Critical Thinking Questions
1. Give examples of mes (or situaons) when directness is appropriate for responses giving
negave informaon. (LO1)
2. Wring in the indirect order usually requires more words than does wring in the direct order.
Since conciseness is a virtue in wring, how can the indirect order be jus%ed? (LO1)
Conciseness means using the minimum of words consistent with achieving the goal. In situaons
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 negave because they call a+enon to what you are refusing. Thus,
you should avoid using them.” Discuss. (LO3)
This also is a thought queson 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 emoonal in my claim messages, the readers won’t understand how upset I am.”
Respond to this statement. (LO4)
Strategically placed and worded, some emoon in claim messages can be appropriate. But too
much emoon or the wrong type (such as indignaon) 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 granng claims in such cases. Is this explanaon 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. Negave announcements usually need to include much more than the announcement.
Explain. (LO6)
The announcement needs to be explained and jus9ed. Also, the announcement may raise
9. Give examples of negave 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