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1. Which of the following is done during Phase 2 of the writing process?
a.
Adapting
b.
Proofreading
c.
Analyzing
d.
Organizing
d
2. Melanie is working on a report and has reached Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process. What should she do first in this
second phase?
a.
Write the rough draft of her report.
b.
Decide how to organize the report.
c.
Analyze her purpose and audience.
d.
Gather any necessary information.
d
3. Samuel is working on a report and has reached Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process. What question should he ask while
collecting information during this second phase?
a.
What does the receiver need to know about the topic?
b.
What is the receiver to do and how is the receiver to do it?
c.
When must the receiver do it?
d.
Samuel should ask all of these questions.
d
4. Brooke is working on a business proposal for a prospective client. What is the primary question Brooke should ask as
she gathers information for her project?
a.
How much money does the client have?
b.
What does the client need to know about this topic?
c.
Does the client have a good reputation in the community?
d.
How can I make myself look good in the eyes of my client?
b
5. Which of the following is an informal research method?
a.
Searching the Web
b.
Looking in the company files for information
c.
Conducting a scientific experiment to gather information under controlled circumstances
d.
Searching for information in public and college libraries
b
6. Brandon is preparing a short informational report for his boss and wants to begin his research by conducting informal
research. What should he consider doing?
a.
Searching through his company’s files for background information and previous correspondence
b.
Talking with his boss to get more information about the type of information his boss would like included in
the report
c.
Conducting an informal online survey using a tool like Survey Monkey
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d.
Brandon should consider doing all of these.
d
7. Which of the following is an example of using a formal research method?
a.
Hank talks with his boss to decide what items to include on the meeting agenda.
b.
Amy conducts a Web search to find information about a competitor’s products.
c.
Galen looks in the company files for copies of minutes from previous meetings.
d.
Emily calls a few of her colleagues to learn how they feel about carpooling.
8. Angelica has been asked to learn how many pedestrians walk by a specific location that her company is considering for
a new sporting goods retail shop. Probably the most useful way to research this information would be by
a.
manually searching resources in her public library.
b.
searching the Web.
c.
investigating primary sources.
d.
conducting a scientific experiment with controlled variables.
9. Which of the following scenarios would most likely require a scientific experiment?
a.
A research firm wants to find out how many parents plan to send their children to private schools.
b.
A company wants to measure reactions to the price of a new flavored vitamin water product to learn how
much consumers would be willing to pay.
c.
A student wants to find out how a business leader got his start in the industry.
d.
A development team has to decide which of four possible locations would be best for a new fast-food
restaurant.
10. Which of the following statements about formal and informal research is least accurate?
a.
Long reports and complex business problems generally require some use of formal research.
b.
When you work on a business report, avoid using the Web for research because much of what is available on
the Web isn’t credible.
c.
Most routine writing tasks require data that you can collect informally.
d.
Some routine writing tasks will require no research at all.
b
11. Chuck is part of a team identifying ideas to cut expenses. The team has decided to hold a brainstorming session. What
is the best strategy the team can do during this session?
a.
Discourage wild thinking; all ideas generated should be rational and feasible.
b.
Critique and evaluate each idea as it is presented during the brainstorming session.
c.
Set an established time limit.
d.
To encourage the maximum number of ideas, avoid defining the problem at the beginning of a brainstorming
session.
12. One of the most important tasks in preparing well-organized messages is
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a.
using a direct organizational pattern.
b.
creating a well-formatted title page.
c.
including ample tables and charts.
d.
grouping similar ideas together.
d
13. Many communication experts regard ______________ as the greatest failing of business writers.
a.
poor organization
b.
bad spelling
c.
limited education
d.
overconfidence
14. Which of the following documents would most likely use an introduction/problem, facts/findings, conclusions, and
recommendations organization?
a.
E-mail message
b.
Analytical report
c.
Proposal
d.
Procedural document
b
15. Which of the following documents would most likely use an introduction, a proposed solution, staffing, a schedule
and/or costs, and authorization organization?
a.
E-mail message
b.
Analytical report
c.
Proposal
d.
Informational report
ANSWER:
16. Michelle is preparing an outline to help her write a report about her recent attendance at a technology symposium.
What advice would you give her?
a.
Divide the main topic into at least ten major components.
b.
Break each major component into subpoints, realizing that it’s okay if a major component has just one
subpoint.
c.
Define the main topic in the outline title.
d.
Don’t worry if some of the components overlap in content.
17. You are preparing an outline for your report on Web security in the workplace. Which of the following should be a
major category for this outline?
a.
Spam
b.
Web Security Threats
c.
Phishing
d.
Adware and Spyware
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18. An organizational pattern that presents the main idea after the details, explanation, and evidence is the
a.
indirect organizational pattern.
b.
direct organizational pattern.
c.
geographical organizational pattern.
d.
chronological organizational pattern.
19. An organizational pattern that presents the main idea followed by details, explanation, and evidence is the
a.
indirect organizational pattern.
b.
direct organizational pattern.
c.
geographical organizational pattern.
d.
chronological organizational pattern.
20. When you expect the reader to be pleased, mildly interested, or neutral the most effective organizational pattern is the
a.
indirect pattern.
b.
geographical pattern.
c.
chronological pattern.
d.
direct pattern.
21. If an audience will be unwilling, uninterested, displeased, disappointed, or hostile, the most effective organizational
pattern is the
a.
indirect pattern.
b.
geographical pattern.
c.
chronological pattern.
d.
direct pattern.
22. Which of the following is not an advantage of the direct pattern?
a.
Reduces frustration
b.
Saves the reader’s time
c.
Facilitates a fair hearing
d.
Sets a proper frame of mind
23. Which of the following is not an advantage of the indirect pattern?
a.
Reduces frustration
b.
Respects the feelings of the audience
c.
Facilitates a fair hearing
d.
Minimizes a negative reaction
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24. Peter is writing an e-mail message to his staff about an upcoming training session, and he is sure they’ll be pleased
with the news. Peter should use the
a.
direct pattern.
b.
indirect pattern.
c.
chronological pattern.
d.
geographical pattern.
25. Which of the following should be organized in an indirect pattern?
a.
An e-mail message to customers about a free shipping offer
b.
An e-mail message to employees telling them that overtime will be eliminated
c.
A letter offering a position to a job applicant
d.
A letter to members of a professional organization telling them about an upcoming event
26. Claudia is writing to an employee to deny the employee’s request to work from home three days a week. Claudia
should write the letter using the
a.
direct pattern.
b.
geographical pattern.
c.
indirect pattern.
d.
chronological pattern.
27. Which of the following should be organized in a direct pattern?
a.
An online manual showing visitors how to download a software program
b.
A proposal submitted to the board of directors to add a wellness program to the company’s benefits package
c.
An e-mail message to employees telling them that health benefits will be cut
d.
A letter denying a customer’s claim about a defective product
28. Sensitive messages that deliver bad news should usually be organized
a.
in an indirect pattern.
b.
by geographical area.
c.
in a direct pattern.
d.
in a pivoting pattern.
29. Andrew must deny a customer’s application for credit. What organizational pattern should he use?
a.
An indirect pattern
b.
A geographical pattern
c.
A direct pattern
d.
A pivoting pattern
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30. Natalya is writing a message to persuade her supervisor to reimburse her for the cost of a business class she took.
What organizational pattern should she use?
a.
An indirect pattern
b.
A geographical pattern
c.
A direct pattern
d.
A pivoting pattern
31. One effective way to overcome writer’s block is to
a.
stare at the page until you think of something to write.
b.
concentrate on finding the right words and perfect sentence structure before putting your ideas on paper.
c.
work in a quiet environment in which you can concentrate.
d.
take a creativity-enhancing vitamin supplement.
32. Edwin has just been hired as an executive assistant and will be doing a lot of writing on the job. What is the best
advice you can give him about composing documents?
a.
Set aside a given time for writing during which he will have no visitors, phone calls, or interruptions.
b.
Create an outline only for long, complex documents.
c.
To save time, begin working immediately on the final draft.
d.
Avoid freewriting because it results in sloppy documents.
33. Suzanne has been told that freewriting may help her with her writer’s block. What does freewriting mean?
a.
Using a special software program call Freewriting
b.
Writing quickly without getting bogged down with the perfect words
c.
Writing without getting paid for it
d.
Using a pen or pencil to record your ideas rather than a computer
b
34. Elizabeth wants to avoid monotony and add spark to her business messages. What should she do?
a.
Make sure that every sentence is compound-complex because this is the most complicated type of sentence
type.
b.
Use a brightly colored font when she prints her documents.
c.
Spritz her printed messages with an exciting fragrance.
d.
Use a variety of sentence types.
d
35. Clauses that begin with words like although, since, because, when, and if are usually
a.
independent.
b.
dependent.
c.
direct.
d.
indirect.
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ANSWER:
b
36. Which of the following is a clause?
a.
On Monday
b.
Will be presenting
c.
On our Facebook page
d.
When you were on vacation
ANSWER:
d
37. Which of the following is a dependent clause?
a.
On the 15th of this month
b.
Except for our main competitor
c.
Since the company began selling stock to the public
d.
Your interview went well
ANSWER:
38. Which of the following is an independent clause?
a.
After he signed the contract
b.
Of the two choices
c.
Please call with any questions you have
d.
If you have any questions
ANSWER:
39. When dependent clauses precede independent clauses, they always are followed by a
a.
period.
b.
semicolon.
c.
comma.
d.
colon.
ANSWER:
40. Which of the following is a compound sentence?
a.
If you have any questions, please e-mail me.
b.
Before the meeting ended, Sofia shared her new product idea; consequently, her ideas were included in the
meeting minutes.
c.
Raymond applied for the position, and he was called for an interview two days later.
d.
It’s highly likely that your request for leave will be approved.
ANSWER:
41. What type of sentence fault results when a writer joins two independent clauses with a comma?
a.
Run-on sentence
b.
Comma splice
c.
Fragment
d.
None of the above
ANSWER:
b
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42. What type of sentence fault results when a writer punctuates a broken-off part of a complex sentence as if it were a
complete sentence?
a.
Run-on sentence
b.
Comma splice
c.
Fragment
d.
None of the above
ANSWER:
b
43. What type of sentence fault results when a writer joins two independent clauses without using a conjunction or
semicolon?
a.
Run-on sentence
b.
Comma splice
c.
Fragment
d.
None of the above
ANSWER:
b
44. Which of the following sentences contains a comma splice?
a.
Miguel will write the document, but Alicia will proofread it.
b.
Miguel will write the document, Alicia will proofread it.
c.
Miguel will write the document; however, Alicia will proofread it.
d.
Miguel will write the document. Alicia will proofread it.
ANSWER:
b
45. Which of the following is a sentence fragment?
a.
Although we expect sales to increase next quarter.
b.
We expect sales to increase next quarter.
c.
Although we expect sales to increase next quarter, we can’t afford to hire any additional employees right now.
d.
We can’t afford to hire any additional employees right now.
ANSWER:
46. Which of the following is a run-on sentence?
a.
Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers; some even use Twitter.
b.
Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers, and some even use Twitter.
c.
Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers some even use Twitter.
d.
Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers. Some even use Twitter.
ANSWER:
47. Monica wants to make sure that her sentences are easily understood. How long should she make them?
a.
An average of 20 words
b.
At least 30 words
c.
No more than 8 words
d.
An average of 28 words
ANSWER:
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48. Which of the following is not a mechanical technique for stressing important ideas?
a.
Underscoring
b.
Bolding
c.
Using vivid words
d.
Italicizing
49. Franco wants to emphasize the new features of a product he is selling. What should he do?
a.
Use vivid words to describe the features.
b.
Put the most important information in the middle of his sentences.
c.
Use the passive voice to describe the features.
d.
Put the most important information in a dependent clause.
ANSWER:
50. Which sentence best emphasizes the attorney?
a.
The closing arguments were delivered by the attorney.
b.
Because the attorney is ready, she will give her closing arguments today.
c.
Before the trial resumed, the attorney practiced for her closing arguments.
d.
The attorney delivered the closing arguments.
d
51. When should the passive voice be used?
a.
For most business writing
b.
To de-emphasize bad news
c.
To emphasize the doer of the action
d.
Never
b
52. When should the active voice be used?
a.
For most business writing
b.
To emphasize an action rather than a person
c.
To de-emphasize negative news
d.
To conceal the doer of the action.
ANSWER:
53. Select the active-voice sentence.
a.
The sales meeting has been scheduled for Friday.
b.
Many companies now offer wellness programs.
c.
The contract must be signed by all parties.
d.
The applicant was contacted by the hiring manager.
b
54. Select the passive-voice sentence.
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a.
Michael Lewis wrote a book about the financial crisis.
b.
The market closed over 14,000 points for the first time in July 2007.
c.
Although he has no experience, Andrew applied for the position.
d.
The website was redesigned by a team of professionals.
d
55. Which of the following sentences demonstrates parallelism?
a.
In my current position, I interact with customers, input orders, and am responsible for updating the company‘s
Facebook page.
b.
Our new CEO’s objectives are to improve employee morale, to boost revenues, and to enhance community
relations.
c.
Collecting, organizing, and documentation — these are important steps in researching a problem.
d.
The person we hire for this position should be flexible, reliable, and have good organizational skills.
b
56. To apply for a job, a résumé must be submitted contains
a.
a misplaced modifier.
b.
the active voice.
c.
a dangling modifier.
d.
a limiting clause.
57. Which of the following statements about paragraphs is most accurate?
a.
A paragraph is a group of sentences about one idea.
b.
The primary idea always appears first in a paragraph.
c.
Well-constructed paragraphs can discuss more than one topic.
d.
All of these statements are accurate.
58. Most business messages use the ____ paragraph plan because it clarifies the subject immediately.
a.
dovetailing
b.
pivoting
c.
indirect
d.
direct
d
59. Shauna is writing a document that will compare and contrast different retirement plans. She will most likely use the
____ paragraph plan.
a.
indirect
b.
pivoting
c.
transitional
d.
direct
b
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60. You can build paragraph coherence by incorporating which of the following techniques?
a.
Using pronouns
b.
Using transitional expressions such as therefore, however, and then
c.
Dovetailing sentences
d.
All of these choices
d
61. The first step of Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process is to conduct research to collect all the needed information.
a.
True
b.
False
True
62. Searching blogs, Twitter, wikis, and Facebook pages for information is an example of an informal research method.
a.
True
b.
False
False
63. Talking with your boss to gather information is an example of an informal research method.
a.
True
b.
False
True
64. The best brainstorming sessions have no time limits.
a.
True
b.
False
False
65. The focus of a brainstorming session should be on the quality of ideas, not the quantity.
a.
True
b.
False
False
66. A well-organized message helps the reader understand relationships and accept the writer’s view.
a.
True
b.
False
True
67. Many communication experts regard poor organization as the greatest failing of business writers.
a.
True
b.
False
True
68. Each major component in an outline should be divided into at least five subcategories.
a.
True
b.
False
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False
69. In the direct pattern, the main idea comes first, followed by details, explanation, or evidence. In the indirect pattern,
the main idea follows the details, explanation, and evidence.
a.
True
b.
False
True
70. The direct organizational pattern should be used when writing to an audience that will be unwilling, uninterested,
displeased, disappointed, or hostile.
a.
True
b.
False
False
71. Madeline is writing an e-mail message to ask about conference facility availability and rates. She should use the direct
pattern.
a.
True
b.
False
True
72. Jack is writing a memo to refuse an employee’s vacation request. He should use the indirect pattern.
a.
True
b.
False
True
73. Caitlin is writing a sales letter to encourage customers to add features to their wireless data plans. She should use the
direct approach.
a.
True
b.
False
False
74. Organizing one’s ideas ahead of time and working from an outline are good ways to prevent writer’s block.
a.
True
b.
False
True
75. Most experts recommend trying to produce error-free first drafts of your documents.
a.
True
b.
False
False
76. If you have any new ideas is an example of an independent clause.
a.
True
b.
False
False
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77. The first ATM opened near London in 1967 is an example of an independent clause.
a.
True
b.
False
True
78. Since our restaurant opened last week, we have been booked solid is an example of a compound sentence.
a.
True
b.
False
False
79. With a solid plan and careful planning is a sentence fragment.
a.
True
b.
False
True
80. June is our busiest month, February is our slowest contains a comma splice.
a.
True
b.
False
True
81. Marco uses Google for his research Stephanie prefers Yahoo is a run-on sentence.
a.
True
b.
False
True
82. Sentences that average 20 words are most effective for business writing.
a.
True
b.
False
True
83. Placing the main idea first or last in a sentence is a good way to emphasize it.
a.
True
b.
False
True
84. The sentence Clara was accepted into an MBA program is an active-voice sentence.
a.
True
b.
False
False
85. The sentence James responded to the inquiry is an active-voice sentence in which James acts as the subject.
a.
True
b.
False
True
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86. To achieve parallel construction, use similar structures to express similar ideas.
a.
True
b.
False
True
87. The following sentence contains a dangling modifier: Working all night, the report was finished by Robert.
a.
True
b.
False
False
88. The topic sentence of a paragraph must always appear first.
a.
True
b.
False
False
89. Paragraphs arranged in the direct plan start with supporting sentences and conclude with the topic sentence.
a.
True
b.
False
False
90. To be most effective, paragraphs in business messages should be limited to eight or fewer printed lines.
a.
True
b.
False
True
91. The second phase of the 3-x-3 writing process includes researching, organizing, and ____________________.
drafting
92. Looking in the files and talking with your boss are examples of ____________________ research methods.
informal
93. Accessing electronic resources, manually searching library resources, investigating primary sources, and conducting
scientific experiments are all examples of ____________________ research methods.
formal
94. ____________________ is used by small groups to help generate ideas for writing tasks.
Brainstorming
95. When you expect the audience to be pleased, mildly interested, or neutral, use the ____________________ pattern of
organization.
direct
96. When you expect the audience to be unwilling, uninterested, displeased, disappointed, or hostile, the
____________________ pattern of organization is appropriate.
indirect
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97. In the ____________________ organizational pattern, the main idea comes first, followed by details, explanation, or
evidence.
98. In the ____________________ organizational pattern, the main idea follows the details, explanation, and evidence.
99. The ____________________ organizational pattern is typically used for bad news, persuasive requests, sales letters,
and sensitive messages.
100. The ____________________ organizational pattern is typically used for routine requests and responses, orders and
acknowledgments, nonsensitive memos, e-mail messages, informational reports, and informational oral presentations.
101. Writing quickly so that you can get your thoughts down now and refine them in later versions is known as
_____________.
102. When the contract is approved is an example of a(n) ____________________ clause.
103. Hard-working employees are rewarded for their efforts is an example of a(n) ____________________ clause.
104. Christopher will be attending a training workshop, and he hopes to learn a lot about new uses for social media is an
example of a ____________________ sentence.
105. Because she wants to be promoted into a management position, Jessica is taking business courses at her local
community college is an example of a ____________________ sentence.
106. A(n) ____________________ is usually a broken-off part of a complex sentence and is one of the most serious
errors a writer can make.
107. A comma ____________________ results when a writer joins two independent clauses with a comma.
108. The sentence The presentation was given by Barry is in the ____________________ voice.
109. _____________ is a skillful writing technique that involves balanced writing. Sentences written so that their parts are
balanced are easy to read and understand.
110. A(n) ____________________ is a group of sentences about one idea.
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111. Researching may involve informal or formal methods. List and describe two informal research methods and two
formal research methods.
112. Compare and contrast the direct and indirect patterns of organization. What are the benefits of each pattern? When
would each pattern be used in business writing?
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113. Describe the four sentence types and write an original example of each.
114. Compare and contrast active voice and passive voice. When should each be used in business writing?
115. Compare and contrast the three classic paragraph plans discussed in your book. When would each be used?