legitimate

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When selecting the appropriate compositional mode for a communication task using electronic media, the central factor to consider is

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what kind of information audience members are likely to need

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When creating content for social media,

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don't hide from criticism, take the opportunity to correct misinformation

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Social media postings on sites such as twitter and facebook

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have caused some employees to be fired

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Thanks to Facebook, you've recently connected with an old friend who lives in another state. She contacts you frequently using your work email, often sharing racially charged jokes that you find offensive. Concerned about what would happen if your boss or coworkers saw her emails, you should

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politely ask her to stop sending the jokes, and then speak privately with your boss about the problems and how you have addressed it

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One of your sales reps has begun using social networks to aggressively promote a new product line. The best response would likely be to

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discourage him from using blatant "salespeak" since it is likely to alienate the audience

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In terms of social networking, UGC stands for

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user-generated content

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You have decided to post a video on YouTube explaining how to use one of your company's new products. To the most effective, the video should be no more than _____ minutes long.

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Websites specifically designed to pool the inputs of mutiple users in order to benefit the community as a whole are known as _____ websites.

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community participation

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Compared to social media sites, email

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still has compelling advantages that make it useful in many companies

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When it comes to monitoring incoming and outgoing email

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many employers do so, either with software, security staff, or both

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'Email hygiene' refers to

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all efforts companies make to keep email clean and safe

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Overusing the "cc" function when sending email

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can waste a great deal of time by generating more reply messages than necessary

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One important element of basic email etiquette is to

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respect the chain of command

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Email etiquette requires that writers do all of the following except

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mark all emails as "urgent" to make sure they are read

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Email messages

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should be written with the assumption that they will be stored forever

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The subject line of an email

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helps recipient decide whether or not to read the message

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Which of the following is the best example of an effective email subejct line?

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Website redesign is on schedule

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Because many email programs display the first few words or lines of incoming messages, you should

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treat the first sentence of the message as an extension of your subject line

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should follow the convention of other business writing in formal situations

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To make email more readable, you should do all of the following except

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limit subject lines to describing the general topic of your message

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Which of the following is an example of an effective subject line for an email requesting information about the August inventory for bananas?

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Please send August banana inventory

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SMS stands for

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short messaging service

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For years email has been the primary communication medium at your company. However, many of your employees now use IM daily for personal messages, and they've come to you asking your approval to begin using it to communicate with clients and vendors. Your greatest concern is likely to be

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incompatibility between your company's IM system and those your vendors and clients use

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Advantages of using IM rather than email include its

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ability to mimic conversation

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An important drawback of IM is

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the need for user authentication

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In the middle of an important meeting, you receive an unsolicited IM from a company informing you of their great rates on vacations in Hawaii. This is an example of

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spim

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When it comes to instant messaging (IM), the three-step writing process

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is compressed, but still helpful

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When using IM for business communications, acronyms such as FWIW and HTH

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may confuse qsome readers, who are new to the medium but meet the expectations of most

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Periodically making yourself unavailable for instant messaging

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is a wise move that can increase oyur productivity

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Many businesses now use blogs to

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do all of the above

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If you do not have a constant supply of new information to post on a business blog,

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you should create a traditional website instead

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The best know newsfeed, which allows blog followers to ge new information automatically is

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RSS

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If a customer uses the comment feature to criticize the content of your business blog,

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you should respond promptly and honestly

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"Viral marketing" is

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the transmission of messages about your company and products by individuals outside your organization

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When it comes to blogging for business,

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you should apply the three-step writing process as you would for any other business message

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Which of the following would be the most effective headline for a new posting on a business blog?

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seven reasons to switch your smartphone carrier

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Podcasts are

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none of the above

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compared to bogs, podcasts are

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more difficult to edit

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One of the greatest drawbacks to using podcasts in business is

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the challenge listeners face when it comes to scanning back and forth to find specific parts of the message

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When composing a negative message, you should try to

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gain the audience's acceptance of the bad news

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Use the direct approach with a negative message if

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the situation is one on which people readily acknowledge the possibility of receiving bad news

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Which of the following would be an inappropriate use of the word "you" in a negative message?

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You shouldn't have washed that wool shirt, it should be dry cleaned only

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When using the direct approach to deliver negative messages, you

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should end the message on a respectful note

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If you choose to apologize in a negative message, you should

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be sincere and make it a true apology

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Instead of beginning your negative messages with a blunt announcement of the news, you can use

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a buffer

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The buffer of a negative message

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should be neutral and noncontroversial

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A poorly written buffer

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misleads the reader into thinking good news follows

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One important goal of a buffer is to

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establish common ground with your reader

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If you are responding negatively to a request, a buffer

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assures the reader of your attention to the request

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An effective opening for a negative message would be

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Your resume clearly shows why you are interested in becoming a management trainee with our company

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In a negative message organized using the indirect approach, the reasons for the decision

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come directly after the buffer and follow naturally from it

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In the reasons section of a negative message, you should

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present enough detail for the audience to understand your reasons

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One way to be tactful when giving your reasons for bad news is to

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highlight, if possible, how your negative decision benefits your readers

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Using the indirect approach, the negative news comes

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immediately after the reasons

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A good way to deliver bad news kindly is to

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deemphsize it y embedding it in the middle of a paragraph or use parenthetical expressions

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When rejecting a job applicant, you can soften the blow by

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expressing appreciation for his or her application

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To clearly and kindly say no, do all of the following except

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use phrases such as, "much as I would like to help you"

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Which of the following statements does the best job of delivering the bad news clearly and kindly?

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Although you currently do not have the masters degree we require for this position, we encourage you to apply for future openings better suited to your qualifications

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When delivering bad news, wording such as "we must turn down" "I am unable to " and "we cannot afford to "

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is likely to cause pain and anger in the reader

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In the close of a negative message, you should

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emphasize your respect for the audience

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Which of the following is the most effective close for a letter rejecting a job applicant?

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I wish you the best of luck as you begin your new career

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The tendency to delay, downplay or distort bad news

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can lead to unethical decisions and even lawsuits

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When you are refusing a routine request, you

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should use the indirect approach if you're forced to decline a request that you might have said yes to in the past

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Negative messages about business transactions should

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explain how you plan to resolve the situation

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Whether or not you should apologize when delivering bad news about transactions depends mainly on

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none of the above

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A woman returns a formal dress to your store. It is stained and has a rip at the hem line, but she says she is returning it unworn because it doesn't fit. Which of the following would be the best way to inform her of your refusal to give a refund?

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Restate her complaint to let her know you understand it, explain as positively as possible that you are unable to accept the return of damaged merchandise, and recommend a tailor who can fix the tear and alter the dress for her

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To avoid being accused of defamation, you shoudl

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refrain from using any kind of abusive language

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In refusing a customer's request for adjustment, you are concerned about possible defamation charges. You should

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consult your company's legal department or an attorney if you think a message might have legal consequences

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When you need to inform an employee that a benefit will be eliminated

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minimize the impact of the bad news by presenting it in as a positive light as possible

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A crisis management plan

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defines operational procedures to deal with the crisis

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Compared to traditional letters of recommendation, secial networking recommendations

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offer more flexibility, and can contain as much or as little detail as you want to share

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a letter rejecting a job applicant should

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avoid explaining why he or she was not selected

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If you must give an employee a negative performance review,

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support your assessment with careful documentatiion

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When writing an employment termination letter, you should

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clearly present the reasons for the action

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Generally speaking, bad news for employees should be delivered using

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the indirect approach

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When you need o maintain a close working relationship with someone to whom you are sending a negative message, you should generally

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use the indirect approach

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In most cases, delaying when you need to convey negative news

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can be a serious breach of etiquette

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Using the direct approach for negative messages,

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makes a shorter message possible

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Explaining negative news in the body of your message

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is often helpful if you are writing to an important customer

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when it comes to apologizing for corporate mistakes, judges, juries, and plaintiffs tend to

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be more forgiving of companies that apologize

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When closing a negative message, explaining the steps being taken to avoid similar mistakes in the future

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can underline the sincerity of an apology

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"Accounting services is here to assist you during our transition to electronic billing" is an example of which type of buffer?

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cooperation

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"we have credited your account in the amount of $14.95 to cover the cost of return shipping" is an example of which type of buffer?

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good news

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When reject a request because of your company policy you should

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explain the policy so the audience can try to meet the requirements later

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In a negative message, which of the following would be the most effective alternative to stating, "We cannot afford to continue this program"

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The program will conclude May 1

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Encouraging additional communication in the close of a negative message

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should be avoided unless you are truly wiilling to discuss the matter further

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Employees who engage in whistleblowing

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are, in many cases providing vital information to their employers

question

When making negative announcements about routine business matters,

answer

the indirect approach is best in most cases

question

Offering discounts on future purchases, free merchandise, or other considerations in negative messages about business transactions

answer

can go a long way to rebuilding a customer's confidence in your company

1 of

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers

question

The three primary steps involved in preparing a business message are

answer

planning, writing, and completing

question

In developing business messages, the step during which you evaluate whether your have expressed your ideas clearly is

answer

completing

question

In preparing business messages, you should generally devote about ______ percent of your time to planning.

answer

question

Inexperienced communicators tend to

answer

dive directly into writing the message without taking sufficient time to plan

question

which of the following is NOT a general purpose common to business communication?

answer

to negotiate

question

An example of a specific purpose for a business message would be

answer

to inform employees about the new vacation policy

question

Most messages should not be sent unless they will

answer

bring about a change

question

In most cases, a message should be deferred or cancelled if

answer

the time is wrong

question

The primary audience for your message is made up of

answer

they key decision makers in the audience

question

In general, for internal communication, the higher up your message goes, the

answer

fewer details people want to see

question

Messages should contain additional detail and background information when

answer

you are unsure about the audience's level of understanding

question

Forecasting your audience's probable reaction to your message is

answer

vital, because potential audience reaction affects message organization

question

You're writing a proposal to allow certain employees at your company to telecommute. You know management will be skeptical, so you should

answer

introduce your proof gradually before revealing your conclusions and recommendations

question

A knowledge-management system

answer

is a centralized database of experiences and insights of employees throughout an organization

question

When it comes to planning business messages, social media

answer

enable you to quickly locate experts and vital information on a wide variety of topics

question

When meeting your audience's informational needs, you should emphasize ideas

answer

of greatest interest to the audience

question

In business communication, using discovery techniques such as free writing and sketching

answer

is helpful when you need to generate ideas and uncover possible avenues to research

question

A good way to test the thoroughness of your business message is to check ir for

answer

the who, what, when, where , why and how

question

After sending project esetimate costs to a longtime client, you realize you failed to include information on some discount options, The best thing to do is

answer

contact the primary audience immediately and correct the error

question

Choosing the right medium for your message

answer

is an important communication skill

question

Which media would be best for keeping in touch with a sales team whose members live in several different states

answer

electronic media

question

In today's high-tech business environment, the need for managers to engage in frequent "walk-arounds" (chatting with employees to get input and answer questions)

answer

still exists, according to many experts

question

Using oral media for business communications

answer

can lead to awkward conversations, but also help you earn a reputation as an honest caring manager

question

form letters in business

answer

can be helpful when communication about routine matters

question

In business contexts, reports and proopsals

answer

vary in length, and may be written in many formats, including letters and memos

question

In general, traditional business messages rely

answer

primarily on text, with occasional support from graphical elements (such as charts and diagrams)

question

Infographics are

answer

messages that combine powerful visuals with supporting text

question

telephone calls are

answer

capable of conveying quite a few nonverbal signals

question

which of the following media would be best for sending a brief internal message (requiring no response from your audience) about an upcoming software update?

answer

question

VoIP is an

answer

technology used for making telephone calls via the internet

question

When it ocomes to business communications, YouTube

answer

has quickly become an important medium for a variety of messages

question

In part, media richness refers to

answer

a medium ability to facilitate feedback

question

The richest communication medium is

answer

a face-to-face coversation

question

a key advantage of oral communication is

answer

the opportunity to get immediate feedback

question

As a new supervisor, you need to introduce yourself to your team of ten employees. The best medium for this type of nonroutine message would be

answer

a face-to-face meeting

question

Leaner media are best used for messages that

answer

are routine

question

Of the following media, which is the richest?

answer

an interactive website enabling audiences to participate in the communication process

question

Which of the following media would be best to make a formal introduction to a potential client?

answer

letter

question

In high- context culture, ________ media re often more effective than ______ ones.

answer

oral, written

question

Which of the following is not listed amonf factors to consider when choosing a medium for your message?

answer

sender preference

question

In general, audiences are likely to

answer

form inaccurate conclusions from poorly organized messages

question

Organizing messages effectively helps readers by

answer

all of the above

question

The primary difference between the topic of a message and the main idea is

answer

the main idea is more specific than the topic

question

Which of the following is an example of a message topic?

answer

"Funding for research and development"

question

When you message is complex and includes a large amount of information,

answer

a variety of techniques (such as brainstorming) can help determind your main idea

question

Story telling is

answer

an effective way to organize messages in a surprising number of business communication scenarios

question

In a business message, the range of information you present, the overall length, and the level of detail is known as your

answer

scope

question

Whatever the length of your message, you should limit the number of major support points to roughly

answer

six

question

Taking the time to outline your points as you prepare business messages

answer

will save you time in the long tun and lead to better results

question

The three general purposes of business messages are to inform, persuade, and collaborate

answer

TRUE

question

In the planning stage of an important business report, you should never engage in free writing since doing so will only confuse you

answer

FALSE

question

Media richness refers to the relative costs of advertising in the various mass media

answer

FALSE

question

To inform coworkers that the project you've all worked on for months has been unexpectedly eliminated, you should use the indirect approach

answer

TRUE

question

Which of the following statements best reflects the "you" attitude?

answer

you will have your merchandise as soon as we receive your check for $25

question

Select the sentence with the best "you" attitude

answer

Once your application is complete, you should receive a response within two weeks

question

It is best to limit your use of the word "you" in business messages if

answer

using it will make our message sound overly authoritative or accusing

question

When it comes to using the "you" attitude

answer

it is important to recognize and accommodate cultural differences

question

In business communication, good etiquett

answer

indicates respect for the audience and minimizes negative emotional reaction

question

In part because of limited opportunities for feedback, written communication and most forms of electronic communication require _______ than oral communication

answer

more tact

question

When delivering negative news

answer

it is important to look for positive points that will foster a good relationship with yuor audience

question

Select the sentence with the most positive emphasis

answer

we will complete the process audit on time

question

When you are criticizing or correcting, it is best to

answer

focus on what the audience members can do to improve

question

A euphemism is a word or phrase that is

answer

a milder term for one with negative connotations

question

Which of the following is a euphemism?

answer

pre-owned

question

The title 'chairman'

answer

is sometimes used to refer to a woman who leads a board of directors

question

The preferred title for women in business _______, unless the individual requests otherwise

answer

Ms.

question

If you must refer to someone's disability, the best wording would be

answer

an employee with physical handicaps

question

Using the term crippled in a business communication is an example of

answer

disability bias

question

To help establish credibility with your audience, you should

answer

show that you are confident and that you believe in yourself and in your message

question

Using endorsements to gain credibility with your audience

answer

can be an effective strategy, as long as your audience views the person making the endorsement as an expert

question

Using hyperbole when offering praise to fellow employees

answer

is less effective than pointing out specific qualities that warrant praise

question

In business messages, using phrases such as, "we trust that this will resolve the issue"

answer

require care, since it can take away from the writer's credibility

question

answer

style

question

_______ refers to the overall impression of your messages

answer

tone

question

The best tone for most business messages is

answer

conversational

question

The casual, acronym -laden language used in text messaging and IM is

answer

generally considered inappropriate and unprofessional in business

question

Which of the following is NOT an example of pompous language?

answer

Please let us know

question

Using humor in business messages is

answer

usually not effective for formal and intercultural messages

question

'Plain language' is a style of writing

answer

designed to make information more understandable to the audience

question

Which of the following sentences contains the strongest and most effective wording?

answer

We need to cut the operating budget by 12% or profits will plummet

question

Identify the voice in the following sentence: "Based on negative client feedback, the marketing department abandoned the campaign"

answer

active

question

Using the active voice is helpful when you

answer

want to make your writing more direct, livelier, and easier to read

question

Using the passive voice makes sense when you

answer

want to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error

question

In business messages, errors in grammar and usage

answer

cause you to lose credibility with your audience

question

The connotative meaning of a word is

answer

all the associations and feelings that the word evokes

question

Which of the following words are the most abstract?

answer

productivity, quality, motivation

question

Software, database and website are ______ words

answer

concrete

question

"It's not all fun and games" is one example of

answer

a cliche

question

"Although our servers are stable, the telephone system is a serious concern" is a

answer

complex sentence

question

"Insurance premiums have increase, and cost-of-living raises have not kept up" is a _________ sentence

answer

compound

question

Which of the following is a compound sentence?

answer

Interest rates are low, and now is an excellent time to buy a home

question

A complex sentence consists of

answer

one main thought and one or more subordinate thoughts

question

You can emphasize key points by

answer

doing all the above

question

To downplay a dependent clause in a complex sentence, you should

answer

place it in the middle of the sentence

question

A typical paragraph contains the three basic elements of

answer

a topic sentence, support sentences, and transitional words and phrases

question

In business writing, the topic sentence of a paragrapph

answer

is generally explicit (rather than implied) and is often the first sentence in the paragraph

question

Words such as "nevertheless, however, but and therefore"

answer

are useful for making transitions

question

A paragraph that focuses on the reasons why some event has occurred is developed according to which method

answer

cause and effect

question

When you want to develop a paragraph by showing how a general idea is broken into specific categories, which of these methods would you use?

answer

classification

question

To ensure a consistent look for all company documents, many organizations provide employees with approved

answer

style sheets

question

Boilerplate is

answer

a standard block of text used in multiple documents to ensure consistency and improve efficiency

question

Unlike style sheets and templates, ______ addresses the overall look and feel of a page or screen, including color palettes and background images

answer

themes

question

Which type of software feature inserts a ready-made block of text when you type the first few characters?

answer

autocompletion

question

The main tasks in completing a business message consist of all except

answer

forecasting

question

Messages sent via MI, text messaging, email and blogging

answer

should be revised, even if it involves nothing more than a quick review before sending

question

When revising a document, you should

answer

first read through it to evaluate its overall effectiveness

question

Putting your first draft aside for a day or two before you begin the revision process

answer

is often helpful, especially with more complex messages

question

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

answer

the accuracy and relevance of the information

question

When evaluating the work of others, you should

answer

make sure you understand the writer's intent before you begin suggesting or making changes

question

If a message draft scores well on a readability index, you should

answer

still revise it since there may be other factors you need to address

question

As a general rule, if a document you have written scores well on a readability index

answer

you should not assume that is well-written

question

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

answer

keeping all sentences the same length

question

Skilled business writers

answer

vary the length of their sentences to maintain reader interest and convey information effectively

question

In business messages, varying the length of your sentences

answer

helps you control the emphasis give to minor and major points

question

When it comes to paragraph length, you should

answer

use one sentence paragraphs only occasionally for emphasis

question

When creating a list for a business document

answer

be sure to introduce it clearly

question

Informative headings and subheadings

answer

guide the readers to think a certain way about the topics covered

question

Which of the following is an informative heading?

answer

redesigning material flow to cut production costs

question

answer

an overly long sentence

question

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

answer

the employee's performance appears to be less than satisfactory

question

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

answer

similar ideas are not parallel

question

What is wrong with the following sentence? Having sat on them for two days, the figures Marcy provided were already too late to help.

answer

it contains a dangling modifier

question

"environmental impact consultant study results" is an example of

answer

a long noun sequence

question

Which of the following sentences contains a camouflaged verb?

answer

the recommendation of the committee is to proceed as planned

question

"the above-mentioned book" is potentially an example of

answer

an awkward reference

question

editing for conciseness is

answer

helpful to readers, and can make them more likely to read your documents

question

Which of the following sentences is the most concisely worded?

answer

before the project begins, the engineers need to revised specifications from the project manager

question

"visible to the eye" is an example of

answer

redundancy

question

starting a sentence with "it is" or "there are" is

answer

usually a sign that the sentence could be shorter and more active

question

the "replace all" feature in word-processing programs

answer

is characterized by all of the above

question

a spell checker

answer

highlights words it doesnt recognize

question

a computer thesaurus

answer

can help you find ust the right word for a given situation

question

When using a computer thesaurus, you

answer

should be careful to use only those words that convey your intended meaning

question

In revising an important report, you want to make sure all numbers are written with numerals rather than being spelled out. Which of the following tools can help with this task?

answer

style checker

question

Which of the following is not discussed in the chapter as an important principle to follow in designing business documents?

answer

variety

question

For effective document design, you should

answer

balance the space devoted to text, artwork and white space

question

Using white space in a document

answer

provides visual contrast and important resting points for your readers

question

The default margin setting for most word processing software is ________, with the left margin aligned vertically and a _______ margin on the right

answer

flush-left, rugged

question

Justified type is type that is

answer

set flush on the left and flush on the right

question

Justified margins

answer

make messages look more formal

question

centered type in business documents is

answer

rarely used for text but commonly used for headings

question

typefact refers to

answer

the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters

question

Serif typefaces are generally preferable to sans serif fonts for

answer

regular paragraph text

question

When selecting typefaces for most business documents, you should

answer

generally avoid using more tan type typefaces ona page

question

bold, italic, underlining and color are all examples of

answer

type styles

question

using a variety of type styles in a document

answer

generally shows your audience's progress through the message

question

multimedia documents

answer

can allow recipients to personalize the communication process to their own needs

question

Whenusing graphics, photos, video clips and other online content in multimedia documents,

answer

it is vital to make sure you can legally use them

question

One challenge of creating multimedia documents is

answer

the freedom readers have to take multiple, individualized paths through your material

question

Compared to word processing software, desktop publishing applications

answer

offer more advanced and precise layout capabilities

question

Which of the following techniques can help you proofread more effectively?

answer

read each page backward, from bottom to the top

question

If you're sending extremely large files, should

answer

consider using recordable media such as DVDs or a file-hosting site

question

Using overnight delivery for a business message

answer

is usually a waste of money unless the audience truly needs to receieve it right away

question

Which of the following statements is true?

answer

social networking capabilities have led to a fundamental change in business communication

question

Email is to be used for external communication

answer

regularly, although it has been replaced in many cases by other tools

question

Compared to email, instant messaging

answer

offers greater speed and is less susceptible to privacy problems

question

Which of the following is NOT TRUE of instant messaging?

answer

it costs more than phone calls or email

question

Which of the following is a particularly helpful medium when you need to update content for a large audience quickly?

answer

blog

question

In terms of the three-step writing process, podcasts differ mostly from written messages in the _______ step

answer

completing

question

Many companies are now using _______ to replace or supplement some conference calls, training courses, and other communication activities

answer

podcasts

question

When it comes to writing messages in today's business environment

answer

printed letters are still used for external communication

question

Despite your numerous emails and voicemail messages, a normally dependable vendor has not responded to your important question. Which of the following would be a sensible next step?

answer

consider sending a printed message

question

Which of the following compositional modes for electronic media involves helping people find their way through an unfamiliar system or new subject?

answer

orientation

question

Using "teasers" in electronic media as a way to pull readers or listeners into a story or other document

answer

is acceptable, as long as the payoff is valuable and legitimate

question

When selecting the appropriate compositional mode for a communication task using electronic media, the central factor to consider is

answer

what kind of information audience members are likely to need

question

When creating content for social media,

answer

don't hide from criticism, take the opportunity to correct misinformation

question

Social media postings on sites such as twitter and facebook

answer

have caused some employees to be fired

question

answer

politely ask her to stop sending the jokes, and then speak privately with your boss about the problems and how you have addressed it

question

One of your sales reps has begun using social networks to aggressively promote a new product line. The best response would likely be to

answer

discourage him from using blatant "salespeak" since it is likely to alienate the audience

question

In terms of social networking, UGC stands for

answer

user-generated content

question

You have decided to post a video on YouTube explaining how to use one of your company's new products. To the most effective, the video should be no more than _____ minutes long.

answer

question

Websites specifically designed to pool the inputs of mutiple users in order to benefit the community as a whole are known as _____ websites.

answer

community participation

question

Compared to social media sites, email

answer

still has compelling advantages that make it useful in many companies

question

When it comes to monitoring incoming and outgoing email

answer

many employers do so, either with software, security staff, or both

question

'Email hygiene' refers to

answer

all efforts companies make to keep email clean and safe

question

Overusing the "cc" function when sending email

answer

can waste a great deal of time by generating more reply messages than necessary

question

One important element of basic email etiquette is to

answer

respect the chain of command

question

Email etiquette requires that writers do all of the following except

answer

mark all emails as "urgent" to make sure they are read

question

Email messages

answer

should be written with the assumption that they will be stored forever

question

The subject line of an email

answer

helps recipient decide whether or not to read the message

question

Which of the following is the best example of an effective email subejct line?

answer

Website redesign is on schedule

question

Because many email programs display the first few words or lines of incoming messages, you should

answer

treat the first sentence of the message as an extension of your subject line

question

answer

should follow the convention of other business writing in formal situations

question

To make email more readable, you should do all of the following except

answer

limit subject lines to describing the general topic of your message

question

Which of the following is an example of an effective subject line for an email requesting information about the August inventory for bananas?

answer

Please send August banana inventory

question

SMS stands for

answer

short messaging service

question

answer

incompatibility between your company's IM system and those your vendors and clients use

question

Advantages of using IM rather than email include its

answer

ability to mimic conversation

question

An important drawback of IM is

answer

the need for user authentication

question

In the middle of an important meeting, you receive an unsolicited IM from a company informing you of their great rates on vacations in Hawaii. This is an example of

answer

spim

question

When it comes to instant messaging (IM), the three-step writing process

answer

is compressed, but still helpful

question

When using IM for business communications, acronyms such as FWIW and HTH

answer

may confuse qsome readers, who are new to the medium but meet the expectations of most

question

Periodically making yourself unavailable for instant messaging

answer

is a wise move that can increase oyur productivity

question

Many businesses now use blogs to

answer

do all of the above

question

If you do not have a constant supply of new information to post on a business blog,

answer

you should create a traditional website instead

question

The best know newsfeed, which allows blog followers to ge new information automatically is

answer

RSS

question

If a customer uses the comment feature to criticize the content of your business blog,

answer

you should respond promptly and honestly

question

"Viral marketing" is

answer

the transmission of messages about your company and products by individuals outside your organization

question

When it comes to blogging for business,

answer

you should apply the three-step writing process as you would for any other business message

question

Which of the following would be the most effective headline for a new posting on a business blog?

answer

seven reasons to switch your smartphone carrier

question

Podcasts are

answer

none of the above

question

compared to bogs, podcasts are

answer

more difficult to edit

question

One of the greatest drawbacks to using podcasts in business is

answer

the challenge listeners face when it comes to scanning back and forth to find specific parts of the message

question

When composing a negative message, you should try to

answer

gain the audience's acceptance of the bad news

question

Use the direct approach with a negative message if

answer

the situation is one on which people readily acknowledge the possibility of receiving bad news

question

Which of the following would be an inappropriate use of the word "you" in a negative message?

answer

You shouldn't have washed that wool shirt, it should be dry cleaned only

question

When using the direct approach to deliver negative messages, you

answer

should end the message on a respectful note

question

If you choose to apologize in a negative message, you should

answer

be sincere and make it a true apology

question

Instead of beginning your negative messages with a blunt announcement of the news, you can use

answer

a buffer

question

The buffer of a negative message

answer

should be neutral and noncontroversial

question

A poorly written buffer

answer

misleads the reader into thinking good news follows

question

One important goal of a buffer is to

answer

establish common ground with your reader

question

If you are responding negatively to a request, a buffer

answer

assures the reader of your attention to the request

question

An effective opening for a negative message would be

answer

Your resume clearly shows why you are interested in becoming a management trainee with our company

question

In a negative message organized using the indirect approach, the reasons for the decision

answer

come directly after the buffer and follow naturally from it

question

In the reasons section of a negative message, you should

answer

present enough detail for the audience to understand your reasons

question

One way to be tactful when giving your reasons for bad news is to

answer

highlight, if possible, how your negative decision benefits your readers

question

Using the indirect approach, the negative news comes

answer

immediately after the reasons

question

A good way to deliver bad news kindly is to

answer

deemphsize it y embedding it in the middle of a paragraph or use parenthetical expressions

question

When rejecting a job applicant, you can soften the blow by

answer

expressing appreciation for his or her application

question

To clearly and kindly say no, do all of the following except

answer

use phrases such as, "much as I would like to help you"

question

Which of the following statements does the best job of delivering the bad news clearly and kindly?

answer

Although you currently do not have the masters degree we require for this position, we encourage you to apply for future openings better suited to your qualifications

question

When delivering bad news, wording such as "we must turn down" "I am unable to " and "we cannot afford to "

answer

is likely to cause pain and anger in the reader

question

In the close of a negative message, you should

answer

emphasize your respect for the audience

question

Which of the following is the most effective close for a letter rejecting a job applicant?

answer

I wish you the best of luck as you begin your new career

question

The tendency to delay, downplay or distort bad news

answer

can lead to unethical decisions and even lawsuits

question

When you are refusing a routine request, you

answer

should use the indirect approach if you're forced to decline a request that you might have said yes to in the past

question

Negative messages about business transactions should

answer

explain how you plan to resolve the situation

question

Whether or not you should apologize when delivering bad news about transactions depends mainly on

answer

none of the above

question

answer

question

To avoid being accused of defamation, you shoudl

answer

refrain from using any kind of abusive language

question

In refusing a customer's request for adjustment, you are concerned about possible defamation charges. You should

answer

consult your company's legal department or an attorney if you think a message might have legal consequences

question

When you need to inform an employee that a benefit will be eliminated

answer

minimize the impact of the bad news by presenting it in as a positive light as possible

question

A crisis management plan

answer

defines operational procedures to deal with the crisis

question

Compared to traditional letters of recommendation, secial networking recommendations

answer

offer more flexibility, and can contain as much or as little detail as you want to share

question

a letter rejecting a job applicant should

answer

avoid explaining why he or she was not selected

question

If you must give an employee a negative performance review,

answer

support your assessment with careful documentatiion

question

When writing an employment termination letter, you should

answer

clearly present the reasons for the action

question

Generally speaking, bad news for employees should be delivered using

answer

the indirect approach

question

When you need o maintain a close working relationship with someone to whom you are sending a negative message, you should generally

answer

use the indirect approach

question

In most cases, delaying when you need to convey negative news

answer

can be a serious breach of etiquette

question

Using the direct approach for negative messages,

answer

makes a shorter message possible

question

Explaining negative news in the body of your message

answer

is often helpful if you are writing to an important customer

question

when it comes to apologizing for corporate mistakes, judges, juries, and plaintiffs tend to

answer

be more forgiving of companies that apologize

question

When closing a negative message, explaining the steps being taken to avoid similar mistakes in the future

answer

can underline the sincerity of an apology

question

"Accounting services is here to assist you during our transition to electronic billing" is an example of which type of buffer?

answer

cooperation

question

"we have credited your account in the amount of $14.95 to cover the cost of return shipping" is an example of which type of buffer?

answer

good news

question

When reject a request because of your company policy you should

answer

explain the policy so the audience can try to meet the requirements later

question

In a negative message, which of the following would be the most effective alternative to stating, "We cannot afford to continue this program"

answer

The program will conclude May 1

question

Encouraging additional communication in the close of a negative message

answer

should be avoided unless you are truly wiilling to discuss the matter further

question

Employees who engage in whistleblowing

answer

are, in many cases providing vital information to their employers

question

When making negative announcements about routine business matters,

answer

the indirect approach is best in most cases

question

Offering discounts on future purchases, free merchandise, or other considerations in negative messages about business transactions

answer

can go a long way to rebuilding a customer's confidence in your company

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