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Which of the following is true about sentence unity? A. Using prepositions to hold unrelated ideas together in a sentence is the most efficient way of maintaining sentence unity. B. Excessive detail often causes violation of unity in sentence. C. […]

Which of the following is the first step to be taken while outlining your claim message? A. To end positively-friendly but firm B. To directly present the claim C. To identify the situation and lead into the problem D. To […]

Totals must always be placed at the bottom of a table to columns and on the right side to rows. The use of rubber stamps in business messages signals that you have quit thinking about the reader and his or […]

According to the standards for the use of numbers, all percentages should be spelled outin a sentence. The ability towork harmoniously with people from other cultures helps increating a comfortable and productive workplace. Answer: TRUE The ability towork harmoniously with […]

Which of the following is true about short reports? A. Short reports represent the second and third steps in the formality stairway. B. The popularity of short reportsmay be explained by the middle-ground impression of formality that it conveys. C. […]

Which of the following is an example of a concept-mapping program? A. Google Docs B. Microsoft PowerPoint C. SeaMonkey D. Edraw E. Dreamweaver Which of the following sentences correctly uses the word “farther”? A. The product needs farther testing. B. […]

The most frequent cause of sentence fragments is the use of a subordinate clause as a sentence. Writers are not ethically bound to present data and visuals in a way that enables readers to interpret them easily and accurately. Answer: […]

One good way of setting up one’s strategy to make an adjustment refusal is by never beginning on a point of common agreement as it dilutes the main point. In terms of the use of time as a type of […]

The following sentence has a dangling/misplaced modifier. At the age of five, our family bought a cat. People generally prefer positive to negative feelings, therefore, negative words have no place in business writing. Answer: FALSE Building goodwill through messages is […]

“The new cards look beautifully.” does not have any adjective-adverb confusion. One way to ensure that the objectivity of your business message is not compromised, you should add color to your interpretations and make your report more interesting. Answer: FALSE […]

A see-saw sentence is one that goes back and forth between two points. According to the ten commandments of listening, by frequently asking questions, one interferes with the talker’s ability to develop his or her message. Answer: FALSE By frequently […]

British nationals generally offer a handshake that is: A. brusque and firm, with a single pump. B. moderate in grasp and repeated frequently. C. soft, with three to five pumps. D. strong, long-lasting, and sometimes with kisses on both cheeks. […]

Constructing clear sentences and paragraphs involves adaptation to the intended readers. “We take pride in our work.” This sentence uses a slang word. Answer: FALSE The sentence “We take pride in our work” does not contain slang. As with written […]

Rubber stamp expressions develop goodwill as they are adapted to different situations. Overuse of the verb “to be” and passive voice can sap the energy from your sentences. Answer: TRUE Overuse of the verb “to be” and passive voice can […]

When delays are routine and expected and do not pose a serious problem, you should use the indirect approach. Saving documents is an audience-centered effort. Answer: TRUE As with the actual composing process itself, saving documents is an audience-centered effort. […]

A company’s written evaluation of its experience with a particular product may be presented in letter form and sent to the person who requests it. When giving oral presentations, regardless of audience size, however, variety in volume is good for […]

The Boolean operator NOT is primarily used to: A. add variations to the basic search term. B. eliminate citations with a particular term. C. expand a search. D. segregate synonymous citations. E. broaden the scope ofthe search. Which of the […]

The bcc in an email message stands for “backup confidential copy.” For the sake of conciseness and clarity, the questions in a direct inquiry should be combined into a single sentence. Answer: FALSE If you have to ask several questions, […]

External problem-solving reports are most often written by consulting companies for their clients. Collaborative programs can streamline the writing process, save time, and make the writing process more efficient. Answer: TRUE Collaborative writing or group writing tasks occur regularly in […]

A report’s form and contents should be based on its _____ to meet the reader’s needs in each situation. A. formality and cost B. writing style and topic C. formality and length D. length and style E. number of readers […]

Which of the following sentences will be most effective in attracting attention for a routine inquiry about an advertised product? A. There is some information that I need from you. B. Could you please answer the following questions regarding the […]

Which of the following is the first step to be taken when searching for a job or an internship? A. Analyzing yourself B. Analyzing the job market C. Analyzing employers D. Analyzing job counselor E. Analyzing one’s resume Meetings of […]

Redundancies increase the effectiveness of business messages. Word 2010 does not provide the user with multiple save options. Answer: FALSE Word allows users to save their document as a Word file, .PDF, or .html file. Word 2010 also enables users […]

In writing messages to an individual in an organization, it is preferred to treat the reader as a member of a broad group rather than an individual. When discussing a visual, one should not refer to it with physical action […]

When planning a message, it is important to ensure that your message is not guided by your audience. “The interviews were conducted only during weekdays.” This sentence is in passive voice. Answer: TRUE The sentence “The interviews were conducted only […]

Which of the following sentences has a dangling/misplaced modifier? A. I was asked to follow the treatment for two weeks. B. We saw a fence behind the building made of wood. C. I went to the hardware store to buy […]

Which of the following statements best illustrates theconversational style? A. With respect to your query dated 13th November, find the required details listed below. B. Enclosed please find the product detailsabout which you inquired. C. This is in reply to […]

In the United States an up-and-down movement of the head means “no” and a side-to-side movement of the head means “yes.” Formatting decisions should not be included inthe planning stage of composing a message. Answer: FALSE Specific decisions about a […]

Preparing application documentsfor an employment opportunity should havethe same approach as when preparing for a(n) _____. A. informal email B. casual message C. sales campaign D. good-news message E. personal letter Vita, curriculum vita, qualifications brief, or data sheet are […]

A message granting an adjustment should be written in the indirect order. The following sentence follows the basic principles of capitalization: “The Dean did not attend the meeting.” Answer: FALSE The sentence does not follow the basic principles of capitalization. […]

If your response to an inquiry mostly contains good news with some bad news, you should place the bad news first. According to the standards for punctuation, the apostrophe is not used to indicate time, value, or measurement of a […]

In a claim message, one’s goalmust be to convince one’s recipient that one deserve some kind of compensation or remedy even if it may sound accusatory. In addition to displaying the report title, the title page identifies the recipient and […]

Word and Publisher allow users to save documents as blog posts. Secondary research is more expensive and elaborate than primary research. Answer: FALSE Primary research is almost always more expensive and elaborate than secondary research because it involves careful set […]

An order acknowledgment message begins with good newsand ends on a goodwill note. The official culture and the actual culture in a company are not necessarily the same. Answer: TRUE The official culture and the actual culture in a company […]

Unlike column charts, a line chart cannot be used to compare two series on the same grid. The use of you-viewpoint requires the mandatory use of the word ‘you’ or ‘your.’ Answer: FALSE The you-viewpoint is much more than the […]

Which of the following must not be done when using visuals in delivering an oral presentation? A. Putting five brief bullet points on a slide B. Using a 32 point-type for headings C. Using a 18 point-type for text D. […]

In a resume, one’s name and contact information should be placed at the bottom of the sheet. Businesses use text messaging primarily for data reporting purposes. Answer: FALSE Text messaging, also called short message service (SMS), is, as its name […]

The we-viewpoint is more effective in building goodwill as compared to the you-viewpoint. One useful technique to present bad news positively is to present one’s reasoning in first and third person, avoiding second person. Answer: TRUE One should present bad […]

Short sentences carry more emphasis than long, involved ones. The overuse of short sentences results in a choppy, elementary-sounding effect. Answer: TRUE The overuse of short sentences results in a choppy, elementary-sounding effect. In a bad-news message, a preliminaryexplanation is […]

Using ample vertical white space between the topics in your business report will increase the readability of your message. Discussion boards generally list posts chronologically. Answer: FALSE Unlike blogs, which list posts chronologically, discussion boards generally list postings by threaded […]

It is correct to number tables and figures separately. A business’s communication with its suppliers is a typical example of internal-operational communication. Answer: FALSE External-operational communication consists of a business’s communication with its suppliers, service companies, customers, government agencies, the […]

Which of the following best illustrates an ill-defined problem? A. The task of calculating the annual profits of a company B. The task of calculating the money left in a department’s budget C. The task of counting the number of […]

When a problem in your business report concerns evaluating something, either singularly or in comparison with other things, you should look for the bases for the evaluation. In a bad-news message, a positive buffer simply acknowledges receipt of the reader’s […]

Which of the following sentences is the best example of the use of vague words? A. The teacher wrote a letter to Jim’s parents informing them of his week long absence from school. B. She wore a blue shirt with […]

Rather than forcing an employer to determine that you developed one skill on one job and another skill on another job, the _____, a method of organizing information in a resume, groups related skills. A. combined layout B. reverse chronological […]

The primary function of visuals is to enhance a document’s appearance. A message telling a reader how to react to a message demonstrates great courtesy. Answer: FALSE You can help give your documents a courteous effect by not preaching-that is, […]

Which of the following is true about the attitudes of cultures toward various factors of human relationships? A. People belonging to polychronic cultures regard time as something that must be planned in order to be used as efficiently as possible. […]

Research indicates that digital natives are likely to: A. overuse body language. B. be incapable of using computer-mediated communication. C. easily detect insincerity. D. be able to easily detect deception. E. miss important nonverbal cues. Knowledge of sales message techniques […]

The high-cost involved with email is the reason that businesses do not use it for communicating with their internal audiences. “Application of the mixture was accomplished.” This sentence uses camouflaged verbs. Answer: TRUE When a verb is camouflaged, the verb […]

Messages refusing a job offer follow the indirect refusal pattern . A weekly sales report needs elaborateintroductory material. Answer: FALSE Reports need no introductory material if their very nature explains their purpose. It holds true for weekly sales reports, inventory […]

Memos are primarily usedfor corresponding with people outside an organization. All business communicators at an advanced level share essentially the same vocabulary because they are all accomplished professionals. Answer: FALSE While business communicators may share certain kinds of knowledge and […]

Which of the following types of messages must begin directly as they are merely favorable response messages with an extra amount of goodwill? A. A message for job details B. A follow-up message for an application C. Job acceptance messages […]

The main lines of operational communication in a business is the formal network. Using intialisms such as BTW and ASAP is acceptable in casual business emails. Answer: TRUE Many writers use initialisms to save time. In casual messages, use of […]