Business Communication Essentials, 8e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 11 Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals
1) When drafting a proposal, which of the following will first identify the problem you intend to
solve or the opportunity you want to pursue?
A) Background or statement of the problem
B) Scope
C) Introduction
D) Problem/purpose
E) Body
2) When adapting your message to your audience, which of the following can be seen as
trivializing an important issue?
A) Being overly informal
B) Using an indirect approach
C) Being overly formal
D) Using a direct approach
E) The use of slang and jargon
3) Which of the following will make the tone of your writing more formal?
A) Using pronouns
B) Using objective writing
C) Using humor
D) Colorful adjectives
E) Including personal opinions
4) Which of the following would you find in the introduction section of a report, but not in the
introduction section of a proposal?
A) Background or statement of the problem
B) Solution
C) Scope
D) Purpose
E) Report organization
5) Which of the following presents relevant information and support for your recommendations
or conclusion?
A) Introduction
B) Report organization
C) Close
D) Body
E) Sources and methods
6) Which of the following would include a plan to describe how you will accomplish the work to
be done?
A) Introduction to a report
B) Introduction to a proposal
C) Body of a report
D) Body of a proposal
E) Methods and approaches
7) Which of the following is accomplished in the introduction?
A) The presentation of information gathered during your investigation
B) A summary of key points
C) Benefits to the reader
D) It brings all the action items together in one place.
E) It helps the reader understand the context of the report by tying it to a problem or assignment.
8) Which section of a report will introduce why the subject matter is important?
A) The introduction
B) The body
C) The conclusions and recommendations
D) The close
E) The work plan
9) Which of the following establishes the tone and the writer’s relationship with the audience?
A) The introduction
B) The body
C) The conclusions and recommendations
D) The close
E) The work plan
10) Which of the following presents and interprets the information gathered during the
investigation and supports the recommendations or conclusions?
A) The introduction
B) The body
C) The tone
D) The close
E) The work plan
11) Which of the following is a function of the closing section of a business report?
A) It helps the reader understand the context of the report.
B) It ties the report to a problem or assignment.
C) It summarizes your key points.
D) It ensures the needs of the reader have been met.
E) It ensures each section is accurate, complete and logical.
12) Which of the following allow(s) readers to follow the structure of the document and
determine key points of your message?
A) Review sections
B) Preview sections
C) Transitions
D) Headings and subheadings
E) The introduction
13) What can be used to show how one thought is related to another?
A) Review sections
B) Preview sections
C) Transitions
D) Headings and subheadings
E) The introduction
14) Which of the following is designed to help readers get ready for new information?
A) Review sections
B) Preview sections
C) Transitions
D) Headings and subheadings
E) The introduction
15) The most important factor in planning a proposal is what?
A) The tone
B) The approach
C) Whether the proposal was solicited or not
D) The organization
E) The content
16) Which of the following is least likely to strengthen a proposal?
A) Research the competition.
B) Relate the product or service to the reader’s unique needs.
C) Demonstrate that the proposal is appropriate and feasible for the audience.
D) Identify key components of the Request for Proposal (RFP).
E) Provide concrete examples.
17) Which of the following would be the most appropriate approach when planning a proposal?
A) The direct approach
B) The cause and effect approach
C) The indirect approach
D) The formal/objective approach
E) The persuasive approach
18) Where in a business report would the writer spell out exactly what should happen next and
provide a schedule with specific task assignments?
A) In the restatement of qualifications
B) In the motivating action section of the close
C) In the conclusions and recommendation sections of the body
D) In the review of arguments in the close
E) In the work plan section of the body
19) Focusing on the content of your longer business documents helps ensure complete, correct
information.
20) When communicating with other cultures, humor and casual language is usually most
effective.
21) Readers will prejudge the quality of your products, services or capabilities based on the
quality of your proposal.
22) Proposals should be based on what you can do for the reader, and should not be compared to
what the competition can do.
23) Often the first things the reader notices in a proposal are its readability and how visually
inviting it is.
24) The preview section of a report is used to summarize key points made in the body of the
material.
25) Discuss the importance of adapting your writing to your audience and explain how to make a
report more, or less, formal.
26) Compare the necessary elements in the introduction of a report to those of a proposal.
27) Describe strategies to strengthen your argument when writing a proposal.
28) When drafting content for a website, which of the following will help improve the message?
A) Write a message for the internal, local audience.
B) Start with embedded links for depth and detail and move to more general information.
C) Develop a concise, skimmable format.
D) Use catchy headings and thought provoking summaries that lure readers further into the
website.
E) Use links that force readers to click through the web to find relevant data.
29) Because readers can be skeptical of online content, which of the following will help increase
the trust level?
A) Content that is updated on a regular basis
B) Content that uses bold headings and colorful links to improve readability
C) Content that has been adapted to a global audience
D) Content that is accurate, current, complete and authoritative
E) Content that has an extensive history that can be viewed
30) How can companies write for a global audience while containing the cost of translation?
A) Add links to content in multiple languages.
B) Develop a new website in each language needed.
C) Write in the original language and allow for links to translation software sites.
D) Write detailed content in the languages of global community members and use the original
language for major sections such as the homepage and navigational tabs.
E) Localize the homepage for the global audience and keep detailed content in the original
language.
31) How should a website be formatted to keep it compelling and reader-oriented?
A) Use the inverted pyramid.
B) Use the direct approach.
C) Use a persuasive model.
D) Use the indirect approach.
E) Use the AIDA model.
32) To improve readability in a website, which of the following would be most effective?
A) Vague headings
B) Lists
C) Pictures
D) Links to other content
E) Large fonts and type size
33) When developing links to other content, which of the following will help create the most
compelling links that improve the readability of the site?
A) Links that support content skimming but not navigation
B) Cute, catchy phrases
C) Links that clearly identify where a link will take the reader
D) Using a list to present all links in one location
E) Links that support navigation but not content skimming
34) When developing a wiki, which of the following allows contributors to practice their writing
without fear the writing will be published?
A) The pyramid
B) Discussion section
C) Templates
D) Sandboxes
E) Scratchpad
35) When editing a wiki, which of the following is least likely to ensure a well edited work?
A) Letting go of traditional authorship, recognition and control
B) Encouraging all team members to improve each other’s work
C) Using templates and other formatting options to make sure content matches other contributors
D) Using the sandbox to practice editing and writing
E) Using the inverted pyramid to outline content and thoughts
36) The basic principles used to create a strong report can easily be adapted to create well
developed website content.
37) It is not important to have a long-term goal when creating a wiki.
38) When developing content for a website, the writer should start with vague or general
information and move to more specific information by using embedded links.
39) When using a wiki to do collaborative writing, each user should be encouraged to improve
all members’ work.
40) Wikis can be used effectively in an organization with appropriate guidelines, editorial
oversight and strong security policies.
41) Discuss steps involved in developing a new wiki and compare those steps to steps that should
be taken when adding material to an existing wiki.
42) Discuss how to adapt writing for a website.
43) When communicating with multilingual audiences, what effect do visual aids create in a
document?
A) Visual aids can replace text and aid in communication.
B) Visual aids can add color and lighten the look of the communication.
C) Visual aids can be a distraction when the audience is focused on translation of text.
D) Visual aids can lead to misunderstanding in the interpretation of the content.
E) Visual aids can distract from the formatting of the document.
44) The ability to create an effective visual aid, or effectively interpret the meaning of a visual
aid is called what?
A) Visual competency
B) Visual literacy
C) Axis awareness
D) Design awareness
E) Data visualization