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Q:
How does using justified paragraphs change the look of a document?
A) It creates a lighter look in the document
B) It increases the amount of white space along the right margin
C) It is easier to read
D) It looks more formal and less personalized
E) There are fewer gaps between words
Q:
Which of the following makes pages feel less intimidating and encourages the reader to look at the document?
A) Restraint
B) Justified margins
C) White space
D) Varying type styles
E) Boldface
Q:
Which of the following design elements creates visual contrast and resting points for the reader?
A) Restraint
B) Justified margins
C) White space
D) Varying type styles
E) Boldface
Q:
To improve the design of a document, which of the following should be emphasized?
A) Detail
B) Restraint
C) Bolded and underlined sections
D) Redundancies
E) Haptics
Q:
How is the visual balance of a message's design similar to the tone of its writing?
A) Visual balance, like tone, can be too formal, just right, or too informal
B) Visual balance should always contrast the formality of the tone
C) Visual balance is subjective, whereas tone is always objective
D) Visual balance and tone are both objective, measurable qualities
E) Writers and readers rarely agree on formality, in either design or writing
Q:
Which of these is an important consideration when you communicate with the same audience multiple times?
A) Balance of text and graphics
B) Restraint
C) Haptics
D) Technical detail
E) Design and layout consistency
Q:
How do serif and sans serf typefaces differ?
A) Serif typefaces present an informal look, whereas sans serif faces create a formal look
B) Serif typefaces work only below 10 or 12 points; sans serif work at any size
C) Serif typefaces are used for print messages; sans serif are used for digital messages
D) Serif typefaces have small crosslines (serifs) at the ends of each letter stroke; sans serif faces do not
E) Serif typefaces are obsolete in business
Q:
What is the study of touch in a communications context?
A) Production quality
B) Balance
C) Haptics
D) Focus
E) Relevancy
Q:
Which of the following is an advantage of an effective design?
A) The design helps to eliminate ineffective tone
B) The design helps guide the reader through the message
C) The design acts as a barrier to poor communication
D) The design replaces the nonverbal messages for the reader
E) The design minimizes the effect of production quality
Q:
How do poor design decisions affect the readability and the effectiveness of the message?
A) They act as a barrier to communication
B) They establish the tone of the document
C) They add to the consistency of the message
D) They add balance
E) They encourage subjective understanding of the message
Q:
Which of the following describes the total effect of the page or screen design, graphics, typography, and other aspects that help to display professionalism in a message?
A) Mechanically sound
B) Document starters
C) Incorporating clarifiers
D) Information appeal
E) Production quality
Q:
What can be done to make a message more concise?
Q:
Describe steps that will help when editing for clarity.
Q:
Explain why editing for conciseness is important, then list the four steps it involves.
Q:
Briefly describe two strategies for clarifying sentence structure.
Q:
When a document is short and concise, readers will feel that not enough time was devoted to the writing process.
Q:
Clarity can be improved by looking closely at organization, structure, and word choices.
Q:
When you're using digital media to write a message, you don't need to worry about grammar, spelling, or clarity.
Q:
To increase the sophistication of your message, make liberal use of references such as "the latter," "the former," "the aforementioned," and "as mentioned above."
Q:
Doing all of the following EXCEPT ________ will improve the message's readability.
A) using a mix of short, medium, and long sentences
B) using bulleted and numbered lists to emphasize key points
C) using headings and subheadings to make the document easy to skim
D) making sure that the information is accurate, relevant, and sufficient
Q:
Word combinations such as basic fundamentals, anonymous stranger, and future plans are examples of
A) predicates.
B) redundancies.
C) squinting modifiers.
D) camouflaged verbs.
Q:
A ________ is a verb that has been changed into a noun or an adjective.
A) transitive verb
B) transformed predicate
C) predicate nominative
D) camouflaged verb
Q:
When you have two or more similar ideas to express in writing, use parallelism to show that the ideas
A) are related.
B) of similar importance.
C) are on the same level of generality.
D) all of the above.
Q:
"Visible to the eye" is an example of
A) a clich.
B) a redundancy.
C) the passive voice.
D) obsolete language.
Q:
How do overly long sentences affect the quality of the writing?
A) They over-qualify a sentence, making the writing more meaningful
B) They cause dissimilar construction for similar ideas and add interest
C) They cause nouns and verbs to have the wrong modifiers
D) They make the writing less effective by overdoing the idea of complex sentences
E) They can change verbs to nouns, making the writing less effective
Q:
When editing for conciseness, which of the following should be eliminated?
A) Headings
B) Verbs
C) "It is" and "There are" starters
D) Short paragraphs
E) Bullets and lists
Q:
What should be your focus when editing for conciseness?
A) Building simple sentences
B) Making sure each word contributes to an effective sentence and each sentence helps build a coherent paragraph
C) Replacing paragraphs with bullets and lists
D) Ensuring consistent tone throughout
E) Checking readability
Q:
What are word combinations that essentially say the same thing as single words?
A) Redundancies
B) Starters
C) Clarifiers
D) Hedges
E) Nouns
Q:
Which of the following is an advantage of using short words and phrases in a document?
A) They eliminate non-essential words
B) Redundancies can be added
C) It is easier to begin the sentences with "It is" or "There are" starters
D) The sentence structure is clarified
E) They tend to be more vivid and easier to read
Q:
Which of the following can be done to edit a document for conciseness?
A) Clarify awkward references
B) Clarify sentence structure
C) Replace camouflaged verbs
D) Delete unnecessary words and phrases
E) Impose parallelism
Q:
Which of the following is an example of a hedging sentence?
A) The employee's performance appears to be less than satisfactory.
B) The deadline is next Tuesday.
C) The financial statement needs to have two sections.
D) None of the above are hedging.
Q:
Which of the following is achieved by removing unneeded words and phrases from a document?
A) Clarity
B) Mechanics
C) Conciseness
D) Readability
E) Organization
Q:
Do all of the following EXCEPT ________ when you're editing a document for conciseness.
A) eliminate redundancies
B) shorten long words and phrases
C) delete unnecessary words and phrases
D) convert sentences to "it is" or "there are" structures
Q:
Which of the following is an advantage of using specific pointers instead of words such as "the above mentioned," "the former," and "the latter"?
A) Clarification of sentence structure
B) Elimination of awkward references
C) Replaced camouflaged verbs
D) Parallelism
E) Corrected dangling modifiers
Q:
Which of the following helps clarify sentence structure?
A) Keeping the subject and predicate as close together as possible
B) Incorporating references
C) Using camouflaged verbs to replace adjectives
D) Using long words and phrases
E) Adding redundancy
Q:
Which of the following can be used to show that ideas are related and of similar importance?
A) A variety of grammar tools
B) Multiple nouns to replace a single noun
C) Clarification of awkward references
D) Keeping the subject and predicate as close as possible
E) Parallel grammatical construction
Q:
What does it mean to avoid hedging whenever possible?
A) Adding predictions as facts
B) Using modifiers
C) Incorporating parallel construction
D) Using confident, definitive statements rather than weak, tentative statements
E) Building a logical order to the information
Q:
Which of the following will help improve the clarity of a document?
A) Incorporate hedging sentences
B) Vary parallel construction
C) Break up overly long sentences
D) Add dangling modifiers
E) Use noun sequences whenever possible
Q:
When you are reviewing for clarify, what are the three areas you should review?
A) Readability, persuasion, and effectiveness
B) Paragraph organization, sentence structure, and word choices
C) Spelling, grammar, and other mechanical issues
D) Sentence length, sentence strength, and word power
E) Short words, medium sentences, and long paragraphs
Q:
How is parallel construction used in writing?
Q:
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of various sentence structures.
Q:
Briefly explain the difference between descriptive headings and informative headings.
Q:
What three functions do effective headings serve in business documents? Explain each one.
Q:
Briefly describe at least three advantages of using lists in business documents.
Q:
Headings should identify the topic, and do nothing else.
Q:
Readers can get a more out of a document just by reading its descriptive headings than by reading its informative headings.
Q:
Although you should vary the length of paragraphs in your business messages, in general you should strive for short paragraphs.
Q:
In what way do informative headings help the reader save time?
A) The reader can gain knowledge of the topic from the headings and subheadings without reading the entire document
B) The reader can identify keywords in the heading and read only sections of interest
C) The parallel construction used in the headings will allow for emphasis of key ideas
D) Informative headings are "mini paragraphs" about key topics
E) Informative headings will invite the audience to read further
Q:
How descriptive headings differ from informative headings?
A) Descriptive headings require more creative skill to write
B) Descriptive headings target the primary audience segment; informative headings target secondary readers
C) Descriptive headings are always longer and more detailed
D) They are essentially identical
E) Descriptive headings simply identify section topics without giving away conclusions or recommendations
Q:
Which of the following can be used to help the reader transition from one key idea to the next?
A) Long sentences that explain structure
B) Bullets
C) A series of short sentences
D) Headings and subheadings
E) Short paragraphs
Q:
________ headings identify a topic but do little more; ________ headings guide readers to think in certain ways about a topic.
A) Topical; interrogative
B) Universal; relational
C) Descriptive; informative
D) First level; second level
Q:
In what way can headings help the reader understand the organization of a message?
A) Headings always give away key conclusions
B) Headings prevent readers from superficially skimming
C) Headings label groups of related paragraphs
D) Headings keep paragraph length to a minimum
E) Headings can replace bullet points
Q:
The ________ assesses the readability of a document by ranking it on a 100-point scale.
A) Plain Language manifesto
B) Carnegie Readability ratio
C) Flesch Reading Ease formula
D) Simplified Technical English equation
Q:
To make a message visually inviting and easy to read, what is the ideal length for most paragraphs?
A) One screen of a mobile device
B) Short to medium
C) At least one page
D) Between 300 and 500 words
E) One sentence
Q:
Skillful writers use informative headings and subheadings to
A) conceal the basic structure of the document.
B) guide readers to think a certain way about the topics covered.
C) add a decorative flair to mundane documents.
D) take up space so the document doesn't look too short.
Q:
Which of the following is a disadvantage of using too many short sentences in a document?
A) The writing becomes choppy
B) Short sentences will lack the punch and impact of longer sentences
C) Short sentences usually have complicated structures
D) Short sentences are more difficult to skim
E) Short sentences don't contain enough information to be usable
Q:
When would medium-length sentences be most effective in a document?
A) When the writer wants to alert the reader as to what will follow
B) When summing up information for non-native English speakers
C) When information needs to be processed quickly
D) When a specific point needs to be made
E) When the writer wants to show relationships among ideas
Q:
Which of the following is an advantage of using short sentences?
A) They are useful for showing relationships
B) They quickly convey complex ideas
C) They effectively summarize previous information
D) They can be processed quickly
E) They can quickly alert the reader as to what will follow
Q:
Which of the following is a good way to make a key point stand out when it is in a long paragraph?
A) Start the paragraph with the conclusion
B) Add bullet points to the paragraph
C) Highlight the conclusion with a short sentence
D) Highlight or italicize the key evidence
E) Break the paragraph into several smaller paragraphs
Q:
Which of the following is one way to make a document easier to skim and allow the reader to quickly find key ideas?
A) Keep sentence length consistent
B) Use shorter paragraphs
C) Avoid lists and bullets
D) Build a strong narrative
E) Eliminate headings and subheadings
Q:
When you're writing a business message, use headings and subheadings to
A) reveal how your document is organized.
B) capture the attention of your readers.
C) indicate shifts from one idea to the next.
D) all of the above.
Q:
Which of the following is a good way to improve the readability of a message?
A) Make it easy to skim
B) Avoid lists and bullets
C) Highlight every key detail
D) Use long paragraphs
E) Avoid all use of jargon
Q:
Business writers use bulleted and numbered lists to accomplish all of the following EXCEPT
A) simplifying complex subjects.
B) helping readers locate key points.
C) enhancing the visual impact of their ideas.
D) adding decorative elements to their messages.
Q:
Which of these is a potential benefit of making sure all your messages are well crafted efforts that respect the audience's time?
A) You will no longer be tasked with writing routine messages
B) You'll be more popular with audience members
C) You will be able to proofread the work of others, gaining insight into organizational activities.
D) If you earn a strong reputation as a writer, you will no longer need to provide supporting evidence
E) People will pay more attention to your work in the future
Q:
Using short paragraphs will help you improve the readability of your business messages because
A) they will make your writing look inviting.
B) they can help you emphasize your ideas.
C) they are easier to read than long paragraphs.
D) all of the above.
Q:
When does it make the most sense to review the readability of a document?
A) During the research phase
B) Right after you assess the audience's reading level
C) After the target audience has received and read it
D) After you have confirmed its content, organization, style, and tone
E) While you are writing it
Q:
Readability indexes measure ________, so they offer a useful reference point for improving your writing.
A) style and syntax
B) sentence length
C) tone of voice
D) proper word usage
Q:
How can you provide meaningful feedback to other writers when reviewing their work?
Q:
What should be your focus when you evaluate the content and organization of your message?
Q:
Why is it important to revise the first draft of your writing?
Q:
Briefly explain what the opening of a document should accomplish.
Q:
When reviewing the conclusion, you must make sure the recommendations are complete.
Q:
When you edit someone else's work without knowing their goal, you run the risk of making the piece less effective.
Q:
Revising your message is important because readers are likely to equate the quality of your writing with the quality of your thinking.
Q:
Which of the following should be the goal when evaluating and revising the work of others?
A) Rewriting the message in your style
B) Adding interest to the message
C) Making the piece more effective
D) Changing the emphasis of the message
E) Helping the writer learn editing skills
Q:
During which part of the review process should you check to see if a better arrangement of information would be more effective?
A) When evaluating for content
B) When evaluating for organization
C) When evaluating for style
D) When evaluating for tone
E) When evaluating for accuracy
Q:
During the revision process, when does it make the most sense to review the organization of a message?
A) After you have verified that you have the right content
B) Right before printing or sending, as a final quality check
C) While you are reviewing technical issues such as typeface selection
D) After you replace all the headings
E) During proofreading
Q:
During the revision process, how should you treat the most important ideas in a message?
A) Verify your research
B) Use bold and italics generously to highlight important ideas
C) Prioritize ideas based on corporate norms
D) Do a second pass at the outline to make sure you hit all the key points
E) Make sure they get the most attention in the document and are in the most prominent positions
Q:
When reviewing a message for organization what should you look for?
A) Enough information to satisfy the readers needs
B) If the reader has enough background information to understand the message
C) If all the information is accurate
D) All points are covered in a logical order
E) If the information is relevant to the audience
Q:
Which of these is an important goal when you are evaluating the content of a message?
A) Verifying that it's easy to identify sources of information
B) Making sure all ideas get the same amount of space
C) Ensuring a good balance of general and specific information
D) Verifying that the message is long enough for corporate guidelines
E) Showing an interesting use of color and contrast