People use body language to signal qualities such as interest, respect, and agreement.
Answer:
Headings cannot be complete sentences, because it will make them lengthy and
ineffective.
Answer:
Citation and documentation are used instead of quotation marks.
Answer:
It is recommended that you place material in the appendix instead of the body of the
report if it is crucial to your proof.
Answer:
Conventions in business communication help people recognize, produce, and interpret
different kinds of communications.
Answer:
If an objection raised by the audience is based on misinformation, you should give the
response to the objection only after explicitly naming it.
Answer:
Humor is the only way to set an audience at ease and directing humor at them helps
establish a rapport.
Answer:
Aldo, a manager, is writing an e-mail to his subordinates informing them about the new
office rules. While writing the e-mail, he should identify many benefits in the new rules,
and ensure that the benefits are adapted to the needs of his subordinates.
Answer:
While communicating with an international audience, it is important to remember that
people have their own personal characteristics.
Answer:
Which of the following statements is TRUE of the costs of communication?
A. Cost of hardware is not included in the cost of communication.
B. Document cycling processes decrease the cost of communication.
C. E-mail storage contributes a significant part of the cost of communication.
D. Paper documents are not included while estimating the cost of communication.
E. E-mails with attachments are the costliest form of communication.
Answer:
Histograms use images to create the bars on a bar graph.
Answer:
Audiences remember the labels on a graph or chart far better than they remember the
shape of the visual.
Answer:
The methods section of a proposal for a class research project should clearly indicate
how you will get information needed to answer the questions posed in the other sections
of the proposal.
Answer:
Companies may depend on international vendors, or operations for services such as call
centers, data centers, and accounting centers.
Answer:
It is important to choose the style of fonts carefully, because they shape a reader’s
response just as the size of a font does.
Answer:
It is recommended that you write important sections of a report toward the end as it
helps you avoid spending a majority of your time on the history of the problem.
Answer:
The revision process in business writing can involve both changes in single words or
changes in large sections of a document.
Answer:
Social signals are a category of nonverbal communication, which refers to the tone of
voice, gestures, proximity to others, and facial expressions.
Answer:
To maintain the correct tone in a negative message, check your draft carefully for
positive emphasis and you-attitude at the level of ideas, not individual words.
Answer:
Teams who deal directly with conflict will ignore the full range of alternatives and seek
only information that supports the positions they already favor.
Answer:
The last paragraph of a prospecting letter should focus on the applicant’s skills and
experience.
Answer:
Writers’ preliminary work of talking to internal and external audiences increases the
number of revisions needed before documents are approved.
Answer:
Infographics inform and educate an audience about a specific topic using a mixture of
statistics, color, text, and visuals.
Answer:
A good work schedule for a proposal of a class research project should provide
idealistic estimates for each activity and not include time for unexpected, unnecessary
snags.
Answer:
Students in successful teams are always more skilled or more experienced than students
in less successful teams.
Answer:
Interpersonal communicationcommunication between peopleis crucial for good
teamwork.
Answer:
Fund-raising appeals require limited strategy and information in order to achieve their
primary and secondary purposes.
Answer:
Deep bicultural fluency and experiences in several countries are key qualities that head
hunters look for while recruiting.
Answer:
In chronological progress reports, you should summarize your progress in terms of
goals and the original schedule, using measurable statements.
Answer:
If you are sending your résumé in the text of an e-mail, start all lines at the right
margin.
Answer:
While writing a long report, it is not recommended to list all headings or sections that
your report will have.
Answer:
A healthy way to resolve conflicts is to act like they do not exist and to let time sort
them out.
Answer:
“The cost of hardware to store e-mail is much higher than the cost to administer and
maintain archives.”
Answer:
It is mandatory to follow the same standard conventions in all organizations across the
world.
Answer:
Common errors which weaken arguments in a message are known as logical fallacies.
Answer:
Good business and administrative writing is a more formal style of writing and is very
different from conversation.
Answer:
A subject line helps in retrieving a message and tells readers why they need to read the
message.
Answer:
While designing power point slides, it is always important to use clip art to make the
material more interesting.
Answer:
Which of the following is a function of a request to deviate from policy and procedure
bulletin?
A. Explaining that another approach is better for a specific situation rather than the
standard approach
B. Discussing profitability and problems during a period and how it deviates from past
figures
C. Summarizing financial information to be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission
D. Discussing the granting or denying of customer request to be given credit for
defective goods
E. Explaining why an organization’s statistical figures deviates or varies from external
market figures
Answer:
Michelle is writing a report on the strategies she recommends for marketing her
company’s new line of clothing. In order to generate ideas, Michelle spends ten minutes
jotting down all the points she can think of and then stops and picks up points that may
work. She continues this process two more times, at the end of which she manages to
collect five good ideas to market the new line. Which of the following techniques did
Michelle most likely use to generate her ideas?
A. Clustering
B. Freewriting
C. Bypassing
D. Proofreading
E. Plagiarizing
Answer:
Amanda has just completed a course in marketing and is searching for a job in the same
field. Since she does not have a Master’s degree, she is unsure of the kind of jobs she is
eligible for. She manages to set up a referral interview with her neighbor’s father, the
HR head of a company. Which of the following questions would she most likely ask
during this referral interview?
A. How much do you get paid as the head of HR?
B. Do you think it would be a good idea for me to talk to the head of marketing in your
company?
C. Could you please give me a job at your company as Marketing Manager?
D. What courses or activities would you recommend as preparation for a marketing
job?
E. What do you think the future holds for this kind of work?
Answer:
Rhonda is a relationship manager at Orbit Bank in California. She needs to write to a
customer to let him know that his application for an increase in credit limit has been
approved. In her message, she includes information about the company’s history and
testimonials from other valued customers. What is the secondary purpose of including
this additional information?
A. Building a good image of her organization
B. Cementing a good relationship with her manager
C. Making the customer view the information positively
D. Providing good news to the customer
E. Having the customer view the information neutrally
Answer:
Which of the following actions is recommended when dealing with criticism?
A. Focus on your response, not on the criticism.
B. Ask questions to show that you are listening.
C. Ignore criticism that seems off base.
D. Express your anger honestly.
E. Clarify the misunderstanding, but do not make any changes.
Answer:
Which of the following is true of claims in business communication?
A. They should always be conveyed through a paper trail instead of a phone call.
B. They should invariably start with a buffer because this will ensure that they are seen
as valid.
C. They should include supporting facts such as what went wrong and the extent of
damage.
D. They should be free from identifiers because they tend to cloud a reader’s judgment.
E. They should ambiguously provide the problem at the end of a message.
Answer:
In an interview, a(n) _____ speech is a speech that is not more than two minutes long,
which states why a candidate is good for a particular job.
A. elevator
B. philippic
C. swearing-in
D. audience
E. demonstration
Answer:
Which of the following is a characteristic of today’s workers and job flexibility?
A. Today’s workers do what they are told to do.
B. Today’s workers only worry about their own deadlines.
C. Today’s workers want to stay in the same positions and locations rather than
changing.
D. Today’s workers do not need new skills until they change jobs.
E. Today’s workers know how to find information and solution ideas.
Answer:
Ragged right margins should be used when a writer:
A. wants to use as few pages as possible.
B. uses very short line lengths.
C. uses a proportional font.
D. cannot use a fixed font.
E. wants a formal look.
Answer:
The question “Is there a newer version of the Chicago manual of Style?” is a typical
example of a(n) _____.
A. branching question
B. rhetorical question
C. problem-solving message
D. blocking request
E. indirect request
Answer:
Which of the following examples best illustrates the correct use of passive verbs to
avoid assigning blame?
A. The customer order was not processed on time.
B. They were not able to submit the proposal on time.
C. He was perfectly capable of completing this project on time, but didn’t.
D. You made it impossible for me to add my point of view.
E. You should not have taken leave without getting approval first.
Answer:
Benjamin is a manager at a software firm. He needs to make sure that the members of
his team complete work on a project with an approaching deadline. To remind them
about the deadline, he writes an e-mail stating, “You need to complete the work by
Monday, so that I can deliver the product to the client on time.” His e-mail, however,
involves a writing flaw. Which of the following writing flaws is present in Benjamin’s
e-mail?
A. Selfish tone
B. Vague request
C. Legalistic language
D. Misused words
E. Confusing words
Answer:
Which of the following statements is true of sans serif fonts?
A. They are all fixed fonts.
B. They are easier to read on paper.
C. They are considered old fashioned.
D. They are good for titles and tables.
E. They have little extensions from the main strokes.
Answer:
Which of the following statements is true of text messaging?
A. It can be used without discretion, because it does not leave a paper trail.
B. It generally takes a long amount of time to be answered or replied to.
C. It is appropriate for communicating socially, but has no place in business.
D. It is appropriate for short messages, since they are less intrusive than phone calls.
E. It is ideal for critical issues in a business which involve negotiations.
Answer:
In a survey, use the option “Other, Please Specify” when you want:
A. to ensure that an answer fits in only one category.
B. the answer categories to be mutually exclusive.
C. all answers to fit into pre-chosen categories.
D. to have discrete answer categories.
E. to use a closed question, but are unable to predict all possible responses.
Answer:
Which of the following statements is true of creating a brochure?
A. Positive emphasis should be used throughout the brochure, and you-attitude should
be avoided.
B. Thumbnail sketches should be used to test the layout before inserting the text and
visuals.
C. The rhetorical situation should be analyzed only after drafting the text of a brochure.
D. The visuals for the brochure should be selected before drafting the text.
E. The central selling point should be placed on the last page of the brochure.
Answer:
Which of the following best represents a spatial cue?
A. Placing a table between two people during a conversation
B. Laughing at a humorous story or a joke someone is sharing
C. Sitting upright during a presentation by a project manager
D. Leaning forward to listen intently to an ongoing discussion
E. Making eye contact with a client during a price negotiation
Answer:
Mario is an assistant sales executive. He has prepared a sales presentation on a new
product for a client group. Based on this scenario, which of the following best
represents the primary audience for Mario’s presentation?
A. An attorney who will use this presentation as evidence of the organization’s culture
and practices
B. A senior sales executive who will decide whether the presentation should be given
to the client group or not
C. A co-worker who will go through and review Mario’s presentation for errors
D. The client group that will base their decision to purchase the product on the sales
presentation
E. The directors who will attend the sales presentation but will not directly act on the
message
Answer:
Nina is required to write an e-mail to the dean of a college explaining why she would
like to pursue a double major in engineering and music. Nina does not know the name
or the gender of the dean. Which of the following salutations of polite communication
is most appropriate for Nina to use in her letter?
A. Hello
B. Dear Sir
C. Hello Sir
D. Dear Ma’am
E. Dear Dean
Answer:
If you are sending your résumé in the text of an e-mail:
A. start all lines at the right margin.
B. underline and bold the text.
C. use elements such as boxes and horizontal lines.
D. avoid using keys such as asterisks.
E. shorten line lengths to 65 characters and spaces.
Answer:
Which of the following is a good design tip for preparing graphs and charts?
A. Use as few lines as are necessary for clarity.
B. Add a variety of clip art images as decorations to stimulate interest.
C. Use many different colors for multicultural audiences to ensure there is at least one
that pleases everyone in the group.
D. Use as much shading as possible.
E. Use stripes, wavy lines, and checks instead of shades of grey when designing
black-and-white graphs.
Answer:
Which of the following is one of the most popular tools for personal branding?
A. IMDB
B. Wikipedia
C. Gmail
D. Windows Messenger
E. Twitter
Answer:
Josiah works in the Colorado Department of Education and has to submit a report on
the literacy rate of children in the state. He has to present statistical details in addition to
ideas on developing the state education system. Which of the following arrangements
will be most useful for Josiah’s audience?
A. Processing information before presenting it to the audience
B. Presenting information in the order in which he became aware of it
C. Working against the audience’s expectations to draw their attention
D. Avoiding grouping large amount of information into categories
E. Using the word “you” in the report if there are multiple audiences
Answer:
A sales brochure for a computer company includes graphs and data displays that are
strategically placed around the marketing piece. According to Charles Kostelnick, this
is an example of the _____ of communication design.
A. intra-level
B. inter-level
C. extra-level
D. supra-level
E. outer-level
Answer:
In interpersonal communication, which of the following is true of a blocking response?
A. It helps in mirroring the feelings of a speaker.
B. It helps in paraphrasing the content of a speaker.
C. It helps in minimizing the problem of the speaker.
D. It acts as response that offers to solve a problem together.
E. It acts as a bridge between a speaker and listener by providing clarification when a
listener is unclear.
Answer:
“Chemical dependency costs U.S. businesses more than $26 billion per year!” This
opener in an oral presentation is an example of a(n) _____.
A. anecdote
B. question
C. quotation
D. startling statement
E. narrative statement
Answer:
Joan spends 20 to 25 minutes in a particular segment of an interview where she answers
questions about her previous work experiences and also explains a gap in the last year
because of a death in the family. In addition, she uses this segment to find out what she
needs to know to decide if she wants to accept a site trip. This scenario best describes
the _____ of the interview.
A. introduction
B. opening
C. close
D. body
E. conclusion
Answer:
Which of the following is a difference between formal and informal meetings?
A. In formal meetings, motions need not be made before a topic can be debated; in
informal meetings, motions must be formally made.
B. In formal meetings, minutes are never maintained; in informal meetings, minutes
are always maintained.
C. Formal meetings are less common in the workplace than informal meetings.
D. In formal meetings, votes may not be taken if most people seem to agree; in
informal meetings, each point is voted on.
E. Formal meetings are better for team-building than informal meetings.
Answer:
Which of the following is a limitation of telephone surveys?
A. They include people with unlisted numbers.
B. They cannot be closely supervised.
C. The results of the survey are not available immediately.
D. They underrepresent some groups based on economic conditions.
E. The answers to questions presented over telephone cannot be keyed-in
simultaneously.
Answer:
Which of the following is true of conventions?
A. They provide a design language and effective design relies on them.
B. They work well with all audiences.
C. They remain unchanged irrespective of old or new software.
D. They are static in nature and stay constant over long periods of time.
E. They work well with all audiences regardless of geographic area.
Answer:
Which of the following is a typical example of nonverbal communication?
A. Composing an e-mail to a customer about delivery details for a product
B. Preparing a presentation for approval on a project
C. Marketing a product by blogging about its features and benefits
D. Negotiating with a client about quotations for a product through cold calls
E. Making eye contact with a speaker to convey that one is listening
Answer:
List some of the guidelines you should follow in order to write a good report, even
when a market test is a failure.
Answer:
Benito is writing a job application letter for his most preferred job. He is unsure about
the length of the letter and does not know whether he should include more information.
What would you recommend to ensure that Benito’s letter is of optimal length?
Answer:
How can body language be used to communicate feelings in an intercultural
environment?
Answer:
What are simple, compound, and complex sentences? Explain each type with the help
of an example.
Answer:
Discuss the use of photographs as a visual or data display; include their advantages and
rules for use.
Answer:
What do you need to know to best adapt your application letter to a specific
organization?
Answer:
Explain how urgency and importance are categorized into the quadrants of Stephen
Covey’s Time Management Matrix.
Answer:
Discuss with an example, the problem-solution pattern of organizing information in a
report.
Answer:
How can you best express refusals in a message? Explain.
Answer:
Susan Daniels has recently moved to the communications team in her company. She has
seen that Lee Pierce, one of her new team members, moves around in a wheelchair. She
has never worked with anyone in such a situation and is wary of the kind of
communication she should use with him. What are some key points she should
remember while communicating with Lee to ensure that she is not being discriminatory
about his disability?
Answer:
What are the benefits of writing an application essay along with your application letter?
Explain what you can do in an application essay that is different than in the letter.
Answer:
List the positive roles and actions that help a team achieve its task goals.
Answer:
How and when should you start preparing yourself for job hunting?
Answer:
Describe four ways in which you can demonstrate authoritative body language.
Answer:
Explain the importance of an executive summary in a business plan?
Answer:
Poor communication choices can lead to legal problems in an organization. Elaborate.
Answer:
What are some key points to remember while using a pattern to organize messages?
Answer:
What is the purpose of the four levels of design described by Charles Kostelnick?
Answer:
What are the five guidelines for designing presentation slides?
Answer: