Business Communication Essentials, 6e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 5 Completing Business Messages
1) Which of the following sets of activities are part of the final step of the three-step writing
process?
A) gathering information; selecting a medium
B) revising; proofreading; distributing
C) adapting the message; analyzing the situation
D) writing; analyzing; researching
E) organizing information; composing the message
2) When revising a document, you must ________.
A) first read it to evaluate its overall effectiveness and tone
B) first look carefully for grammatical errors
C) read it just once to finish quickly
D) pay closest attention to spelling
E) only skim through it to check formatting
3) Which of the following statements is true regarding the revision process?
A) The first draft should be put aside for some time before beginning the revision process.
B) Documents that use electronic media do not need revision as the messages are only stored for
a short while.
C) A completed first draft must be revised only if there is a change in the message that needs to
be communicated.
D) Communications using short-message tools such as IM and email require no revision at all.
E) Informal messages to internal audiences need as much revision as formal messages do.
4) Jamie has completed the first draft of a document for her company and must now revise it.
What advice should you give Jamie about the revision process?
A) She should begin by checking the message for spelling and grammar errors and concentrate
on increasing readability.
B) She should begin revising the first draft as soon as she completes it, so that the material is
fresh in her mind.
C) She should check the message to see if all the points are in logical order and the content is
organized correctly.
D) Grammar and spelling are not very important if the message uses electronic media, as modern
audiences are pressed for time.
E) Messages using print media must first be checked for formatting to ensure that the document
is visually pleasing.
5) Which of the following statements about the organization of a message is true?
A) Formal or academic messages do not need strong opening or closing sections, the audience
only notices the middle portion.
B) The beginning and end of messages have the greatest impact on the audience and hence
should receive the most attention during revision.
C) The subject and purpose of the message should be confined to the middle portion, while the
conclusion should help readers understand how the message is organized.
D) The middle portion of the message contains the main idea and argument, and hence has the
greatest impact on the audience.
E) The end of the message should convey the subject and purpose of the message, while the
beginning of the message has the least impact on the audience.
6) Clare has been asked to edit and revise a document written by her colleague, Megan. Which of
the following should Clare do?
A) She should rewrite the document according to her own impression of Megan’s intent.
B) She should concentrate more on the style of writing than on the readability of the message.
C) She should rewrite the document to suit her own style of writing in order to make the piece
more effective.
D) She should stick to Megan’s style of writing unless absolutely necessary and ask Megan about
the intention of the message.
E) She should avoid asking Megan about her intent so that she can revise the document from a
fresh perspective.
7) In order to improve readability, one must avoid ________.
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
8) Short sentences ________.
A) are the best way to convey complex ideas
B) are harder to skim than medium-length sentences
C) are more difficult for nonnative speakers to interpret
D) have more informative power than medium-length sentences
E) are capable of making writing seem choppy and disconnected
9) Long sentences ________.
A) are easier for nonnative speakers to interpret
B) are the best way to convey complex ideas
C) can make writing choppy and disconnected
D) are easier to understand than short sentences
E) are easier to skim through than short sentences
10) Robert is writing an instruction manual for a line of power tools. Though the manual is in
English, it will be used by people from many different countries. What should Robert do to
improve the readability of the document?
A) He should use mostly medium-length sentences to show relationships among ideas.
B) He should use only short sentences in order to explain the concepts clearly.
C) He should use only long or medium-length sentences as the processes are complex.
D) He should primarily use short sentences, but vary sentence length as required.
E) He should use mainly long sentences, as he is explaining complicated processes.
11) Which of the following is an advantage of long sentences?
A) Long sentences can be processed quickly.
B) Long sentences are the best way to list a number of related points.
C) Long sentences are easier for nonnative speakers to understand.
D) Long sentences are easier for readers to skim through.
E) Long sentences are useful when writing needs “punch” and a quick pace.
12) Which of the following is a disadvantage of long sentences?
A) They can be processed quickly and are easier for readers to skim through.
B) Too many long sentences in a row can make writing choppy and disconnected.
C) They lack the informative power of short sentences.
D) They are difficult for nonnative speakers to understand.
E) They have more informative power than short sentences.
13) Which of the following statements about sentence length is true?
A) Medium sentences can lack the punch of short sentences and the informative power of longer
sentences.
B) Medium-length sentences are often the best way to convey complex ideas, to list a number of
related points, or to summarize or preview information.
C) Long sentences can be processed quickly and are easier for nonnative speakers and translators
to interpret.
D) Too many long sentences in a row can make your writing feel choppy and disconnected.
E) Short sentences are often the best way to convey complex ideas or to summarize or preview
information.
14) Which of the following statements about improving readability is true?
A) Grammatically parallel headings and bullets reduce readability and should not be used.
B) The greater the complexity of a document, the fewer headings and subheadings it should
have.
C) Long sentences are the best way to convey complex ideas or list a number of related points.
D) One-sentence paragraphs are easy to understand and should be used widely in business
writing.
E) Bulleted lists should only be used when items are ranked; numbered lists are preferred.
15) Which of the following statements about using paragraphs in business writing is true?
A) One-sentence paragraphs should be used rarely, and only for emphasis.
B) Using short paragraphs is preferred, as this makes the use of transitions unnecessary.
C) One-sentence paragraphs are not recommended and should never be used in business writing.
D) For complicated subjects, long paragraphs help readers maintain a train of thought and
prevent distraction.
E) Long paragraphs are easier to read and can help to emphasize an idea or concept.
16) 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.
17) Graphical elements that precede each item in a list are known as ________.
A) call-outs
B) wikis
C) buttons
D) bullets
E) captions
18) In a list, bullets are preferred over numbers, unless ________.
A) the list is brief—less than five items long
B) specific list items will be referenced later
C) the list deals with complex concepts
D) the list uses parallelism
E) individual items in the list are long
19) In which of the following cases would a list be the most effective way of organizing
information?
A) You are describing your favorite TV show.
B) You have to write about a person who inspired you.
C) You are writing to a friend about your holiday plans.
D) You have to describe a recent victory by your home team.
E) You are documenting the steps in a process.
20) In which of the following cases would a numbered list be more appropriate than a bulleted
list?
A) You are listing the benefits of a new software application that was installed for all employees.
B) You are listing the ten largest countries in the world in terms of area.
C) You are listing the advantages of globalization for Third World countries.
D) You are listing the items you need to take on holiday.
E) You are listing the causes of the Second World War.
21) Informative headings ________.
A) give the reader some context and may point toward any conclusions or recommendations that
is offered in the section
B) simply identify a topic without suggesting anything more
C) refer to spaces that are free of text or artwork
D) refer to the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters
E) are graphical elements that precede each item in a list
22) Descriptive headings ________.
A) give the reader some context and may point toward any conclusions or recommendations that
is offered in the section
B) simply identify a topic without suggesting anything more
C) refer to spaces that are free of text or artwork
D) refer to the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters
E) are graphical elements that precede each item in a list
23) In any document, headings in a series should be ________.
A) detailed and long
B) informative
C) descriptive
D) grammatically parallel
E) self-contained
24) As a reporter, Emily often files stories before all the facts are known. To avoid legal
repercussions, Emily uses words and phrases like “alleged,” “it is believed,” and “apparent” to
qualify statements. This is known as ________.
A) parallelism
B) a camouflaged verb
C) hedging
D) a dangling modifier
E) boosting
25) Which of the following sentences uses hedging?
A) The deadline is next Tuesday.
B) The driver was responsible for the accident.
C) The financial statement needs to have two sections.
D) The report seems to be incomplete.
E) Our policy does not cover that event.
26) Which of the following will identify a hedging sentence?
A) “yes” and “no”
B) “may” and “seems”
C) “yesterday” and “today”
D) “absolutely” and “sincerely”
E) “confident” and “doubtful”
27) Malcolm has to pitch an idea for a new ad campaign to a demanding client. He needs to
sound confident about his idea and needs to avoid stating a judgment as a fact. Which of the
following should Malcolm avoid?
A) conciseness
B) hedging
C) illustration
D) parallelism
E) transitions
28) Which of the following is recommended for writing that is easier to read and understand?
A) camouflaged verbs
B) hedging
C) dangling modifiers
D) overly long sentences
E) parallelism
29) Identify the structure used in the following sentence: Traditional medicine emphasizes
holistic healing, whereas modern medicine focuses on specialized areas.
A) dangling modifier
B) parallelism
C) camouflaged verbs
D) hedging
E) boosting
30) Which of the following sentences uses unparallel construction?
A) She enjoys singing, dancing, and reading.
B) He needed to format the report, bind the document, and turn it in to his supervisor.
C) He opened the office, checked the mail, and was turning on the computers.
D) After completing the survey and finishing the exam, he went home.
E) At camp, the children played sports and learned crafts.
31) Identify the faulty construction in the following sentence: Walking down the street, the trees
were breath-taking.
A) dangling modifier
B) hedging
C) parallelism
D) camouflaged verb
E) too many nouns
32) Which of the following includes a dangling modifier?
A) Situated in the break room, employees will find the vending machines.
B) The vending machines are situated in the break room.
C) Employees will find the vending machines situated in the break room.
D) The break room has several vending machines for employees to use.
E) The vending machines in the break room are for employees’ use.
33) Identify the faulty construction in the following sentence: Our students receive
encouragement to improve their performance.
A) hedging
B) parallelism
C) dangling modifier
D) camouflaged verb
E) intensification
34) 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.
35) Jacob’s teacher asked him to rewrite his book report to make it clear and concise. He asks his
friends for advice about editing his document. Which of the following recommendations is useful
for Jacob?
A) Verbs should be changed into nouns or adjectives wherever possible.
B) Hedging can strengthen your argument if you are sure of your facts.
C) Avoid parallelism, it makes sentences more difficult to read.
D) Keep the subject and predicate of the sentence as close together as possible.
E) Nouns are useful modifiers, so stringing many nouns together increases clarity.
36) Use the word “can” instead of the phrase “you have the capability” to make your sentence
more concise and avoid ________.
A) parallelism
B) a “you” statement
C) wordy phrases
D) using too many pronouns
E) hedging
37) Which of the following sentences is the most concise?
A) Authorities are in agreement about public transport as the solution to the problem of traffic.
B) If the traffic situation is to be improved, widespread adoption of public transport is the best
option.
C) At present, public transport is the best solution to the traffic problem.
D) At this point in time, public transport is emerging as the best solution to the problem of
traffic.
E) Public transport is a good solution.
38) “The children collected together shells, stones, and leaves for their art projects.” Which of
the following should be eliminated to make the sentence more concise?
A) for their art projects
B) shells
C) collected
D) together
E) leaves
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39) “Chicago has the most modern, up-to-date transport system in the United States.” Why is this
statement less concise?
A) It lacks parallelism.
B) It contains redundant words.
C) It uses camouflaged verbs.
D) It has too many nouns.
E) It has a dangling modifier.
40) Which of the following suggestions will NOT make your message more concise?
A) Use short words and phrases.
B) Eliminate redundancies.
C) Use double modifiers.
D) Delete unnecessary words.
E) Avoid dangling modifiers.
41) To shorten sentences, ________.
A) avoid redundancies
B) avoid using commas
C) use the passive voice instead of the active
D) use camouflaged verbs
E) use hedging sentences
42) Jayne is a new features writer for the Daily Chronicle. The editor, Zoe, needs to edit and
revise Jayne’s article to fit it to the paper’s style of writing. Which of the following tools can Zoe
use to ensure that Jayne can see the changes that have been made to the article?
A) revision tracker
B) autosummary
C) white space
D) grammar checker
E) spell checker
43) A(n) ________ compares your document with an electronic dictionary, highlights
unrecognized words, and can be used to find typos in a document.
A) thesaurus
B) style checker
C) autosummarizer
D) revision tracker
E) spell checker
44) A(n) ________ can monitor word and sentence choices and suggest alternatives that might
produce more effective writing.
A) autosummary
B) spell checker
C) revision tracker
D) style checker
E) wiki
45) Which of the following, either based within a software or on a website, offers alternatives to
a particular word?
A) a computer-based grammar checker
B) a computer-based autosummary
C) a computer-based thesaurus
D) a computer-based style checker
E) a computer-based revision tracker