47) Discuss elements of building credibility with the audience.
48) Why is it important to project the company’s image in all communication, rather than your
own image or personal brand?
49) What do the choices you make to express yourself, including words and how you use them,
create?
A) Manner
B) Tone
C) Style
D) Meaning
E) Abstract
50) Which of the following is created by the overall impression made by your message?
A) Manner
B) Tone
C) Style
D) Meaning
E) Abstract
51) Which type of tone is created by using plain, businesslike language that is not too formal or
too casual?
A) Stuffy
B) Unprofessional
C) Pompous
D) Conversational
E) Stale
52) Which of the following will help a writer create a conversational tone in a message?
A) Use texting for writing whenever possible
B) Brag about expertise to enhance credibility
C) Use personal phrases and an intimate tone
D) Add occasional humor to lighten the mood of the message
E) Avoid clichés and complicated sentences
53) Which of the following helps ensure writing is simple and enhances the meaning of the
message?
A) Plain language
B) Common texting symbols
C) Visuals for non-native English speakers
D) Passive voice
E) Connotative words
54) Which writing technique will make the message direct, lively, and easier for the audience to
read?
A) Indirect
B) Active
C) Diplomatic
D) Passive
E) Self-congratulatory
55) When would it be appropriate to write using a passive voice?
A) When making the writing lively and engaging
B) When the writing needs to be direct
C) When attention needs to be focused on a problem rather than the people responsible for it
D) When taking credit for an action
E) When using personal pronouns
56) What’s the problem with phrases such as, “attached please find” and “we are in receipt of”?
A) They are rude.
B) They are too intimate.
C) They are stale and pompous.
D) They involve preaching and bragging.
57) Which voice is being used when the writer includes personal pronouns?
A) Passive
B) Indirect
C) Self-congratulatory
D) Active
E) Diplomatic
58) Most business communication should aim for a ________ tone.
A) formal
B) colloquial
C) conversational
D) confrontational
59) Which voice should be used when attempting to solve a problem without placing blame?
A) Passive
B) Indirect
C) Self-congratulatory
D) Active
E) Diplomatic
60) Which of the following is one way using plain language in writing can help save the
organization money while increasing productivity?
A) The message supports all user needs
B) The message does not require a translation from an active to passive voice
C) International audiences are more likely to do business with you
D) The message is easier to understand
E) Messages include more detail
61) Plain language is a style of writing
A) used only for casual correspondence.
B) designed to make complex materials more understandable to the audience.
C) aimed primarily at readers for whom English is a second language.
D) inappropriate for business communication.
62) How should humor be used in a message written to someone of another culture?
A) It should be supported by emoticons
B) It should be in quotation marks
C) It should be written in a passive voice
D) It should be written in an active voice
E) It should be avoided
63) Identify the voice in the following sentence: “Based on negative client feedback, the
marketing department abandoned the campaign.”
A) Active
B) Passive
C) Vocative
D) State of being
64) According to the textbook, your communication style involves the choices you make to
express yourself. Which one of the following will not have an effect on your communication
style?
A) The words you select
B) The way you use words in sentences
C) The way you build paragraphs from individual sentences
D) None of the above.
65) A conversational tone is not appropriate for most business messages.
66) Plain language is a style of writing used primarily for communicating to those who do not
have a college degree.
67) “The evaluator noted several shortcomings” is written in the active voice.
68) To make a message more effective, incorporate humor whenever possible.
69) What is the difference between tone and style in business writing?
70) List at least three guidelines to follow if you want to achieve a conversational tone in
business messages.
71) Briefly explain the difference between the active voice and the passive voice. Include an
example of each one.
72) List three situations in which the passive voice can help you demonstrate the “you” attitude.
73) Discuss ways to develop a conversational but businesslike tone in written communication.
74) Why is it important to use plain language in business writing, especially when writing to
non-native English speakers?
75) What does poor grammar in a document suggest to the reader?
A) Unprofessionalism
B) Haste
C) Intimacy
D) Diplomacy
E) Passive voice
76) What is a word’s denotative meaning?
A) The feelings associated with a word
B) Its literal meaning
C) An expression of a quality or characteristic
D) A broad, encompassing category of ideas
E) Its ability to stand for something that cannot be seen or touched
77) What are the associations and feelings evoked by a word?
A) The denotative meaning
B) The abstract meaning
C) The connotative meaning
D) The concrete meaning
E) The precise meaning
78) Which type of word should be used when a writer wants to express a concept or
characteristic?
A) Precise
B) Concrete
C) Connotative
D) Abstract
E) Denotative
79) Which type of word represents things that can be seen or touch?
A) Precise
B) Concrete
C) Connotative
D) Abstract
E) Denotative
80) When you want to express thoughts in a way that is specific and dynamic, which type of
word should be used?
A) Jargon
B) Buzzwords
C) Clichés
D) Familiar
E) Strong and precise
81) Which type of word is now so common they have lost some of their power to communicate?
A) Abstract
B) Insider slang
C) Clichés
D) Familiar
E) Strong
82) Which of the following represents specialized language used by a specific profession or
industry?
A) Buzzwords
B) Connotative
C) Clichés
D) Jargon
E) Denotative
83) When would it be appropriate to use jargon in a message?
A) When accuracy is critical
B) When there is a need to express thoughts specifically and dynamically
C) When other word choices have lost the power to communicate
D) When the words or phrases become part of popular culture
E) When communicating with a specific audience that is in the same field
84) Which of the following is an advantage of using concrete words?
A) They are direct and exact
B) They summarize concepts
C) They can be interpreted differently by each audience member
D) They create shorter paragraphs
E) They explain jargon to outsiders
85) In addition to strong words and effective sentences, what other structural elements should
writers strive for when crafting documents?
A) A mix of connotative and abstract words
B) Coherent paragraphs
C) Denotative words supported by examples
D) Consistency of ideas
E) Non-text elements such as graphics
86) If your workplace writing contains grammar errors and word choice mistakes, your readers
will
A) suppose that you’re uninformed.
B) question your professionalism.
C) think that you don’t respect them.
D) all of the above.
87) When choosing words to convey a message, successful writers pay attention to
A) convenience and mannerisms.
B) correctness and effectiveness.
C) metaphors and euphemisms.
D) connotation and vocalization.
88) The ________ of a word is its literal or dictionary meaning.
A) figurative meaning
B) denotative meaning
C) connotative meaning
D) contextual meaning
89) As you create and refine your messages, evaluate your writing at all of the following levels
EXCEPT
A) strong words.
B) effective sentences.
C) coherent paragraphs.
D) multimedia enhancements.
90) Some terms and phrases called ________ have become so common that they have lost some
of their power to communicate, and ________ are newly coined terms often associated with
technology, business, or cultural changes.
A) euphemisms; idioms
B) clichés; buzzwords
C) colloquialisms; clichés
D) pull quotes; derivations
91) Most ________ express a concept, quality, or characteristic. Most ________ represent
something you can see, touch, or visualize.
A) abstract words; concrete words
B) interpretive words; explanatory words
C) incisive words; generalized words
D) selective words; common words
92) Which of the following words are the most abstract?
A) Two, contract, performance
B) Software, code, signal
C) Kick, move, walk
D) Productivity, excellence, motivation
93) Grammarians and professional editors agree on the rules of grammar.
94) Honor and progress are concrete words.
95) Clichés are a valuable tool in business writing, as readers find such words and phrases to be
comfortable and familiar.
96) The amount of jargon you use in a message should reflect your audience’s level of familiarity
with your topic.
97) As a rule, most abstract terms relate to the tangible material world.
98) Using words that are familiar to the audience makes your messages more effective.
99) Buzzwords and clichés serve the same purpose in a message.
100) How is the denotative meaning of a word different from its connotative meaning?
101) Explain what it means to choose “words that communicate well,” then list four techniques
for selecting the best words when writing business messages.
102) Describe how to balance abstract and concrete words in a business message.