Business Communication Essentials, 6e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 4 Writing Business Messages
1) Select the sentence with the best “you” attitude.
A) G&B’s savings scheme is the best of its kind in the country.
B) The new savings scheme from G&B can help customers save money.
C) G&B has offerings tailored to every need.
D) Learn how to save your money with G&B’s new savings scheme.
E) Helping customers save money is our aim at G&B.
2) Which of the following statements about the “you” attitude in business communication is true?
A) It emphasizes a speaker-centered approach.
B) It focuses on the audience’s wishes, interests, and preferences.
C) It replaces terms that refer to the audience with terms that refer to the speaker’s company.
D) It always uses the active voice, with “you” as the subject.
E) It considers the point of view of the speaker.
3) Which of the following sentences is the best illustration of the “you” attitude?
A) Because your report was poorly written, we cannot accept it.
B) Your report failed to meet company requirements.
C) When we receive a report that is professional, we can act on your recommendations.
D) Once the report includes the necessary estimates, the project can proceed.
E) You missed out on a number of important points in the report.
4) In general, written communication ________.
A) cannot use the “you” attitude
B) allows the writer to adjust the message according to the audience‘s reaction
C) requires more tact than oral communication
D) offers immediate feedback for a message
E) is only used when an informal approach is required
5) Select the sentence with the best positive emphasis.
A) We failed to complete the process audit on time.
B) We will complete the process audit by Friday.
C) We haven’t completed the process audit.
D) Because of Joan’s inaccurate figures on the Haymen project, we have not finished the process
audit.
E) The process audit was delayed due to operational reasons.
6) ________ are milder synonyms that are sometimes used in place of strong words to convey
meaning without carrying negative connotations.
A) Hyperboles
B) Metaphors
C) Transitions
D) Rhetorics
E) Euphemisms
7) Elena is the director of a retirement home. She is writing a material that will be included in the
brochure promoting the home. When referring to the residents of the home, she is careful to use
“senior citizens” instead of “old people,” to avoid the unpleasant connotations of the word. This
is an example of the use of ________.
A) comparison
B) metaphors
C) transitions
D) euphemisms
E) similes
8) Which of the following is a euphemistic way of saying that someone is stubborn?
A) Marina is very tenacious.
B) Alice is often pigheaded.
C) Jules is a very unyielding person.
D) Joshua has an inflexible way of working.
E) Sylvia is obstinate about certain matters.
9) Which of the following negative effects results from the use of euphemisms?
A) Euphemisms often convey disrespect or rudeness.
B) Negative news is conveyed in a negative way.
C) There is a risk that the truth might be obscured.
D) Euphemisms can trigger negative connotations.
E) Euphemisms usually offend the listener.
10) Bias-free language ________.
A) is often unethical and can obscure the truth
B) often makes the speaker or writer sound dictatorial
C) avoids words and phrases that unfairly or unethically stigmatize people
D) perpetuates the underlying stereotypes and prejudices that it reflects
E) communicates in terms of the point of view of the audience, using the audience’s interests and
preferences
11) Biased language ________.
A) often leads listeners to disbelieve unfair stereotypes
B) conveys meaning without carrying negative connotations
C) avoids words and phrases that unfairly categorize or stigmatize people
D) is an effective way of communicating negative news
E) perpetuates the underlying stereotypes and prejudices that it represents
12) Identify the type of bias in the sentence: “James Levine is the ex-chairman of Ursula
Breweries, for which Audra Bennington is the present chairperson.”
A) ethnic bias
B) gender bias
C) racial bias
D) age bias
E) disability bias
13) Select the sentence that is bias-free.
A) All salesmen and their wives are invited to the reception.
B) All sales representatives and their wives are invited to the reception.
C) All salesmen and their spouses are invited to the reception.
D) All sales representatives and their guests are invited to the reception.
E) All salesmen and their guests are invited to the reception.
14) Using the term chairperson for women and chairman for men is an example of ________.
A) racial bias
B) ethnic bias
C) sexual bias
D) gender bias
E) euphemism
15) Which of the following sentences uses bias-free language?
A) Despite Ms. Curtis’s disability, she does a good job.
B) Ms. Curtis’s disability does not prevent her from doing a good job.
C) For a disabled person, Ms. Curtis does a good job.
D) Ms. Curtis’s employee evaluations rank among the top five in the company.
E) Ms. Curtis is disabled, but she does a good job nonetheless.
16) “For an older person, he knows a lot about computers.” This statement is an example of
________ bias.
A) gender
B) disability
C) age
D) racial
E) ethnic
17) Which of the following is NOT a way to avoid bias in communications?
A) rewording sentences to use “they” or to use no pronoun at all
B) putting the disability first and the person second
C) avoiding sexist language
D) mentioning the age of a person only when it is relevant
E) avoiding identification on the basis of race or ethnic origin
18) Matthew heads the HR team at his workplace. Two team members, Alex and Brianna, are
involved in a conflict regarding work. Matthew supports Alex, because he and Alex often go
bowling together. Hence, Matthew fails to establish credibility. In which of the following
characteristics is Matthew lacking?
A) endorsement
B) honesty
C) objectivity
D) sincerity
E) competence
19) Stephen, an economics professor, is invited by a university to speak on the recession
affecting the Spanish economy. Which of the following represents the most ineffective way in
which he could fail to establish credibility with the audience?
A) emphasizing his knowledge and expertise
B) using hyperbole to discuss his achievements
C) showing that he can distance himself from emotional situations
D) demonstrating confidence in his skills
E) using an endorsement
20) Daniel is a lawyer who has shifted to a new town. He needs to build his credibility with the
residents of the town in order to establish a client base. Which of the following methods is most
likely to help Daniel build his credibility?
A) familiarizing himself with the town’s history
B) establishing his qualifications and expertise
C) honing his communication skills
D) bragging about his previous record and successes
E) using hyperbole when discussing his achievements
21) A(n) ________ is a statement on your behalf by someone who is accepted by your audience
as an expert.
A) qualification
B) buzzword
C) endorsement
D) credential
E) euphemism
22) David has to send out a press release about a new service his company is introducing. Which
of the following must David avoid?
A) modifying his communication style to suit the company image
B) letting his personal views and communication style dominate a message
C) following the communication guidelines set by his company
D) building the company’s image among stakeholders
E) putting his company’s reputation before his personal style
23) Most business messages today aim for a(n) ________ tone.
A) casual
B) conversational
C) abstract
D) formal
E) laid-back
24) Ben needs to send an email to his superior describing the progress of a project. Which of the
following styles should Ben use to communicate in a businesslike tone?
A) use a laid-back, informal tone to reflect friendliness
B) share personal details to create rapport
C) use acronyms to communicate quickly and efficiently
D) use humor to create a receptive state of mind
E) use plain language to make messages simpler
25) Sheila is the HR manager at a firm that sells home appliances. She has to send an email to
her boss regarding the change in payscales of employees. Which of the following strategies
should she avoid so that she can send out an effective business message?
A) avoiding obsolete language
B) using an elevated and formal tone
C) avoiding preaching
D) avoiding bragging
E) avoiding informal and laid-back language
26) Which of the following methods will help ensure a conversational tone suitable for business
messages?
A) adopting a casual, laid-back style
B) using plain language
C) adopting an intimate, personal tone
D) using humor to make a point
E) using formal words and complex sentences
27) The passive voice can be effectively used to ________.
A) create an impersonal tone
B) take or attribute either credit or blame
C) write stronger sentences
D) make writing more direct and lively
E) make writing easier to read
28) Which of the following statements about using the passive voice is true?
A) The passive voice is usually stronger than the active voice.
B) In a passive sentence, the subject performs the action.
C) The passive voice is grammatically incorrect.
D) The passive voice is used when the subject receives an action.
E) The passive voice can be used to personalize messages.
29) Which of the following sentences is in the active voice?
A) An acknowledged success, the program to improve attendance was first implemented by the
mayor.
B) The mayor, who is very popular in the area, has implemented a number of educational
policies.
C) The program to make school lunches healthier was undertaken by the mayor.
D) Despite initial reluctance from schools, the school lunch program was undertaken by the
mayor.
E) The school lunch program in the city was spearheaded by the mayor, who is very popular.
30) Which of the following statements is true of active voice?
A) It leaves the performer of the action completely out of the sentence.
B) It can be used to create an impersonal tone.
C) In the active voice, the subject receives the action.
D) It can be used to avoid sounding accusatory.
E) It can make writing more direct and easier to read.
31) In which of the following cases is the active voice preferred over the passive voice?
A) when you want to point out mistakes without attributing blame
B) when you want to make a subject livelier and more direct
C) when you want to point out what’s being done without taking credit
D) when you want to avoid personal pronouns in order to create an objective tone
E) when you want to be diplomatic about pointing out a problem or an error
32) Which of the following is true for abstract words?
A) They are often used to express qualities or philosophical concepts.
B) They are used to make a sentence more specific.
C) Their meaning is unambiguous; they cannot be misinterpreted.
D) They are used when giving detailed descriptions.
E) They refer to things that are tangible.
33) Which of the following is an example of concrete words?
A) practicality and convenience
B) truth and beauty
C) database and software
D) honesty and integrity
E) profits and motivation
34) Words such as liberty, love, motivation, or happiness are examples of ________.
A) transitions
B) clichés
C) buzzwords
D) abstractions
E) jargon
35) Which of the following sentences uses abstract words?
A) The company database has personal information about all employees.
B) The new software has helped employees save time.
C) The organization values honesty and integrity.
D) The employees have requested a new coffee machine.
E) The organization acquired three other companies in April.
36) Newly coined terms often associated with technology, business, or cultural changes are
known as ________.
A) concrete words
B) buzzwords
C) abstractions
D) clichés
E) transitions
37) Which of the following statements is true of a business message?
A) Clichés are often the quickest and best ways to communicate a simple message.
B) With the increasing informality in the business world, correct grammar has become
unimportant.
C) Abstract terms are widely used in business writing as they are the most effective and correct
choices for the subject.
D) Familiar, simple words do not set the right tone for business writing.
E) Jargon is an effective way of communicating with certain specialized groups.
38) A sentence that has two main clauses, at least one of which contains a subordinate clause, is
called a ________.
A) simple sentence
B) compound sentence
C) complex sentence
D) compound-complex sentence
E) simple-compound sentence
39) Which of the following is true for simple sentences?
A) A simple sentence may be expanded by modifying phrases.
B) A simple sentence has two independent clauses.
C) Using predominantly simple sentences makes it easier to express relationships among ideas.
D) If you want to downplay an idea in a simple sentence, position the dependent clause within
the sentence.
E) A simple sentence sometimes has a subordinate clause.
40) A sentence that has only a single subject and a single predicate is called a ________
sentence.
A) simple
B) compound
C) complex
D) compound-complex
E) simple-compound
41) Which of the following is a simple sentence?
A) Although John taught James the piano, James is the better player.
B) James plays both the piano and the violin excellently.
C) James plays the piano well, but is not as skilled at the violin.
D) Though he studied the piano with a tutor, James learned the violin on his own.
E) James plays the piano well, but not as well as John.
42) A sentence that has one independent and one dependent clause is known as a ________
sentence.
A) complex
B) compound-complex
C) simple
D) compound
E) simple-complex
43) A sentence that expresses two or more independent but related thoughts of equal importance,
usually joined by and, but, or or, is called a ________ sentence.
A) simple
B) compound-complex
C) complex
D) compound
E) simple-complex
44) “There have been many storms this year, and the agricultural yield has been poor.” Which
type of sentence is this?
A) compound-complex
B) compound
C) simple
D) complex
E) simple-compound
45) Which of the following is true for a complex sentence?
A) A complex sentence may have more than one subordinate clause.
B) A complex sentence may have two or more independent clauses.
C) The subordinate clause in a complex sentence can stand alone.
D) A complex sentence has two or more main clauses, and at least one subordinate clause.
E) A complex sentence need not have a main clause.
46) “While you may disagree with Joan’s recommendations, you must admit that her suggestions
would save the company’s money.” This is an example of a ________.
A) simple sentence
B) compound sentence
C) complex sentence
D) compound-complex sentence
E) simple-compound sentence
47) Which of the following is a complex sentence?
A) Madrid has many museums and art galleries.
B) The city is well known for its nightlife, and its cafes are popular with tourists and locals alike.
C) Though bullfighting is censured by some, its popularity in Madrid continues unabated.
D) Madrid is a historical and cultural center in Spain.
E) The nightlife of Madrid is deservedly famous, but classical music still finds firm followers.
48) Which of the following is NOT a way of emphasizing an idea?
A) putting the idea at the end of a sentence
B) devoting more words to the idea
C) putting the idea in the middle of a sentence
D) putting the idea at the beginning of a sentence
E) making the idea the subject of a sentence