Solutions – Chapter 5 ⚫ 1
CHAPTER 5 SOLUTIONS
Writing Improvement Exercises
Message Openers and Subject Lines (Obj. 1)
16. b
Subject line: Requesting Information About Online Surveys Using MySurvey
17. a
Bulleted and Numbered Lists (Obj. 1)
20. In interviewing for a job, you will be more successful if you follow a few basic guidelines:
• Before the interview: Research the target company, prepare success stories, and clean up
any digital dirt.
21. Winning the lottery can bring a colossal chunk of income. But predatory people are waiting
to descend on you. To be able to live comfortably for many years to come, you should take
precautionary steps, such as the following, to keep your sanity and your cash.
• Remain anonymous. Once the word is out, you’ll be hounded by long-lost friends and
relatives, all seeking to share the loot.
Solutions – Chapter 5 ⚫ 2
5.1 Radical Rewrite
Informational E-Mail—Lining Up “Lunch and Learn” Talks
To: Camille Chavez <c.chavez@firstfederal.com>
From: Kennedy Freed <k.freed@firstfederal.com>
Subject: Please Send Messages to Confirm “Lunch and Learn” Talks
Cc:
Bcc:
Please send e-mails to the following people to confirm their topics and appearance dates for our
“Lunch and Learn” sessions. We’ve lined up these speakers from 12 to 1 on the dates shown.
Each speaker should talk for about 30 minutes with 10 to 20 minutes left for questions and
answers.
Date Name Topic
Tuesday, Alaina Adams How to Talk So People
September 24 alina.adams@circe.com Will Listen
Kennedy Freed
[Full contact information]
Weaknesses
a. Lacks a subject line that identifies the major idea of the message.
b. Fails to open directly by telling Camille what she is to do.
c. Masses too much information in bulky paragraphs.
Writing Plan
Subject line: Summarize the main idea immediately and clearly.
Opening: Expand the subject line by stating the main idea concisely in a full sentence.
Body: Organize related information into paragraphs that explain the main idea. If
possible, list related information in parallel form.
Closing: Request a specific action with an end date and a reason.
Solutions – Chapter 5 ⚫ 3
5.2 Radical Rewrite
Informational E-Mail—Web Conferencing Made Simple
Weaknesses
a. Fails to include a meaningful subject line that summarizes the main idea.
b. Should have used “Dear Ms. Cruz” or, if the sender knows the receiver well, “Dear
Christina.” Use full names only when the recipient’s gender is not obvious.
c. Does not organize the information for easy reading and comprehension. The five tips
should be bulleted with bold headings.
Revision
To: Christina Cruz <ccruz@sagepublications.com>
From: Jeremy Harper <jeremy.harper@pcs.com>
Subject: Sending Tips for Your Web Conferencing Article
Dear Ms. Cruz:
I appreciate this opportunity to contribute to the article that you are preparing about Web
conferencing for Networking Voices.
Web meetings have become quite popular as an alternative to in-person meetings. You asked me
to provide brief advice for Web conferencing. Therefore, here are five concise tips that your
readers will find helpful:
• Plan ahead. Before the conference, notify all participants of the date, time, and duration of
the conference. Provide log-ins, passwords, and necessary printed documents by e-mail.
• Identify yourself. The first few times you speak, state your name. Don’t assume that
attendees will quickly recognize your voice.
Solutions – Chapter 5 ⚫ 4
5.3 Radical Rewrite
Informational Memo—Lost in the Cloud
Weaknesses
a. Fails to provide a meaningful subject line.
b. Does not begin with a statement explaining why she is writing.
c. Presents disorganized information in a long, dense paragraph.
Revision
Date: Current date
To: Mason Razipour, CEO
From: Alexandra Amato, Product Manager
Subject: Report From Cloud Computing Workshop
As you requested, here is a short report of The Promise of Cloud Computing workshop that I
attended on July 8.
Lisa Moritz, the workshop leader, explained that the big workplace problem today is dispersed
employees using various incompatible devices. Software and file storage must be accessible
anywhere, anytime, rather than situated in one place. Cloud computing offers three main
benefits:
• Accessibility. Nearly all types of software and applications are accessible anywhere,
anytime. Cloud-based services such as e-mail, online storage, and online file transfer are
immediately available.
Solutions – Chapter 5 ⚫ 5
Activities and Cases
5.4 Instant Messaging Mess at Auto Dealership
Dealer rep: Hello, I’m Mark. Welcome to Fields BMW South Orlando! How can I help
you?
Customer: ??
Dealer rep: I am here to help you online. Do you have any specific questions?
Customer: I want buy car.
Dealer rep: May I have your name first?
Customer: Young Jae Kim
Dealer rep: What kind of a car would you like? New or pre-owned?
Customer: BMW. 2016 model. for family, for business.
Dealer rep: A new car, then. All right.
Customer: What car you have?
5.5 E-Mail Simulation: Writeaway Hotels
The Writeaway simulation encourages students to practice managing and writing e-mail
messages. Designed as an in-class activity, the simulation works best for 12 to 25 students, each
Solutions – Chapter 5 ⚫ 6
5.6 Informational E-Mail: What Exactly Is Business Attire?
To: Elizabeth Sommer <esommer@diago.com>
From: Your Name <your e-mail address>
Subject: Your Request for Response to President Rebol’s Inquiry Regarding
Casual Dress
Cc: [Other team members’ names and e-mail addresses]
Bcc:
At your direction, our team of interns consulted literature and discussed the casual-dress
policy questions posed by President Rebol. Here are our responses to the first five questions
in his e-mail request.
Acceptable Wear for Women on Casual-Dress Days. After reading a number of articles
and discussing the matter among ourselves, we concluded that acceptable wear for women
Acceptable Wear for Men on Casual-Dress Days. For men, business casual means khakis,
chinos, or gabardine trousers and a collared shirt, either polo-style or button-down. Ties are
Restrictions on Body Art and Piercing. We believe that body art and piercing should not be
visible. Tattoos covered by clothing are not a problem. In regard to body piercing, we believe
that one set of traditional pierced earrings for women is appropriate. Piercings on eyebrows
or other places to display jewelry of any sort are out of place in a conservative environment
such as Diago Enterprises.
Supervisors Reacting to Inappropriate Clothing. If an employee comes to work in
offensive, tasteless, revealing, or sloppy clothing, we believe that a supervisor has the right to
send the person home to change. We would hope that the dress code is specific enough to
prevent this occurrence.
Definitions of Casual Attire. Although it is difficult to define “casual attire,” we believe that
a specific dress code spelling out what is acceptable and what is unacceptable should