Business Communication Essentials, 8e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 5 Completing Business Messages
1) When proofreading, which of the following should be accomplished on the first round of
proofreading?
A) Spelling and grammar
B) Overall tone
C) Ensuring overall goals are accomplished
D) Clarity
E) Conciseness
2) Which of the following can help determine the scope of the revision process?
A) The medium and nature of the message
B) Only the medium used
C) The nature of the message
D) Available time and skill level
E) Available time and location of the audience
3) When revising for digital formats, what should receive special attention during the revision
process?
A) Audience needs
B) Audience location
C) Headings and subheading
D) Spelling, grammar and clarity
E) Use of compatible technology
4) After proofreading to ensure overall goals are accomplished, what should the second round of
proofreading consider?
A) Deadlines
B) Spelling and grammar
C) Overall tone
D) Audience location
E) Clarity and conciseness
5) When evaluating the content of the message, what should the proofreader consider?
A) Who will actually read the message
B) That the message is accurate, relevant and complete based on audience needs
C) That the message contains all the major ideas the writer wanted to include
D) Spelling and grammar are correct
E) First impression of the document for the audience
6) When evaluating the organization of the message, which of the following is least important?
A) All points are covered and in a logical and convincing order.
B) The most important ideas have the most emphasis.
C) Points are not repeated unnecessarily.
D) Details are grouped in a logical manner.
E) Being formal and academic in your writing style.
7) When evaluating a message to ensure the writing is formal enough to meet the audience’s
expectations, what should be considered?
A) Content
B) Organization
C) Tone
D) Clarity
E) Details
8) Which section(s) of a message have the greatest impact on the audience?
A) Visual aids
B) Beginning and end
C) First appearance
D) Headings and subheading
E) Subject line
9) When editing the work of someone else, which of the following will have the least influence
on the document?
A) Target audience
B) Purpose of the document
C) The editor’s writing style
D) Conciseness of the document
E) Organization of the document
10) When evaluating the writing of someone else, what must be considered that one does not
typically consider when editing their own work?
A) Informational needs of the audience
B) “You” attitude
C) Readability
D) Conciseness of the writing
E) Intent of the writer
11) When working on revisions for someone else’s work, what should happen to the writing
style?
A) The writing style should reflect the person working on the revision.
B) The writing style should reflect the original writer.
C) The writing style should conform to the needs of the audience.
D) The writing style should be a new style that incorporates the styles of the original writer and
the person making revisions.
E) The writing style should be dictated by the message in the document.
12) Which of the following is true when determining the correct tone for a document?
A) The tone should meet the audience’s expectations.
B) The tone should be based on the writer’s relationship with the audience.
C) The tone should reflect the personality of the writer.
D) The tone should be academic.
E) The tone should be formal.
13) The secret to simplicity in a business communication is revision.
14) When beginning the process of proofreading, it is best to start as soon as the document is
complete and the information is fresh in the writer’s mind.
15) When editing someone else’s work, it is important to understand the writer’s intent before
suggesting changes.
16) Discuss the role of proofreading, grammar, spelling, clarity and other fundamentals of good
writing in a document, including digital documents.
17) After proofreading for content, organization and tone of the message, what should be the
next step in the proofreading process?
A) Proofreading to ensure the document meets the needs of the audience
B) Proofreading for tone
C) Proofreading to improve readability
D) Proofreading to read for spelling and grammar
E) Proofreading for overall feel of the document
18) Making it easier for the audience to skim a message for highlights is done by improving
what?
A) Conciseness
B) Clarity
C) Tone
D) Readability
E) Headings
19) Which of the following is not a method for improving readability in the body of a message?
A) Using meaningful subject lines
B) Varying sentence length
C) Using short paragraphs
D) Including lists and bullets
E) Using effective headings and subheadings
20) Which of the following is an advantage to using short sentences?
A) Short sentences can be processed quickly.
B) Short sentences are useful for showing relationships among ideas.
C) Short sentences are best in showing complex ideas.
D) Short sentences are best when listing a number of related points.
E) Short sentences are useful when summarizing information.
21) Which of the following is an advantage to using sentences that are 15 to 25 words long?
A) Medium length sentences can be processed quickly.
B) Medium length sentences are useful for showing relationships among ideas.
C) Medium length sentences are best in showing complex ideas.
D) Medium length sentences are best when listing a number of related points.
E) Medium length sentences are useful when summarizing information.
22) Which of the following would work best to summarize or preview information?
A) Short sentences
B) Medium length sentences
C) Long sentences
D) Heading
E) Bullet points
23) Which of the following is a disadvantage of using too many short sentences?
A) Short sentences can lack punch.
B) Short sentences can lack informative power.
C) Short sentences are harder to understand.
D) Short sentences are harder to skim for key points.
E) Short sentences make writing feel disconnected.
24) Which of the following is a disadvantage of using too many sentences of 15-25 words in
length?
A) Sentences this length can add too much punch.
B) Sentences this length can lack informative power.
C) Sentences this length are harder to understand.
D) Sentences this length are harder to skim for key points.
E) Sentences this length make writing feel disconnected.
25) Which of the following is true regarding short paragraphs?
A) Paragraphs should be between 100 and 300 words.
B) Short paragraphs are easier to read than long ones.
C) Short paragraphs look unprofessional and choppy.
D) Short paragraphs do not need transitions.
E) Short paragraphs provide a smooth flow of information.
26) Which of the following is least helpful when improving readability?
A) Adding effective headings
B) Varying sentence length
C) Using shorter paragraphs
D) Conducting an audience analysis
E) Replacing narrative with lists
27) Using one-sentence paragraphs allows what advantages?
A) One-sentence paragraphs make the writing look inviting.
B) One-sentence paragraphs can isolate individual ideas.
C) One-sentence paragraphs can add emphasis to an important concept.
D) One-sentence paragraphs can be used to transition topics.
E) One-sentence paragraphs can be used in lists.
28) Which of the following is least effective when creating lists?
A) A sequence of ideas
B) Listing key points
C) Using the list to simplify complex subjects
D) Using numbers instead of bullets
E) Parallelism
29) Using a list can be more effective than conventional sentences and paragraphs because lists
allow the writer to do what?
A) Slow down the reading process
B) Minimize the impact of controversial information
C) Require careful review of key points
D) Increase the depth of the document
E) Simplify complex subjects
30) In a report or a long document, what type of information is provided by a heading?
A) Information about the content of the section that follows
B) An explanation of visual aids
C) The pages included in the section
D) An indication of how the reader should feel about the content
E) A description of audience needs
31) Which of the following indicates subsections within a major section of a document?
A) Heading
B) Subheading
C) Major heading
D) Descriptive heading
E) Informative heading
32) Which of the following identifies subject matter without suggesting anything more?
A) Heading
B) Subheading
C) Major heading
D) Descriptive heading
E) Informative heading
33) Which of the following gives the reader some context and may point to a conclusion offered
in the section?
A) Heading
B) Subheading
C) Major heading
D) Descriptive heading
E) Informative heading
34) In order to improve readability, what should be avoided?
A) Keeping sentences uniform in length
B) Using bullets to organize information
C) Writing short paragraphs
D) Using lists to clarify points
E) Adding headings and subheadings
35) Which of the following is true for creating readable lists?
A) Long sentences should be used to increase the likelihood that readers will find the key points.
B) Use one-sentence paragraphs for emphasis.
C) Skimming is more difficult with bulleted lists.
D) Introductions are avoided as lists enable skimming.
E) Using parallelism makes it easier for readers to skim through lists.
36) Graphical elements that precede each item in a list are known as what?
A) Headings
B) Subheadings
C) Buttons
D) Bullets
E) Captions
37) Informative headings give the reader context and may point to a conclusion or
recommendation.
38) A well-written heading allows the reader to understand the heading without reading the
support material.
39) Long paragraphs are generally more effective than lists.
40) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of short, medium and long sentences.
41) Discuss four techniques to improve the readability of a message.
42) Which of the following is true for writing concise sentences?
A) All relative pronouns should be eliminated from sentences to minimize confusion.
B) Using infinitives to replace phrases is grammatically incorrect.
C) Longer words usually make a sentence easier to read and understand.
D) Double modifiers are easy to understand and make a sentence more concise.
E) The subject and predicate of a sentence should be placed as close together as possible.
43) Which of the following is the most effective way to shorten a sentence?
A) Avoid redundancies
B) Avoid using commas
C) Use the passive voice instead of the active
D) Use camouflaged verbs
E) Use hedging sentences
44) What is the goal when editing for clarity?
A) Ensuring parallelism
B) Ensuring readers understand the intended meaning after reading a sentence once
C) That there is a variety of sentence lengths
D) That the most important ideas have the most room
E) That narratives are replaced with lists wherever possible
45) When editing for clarity, what aspects of the writing should be carefully considered?
A) The type(s) of headings used
B) The use of parallel bullets or numbers in all lists
C) The length of paragraphs and the inclusion of paragraphs with various lengths
D) The content, organization and tone of the message are as professional as possible
E) The message is as clear and concise as possible
46) When imposing parallelism in writing, what should a writer pay special attention to?
A) Making definitive statements about a topic
B) Expressing similar ideas with the same grammatical structure
C) Breaking up overly long sentences
D) Modifying nouns and verbs with modifiers
E) Keeping the subject and predicate of a sentence as close together as possible