1
Excellence in Business Communication, 12e (Thill/Bovee)
Chapter 12 Writing Reports and Proposals
1) To gain credibility with your audience in business reports, verifying facts and references will
help to ensure
A) completeness.
B) accuracy.
C) the report is well balanced.
D) the report is clear and logical.
E) proper documentation.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
2) Writing for audiences of another culture usually requires
A) a more formal style.
B) a humorous anecdote.
C) colorful adjectives or adverbs.
D) the use of contractions such as we’ve to retain a conversational tone.
E) the use of as much jargon as possible.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
2
3) The writing style for a report should be more formal if
A) you know your readers reasonably well.
B) your report is internal.
C) the subject is controversial or complex.
D) the report is relatively short.
E) you are not confident in your conclusions.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
4) Effective report writers use ________ to introduce sections that include important or complex
topics and ________ to help readers absorb the information they just read.
A) foresight; reflection
B) inclusive ideas; deductive reasoning
C) hedging sections; forecasting sections
D) informational taglines; summary statements
E) preview sections; review sections
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Analytic thinking
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Application
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
3
5) When writing business reports for outsiders (such as customers or suppliers), it is best to
A) use a more formal tone than you would for an internal audience.
B) use a less formal tone than you would for an internal audience.
C) include personal references such as “you” and “us.”
D) use a great deal of idiomatic language.
E) use contractions whenever possible.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
6) When you’re writing a report, you can adapt to your intended audience by
A) avoiding the “you” attitude.
B) using technical jargon.
C) using a format consistent with all other communications.
D) using an informal style and tone.
E) being sensitive to the audience’s needs.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
4
7) The introduction (or opening) of a business report or proposal should always
A) outline your conclusions or recommendations.
B) list all the sources from which you draw information.
C) provide a detailed description of your qualifications to write the report.
D) indicate why the subject of the report is important.
E) begin with a humorous anecdote.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
8) The detailed evidence needed to support your conclusions and recommendations should
appear in the ________ of your report.
A) opening
B) body
C) close
D) recommendation
E) summary
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
5
9) The close of a report should
A) include new data for one last, meaningful impact.
B) tell the reader what will happen if they don’t implement what was discussed in the paper.
C) bring all action items together and give details about who should do what, when, where, and
how.
D) explain why you are passionate about making the proposed changes.
E) end with an insightful quote, fact or statistic.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
10) In the introduction to a report on how to establish a paperless office, explaining the historical
conditions or factors that led up to the report
A) enables readers to understand how the opportunity developed.
B) is unnecessary in internal reports.
C) diminishes your credibility by wasting readers’ time.
D) is necessary only in very formal reports.
E) is likely to convince the audience without any further information.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Application
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
6
11) Any terms in the report that are unfamiliar to the audience should be defined in the
A) introduction.
B) body.
C) explanatory notes.
D) summary.
E) appendix.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Application
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
12) A report’s close should
A) provide hints on what the audience should do so that you don’t sound like you’re giving
orders.
B) instruct your audience to contact you about what they should do next.
C) make sure your readers understand exactly what’s expected of them and when it’s expected.
D) imply dire consequences if the goals are not achieved.
E) minimize the impact of the main points of the message.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
7
13) If you end up with multiple conclusions, recommendations, or actions in your report, it is
best to
A) go back to the drawing board and cut them down to one or two, at the most.
B) combine similar items to make it easy on your readers.
C) number and list them.
D) leave them out of the report itself and include them in an appendix.
E) eliminate less important ones to make the report sound more professional and confident.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
14) Generally speaking, an effective proposal can
A) follow the AIDA model.
B) follow the plan for good-news messages.
C) avoid the “you” attitude.
D) be as vague as possible.
E) rely entirely on primary evidence.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business proposals
8
15) The introduction of a solicited proposal
A) need not be as detailed as that of an unsolicited proposal.
B) should refer specifically to the RFP that initiated it.
C) should downplay the magnitude of the problem you’re addressing.
D) is expected to be much longer than that of an unsolicited proposal.
E) should always shock the audience in order to get their attention.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business proposals
16) Which section of the introduction identifies what is, and isn’t, covered in the report?
A) background
B) report organization
C) scope
D) sources and methods
E) problem/opportunity/purpose
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business reports
9
17) The solution section in a proposal
A) explains how your proposal will help readers meet their business objectives.
B) reviews the reader’s situation and established the need for action.
C) states the boundaries of the proposal.
D) convinces the reader that a problem or an opportunity exists.
E) orients the reader to major divisions of information.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business proposals
18) In the body of a proposal, you should describe
A) the change you propose, but briefly.
B) the reader’s situation and the need for change.
C) why the problem exists.
D) the organization’s experience in this area.
E) what you will and will not do.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business proposals
10
19) The work plan section of a formal proposal
A) is presented in the conclusion.
B) is contractually binding if the proposal is accepted.
C) delineates the costs involved in your proposed solution.
D) describes your organization’s experience, personnel, and facilities.
E) points out the advantages that your company can offer.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business proposals
20) In a proposal, the statement of qualifications
A) presents the concept, product, or service you’re proposing.
B) delineates the costs involved in your proposed solution.
C) describes your company’s experience, personnel, and facilities.
D) asks a decision-maker to authorize your proposed solution.
E) orients readers to the information that the proposal will include.
describe the choices involved in drafting report and proposal content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Apply the writing process when writing business proposals