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Chapter 2—Test Bank
Planning Business Messages
DIFFICULTY (DIF) TYPE OTHER CODES
5 = Most difficult Ap: Application question ANS: Answer
3 = Average difficulty Con: Conceptual question REF: Page Reference
1 = Least difficult Def: Definition OBJ: Chapter Objective
NOT: Note (feedback/explanations)
AAC: AACSB Competencies
Multiple Choice
1. When you prepare a business message or oral presentation, you should be certain that
your writing is economical, persuasive, audience-oriented, and
a. purposeful.
b. creative.
c. lengthy.
d. formal.
2. When preparing a business message, you should make your writing audience-oriented.
Audience-oriented means you should
a. write to solve a problem or convey information.
b. attempt to get your audience to believe and accept your message.
c. present ideas clearly but concisely.
d. concentrate on looking at the problem from the receiver’s perspective.
3. Business writing should be purposeful. In this context, purposeful can best be defined as
a. presenting ideas clearly and concisely.
b. concentrating on the receiver’s perspective instead of your own.
c. solving problems and conveying information.
d. getting your audience to believe and accept your message.
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4. Business writing should be economical. In this context, economical can best be defined
as
a. presenting ideas clearly and concisely.
b. concentrating on the receiver’s perspective instead of your own.
c. solving problems and conveying information.
d. getting your audience to believe and accept your message.
5. Business writing should be persuasive. In this context, persuasive can best be defined as
a. presenting ideas clearly and concisely.
b. concentrating on the receiver’s perspective instead of your own.
c. solving problems and conveying information.
d. getting your audience to believe and accept your message.
6. The first phase of the writing process involves analyzing the audience and your purpose
for writing, anticipating how your audience will react to your message, and
a. investigating background information.
b. composing your message.
c. adapting your message to the audience.
d. looking for previous company documents on the topic.
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7. During the second phase of the writing process, you conduct research,
a. clarify the audience demographics, and edit word choices.
b. anticipate audience reaction, and adapt the message.
c. organize ideas, and compose the message.
d. evaluate message effectiveness, and revise as needed.
8. In the final phase of the writing process, check the message for clarity and readability,
proofread for errors, and
a. evaluate for effectiveness.
b. assess the cost in the selected delivery channel.
c. solve the problem.
d. forward the document to the publishing department.
9. Experts say that writers should spend the most time in the _____ stage of the writing
process.
a. prewriting
b. writing
c. revising
d. transmission
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10. The primary purpose of business writing is typically to inform or persuade; a common
secondary purpose is to
a. promote goodwill.
b. comply with governmental regulations.
c. create written documentation.
d. avoid lawsuits.
11. Before Melissa organizes and composes her message, she should ask two questions: (1)
Why am I sending this message? and (2)
a. Why did my boss give this task to me?
b. What do I hope to achieve with this message?
c. How can I get this message written as quickly as possible?
d. Do I have enough time and financial resources to complete the work?
12. Travis must determine the channel for an important business message. In this context,
channel refers to the
a. individuals who will receive the message.
b. degree of formality required.
c. medium through which the message is sent.
d. tone and approach needed to accomplish his purpose.
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13. You are selecting a channel for sending your message. Which of the following is not a
factor to consider when making this decision?
a. The amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required
b. Cost of the channel
c. The confidentiality and sensitivity of the message
d. The primary channel used by your competitors
14. Which of the following communication channels would be considered the richest
medium?
a. Written proposal
b. E-mail message
c. Face-to-face conversation
d. Discussion board posting
15. Human Resources Manager Claire Siu must inform Anthony that company job changes
require him to seek retraining or lose his position. The best channel for Ms. Siu to
deliver this message is
a. an e-mail message.
b. face-to-face communication.
c. voice mail.
d. an instant message.
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16. Michael usually holds team meetings on Tuesday mornings, but he needs to reschedule
next week’s meeting to Wednesday morning. To tell team members that the date of the
next meeting has been changed, Michael should
a. send an e-mail.
b. meet in person with each team member to explain the change.
c. call a team meeting to announce the change.
d. write a short team report to explain the change.
17. Lindsay is writing a property description for a new real estate brochure. To make her
brochure more effective, Lindsay should anticipate her audience. This means she
a. identifies the property’s outstanding traits and describes them clearly.
b. concentrates on the price and value of the property.
c. writes using familiar words and a friendly, informal tone.
d. considers what the readers are like and how the readers will react to the message.
18. Profiling the audience for a business message helps the writer
a. identify the appropriate tone, language, and channel.
b. guarantee that the audience will respond positively to the message.
c. select slang and jargon the audience will recognize and appreciate.
d. create a perfect first draft.
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19. One technique that improves business writing is the use of empathy. Empathy refers to
a. using inclusive language to eliminate bias.
b. putting yourself in the receiver’s shoes to adapt the message to the receiver’s needs.
c. appealing to the audience by using a sender focus.
d. formatting documents to meet business standards.
20. Which of the following sentences best focuses on the audience?
a. We are very pleased to have you as our newest customer.
b. You can help us by sending us your payment immediately.
c. Register now to lock in your preferred travel dates.
d. All of the above sentences are focused on the audience rather than the sender.
21. Jorge must inform Samantha that she is not eligible to have an August vacation for
which she recently applied. Which of the following sentences best demonstrates the
“you” view Jorge should use in denying Samantha’s application?
a. I have not approved your vacation for August because you applied too late.
b. We didn’t receive your application early enough for the August vacation schedule.
c. Although the August schedule is full, you may qualify for a vacation in September if
you apply now.
d. The August vacation schedule was posted in May. You should have consulted it
before applying now.
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22. Create a conversational but professional tone in letters, e-mail messages, instant
messages, and memos by
a. choosing a clear format and effective document layout.
b. smiling and using good eye contact.
c. using familiar words, occasional contractions, and pronouns such as I and you.
d. using slang and IM abbreviations such as IMHO and BTW.
23. Marketing Director Kiprova will inform the board of directors that customers are not
responding positive to the company’s Paris Hilton ads. Which of the following is the
most appropriate announcement?
a. Our customers are ripping on our Paris Hilton ads, even though we know these ads
rock.
b. Our customers are badmouthing this awesome new marketing campaign; they are
obviously just out of it.
c. I have received criticism of the new Paris Hilton ads from our customers.
d. It has come to my attention that our customers have denigrated our strategic
implementation of Paris Hilton’s notoriety in our novel ad campaign.
24. As employees conduct more business using instant messaging, they should send
messages that are informal, conversational, and
a. professional.
b. streamlined (e.g., using abbreviations such as ur for you are).
c. casual, including low-level language.
d. filled with slang and jargon.
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25. Which of the following represents the best business writing?
a. We regret that we are unable to accept you as a credit customer at this time.
b. You will never be sorry that you opened a checking account with our bank.
c. We cannot accept the returned merchandise because it is not resalable.
d. You can return all resalable merchandise for a store credit.
26. Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing?
a. Every physician must carry his own malpractice insurance.
b. Every physician must carry their own malpractice insurance.
c. All physicians must carry their own malpractice insurance.
d. Every physician must carry his or her own malpractice insurance.
27. Business writers are encouraged to use plain English, which means
a. using active-voice verbs, personal pronouns, short sentences, and familiar words.
b. writing without weakening qualifiers.
c. avoiding all negative expressions.
d. including slang and low-level diction that everyone understands.
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28. Francisco is writing an article for the company’s intranet to encourage managers to use
plain English. Which of these sentences uses an appropriate business style to express
Francisco’s point?
a. If you obliterate the obfuscation in your e-mail messages, your department members
will respond more appropriately.
b. Employees will respond better to e-mail messages that are written with familiar
language and a friendly, conversational style.
c. Before sending an e-mail message to your department, run it up the flagpole to see if
anyone salutes.
d. Per company directives, please cease and desist from sending out incomprehensible
e-mail messages to department members.
29. Business writers who use words such as conceptualize, remuneration, and terminate are
using language many readers would consider
a. slang.
b. conversational.
c. jargon.
d. unfamiliar.
30. Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing?
a. It is imperative that we ascertain whether you qualify for benefits.
b. Our company stipulates that you must submit your hours so that we can compensate
you properly.
c. Please check with your supervisor for information about salary increases.
d. Your remuneration will perpetuate for three weeks after your termination.
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True-False
1. A business message should be long because quantity enhances quality.
2. The ability to prepare concise, audience-centered, persuasive, and purposeful messages
comes naturally.
3. To be effective, the three phases of the writing process must be performed in sequence,
moving from Phase 1 to Phase 2 to Phase 3 in order.
4. An important aspect of the first phase of writing a business message is anticipating the
audience’s reaction to the message.
5. Shannon is writing a proposal to try to convince the board of directors to upgrade the
company’s computer equipment. After completing the prewriting phase, Shannon
should immediately start composing the report.
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6. The final task in the third phase of the writing process is evaluating your message to
decide whether it accomplishes your goal.
7. Most writers spend equal amounts of time on each of the three phases of the writing
process: prewriting, writing, and revising.
8. As you become a more skilled and experienced business writer, you will be more likely to
alter, compress, and rearrange the writing process steps to suit your needs.
9. The primary purposes of most business documents are to inform and to promote
goodwill. A common secondary purpose is sales growth.
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10. Alonso needs to get feedback from sales representatives located across the U.S. and Europe.
Because he needs to have the most interactivity and feedback possible, the best channel of
communication for Alonso is videoconferencing or teleconferencing.
11. Face–to-face conversation is a richer medium than a written report.
12. Today’s businesses increasingly use e-mail and instant messaging for conducting
business, but hard-copy memos are still written for messages that require persuasion,
permanence, and formality.
13. Don’t send a message unless you know exactly who your audience is.
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14. You are more likely to achieve your communication goals if you profile your audience
and shape the message to that profile.
15. Although messages may have a primary and a secondary audience, the writer needs to
profile only the primary audience to determine the best presentation of the message.
16. Ben Franklin stated this opinion about business messages: To be good it ought to have a
tendency to benefit the reader. His opinion reflects the importance of analyzing the
purpose of the message.
17. Empathy, which increases the likelihood of a successful message, occurs when writers
put themselves in the audience’s shoes when creating the message.
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18. To emphasize the “you” view in e-mail messages, you must avoid any phrases that
include the “I/we” view such as I’m happy or We’re delighted.
19. Monica is writing her first safety inspection report. To sound businesslike and
professional, Monica should include expressions such as the affected party, the
undersigned, and the writer.
20. Positive language generally conveys more information than negative language does.
21. The sentence You must submit your application by Friday is a more effective business
message than Please submit your application by Friday.
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22. The statement Every employee has ten minutes for their morning break is an effective
example of using inclusive language.
23. Some business, legal, and government documents are written in an inflated and
confusing style that obscures meaning. This style of writing is often referred to as
legalese or federalese.
24. Whenever possible in business writing, substitute longer, less familiar words for shorter,
simpler words.
25. A message that is shorter and more conversational is less likely to achieve its goal than
a message that is longer and more formal.
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Fill-in-the-Blank
1. During the ____________ phase of the writing process, the writer will analyze the
audience and the purpose for writing.
2. Sam is collecting and organizing information for a marketing report he is writing. Sam
is involved in the second phase of the writing process, which is the ____________
phase.
3. Catherine is proofreading her cover letter and résumé for accuracy before e-mailing
them to a prospective employer. She is in the third phase of the writing process, which
is the ____________ phase.
4. An interesting theory, called ____________ richness, describes the extent to which a
channel or medium recreates or represents all the information available in the original
message.
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5. The channel of choice for corporate communicators today is clearly __________.
6. ______________ is the process of creating a message that suits your audience. One
important aspect of this process is tone.
7. Conveyed largely by the words in a message, __________ affects how a receiver feels
upon reading or hearing a message.
8. Putting yourself in the receiver’s shoes to better adapt your message to that person’s
needs is called ____________.
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9. Theresa has emphasized second-person pronouns (you, your) instead of first-person
pronouns (I/we, us, our) in a letter to a customer. She is using the __________ view.
10. Megahertz Technology Solutions CEO Bianca Reyes has developed a company policy
stating that all documents must be written in clear, concise language using familiar
words. CEO Reyes is part of the ____________ English movement.