Bcom Test 2 – Flashcards
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According to your text, communication can be defined as "the transmission of ________ from one individual or group to another."
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a. information and meaning
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The process of communication begins when ________ .
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a. the sender has an idea
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________ is a communication barrier that occurs when individuals associate different meanings to words.
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d. Bypassing
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Which of the following statements about business writing is most accurate?
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a. Business writing should be focused on the audience.
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Following the process 3-x-3 writing process helps a writer because it ________ .
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b. takes the guesswork out of writing, making it easy to plan, organize, and complete any message
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In what phase of the writing process should you spend the most time?
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d. Revising
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The primary purposes for sending business messages are ________ .
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a. to inform and to persuade
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Mark is planning a business message. He is deciding what kind of language is appropriate, what depth of explanation is needed, and whether his tone should be formal or informal. What prewriting task is Mark completing?
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c. Responding to the audience profile
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Marcee must evaluate each of her employees yearly. What communication channel should she use to convey the results of her evaluation?
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d. Face-to-face conversation
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When developing audience benefits, you will adapt your message to the receiver's needs by putting yourself in that person's shoes. This process is called ________ .
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c. empathy
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Which of the following sentences is most effective?
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c. We are happy to offer you in-store credit for the full value of any merchandise returned with a copy of the sales receipt.
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Which of the following sentences avoids bias?
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b. Hundreds of sales representatives are expected to attend the convention.
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Collaboration on team-written documents may be necessary for projects that are big, have short deadlines, and ________ .
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b. require the expertise or consensus of many people
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Which of the following represents a benefit of team-written documents?
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b. Working together helps members learn more about the organization's values and procedures.
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One of the most frustrating tasks for teams is writing shared documents, but online collaboration tools now help. Which tool ensures immediate availability of information, allows members to clear up minor matters immediately, and is helpful in initiating a quick group discussion?
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d. Instant messaging
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Encoding involves translating a message from its symbol form into meaning.
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b. False
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One of the best techniques a receiver can use to improve understanding is to paraphrase a speaker's message.
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a. True
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The first phase of the writing process involves writing a rough draft of your message.
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b. False
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The writing process must follow this order: prewriting, drafting, and revising.
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b. False
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Before you compose a message, ask yourself "Why am I sending this message?" and "What do I hope to achieve?"
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a. True
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When selecting which communication channel to send a message, you should base your decision on only the cost of the channel.
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b. False
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Business messages are most effective when they convey an informal, conversational tone instead of a formal tone.
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a. True
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Jargon should be avoided in all business messages.
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b. False
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With big writing projects, team members may function independently in some phases of the writing process.
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a. True
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Teams that are working on a written document should probably avoid software tools like Microsoft Word and Google Docs because the complexity of the software may frustrate members and will probably cause group failure.
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b. False
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In the planning stage of the writing process, business writers collect research. Which question should a business writer ask when collecting research?
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a. What does the receiver need to know about this topic?
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Informal research methods may include talking with your boss, interviewing the target audience, conducting an informal survey, and ________ .
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b. searching company files
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Daniel has been asked to learn what features his customers consider most important when purchasing a car. Probably, the best research method for Daniel is ________ .
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b. investigating primary sources
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When brainstorming to generate ideas, a group should ________ .
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c. require every participant to contribute ideas
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Jane's plan for a business message begins with the main idea, followed by the details, explanation, and evidence. Jane is using the ________ .
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a. direct organizational pattern
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The indirect strategy works best when delivering these three types of messages: bad news, persuasive messages, and ________ .
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d. sensitive information
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Which sentence type contains an independent clause and a dependent clause?
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c. Complex
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Which of the following is an example of a comma splice?
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a. Hallie submitted her résumé online, she hoped to receive a response from the employer by the end of the week.
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Business writers should try to write sentences that average ________ words.
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c. 20
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Which of the following sentences uses a stylistic device to emphasize the important idea?
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d. Create an attractive design for your résumé more importantly, present your skills and qualifications clearly.
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Which of the following sentences contains an active-voice verb?
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a. Carmen processed the résumés after the application deadline.
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Which of the following sentences demonstrates parallelism?
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a. Our regional sales staff will meet in Los Angeles on February 1, in Pittsburgh on August 15, and in Kansas City on December 1.
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Micah is writing a proposal and wants to write powerful paragraphs. To ensure his paragraphs are powerful, how many ideas should he cover per paragraph?
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a. One
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Paragraphs arranged in the direct strategy ________ .
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b. begin with the topic sentence, followed by supporting sentences
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Which technique will build paragraph coherence?
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d. Dovetailing ideas
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Because researching can be a time-consuming process, business writers should avoid researching and spend more time organizing and writing their messages.
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b. False
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Long reports and complex business problems generally require formal research methods.
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a. True
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Many communication experts regard poor organization as the greatest failing of business writers.
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a. True
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When you expect the audience to be uninterested, unwilling, displeased, or hostile, the direct strategy is more appropriate.
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b. False
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Since you have prepared thoroughly for the job interview and have the necessary college education is an example of an effective sentence.
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b. False
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When a writer joins two independent clauses without any conjunctions or punctuation, the result is a run-on or fused sentence, which can be corrected by merely adding a comma.
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b. False
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Business communicators should avoid the use of all underscoring, italicizing, or boldfacing in their messages.
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b. False
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Lying in her briefcase, Pa found her iPhone is a well-written sentence.
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b. False
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A topic sentence should reveal the main idea of a paragraph.
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a. True
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Words and phrases such as accordingly, as a result, and consequently are transitional expressions that contradict previous ideas.
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b. False
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When Kyoko understands the meaning of the instant message, Kyoko is engaged in
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message decoding
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Kyoko sends an instant message to the sender so that he or she knows that the message was received and understood. Kyoko is engaged in
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feedback
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You follow the directions: down Madison Parkway and past several new housing developments. You continue to drive: mile 5, mile 10. It isn't until you reach mile 20 that you finally see the trailer. After all of this driving, you complain and tell the supervisor, "That's not a short drive!" Comm. Barrier is:
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Differing frames of reference To overcome this:Be more aware of your frame of reference.
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For me, the problem you have with the six halogen lights is very easy to solve. I can solve it in a few minutes. Which business writing goal is most obviously ignored in this passage?
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Audience-oriented perspective
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The new intern in your department has just finished composing a research report for the upcoming departmental meeting. He wants to make sure the report is ready to hand out and asks you for help. What advice can you give the writer based on the 3-x-3 writing process?
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Make sure you edit for grammar and clarity. Ask yourself if the message achieved its purpose and if it is appropriate for the intended audience.
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Approximately how much time should you spend on prewriting once you have gathered the information you need?
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15 minutes
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Akihabara Imports offers the widest selection of Japanese animation products available on the Internet. All products are shipped with certificates of authenticity. Choose from our vast selection of action figures, collectibles, DVDs, and print books. Items noted with an (*) are signed by the original author. Some supplies are limited, so act now! Use our secure online form for immediate purchase, or call our operators at 555.555.5555, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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This message is designed to persuade . Specifically, the primary purpose of this message is to sell animation products . The secondary purpose of this message is to build goodwill with the customer .
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Which are appropriate questions to ask when profiling your audience? Check all that apply.
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What position does the audience hold in my organization? What is my relationship with the audience? Who is my primary audience?
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Before sending the message, it occurs to you that your e-mail will probably be forwarded to the legal team. What will you need to change to make the message appropriate for both your supervisor and the legal team?
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Give more specific information, including dates and names.
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You are the director of marketing for a nationwide chain of stores. Sales are flat, and something must be done quickly to restore shareholders' faith in the company. You need to discuss marketing strategies with the district managers for all of the regions in the chain as soon as possible. How can you communicate with all of them efficiently?
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You should use a videoconference , which is a rich medium.
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We are pleased to offer you new health plans during open enrollment.
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You will have the opportunity to choose your new health plan during open enrollment.
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Our new plan options include long-term disability and domestic partner coverage. We offer choices to meet all your needs.
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New plan options include long-term disability and domestic partner coverage. Choose the best coverage to serve your needs.
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We know that your health is your most important asset. We want to help you protect it.
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Your health is your most important asset. Protect it with health insurance.
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Which of the following sentences is the most bias free?
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Ms. Sutherland is always on time.
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Which sentences are expressed most positively? Check all that apply.
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The Benefits Office can help you select your health plan. Questions about your health plan? See the Benefits Office today! Choose your health plan at the Benefits Office.
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Which is the most clear and precise sentence announcing the video conference?
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The video conference begins at 3 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. If you need a webcam, contact Shu-Wei Hou.
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Which is the most clear and precise sentence asking for an update on the Haggarty account?
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Please update the Haggarty account after you've completed the daily tally.
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You work for an IT company that specializes in Internet security. You lead a team of six employees who recently conducted an IT security audit of a client's entire enterprise, including three large manufacturing plants in China, one in Mexico, and many executive offices throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. Now you need to present your findings to the client. Who should write and prepare the presentation?
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You and your team
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You work in HR. You are leading a cross-functional team that is preparing recommendations on how to improve the company's recruiting process. Your team has completed its initial investigation and is ready to begin brainstorming and working on its report. During this phase of the writing process, what would be the best strategy for your team?
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Your team should work together closely to brainstorm and plan the report.
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Your team consists of five members, in separate locations, who are collaborating on a lengthy report. Your team is in the initial phase of the writing process and is involved in brainstorming. The entire team needs to participate in a conversation to plan the report. Which collaboration tools would be best for this situation? Check all that apply.
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Web Conferencing
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I am doing today.
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well
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I've asked Taneesha to give the team a explanation of the mail-merge procedure.
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step-by-step
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His rise to the top of corporate America was a ascent.
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gradual
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Which questions should you ask yourself before determining what and how to research? Check all that apply.
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What does the receiver need to know about this topic? What is the receiver to do after reading the message?
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You are asked to compose a job description for the position of director of sales at your company. This is a position you once held, so you are familiar with the requirements and qualifications. Before beginning to write, you look in the files for past descriptions and check with your supervisor about details to include. What research method did you use in this situation?
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Informal Research
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As a library board member, you are asked to write an e-mail to people who made donations to the library. The message will inform them of an upcoming banquet honoring all supporters of the library. Which is the best research approach?
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Verify the banquet date and time by looking in your files and talking to the library staff. Gather all of the donors' names and e-mail addresses from the donor contact sheet.
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Paolo conducted a 20-minute brainstorming session during the Historical Society's monthly meeting. The agenda for the session focused on ways to encourage average citizens to visit local historical sites. The group had generated 30 ideas on the flipchart when Sharon raised her hand and suggested a community-wide open house where people could show off important historical items in their homes that were related to the town's history. Paolo immediately responded by saying he was not going to include that idea on the flipchart because it would never work. To improve the group's brainstorming, the group leader should
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encourage out-of-the-box thinking without criticism Correct .
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Your report scores are due to Van, senior project manager, by 2 p.m. on Friday. These reports don't require a lot of time and were impeccably written last year. I know you will do a great job. In this message, the organizational pattern is used.
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direct
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When they attended the brainstorming session, the designers determined how best to revamp the company's website.
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This is a complex Correct sentence. The subject of the independent clause is designers Correct , and the predicate verb is determined Correct .
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Once he reviewed fall sales, the store owner decided he needed to increase efforts to appeal to younger customers; therefore, he hired a marketing consultant to develop a new strategy.
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This is a compound-complex Correct sentence. The subjects of the independent clauses are store owner Correct and he Correct , and the predicate verbs are decided Correct and hired Correct .
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Due to the anticipated snowstorm, the office will be closed tomorrow please work from home instead of coming in. If you have questions, please reply to this e-mail.
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This message contains a run-on sentence Correct .
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Attendance at the meeting on May 20 is optional, we encourage you to go if your schedule permits. The meeting agenda will be available by the end of the day.
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Comma Splice
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The Human Resources department is happy to announce a career development workshop. The workshop will be led by Brian Cohen. He has 20 years of experience in career development training. Brian will help you gain a clearer understanding of your career goals. He will also discuss tools to work toward your career goals. The workshop will take place November 10 and 11, it will start at 9:30 a.m. and end at 5:30 p.m. There will be coffee and tea, lunch will also be provided. Respond to this e-mail to sign up. Only 40 spaces are available.
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Vary sentence types. comma splices.
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Please give the packet to the client with the revised documents. The error in this sentence is a
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misplaced modifier
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We will be visiting our accounts in California, Oregon, and visiting our accounts in Washington.
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lack of parellelism
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"Jake made an error when he was processing your invoice."
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The sentence excerpted from the e-mail uses active Correct voice. Given the purpose of your message, this voice is not Correct appropriate.
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"Jake made an error when he was processing your invoice."
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The sentence excerpted from the e-mail uses active Correct voice. Given the purpose of your message, this voice is not Correct appropriate.
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"Jake made an error when he was processing your invoice."
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The sentence excerpted from the e-mail uses active Correct voice. Given the purpose of your message, this voice is not Correct appropriate.
