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Q:
Which of the following is an important point to verify when you are evaluating the content of a draft?
A) That the primary readers are clearly identified
B) That all information is accurate, relevant, and complete
C) That no points are repeated
D) That headings and subheadings are incorporated
E) That all information is given the same space and attention
Q:
After ensuring a document accomplishes its goals, what should be looked at in the next review of the document?
A) Readability, clarity, and conciseness
B) Proper channel
C) Audience analysis
D) Mechanics
E) Format
Q:
Which of the following should be considered during the first round of proofreading and revision?
A) Checking spelling and grammar
B) Making sure visual aids match the text
C) Inserting heading and subheadings
D) Including all the key points researched
E) Making sure the document accomplishes its goals
Q:
Which of the following will an audience judge based on the quality of your writing?
A) The depth of the research
B) The focus of the topic sentences
C) The amount of time spent proofreading
D) The quality of your thinking
E) The readability index
Q:
When you need to revise a long, complex document
A) start the process as soon as you've finished your first draft.
B) start by focusing on misspelled words and grammar errors.
C) save time by multitasking while you're revising the document.
D) try to put your draft aside for a couple of days before you start.
Q:
The optimum amount of time and effort required for the revision step depends on
A) Whether you've chosen the direct or indirect approach
B) Whether you initiated the message or it was assigned to you
C) The medium you've chosen and the nature of your message
D) Your status in the organization
E) The action you are asking your readers to take
Q:
In business communication, the ________ of a message usually have the greatest impact on the readers.
A) body paragraphs
B) appendix sections
C) topics and subtopics
D) beginning and ending sections
Q:
Why is it important to revise messages carefully?
A) To verify the research
B) To ensure the message gets results
C) To compose it based on writer's needs
D) To keep the message flexible and unfocused
E) To allow the message to be viewed on a mobile device
Q:
When you begin the ________, focus your attention on content, organization, style, and tone.
A) production process
B) editing process
C) revision process
D) research process
Q:
Which of the following should be the goal of a well-written document?
A) To verbally and nonverbally convey the intended message
B) A mobile friendly typeface
C) Visual appeal
D) Understanding the readers intent
E) A high score on a readability index
Q:
Support sentences are more specific than topic sentences.
Q:
A ________ is a cluster of sentences related to the same general topic.
A) paradigm
B) paraphrase
C) paragraph
D) paragon
Q:
If a writer focuses on the similarities and differences of a topic to compose a paragraph, then he or she is using the ________ approach.
A) connotative and denotative
B) problem and solution
C) comparison or contrast
D) cause and effect
Q:
In which of the following situations are transitional elements useful?
A) Easing the shift in ideas between paragraphs
B) Connecting related points within a paragraph
C) Linking major sections or chapters in a long report
D) All of the above.
Q:
Effective paragraphs are both ________ (focused on a single idea)
and ________ (organized logically).
A) brief; constrained
B) intense; systematic
C) unified; coherent
D) dense; collated
Q:
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) Illustration
B) Comparison and contrast
C) Cause and effect
D) Classification
Q:
In business writing, the topic sentence of a paragraph is
A) usually implied and is rarely included in the paragraph.
B) generally explicit and is often the first sentence in the paragraph.
C) often vague and is usually placed in the middle of the paragraph.
D) most often understated and normally is the last sentence in the paragraph.
Q:
Skillful writers use transitional elements to
A) automate text entry and correction.
B) track footnotes and endnotes.
C) ensure consistent formatting throughout a document.
D) connect ideas and show the relationships between them.
Q:
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.
Q:
A typical paragraph contains the three basic elements of
A) a topic sentence, support sentences, and transitional words and phrases.
B) simple, compound, and complex sentences followed by compound-complex sentences.
C) the main idea, supporting ideas, and evidence.
D) a problem, discussion, and a solution.
Q:
Which of the following is an advantage of using words that are frequently paired together, such as profit/loss?
A) They act as topic sentences
B) They replace denotative ideas
C) They provide evidence
D) They act as transitional elements
E) They eliminate the need for support sentences
Q:
Which of the following can be used to establish a transition?
A) Repeated nouns
B) Connotation
C) Conjunctions
D) Abstract examples
E) Jargon
Q:
Which of the following is used to show how a thought is related to the previous thought?
A) Topic sentence
B) Transition
C) Jargon
D) Clich
E) Buzzword
Q:
Strong support sentences that are clearly related to the general idea being developed help improve which aspect of a paragraph?
A) Its unity
B) Its length
C) Its conversational tone
D) Its business sense
E) Its transmissibility
Q:
Which of the following is the most important element to include in support sentences?
A) New topics
B) Connotative words
C) Denotative words
D) Opinions
E) Evidence
Q:
Which of the following is one of the roles of support sentences within a paragraph?
A) To provide a summary of the main ideas
B) To eliminate transitions to the next topic sentence
C) To vary sentence length within the paragraph
D) To provide enough details to make the topic clear
E) To replace the topic sentence
Q:
Which of the following can be used to show how ideas are connected to each other?
A) Unified paragraphs
B) Concrete words and phrases
C) Transitions
D) Topic sentences
E) Abstract words
Q:
Why are support sentences important in a paragraph?
A) They create a transition to the topic sentence
B) They explain or justify the topic sentence
C) They eliminate unity in the paragraph
D) They explain denotative terms
E) They extend the length of simple sentences
Q:
What should every paragraph include, often at the beginning at the paragraph?
A) A topic sentence
B) A transition
C) A support sentence
D) A unifying phrase
E) A subordinate clause
Q:
Which of the following can be done to make paragraphs more coherent for readers?
A) Incorporate abstract words
B) Avoid transitions
C) Use consistent paragraph lengths
D) Eliminate topic sentences
E) Use logical connections between ideas
Q:
Which of the following is the focus of a unified paragraph?
A) A logical presentation of ideas
B) Documentation
C) Visual elements
D) A single topic
E) Transitional words and phrases
Q:
Describe each of the four sentence structures.
Q:
Discus how to emphasize key pieces of information in complex sentences.
Q:
Identify and define the four basic varieties of sentences.
Q:
A compound sentence is really two or more simple sentences that are related.
Q:
To emphasize a dependent clause, it is better to place it at the end of a sentence rather than in the middle.
Q:
A compound sentence contains one main thought (independent clause) and one or more subordinate thoughts (dependent clauses).
Q:
________ sentences express one main thought and one or more subordinate thoughts related to it.
A) Complex
B) Compound
C) Confounded
D) Compound-complex
Q:
________ sentences express two or more independent but related thoughts of equal importance, usually joined by a coordinating conjunction.
A) Complex
B) Compound
C) Conjoined
D) Compound-complex
Q:
Consider the following sentence: "Employee turnover has decreased significantly this quarter, so even though you may question Sam's training methods, you'll have to admit that his results are impressive." What type of sentence does it represent?
A) Compound
B) Complex
C) Congruent
D) Compound-complex
Q:
To downplay a dependent clause in a complex sentence, you should
A) place it at the beginning of the sentence.
B) place it at the end of the sentence.
C) place it in the middle of the sentence.
D) set it off with a semicolon.
Q:
You can emphasize key points by
A) 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.
Q:
A complex sentence consists of
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) one main thought and one or more subordinate thoughts.
Q:
"Although our servers are stable, the telephone system is a serious concern" is a
A) simple sentence.
B) compound sentence.
C) complex sentence.
D) compound-complex sentence.
Q:
When you want to emphasize a subordinate idea in a complex or compound-complex sentence, where should the dependent clause be placed?
A) After the main idea as its own simple sentence
B) Between two simple sentences
C) At the beginning or at the end of the sentence
D) In the middle of the main idea
E) In the middle of the sentence
Q:
Which of the following will help emphasize one idea that is more important than others?
A) Develop it as a complex sentence
B) Give the more important idea more space
C) Use jargon so the audience will understand it
D) Use a series of short, simple sentences
E) Put a dependent clause within the sentence
Q:
Which of these factors should guide your choice of sentence structure?
A) The relationship of the ideas you want to express
B) The number of subordinate clauses
C) The number of main ideas that must be covered in the message
D) The cause-and-effect examples you have
E) The length of the message
Q:
Which of the following is the correct structure of a compound-complex sentence?
A) One main clause with two subordinate clauses
B) One main clause and one subordinate clause
C) One main clause
D) Two main clauses
E) Two main clauses with at least one subordinate clause
Q:
When should complex sentences be used?
A) To express one main thought
B) To express a series of related subordinate clauses
C) To make a statement and ask a question
D) To express one main thought and one subordinate thought
E) To express one complex idea at a time
Q:
How are the independent clauses in compound sentences indicated?
A) With a new, shorter sentence
B) With a cause-and-effect relationship
C) With a comma or semicolon
D) With a new paragraph
E) By placing it at the beginning or end of the sentence
Q:
How many main clauses are there in a compound sentence?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5
Q:
Which of the following can be done to expand a simple sentence?
A) Add a second clause for each independent thought
B) Tie ideas together with words such as "and" or "but"
C) Use a comma to separate each independent clause
D) Use subordinate clauses
E) Add nouns or pronouns as objects of the action
Q:
Which type of sentence structure has one main clause?
A) Complex
B) Compound-complex
C) Modified
D) Simple
E) Compound
Q:
To create messages that are powerful, how should sentences be structured?
A) With a variety of connotative words
B) With the right mix of jargon and buzzwords
C) With the best sentence type chosen to communicate each point you want to make
D) As strong sentences that utilize clichs
E) As a series of concrete ideas
Q:
Identify when it would be appropriate to use jargon and buzzwords.
Q:
Describe how to develop a message using words that communicate well.
Q:
Describe how to balance abstract and concrete words in a business message.
Q:
Explain what it means to choose "words that communicate well," then list four techniques for selecting the best words when writing business messages.
Q:
How is the denotative meaning of a word different from its connotative meaning?
Q:
Buzzwords and clichs serve the same purpose in a message.
Q:
Using words that are familiar to the audience makes your messages more effective.
Q:
As a rule, most abstract terms relate to the tangible material world.
Q:
The amount of jargon you use in a message should reflect your audience's level of familiarity with your topic.
Q:
Clichs are a valuable tool in business writing, as readers find such words and phrases to be comfortable and familiar.
Q:
Honor and progress are concrete words.
Q:
Grammarians and professional editors agree on the rules of grammar.
Q:
Which of the following words are the most abstract?
A) Two, contract, performance
B) Software, code, signal
C) Kick, move, walk
D) Productivity, excellence, motivation
Q:
Most ________ express a concept, quality, or characteristic. Most ________ represent something you can see, touch, or visualize.
A) abstract words; concrete words
B) interpretive words; explanatory words
C) incisive words; generalized words
D) selective words; common words
Q:
Some terms and phrases called ________ have become so common that they have lost some of their power to communicate, and ________ are newly coined terms often associated with technology, business, or cultural changes.
A) euphemisms; idioms
B) clichs; buzzwords
C) colloquialisms; clichs
D) pull quotes; derivations
Q:
As you create and refine your messages, evaluate your writing at all of the following levels EXCEPT
A) strong words.
B) effective sentences.
C) coherent paragraphs.
D) multimedia enhancements.
Q:
The ________ of a word is its literal or dictionary meaning.
A) figurative meaning
B) denotative meaning
C) connotative meaning
D) contextual meaning
Q:
When choosing words to convey a message, successful writers pay attention to
A) convenience and mannerisms.
B) correctness and effectiveness.
C) metaphors and euphemisms.
D) connotation and vocalization.
Q:
If your workplace writing contains grammar errors and word choice mistakes, your readers will
A) suppose that you're uninformed.
B) question your professionalism.
C) think that you don't respect them.
D) all of the above.
Q:
In addition to strong words and effective sentences, what other structural elements should writers strive for when crafting documents?
A) A mix of connotative and abstract words
B) Coherent paragraphs
C) Denotative words supported by examples
D) Consistency of ideas
E) Non-text elements such as graphics
Q:
Which of the following is an advantage of using concrete words?
A) They are direct and exact
B) They summarize concepts
C) They can be interpreted differently by each audience member
D) They create shorter paragraphs
E) They explain jargon to outsiders
Q:
When would it be appropriate to use jargon in a message?
A) When accuracy is critical
B) When there is a need to express thoughts specifically and dynamically
C) When other word choices have lost the power to communicate
D) When the words or phrases become part of popular culture
E) When communicating with a specific audience that is in the same field
Q:
Which of the following represents specialized language used by a specific profession or industry?
A) Buzzwords
B) Connotative
C) Clichs
D) Jargon
E) Denotative
Q:
Which type of word is now so common they have lost some of their power to communicate?
A) Abstract
B) Insider slang
C) Clichs
D) Familiar
E) Strong
Q:
When you want to express thoughts in a way that is specific and dynamic, which type of word should be used?
A) Jargon
B) Buzzwords
C) Clichs
D) Familiar
E) Strong and precise
Q:
Which type of word represents things that can be seen or touch?
A) Precise
B) Concrete
C) Connotative
D) Abstract
E) Denotative