Business Communication Essentials, 6e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 11 Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals
1) Which of the following is true about adapting reports and proposals to the audience?
A) If you don’t know your audience, it is better to use an informal tone to make a start.
B) To make the tone formal, speak to readers in the first person, refer to them as you, and refer to
yourself as I.
C) Communicating with people in other cultures often calls for more formality in reports.
D) To make the tone more informal, emphasize objectivity, avoid personal opinions, and build
your argument on provable facts.
E) Include informal elements such as humor and casual language as they translate well from one
culture to another and are good ice-breakers.
2) Which of the following is true about adapting reports and proposals to the audience?
A) If you don’t know your audience, it is better to use an informal tone to make a start.
B) To make the tone formal, speak to readers in the first person, refer to them as you, and refer to
yourself as I.
C) Formal business reports and proposals should not be altered when communicating with
people from different cultures to reduce the risk of miscommunication.
D) To make the tone more formal, emphasize objectivity, avoid personal opinions, and build
your argument on provable facts.
E) Include informal elements such as humor and casual language as they translate well from one
culture to another and are good ice-breakers.
3) Kylie works in the U.S branch of a leading software company and is preparing a business
report that will be sent to their colleagues in Japan. Which of the following elements should she
be careful about?
A) monotonous writing
B) impersonal journalism
C) humor
D) formal language
E) length of the report
4) At minimum, an effective introduction ________.
A) summarizes the writer’s key points
B) establishes the tone and the writer’s relationship with the audience
C) presents and analyzes the information gathered during investigation
D) brings all the action items together in one place
E) interprets the information gathered during investigation
5) The body of the report ________.
A) summarizes the writer’s key points
B) establishes the tone and the writer’s relationship with the audience
C) introduces the subject matter and indicates why it is important
D) brings all the action items together in one place
E) interprets the information gathered during investigation
6) If the document suggests change or some other course of action, the close ________.
A) presents and analyzes the information gathered during investigation
B) establishes the tone and the writer’s relationship with the audience
C) introduces the subject matter and indicates why it is important
D) emphasizes the benefits to the reader
E) interprets the information gathered during investigation
7) When writing a report, the ________ presents, analyzes, and interprets the information you
gathered during your investigation of the subject matter.
A) body
B) close
C) introduction
D) conclusion
E) preview
8) Which section of a report brings all the action items together in one place?
A) introduction
B) opening
C) body
D) close
E) preview
9) The ________ of a report is the last opportunity to make your message strong, clear and
compelling.
A) opening
B) body
C) close
D) opening and body
E) preview
10) To help today’s time-pressed readers find what they’re looking for and stay on track as they
navigate through your documents, first, ________.
A) show how one idea is related to another
B) write clear headings and subheadings that let readers follow the structure of your document
C) use plenty of transitions to tie together ideas
D) include preview sections to help readers get ready for new information
E) write review sections after a body of material to summarize key points
11) Simon has to create a long formal proposal. However, he is aware that today’s readers are
pressed for time and need help finding what they are looking for. To help the readers’ navigation
needs, Simon should ________.
A) limit previews and reviews
B) create shorter paragraphs
C) make good use of heading and links
D) put additional information in the appendix
E) exclude transitions
12) ________ introduce(s) important topics by helping readers get ready for new information.
A) The preface
B) The introduction
C) Transitions
D) Review sections
E) Preview sections
13) ________ come after a body of material and summarize the information for your readers,
helping them absorb details.
A) Review sections
B) Footnotes
C) Preview sections
D) Callouts
E) Endnotes
14) Which of the following can help to strengthen an argument for a persuasive proposal?
A) Include humor, similes, metaphors, and colorful adjectives to avoid monotonous writing.
B) Research the competition so you know what other proposals your audience is likely to read.
C) Don’t include details the audience already knows to leave out repetition.
D) Include plenty of graphics and multimedia to enhance communication.
E) Write using formal corporate-speak to communicate complex issues.
15) When writing a proposal, include the statement of qualifications in the ________.
A) body
B) preview
C) close
D) introduction
E) review
16) When writing a report, the introduction includes the background which ________.
A) describes what will and won’t be covered in the report
B) describes the benchmarks for evaluating options and alternatives
C) discusses potential courses of action
D) reviews the historical conditions or factors that led up to the report
E) discusses the primary and secondary sources consulted and methods used
17) Karen is aware that the introduction for a report depends on the nature and length of the
report, the circumstances under which she is writing it, and her relationship with the audience. If
she is trying to determine what is and what isn’t covered in the report, she is ascertaining
________.
A) authorization
B) purpose
C) scope
D) background
E) sources
18) When a writer is discussing the factors beyond his/her control that affect report quality,
he/she is determining the ________.
A) authorization
B) purpose
C) scope
D) background
E) limitations
19) Jamie needs to prepare a report for an upcoming meeting with prospective clients. He wants
to include a “road map” of the report to help readers understand what is coming in the report and
why the information is included. Which of the following content elements is applicable here?
A) purpose
B) scope
C) body
D) organization
E) methods
20) The appendix of the report usually includes ________.
A) discussion and analyses of potential courses of action
B) facts, statistical evidence, and trends
C) procedures or steps in a process
D) supporting reasons for conclusions or recommendations
E) additional information or less important details
21) James is preparing an analytical report–specifically a troubleshooting report–using the direct
approach. Such straight-forward reports generally need to ________.
A) discuss the problem and purpose in the body
B) state conclusions or recommendations in the introduction
C) use the introduction of the report to provide evidence and support
D) discuss background in the body of the report
E) reserve conclusions or recommendations for the body
22) Artie is aware that the content and length of the close of a report depend primarily on his
choice of the direct or indirect approach. If he is using the direct approach, in the close he should
________.
A) present his conclusions or recommendations, if he hasn’t done so in the body
B) introduce new facts in his close, to maintain interest
C) end with a summary of key points, listed in the order that they appear in the report body
D) outline the steps for a process
E) discuss the sources and methods used in the report
23) Readers understand that a proposal is a persuasive message, so they’re willing to
accommodate a degree of ________ in your writing.
A) drama
B) monotony
C) inconsistency
D) promotional emphasis
E) humor
24) In his proposal when Richard is indicating exactly how he will accomplish the solution, he is
presenting the ________.
A) organizational plan
B) work plan
C) statement of qualifications
D) request for proposal
E) statement of solution
25) The introduction of a proposal describes the problem you intend to solve or the opportunity
you want to pursue, along with your suggested solution. However, proposal introductions can
vary depending on whether the proposal is internal or external, direct or indirect, and most
obviously when it is solicited or unsolicited. Which of the following proposal introductions
would strengthen the argument that a solicited proposal should be direct in order to garner
interest?
A) If you are an entrepreneur based out of your garage, or a work-from-home mother, a good
home office will give you the necessary edge to stay focused at your tasks. So, we at JWS
Remodeling Solutions would be happy to convert your existing living room into a home office
according to your specifications, in the shortest possible time.
B) JWS Remodeling Solutions would be happy to convert your existing living room area into a
home office according to the specifications mentioned in your request. As part of our early bird
offer, you will receive a 10 percent discount on the quoted price. We can begin work on
November 23 and we’ll complete the project by December 15th. That is a week faster than
requested.
C) JWS Remodeling Solutions has been in the business of helping entrepreneurs create better
work places for the past two years. We would be happy to convert your existing living room area
into a home office, in the shortest possible time, thanks to the revolutionary technology of
interlocking rivets. As a bonus, it also helps save space!
D) JWS Remodeling Solutions would be happy to convert your existing living room area into a
home office. Our construction approach is unique. We provide a full staff of licensed
tradespeople and schedule our projects in a manner that seamlessly links the different stages of
the project.
E) We understand that every effort counts in the struggle against global warming, and that is why
all our materials are sourced from recycling plants and from renewable resources which have the
lowest carbon footprint. JWS Remodeling Solutions would be happy to convert your existing
living room area into a home office according to the specifications that you requested.
26) While closing a proposal, summarize key selling points and ________.
A) provide necessary additional information
B) restrict additional information to the appendix
C) benefits, then ask for a decision from the audience
D) restate the purpose of the proposal
E) do not be redundant with the repetition of benefit statements
27) In a report, discussing factors beyond your control that affect report quality is called
________.
A) an excuse for poor research
B) stating the problem/purpose
C) stating the scope
D) stating limitations
E) reviewing the background
28) A work plan for a proposal, which describes how you’ll accomplish what must be done,
states when work will begin, how it will be divided into stages, when you’ll finish, and whether
follow-up will be needed. This is usually included in the ________.
A) introduction
B) scope
C) body
D) close
E) conclusion
29) In the body of her proposal, Ruth is describing her organization’s experience, personnel, and
facilities and relating them to readers’ needs. She is also including a list of client references. This
statement is known as the ________.
A) facts and evidence to support her conclusions
B) work plan
C) statement of qualifications
D) benchmarks
E) analysis of action
30) Review of arguments, reader benefits, and the merits of your approach are generally included
in the ________ of the proposal.
A) introduction
B) background
C) body
D) close
E) scope
31) Adapting online content for a global audience is the ideal, but it is expensive. Some
companies deal with this issue by ________.
A) localizing the homepage of a website but keeping the more detailed content in its original
language
B) avoiding reader-oriented content
C) localizing the entire website and charging for access
D) providing more detail than may be needed
E) accepting that the web is not conducive to localizing content
32) In the inverted pyramid style you ________.
A) rely on word play and allow readers to click through and figure out where they’re going
B) regularly add fresh content and delete content that is out of date
C) localize the entire website and charge for access
D) cover the most important information briefly at first and then gradually reveal successive
layers of detail
E) translate content to adapt to a global audience
33) Erin has been asked to maintain a “live” website. Therefore, she needs to ________.
A) use the inverted pyramid style
B) maintain outdated information on the website in chronological order
C) keep adding fresh content and deleting content that is out of date or no longer relevant to the
organization’s target audience
D) write effective headings and links that serve for both site navigation and content skimming
E) adapt her content for a global audience
34) Most online readers won’t dig for buried information. If they can’t find the right information
quickly, they will move on to another page or site. To avoid this, online content developers
should ________.
A) prevent readers from skimming to maintain an effective website
B) cover the most important information briefly at first and then gradually reveal successive
layers of detail
C) avoid lists and summaries
D) present information in a concise, skimmable format
E) not accumulate many pages of outdated information
35) Compared to offline content, the composition of online content requires unique
considerations. Which of these statements strengthens this argument?
A) Mia should make sure that all her content on the company website is accurate and bias-free
because today’s readers are very critical of the information they receive.
B) The article on inflation was useful and well written. The important concepts in the main
article were hyperlinked, so that they can be explained in detail in the subsequent links.
C) Earlier most towns had just one newspaper, but today the number of newspapers has
definitely grown.
D) To create effective headings, one should use meaningful keywords and avoid the temptation
of resorting to clever wordplay.
E) Magazines, both online and offline, are finding it difficult to gain sufficient readership due to
an increasing number of substitutes.
36) To be a valuable wiki contributor, ________.
A) include wordplay and let readers click through the site to figure out where they’re going
B) let go of traditional expectations of authorship, including individual recognition and control
C) give as much information as possible and translate content
D) avoid using templates as it would interfere with individual creativity
E) post copyrighted material
37) To help ensure that your content fits the same style as the rest of the wiki, use ________.
A) the sandbox
B) the safebox
C) page templates and other formatting options
D) screencasts
E) the inverted pyramid style
38) Bart is relatively new to wikis and needs to practice his writing and editing skills. He should
________.
A) write and edit content on a notepad, before loading it to the wiki
B) use the sandbox
C) use the talk page
D) use screencasts
E) use different page templates and formatting options than the rest of the wiki
39) The wiki environment should ________.
A) allow uploading copyrighted material
B) not allow robust disagreements
C) implement different page templates and formatting options
D) use monotonous language
E) encourage discussions
40) If you are creating a new wiki, think through your long-term purpose carefully because
________.
A) wikis cannot be created for a one-time project, like creating reports
B) modification of wikis is unrestricted, anybody can make changes
C) you need to set what rules and guidelines you will establish to guide the growth of the wiki
D) wikis don’t need any security measures, since it is accessible by anyone
E) wikis have to be an ongoing project, such as maintaining “help” files for a software program
41) If a team uses wikis to collaborate on a report, the editing and upgrading of information
should be done by ________.
A) anyone in the organization
B) the collaborating members
C) only the manager of the team
D) professional website developers
E) only the member who created the particular wiki
42) Which of the following will be effective with multilingual audiences?
A) colorful adjectives and adverbs
B) pictures
C) similes and metaphors
D) humor
E) monotonous writing