978-0134562186 Chapter 6 Solution Manual

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6: Completing Business Messages 6-1

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

6.1. The three main tasks involved in revising a business message are (1) evaluating content and organization,

6.2. The two primary responsibilities one has when editing or revising the work of another writer are to

remember that your job is to help the other writer succeed at his or her task, not to impose your writing

MyBCommLab for additional insights)

6.3. Short sentences can be processed quickly and are easier for nonnative speakers to interpret.

6.4. Headings can serve as organizational tools, attention-ge0ng devices, and links that help readers follow

the logic and organization of ideas. For example, the benefit of headings include providing a

communication

6.5. A document can be made more concise by including just what’s necessary and composing clear

6.6. Hedging sentences are sentences in which the writer pulls back from making an absolute or confident

AACSB: Written and oral communication (See MyBCommLab for additional insights)

6.7. To format content for mobile devices, think in small chunks, make generous use of white space, format

6.8. Proofreading for spelling mistakes and other errors is important because readers view the writer’s

6.9. Perceptual tricks that can make proofreading more e<ective include reading each page backward, from

the bottom to the top, placing your #nger under each word and reading it silently, making a slit in a

6: Completing Business Messages 6-2

oral communication

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE

6.11. Careful revision re?ects the “you” a0tude because it ensures that finished messages and documents

AACSB: Analytical thinking

6.12. Limiting the number of typefaces and type styles in most business documents is good practice for both

perceptual and functional reasons. Using too many faces and styles tends to look amateurish, which

6.13. White space is particularly critical when designing documents for mobile devices because smaller

screens make reading—including identifying transitions between paragraphs and other “signposts”—

6.14. Writers demonstrate good business sense in their message distribution choices by matching the cost and

complexity of their choices with the needs of their audiences and the demands of the particular

PRACTICE YOUR SKILLS

6.15. Messages for Analysis 6.A Here is one possible revision: [LO-2] AACSB: Written and oral communication

The North American Personal Motorsports Marketing Association (NAPMMA) is committed to

helping our members achieve their business objectives. We assist dealers of motorcycles,

6.16. Messages for Analysis 6.B The document should be reforma/ed with attention to the following details:

[LO-4] AACSB: Written and oral communication

6: Completing Business Messages 6-3

6.17. Messages for Analysis 6.C Here is one possible revision: [LO-1] AACSB: Written and oral communication

Gross Domestic Product

The most commonly used measure of a country’s economic output is gross domestic product

(GDP). GDP measures a country’s output—the production, distribution, and use of goods and

GDP has largely replaced an earlier measure called the gross national product (GNP), which

6.18. Student evaluations will vary based on the blog posts they choose to analyze, but they should take

particular care to assess (or at least make intelligent guesses at) the first two questions from the list in

6.19. Here’s one example of how students might revise the paragraph for improved readability by removing

Although major league baseball remains popular, more people are attending minor league games.

They can save on admission, snacks, and parking and still enjoy the excitement of America’s

pastime. Connecticut, for example, has three AA minor league teams. They play in relatively small

6.20. Revising for Readability (Sentence Length) Here are shortened versions of the originals:

[LO-2] AACSB: Written and oral communication

a. Next time you write a 100-word passage, check your average sentence length. If your

b. Don’t do what the village blacksmith did. He instructed his apprentice as follows: “When I

c. Unfortunately, no gadget will produce excellent writing. However, using a yardstick like the

6: Completing Business Messages 6-4

d. Know the ?exibility of the written word and its power to convey an idea. Know how to make

e. Words mean di<erent things to di<erent people. A word such as block may mean city block,

6.21. Editing for Conciseness (Unnecessary Words) Deleting all unnecessary words leaves the following:

[LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral communication

6.22. Editing for Conciseness (Long Words) Here are possible revisions: [LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral

communication

6.23. Editing for Conciseness (Lengthy Phrases) These in#nitive substitutes shorten the sentences: [LO-3]

AACSB: Written and oral communication

6.24. Editing for Conciseness (Lengthy Phrases) Here are one-word replacements: [LO-3] AACSB: Written and

oral communication

6: Completing Business Messages 6-5

6.25. Editing for Conciseness (Lengthy Phrases) Here are pared-down versions: [LO-3] AACSB: Written and

oral communication

6.26. Editing for Conciseness (Unnecessary Modi4ers) With the unnecessary modi#ers removed, the

sentences read as follows: [LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral communication

6.27. Editing for Clarity (Hedging) The following versions contain no hedging: [LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral

communication

6.28. Editing for Clarity (Inde4nite Starters) With the inde#nite starters removed, the sentences might read as

6: Completing Business Messages 6-6

follows: [LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral communication

6.29. Editing for Clarity (Parallelism) Rewritten with parallel construction, the sentences might read as

follows: [LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral communication

6.30. Editing for Clarity (Awkward References) Here are the variations with the awkward pointers removed:

[LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral communication

6.31. Editing for Clarity (Dangling Modi4ers) These versions have the modi#ers in the right places: [LO-3]

AACSB: Written and oral communication

6: Completing Business Messages 6-7

6.32. Editing for Clarity (Noun Sequences) The long strings of nouns may be broken up as follows: [LO-3]

AACSB: Written and oral communication

6.33. Editing for Clarity (Sentence Structure) Here the subjects are closer to the verbs: [LO-3] AACSB: Written

and oral communication

b. According to Ted, who is probably the worst gossip in the o@ce (Tom excepted), it was Terri

who mailed the wrong order.

c. In his book Investment Capital Reconsidered, William Oberstreet writes of the mistakes made

by bankers through the decades.

d. A+er passing up several sensible investment opportunities, Judy Schimmel invested her

inheritance in a jojoba plantation, despite the warnings of her friends and family.

6.34. Editing for Clarity (Camou9aged Verbs) The following versions no longer have camou?aged verbs: [LO-3]

AACSB: Written and oral communication

6: Completing Business Messages 6-8

6.35. Students should comment on the use of typefaces, white space, headings, and other design elements on

6.36. Even though your company does not sell products in the local area, you still have an ethical obligation to

add the information to the website. The construction delays alone could compromise your company’s

relationship with the community, and withholding information about the delays would almost certainly

AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning

6.37. Here is a corrected version of the email: [LO-5] AACSB: Written and oral communication

Our final company orientation of the year will be held on December 20. In preparation for this

ASSISTED GRADING QUESTIONS (accessed on MyBCommLab)

6.38. Varying the length of sentences improves the ?ow and readability of business documents by creating a

6.39. Typeface selections help determine the personality of your documents and messages because every