Bovee Bct9 Tif 05

Chapter 5WRITING BUSINESS MESSAGES

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following statements best reflects the “you” attitude? a. You failed to enclose a check for $25.b. We need a check from you for $25 so that we can send the merchandise by May 15.c. We will send you the merchandise as soon as we receive your check for $25.

d. You will have your merchandise by July 15 if you send us your check for $25 today.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 121; TYPE: application

2. Select the sentence with the best “you” attitude:a. Because your report was poorly written, we cannot accept it.b. Your report failed to meet company requirements.c. When we receive a report that is professional, we can act on your recommendations.d. Once the project includes the necessary estimates, we can proceed with it.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 121; TYPE: application

3. It is best to limit your use of the word “you” in business messages if a. you know your audience well.b. your organization prefers a more formal, impersonal style.c. you are filling your audience's informational needs.d. you are preparing a persuasive message.

ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 121; TYPE: concept

4. You earn respect from your audience by a. being brutally frank in your criticisms.b. flattering them as much as possible.c. being polite and diplomatic.d. doing all of the above.

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 121-22; TYPE: concept

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5. Select the sentence with the best positive emphasis:a. We failed to complete the process audit on time.b. We will complete the process audit by Friday.c. We haven’t completed the process audit.d. Because of Joan’s inaccurate figures on the Haymen project, we are not finished with the process audit.


6. When you are criticizing or correcting, it is best to a. focus on what the person can do to improve.b. emphasize a person's mistakes so that he or she will not make the same ones again.

c. be honest and call attention to the person's failures or shortcomings.d. make the person an example for everyone else to learn from.

ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept

7. For persuasive messages, the best approach is to a. avoid the “you” attitude.b. get straight to the point.c. emphasize how your audience will benefit.d. open with the main idea and then provide supporting points.

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept

8. The best approach for getting someone to buy a magazine subscription from your charity group would be to say

a. Please buy a subscription; our group really needs the money.b. If you buy a subscription from me I'll make my quota.c. This magazine will keep you informed on issues that affect your daily life.

d. Our group doesn’t get any assistance from government agencies, so these magazine sales are our main source of funding.

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: application

9. A euphemism is a word or phrase that is a. possibly offensive.b. general or abstract in meaning.c. highly technical.d. a milder term for one with negative connotations.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept

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10. To establish credibility with your audience, you shoulda. impress them with a long list of your accomplishments.b. be modest and deferential.c. show that you are confident and that you believe in yourself and in your message.

d. use hedge words (“maybe,” “perhaps”) to demonstrate your knowledge that no issue is fully cut and dried.


11. In business messages, using terms such as “if,” “hope,” and “trust” isa. usually a bad idea since it takes away from the writer’s credibility.b. a good way to show your modesty.c. common courtesy.d. acceptable for very formal contexts.


12. The tone of business messages a. can range from informal to conversational to formal.b. should always be formal.c. should always be fairly informal.d. is governed by strict, unwritten rules that do not allow for humor.


13. Generally speaking, business language used to be ____________ it is today.a. less formal thanb. more formal thanc. about as formal asd. simpler than


14. Plain English is a style of writing a. used only for casual correspondence.b. designed to make complex materials more understandable to the audience.c. aimed primarily at readers for whom English is a second language.d. inappropriate for business communication.


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15. Which of the following is not an example of obsolete language? a. We are in receipt ofb. Please be advised thatc. Please let us knowd. We wish to inform you


16. Which of the following sentences contains the strongest and most effective wording?

a. Given the parameters of the situation, the most propitious choice would be to make adjustments in certain budget areas.

b. We need to cut the operating budget by 12 percent or profits will plummet.

c. Someone’s going to need to do some budget cutting around here or heads will roll.

d. Perusal of budgetary figures reveals that a 12 percent reduction in operations is called for if we are to stave off a negative impact

on profits.

ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 129; TYPE: application

17. Identify the voice in the following sentence: “The report was changed by the marketing manager.”

a. Activeb. Passivec. Vocatived. State of being

ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 130-31; TYPE: application

18. Using the passive voice makes sense when a. you want to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error.b. you want your sentence to be easier to understand.c. you need to make your sentences shorter.d. you want to emphasize the subject.

ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 131; TYPE: concept

19. Which of the following is a content word? a. aroundb. shec. jumpd. the


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20. The connotative meaning of a word is a. its dictionary meaning.b. its literal meaning.c. all the associations and feelings the word evokes.d. its objective meaning.


21. Which of the following words are the most abstract? a. kiss, rose, houseb. red, sharp, piercingc. kick, move, walkd. love, beauty, innocence

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 133-34; TYPE: application

22. “While you may not agree with Joan’s recommendations, you must admit that her suggestions would save the company money” is a

a. simple sentence.b. compound sentence.c. complex sentence.d. compound-complex sentence.

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application

23. “Stock prices have fallen, and foreign investments are far below normal levels” is a

a. simple sentence.b. compound sentence.c. complex sentence.d. compound-complex sentence.

ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application

24. Which of the following is a compound sentence? a. David is a good worker, and he deserves a raise.b. Because David is a good worker, he deserves a raise.c. David, a good worker, deserves a raise.d. Having been a good worker, David will no doubt receive a raise.

ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application

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25. A complex sentence is one characterized by a. two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.b. a single subject and a single predicate plus any modifying phrases.c. two or more independent clauses along with all modifying phrases.d. an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses related to it.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: concept

26. You can emphasize key points bya. using extra words to describe them.b. making important ideas the subject of the sentence.c. placing them at the beginning or end of a sentence.d. doing all of the above.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136-37; TYPE: concept

27. To downplay a dependent clause in a complex sentence, you a. place it at the beginning of the sentence.b. place it at the end of the sentence.c. bury it in the middle of the sentence.d. set it off with a semicolon.


28. A typical paragraph contains the three basic elements of a. a topic sentence, related sentences, and transitional elements.b. simple, compound, and complex sentences.c. the main idea, supporting ideas, and evidence.d. a problem, discussion, and a solution.


29. Words such as “nevertheless,” “however,” “but,” and “therefore” a. are called pointer words.b. introduce modifiers.c. occur only in complex sentences.d. are useful for making transitions.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 139; TYPE: concept

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30. A paragraph that focuses on the reasons for something is developed according to which method?

a. Illustrationb. Comparison and contrastc. Cause and effectd. Problem and solution

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 140; TYPE: concept

31. When you want to develop a paragraph by showing how a general idea is broken into specific categories, which of these methods would you use?

a. Illustrationb. Comparison and contrastc. Cause and effectd. Classification

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 140; TYPE: concept

32. To ensure a consistent look for all company documents, many organizations provide employees with approved

a. autocompletion software.b. spreadsheets.c. macros.d. style sheets.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept

33. The _____________ feature in software enables you to personalize form letters by inserting names and addresses from a database.

a. File mergeb. Mail mergec. Autocorrectiond. Boilerplate


34. Which type of software feature inserts a ready-made block of text when you type the first few characters?

a. Machine translationb. Mail mergec. Autocompletiond. Autocorrection


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35. Boilerplate is a. a piece of computer hardware used to increase modem speed.b. a standard block of text used in various documents without being

changed.c. a list of most-used e-mail addresses.d. a machine used in professional printing.


True or False

36. Adopting a “you” attitude in business writing is simply a matter of using the pronoun “you” as much as possible.

ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 121; TYPE: concept

37. In general, the word “you” should be avoided when you are assigning blame for a problem.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 121; TYPE: concept

38. When delivering negative news, it is misleading to emphasize any positive aspects of the situation.

ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 122; TYPE: concept

39. Always avoid using euphemisms, because they are inherently dishonest.

ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept

40. Using the word “young” to describe an employee can have negative implications.


41. Being too modest can reduce your credibility with your audience.


42. A conversational tone is not appropriate for most business messages.


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43. Bragging about your company’s accomplishments can be offensive to readers.


44. Enlivening business messages with humor will always please your readers, especially if they don’t know you very well.


45. Plain English is a style of writing used primarily for communicating to those for whom English is a second language.


46. Good business letters use language that is as formal as possible and use proven terminology such as “please be advised that” and “we are in receipt of.”


47. “John rented the office” is written in the active voice.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 130-31; TYPE: application

48. You should completely avoid use of the passive voice in business writing.


49. When composing a draft, you should never skip to another section of the document until you’ve finished the current one.


50. The rules of grammar and usage do not change over time.


51. Conjunctions, prepositions, articles, and pronouns are all functional words.


52. Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are functional words.


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53. Connotative meanings are the literal or dictionary meanings of words.


54. In business communication it is best to use words that are low in connotative meaning.


55. Abstract words are direct, vivid, clear, and exact.


56. Abstract words should be completely avoided in business writing.

ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 133-34; TYPE: concept

57. Clichés are a valuable tool in business writing, as readers find such words and phrases to be comfortable and familiar.


58. In business messages, using a great deal of jargon is an effective way to increase your credibility.


59. A compound sentence is one that contains one main thought (independent clause) and one or more subordinate thoughts (dependent clauses).


60. “We can hire Jane, but not at the salary she’s requested” is a complex sentence.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application

61. “Profits have increased and employee morale is high” is a simple sentence.

ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application

62. “Insurance premiums are increasing, and health care costs continue to rise” is a compound sentence.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application

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63. Skilled business writers avoid complex sentences altogether.


64. To emphasize a dependent clause, it is better to put it at the end of a sentence rather than in the middle.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 137; TYPE: concept

65. A properly constructed paragraph can deal with more than one topic.


66. Coherence within and between paragraphs is achieved through the use of transitional words and phrases.


67. When developing paragraphs, you should stick to one method within each paragraph and throughout a document.


68. Instant messaging and blogging are popular for entertainment, but have not caught on as important business technologies.


69. Autocompletion software is essentially the same thing as autocorrection software.


70. Templates and style sheets can both help to ensure a consistent look for all company documents.


Fill-in-the-Blank

71. Using the ____________________ attitude allows you to establish empathy with your audience.

ANSWER: “you”; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 121; TYPE: concept

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72. Even in messages detailing negative situations, it is best to emphasize the ____________________ aspects of your topic.

ANSWER: positive; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 122; TYPE: concept

73. Instead of using harsh, unpleasant terms, use mild words, or ____________________.

ANSWER: euphemisms; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept

74. To avoid embarrassing blunders in language related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, or disability, use ____________________ language.

ANSWER: bias-free; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept

75. Terms such as ”handicapped,” “crippled,” and “retarded” are examples of ____________________ bias.

ANSWER: disability; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 125; TYPE: application

76. If your audience is unfamiliar with you, you need to devote the initial part of your message to establishing ____________________.

ANSWER: credibility; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 126; TYPE: concept

77. Style is the way you use words to achieve a certain ____________________, or overall impression.

ANSWER: tone; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 127; TYPE: concept

78. A sentence is in the ____________________ voice when the subject performs the action and the object receives the action.

ANSWER: active; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 130; TYPE: concept

79. ____________________ words express relationships and have only one unchanging meaning in any given context; ____________________ words, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, carry the meaning of the sentence.

ANSWER: Functional, content; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 132; TYPE: concept

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80. The ____________________ meaning of a word is its literal, dictionary meaning, whereas the ____________________ meaning includes all the associations and feelings it evokes.

ANSWER: denotative, connotative; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 133; TYPE: concept

81. ____________________ words express a concept or quality, not a tangible object.

ANSWER: abstract; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 133; TYPE: concept

82. ____________________ sentences express two or more independent but related thoughts of equal importance.

ANSWER: Compound; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: concept

83. ____________________ sentences express one main thought and one or more subordinate thoughts related to it.

ANSWER: Complex; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: concept

84. A (An) ____________________ is a cluster of sentences related to the same general topic.

ANSWER: paragraph; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 137; TYPE: concept

85. A standard block of text used in various documents without being changed is called ____________________.

ANSWER: boilerplate; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept

Short Answer

86. List three strategies to become more sensitive to your audience’s needs.

ANSWER: You should adopt the “you” attitude, maintain good standards of etiquette, emphasize the positive, and use bias-free language.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 120; TYPE: concept

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87. You are scheduled to discuss a negative performance evaluation with one of your employees. How can you use the “you” attitude during your conversation?

ANSWER: In cases like this, using the “you” attitude requires emphasizing what the person can do to improve, rather than dwelling on his or her mistakes and shortcomings. Emphasizing the positive is more likely to yield the results you want. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 122; TYPE: application

88. Define bias-free language.

ANSWER: Bias-free language avoids words and phrases that unfairly and even unethically categorize or stigmatize people in ways related to gender, race, ethnicity, age and disability. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept

89. List at least two types of biased language and explain how to avoid each type.

ANSWER: (1) Gender bias: Avoid sexist language by using the same label for everyone—police officer instead of policeman. (2) Racial and ethnic bias: Avoid language that suggests that members of a racial or ethnic group have stereotypical characteristics. (3) Age bias: Mention the age of a person only when it is relevant. (4) Disability bias: Avoid mentioning a disability unless it is pertinent. Put the person first. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 125; TYPE: concept

90. List at least three characteristics that can help establish credibility with your audience.

ANSWER: Audiences assign credibility to individuals who display (1) honesty, (2) objectivity, (3) awareness of audience needs, (4) credentials, knowledge, and expertise, (5) endorsements, (6) performance, (7) confidence, (8) evidence-based communication, and (8) sincerity. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 126-27; TYPE: concept

91. Briefly explain the difference between tone and style in business writing.

ANSWER: Tone is the overall impression you achieve with a message. Style is the way you use words to achieve a specific tone. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 127; TYPE: concept

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92. List at least three guidelines to follow if you want to achieve a conversational tone in business messages.

ANSWER: (1) Avoid obsolete and pompous language such as “in due course” or “we are in receipt of”; (2) avoid preaching and bragging; (3) be careful with intimacy—don’t be overly friendly or chatty; and (4) be careful with humor. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 128-29; TYPE: concept

93. Briefly explain the difference between the active voice and the passive voice.

ANSWER: You are using the active voice when the subject performs the action, and the object receives the action: “John rented the office.” You are using the passive voice when the subject receives the action: “The office was rented by John.” DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 130-31; TYPE: concept

94. How is the denotative meaning of a word different from its connotative meaning?

ANSWER: The denotative meaning is the literal, or dictionary, meaning of a word. The connotative meaning includes all the associations and feelings evoked by the word. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 133; TYPE: concept

95. Give the definition of a complex sentence, then provide an example of one.

ANSWER: A complex sentence expresses one main thought (the independent clause) and one or more subordinate thoughts (dependent clauses). An example is, “Although we met our production quota, our repair costs this month were far higher than expected.” (Answers will vary.) DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 136; TYPE: concept/application

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Essay

96. Explain what it means to “emphasize the positive” in business messages, and describe at least three techniques for doing so.

ANSWER: Emphasizing the positive in business communication means recognizing the difference between delivering negative news and being negative. When the tone of your message is negative, you put unnecessary strain on business relationships, which can cause people to distance themselves from you and your ideas. One strategy for maintaining a positive tone in a potentially negative situation is to highlight any positive points that will foster a good relationship with your audience. Another strategy involves situations in which you find it necessary to criticize or correct: don’t dwell on the other person’s mistakes, and avoid referring to failures, problems, or shortcomings. Instead, focus on what the person can do to improve. Other strategies include persuading the audience to do something by emphasizing what’s in it for them, and using euphemisms instead of words that might hurt or offend your audience.DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 122-24; TYPE: application

97. List three situations in which the passive voice can help you demonstrate the “you” attitude.

ANSWER: The passive voice can be helpful when you need to shift emphasis away from the person who is the subject of your message. These situations include (1) when you need to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error, (2) when you want to point out what’s being done without taking or attributing either the credit or the blame, and (3) when you seek to create an objective tone. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 131; TYPE: concept

98. Explain what it means to choose “words that communicate well,” then list four techniques for selecting the best words when writing business messages.

ANSWER: Choosing words that communicate means finding the most powerful words for each situation. Selecting the best words in business messages involves (1) choosing powerful words—verbs and nouns are better than adjectives and adverbs; (2) choosing familiar words—terms that are familiar to both you and your readers; (3) avoiding clichés and buzzwords; and (4) using jargon carefully.DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 134-35; TYPE: concept

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99. What are the five most common techniques for developing paragraphs?

ANSWER: There are several common techniques for developing paragraphs. Illustration involves giving examples to demonstrate the main idea. Comparison and contrast both involve using similarities or differences. Cause and effect requires focusing on the reasons for something. Classification involves showing how a general idea is broken into specific categories. Finally, problem and solution requires presenting a problem and then discussing the solution.DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 140; TYPE: concept

100. Briefly describe at least four word processing capabilities that can help business writers shape their writing.

ANSWER: Most word processing programs contain features that automatically handle the “housekeeping chores” often associated with business document preparation. These include (1) style sheets—master lists of predefined styles for headlines, paragraph texts, and so on; (2) templates, which provide standardization in terms of page design, available fonts, and other features; (3) autocompletion, which inserts a ready-made block of text when you type the first few characters; (4) autocorrection, which instantly corrects spelling and typing errors and converts texts to symbols; (5) file merge and mail merge—features that make it easy to combine files; (6) endnotes, footnotes, indexes, and tables of contents; and (7) wizards, which take you through the process of creating letters, résumés, and other common documents.DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept

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