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Critical Thinking Questions
1. Give examples of mes (or situaons) when directness is appropriate for responses giving
negave informaon. (LO1)
2. Wring in the indirect order usually requires more words than does wring in the direct order.
Since conciseness is a virtue in wring, how can the indirect order be jus%ed? (LO1)
Conciseness means using the minimum of words consistent with achieving the goal. In situaons
3. What strategy is best in a message refusing a request when the reasons for the refusal are
strictly in the writer’s best interests? (LO3)
4. “Apologies in refusals are negave because they call a+enon to what you are refusing. Thus,
you should avoid using them.” Discuss. (LO3)
This also is a thought queson and should produce various viewpoints. Apologies do call
5. Explain how a claim message can be either direct or indirect. (LO4)
As the text says, even claim messages wri-en in the indirect order have an element of
6. “If I’m not emoonal in my claim messages, the readers won’t understand how upset I am.”
Respond to this statement. (LO4)
Strategically placed and worded, some emoon in claim messages can be appropriate. But too
much emoon or the wrong type (such as indignaon) will just put the reader on the defensive.
7. Some business writers explain an adjustment refusal simply by saying that company policy did
not permit granng claims in such cases. Is this explanaon adequate? Discuss. (LO5)
This argument is weak. Hiding behind company policy may clear the writer of blame, but it does
not clear the company. The goodwill goal of the message requires that the company also be
8. Negave announcements usually need to include much more than the announcement.
Explain. (LO6)
The announcement needs to be explained and jus9ed. Also, the announcement may raise
9. Give examples of negave announcements that appropriately are wri+en in the direct order.
(LO6)
These examples should be judged on their own merit. One example is news that has already
