Q&A Hero

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Editing means improving the _______ and sentence structure of your message.

Q: If you want to create an impression that you are powerful, you should attach tag questions such as "shouldn't we?" at the end of your statements.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: ________ refers to phrasing all the lines in a list consistently, such as starting each with a verb.

Q: If you accidentally utter a phrase that pulls someone's trigger and causes them to have a strong emotional reaction, your best response is to let them finish their emotional outburst without interruption. Then you can try to patch up the problem by choosing a more agreeable word and continuing the discussion.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: ________ a document involves correcting its grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, and mechanics.

Q: One way to avoid misunderstandings in verbal messages is to use trigger words.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: ________ is the process of analyzing whether your message achieves its purpose.

Q: The text recommends that you sprinkle your language with biased words to create an impression that you are powerful.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: A ________ verb is one that is needlessly converted to a wordy noun expression, such as She gave consideration to the proposal.

Q: The words "jerk"; "bimbo"; "idiot"; and "slob" are all examples of biased words.

Q: Strategic ambiguity is used to soften the blow of difficult messages.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Introductory phrases such as This is to inform you that and I am sending this e-mail message to let you know that are examples of long ________.

Q: Never use ambiguous language to deliver a difficult message because people want to hear bad news in a straightforward manner.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: ________ is composed of informal words with arbitrary and extravagantly changed meanings, such as snarky or getting burned. These words quickly go out of fashion because they are no longer appealing when everyone begins to understand them.

Q: It is advisable to use abstract, vague language instead of blunt remarks if your goal is to promote harmony among feuding group members.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: The best way to evaluate the success of your communication is through ________, which can be achieved by encouraging the receiver to respond to your message.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Numbered or bulleted lists provide high ________ value, allowing readers to browse quickly and grasp main ideas.

Q: While clear language is often preferable, your text suggests that there are a few situations in which deliberate ambiguity is a valid approach.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Empty space on a page is called ________ space, which can improve readability.

Q: Some people deliberately use vague language as a tactic to deceive their competitors.

Q: When Corazon uses a clich such as "Let's push the envelope," her teammates will know precisely what she thinks they should do.

Q: Basic fundamentals, exactly identical, and repeat again are all examples of ________.a. redundanciesb. vague expressionsc. long lead-insd. opening fillers

Q: You can enhance your credibility on the job by learning to use the jargon of your field competently.

Q: Leanne decides to tweet a product review rather than to send an e-mail to the company. She should be especially concerned with _______. a. front loading the main idea b. achieving conciseness c. using longer, descriptive words d. formatting for skim value

Q: Jargon does not serve a useful purpose and should never be used.

Q: "Light" proofreading of routine messages should include ________. a. looking for typos and misspellings b. focusing only on main ideas c. waiting at least a day to proofread before sending d. asking a coworker for feedback

Q: "No one ever thanks me for anything I do" is an example of a high-level abstraction.

Q: _______ expressions, such as despite the fact that, can often be shortened to one word. a. Trite b. Slang c. Lead-in d. Vague

Q: When you are presenting an idea to others, it is helpful to start with an abstract generalization that gives a broad picture of your idea and then to support it with specific examples and details.

Q: Concise writing significantly affects organizations because time equals ________. a. business b. money c. success d. customers

Q: It is never a good idea to use abstract words.

Q: Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process begins with doing which of the following? a. Evaluating your document to determine whether it achieves its purpose b. Deciding how to organize the message c. Composing the first draft d. Editing the message to improve content and sentence structure

Q: You can increase the clarity of your verbal messages by using high-level abstractions instead of low-level abstractions.

Q: The sentence I am writing this e-mail message to let you know that we have received your application for the receptionist position contains a ________. a. redundancy b. long lead-in c. buried verb d. spelling error

Q: "You should write a good resume" is an example of a very low-level abstraction.

Q: Confirming your use of affect vs. effect when proofreading is an example of checking for ________. a. spelling b. grammar c. tone d. format

Q: When Jolene uses clear, direct, and specific statements to explain to her subordinates how to complete a task, she is using low-level abstractions.

Q: Editing is the process of ________. a. correcting the grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, and mechanics of your message b. finding and correcting errors in documents seeking to persuade c. improving the content and sentence structure of your message d. improving text messages and tweets

Q: All of the following are signs of immediacy EXCEPT A. an animated speaking style. B. speaking with vocal variety. C. leaning away from others when you are talking with them. D. smiling.

Q: Immediacy A. can be defined as verbal and nonverbal behaviors that indicate warmth and liking. B. reduces career success. C. creates a bad first impression. D. refers to a person who stands too close to others.

Q: As per your request, enclosed please find, and thank you in advance are all examples of ________. a. long lead-ins b. redundancies c. trite business phrases d. professional business phrases

Q: All of the following are suggestions for improving your nonverbal effectiveness except: A. Monitor your nonverbal behaviors. B. Show your interest in others by using nonverbal behaviors that create a sense of immediacy. C. Be guarded about expressing confidence, goodwill, and positive feelings in the workplace. D. Learn and observe the nonverbal conventions of the organization or country you are in.

Q: One important part of the revising process is to focus on ________ to make sure that your message will be immediately understood by the reader. a. clarity b. conciseness c. mechanics d. punctuation

Q: In polychronic cultures, A. getting down to business right away is often viewed as rude. B. honoring deadlines is given higher priority than honoring relationships. C. speaking overtime communicates lack of regard for your listeners' schedules. D. it is considered offensive to arrive late for a meeting.

Q: Posting a short message on social media reviewing a product you have purchased is an example of _______. a. evaluating a message b. microblogging c. front loading d. advertising

Q: You have just been hired as a manager. Unwisely, you want to send the message to anyone who comes to talk to you that you are in charge. How would you arrange your office? A. You would sit behind a large desk while the visitor sits in a chair on the other side of the desk more than four feet away from you. B. You would arrange some comfortable easy chairs in your office; each of your visitors would sit in one of the chairs. C. You would place another chair, at right angles to yours, about three feet away from you. D. You wouldn't provide a chair for the visitor, so he would remain standing while you were seated.

Q: Which of the following media involve microblogging? a. E-mail b. Instant messaging c. Facebook d. Text messaging

Q: The distance that separates coworkers is referred to as A. work environment. B. seating arrangement. C. proximity. D. temperate zone.

Q: You have created a bulleted list showing features that you are including on your companys Facebook page. Which of the following items is not parallel with the others? a. Links to important pages on our companys website b. Photos showing customers using our products c. We will hold a weekly prize giveaway d. Information about upcoming events

Q: Which of the following is NOT true about the physical environment at work? A. The person with higher status controls the "approach" rules between two people. B. An employee's status may be measured by whether his or her office is next to the boss's or is in a dark alcove. C. If you want to diminish your chances of being viewed as a leader, you should sit along the sides of a table, not at the head of the table. D. The distance that separates people in an organization has little effect on who talks to whom.

Q: Breaking up long paragraphs into shorter chunks is a way to increase ________. a. alignment b. word count c. white space d. correctness

Q: All of the following are politeness rules for those who share cubicles EXCEPT A. Don't come to work when you are ill. B. Set your phone ringer and screen saver sounds on mute or low. C. Resist the temptation to look at what's showing on co-workers' computer screens. D. If you overhear a fellow cube dweller ask a question, shout out an answer.

Q: Lawrence is evaluating a report that he will be submitting to his supervisor. Which of the following questions should he ask himself at this stage? a. Does the message need to be written? b. Will the report lead to a promotion? c. Are the spelling, grammar, and punctuation correct? d. How can the report be improved?

Q: You can demonstrate proper cubicle etiquette by A. asking permission before you enter other employees' workspace. B. borrowing items from co-workers' desks. C. eating your lunch in your cubicle. D. making personal phone calls when you are in your cubicle

Q: Which of the following phrases is free of redundancies? a. Essential items b. Big in size c. Combined together d. New beginning

Q: If you wanted to create a friendly atmosphere as you introduced your company's new marketing plan to two of your best clients, which of the following distance zones would be most appropriate? A. intimate B. casual-personal C. social-consultative D. public

Q: During Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process, Jamar is correcting his documents grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, and mechanics. What is Jamar doing? a. Proofreading b. Evaluating c. Editing d. Anticipating

Q: If someone you really don't like comes within four feet of you, which distance zone has he entered? A. intimate B. casual-personal C. social-consultative D. public

Q: The sentence There are five new items that we will add to our menu next week could be made more concise by eliminating a(n) ________. a. redundancy b. vague expression c. opening filler d. long lead-in

Q: All of the following are true about body movement except: A. One way to discourage a social conversation during working hours is to shuffle papers while the visitor is talking. B. A tapping foot often accompanies an attitude of impatience. C. Astute communicators will notice when the person they are interacting with pulls back, and they will try to remedy the problem. D. When communicating, we usually pay more attention to our hand movements than to our facial expressions.

Q: In the following example, Personalized Service is functioning as a(n) _______. Personalized Service: We will drive you back home and pick you up when your car is ready. a. appendix b. category heading c. greeting d. placeholder

Q: In conversation, the best guide for eye contact across all cultures is A. look the other person in the eye all the time. B. be aware of cultural variations in eye contact. C. smile whenever you are making eye contact. D. use more eye contact when you are speaking than when you are listening.

Q: Bold, italics, and underlining are examples of ________. a. typefaces b. flags c. fonts d. headings

Q: All of the following are true statements about eye contact except A. In mainstream U.S. culture, a person who avoids eye contact during a conversation is likely to be perceived as uninterested. B. In a two-person conversation, the speaker typically looks at the listener 90% of the time. C. A skilled communicator can reduce the chance they will be interrupted by avoiding eye contact with others. D. Lack of eye contact demonstrates respect in some cultures.

Q: Which of the following represents the best business writing? a. We will perform an analysis of the data. b. Enclosed are three samples of our fabric. c. We totally agree that his proposal did not actually seem very feasible. d. Once you sign the document, we'll be good to go.

Q: When choosing your wardrobe, it's advisable to A. inquire with Human Resources about the company dress code. B. choose blouses with a plunging neckline. C. wear casual clothing. D. dress the part of a lower-level employee so you won't seem too cocky.

Q: A message has high skim value when it __________. a. can be browsed quickly for main ideas b. is one paragraph long c. is submitted on paper rather than e-mail d. has no grammatical or mechanical errors

Q: All of the following are true concerning appearance except: A. Attractive people are considered to be more likable. B. Attractive people are considered to be more persuasive. C. Attractive men are more likely to receive higher starting salaries than less attractive men. D. The clothing you select has no impact on how others perceive you.

Q: Blake has just written an e-mail message to his colleagues. Before sending it, he wants to make sure that it has high skim value. In doing so, he is checking ________. a. conciseness b. format c. clarity d. punctuation

Q: The text explains that we can change the meaning of a word with a simple change of pitch or volume. This nonverbal characteristic is called A. appearance. B. paralanguage. C. personal distance. D. haptics.

Q: Conduct a discussion of, give consideration to, and perform an analysis of are all examples of ________. a. verbs that have been converted to nouns b. long lead-ins c. trite business phrases d. redundancies

Q: "When my boss talks to me in a deadly calm voice with a low pitch, slow tempo, and steady rhythm, I know she's mad about something!" In this example, the employee identifies the supervisor's feeling through an understanding of A. paralanguage. B. equivocal language. C. jargon. D. rapport talk.

Q: What is the most accurate statement about proofreading and message errors? a. Documents with errors do not affect your credibility or the success of your organization. b. You should proofread your document continuously while writing it. c. Checking format is not part of the proofreading stage. d. It can be difficult to catch our own errors because most of us read what we thought we wrote.

Q: Jeremiah wears torn blue jeans, sandals, and a muscle shirt to his interview for a job as a computer technician. A large tattoo is clearly visible on his neck. We can conclude that A. the interviewer will assume that Jeremiah will be professional and well-organized on the job. B. if Jeremiah answers the interview questions effectively, the interviewer will not pay attention to Jeremiah's appearance. C. Jeremiah's appearance proves that he is sloppy and untrustworthy. D. if the interviewer is negatively impressed by Jeremiah's appearance, he is likely to attribute additional negative characteristics to Jeremiah.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of nonverbal communication? A. It is ambiguous. B. It cannot be avoided. C. It primarily expresses feelings and attitudes. D. It is virtually the same in all cultures.

Q: Serif typefaces ________. a. include Arial and Calibri b. are known as "cleaner" because they lack small features at the ends of strokes c. are widely used for headings and signs d. make writing seem more accessible because readers are familiar with them

Q: Khalida is sending an e-mail message to a client. Before sending it, she wants to make sure that she has made her point in the fewest possible words. What is Khalida checking for? a. Conciseness b. Format c. Clarity d. Vigor

Q: Nonverbal messages A. are better than verbal messages. B. are a good medium for expressing ideas precisely. C. indicate a person's feelings and attitudes. D. are unambiguous.

Q: Which of the following represents the best business writing? a. This e-mail message is to inform you that the CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow. b. The CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow. c. You should be aware that the CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow. d. The CEO will be visiting our branch tomorrow for a period of three hours.

Q: To manage potential problems when feminine and masculine styles of language clash in the workplace, the text recommends all of the following EXCEPT: A. Learn to switch between feminine and masculine styles. B. Use a mixed-gender strategy. C. Select your favorite style and stick with it. If others don't react well, explain why the style you are using works the best for you. D. Be aware of the characteristics of both styles.