Course Introduction
Professional Writing
Pre-Test Questions
Professional Writing is a course designed to develop students ability to create clear, concise, and effective documents tailored for various workplace and professional contexts. Students will learn the principles of audience analysis, document design, and rhetorical strategies to produce a range of business and technical documents such as emails, reports, proposals, resumes, and presentations. Emphasis is placed on real-world applications, ethical communication, collaborative writing processes, and adapting content for diverse purposes and digital platforms, preparing students for success in professional environments.
Recommended Textbook
Business Communication Process and Product 8th Edition by Mary Ellen Guffey
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16 Chapters
1840 Verified Questions
1840 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Business Communication in the Digital Age
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115 Verified Questions
115 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/28255
Sample Questions
Q1) Maxwell is sending an e-mail message to the Securities and Exchange Commission to ask about a specific Sarbanes-Oxley regulation. This is an example of internal communication.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) For years businesses have been flattening their management hierarchies. This flattening means that
A)information must flow through more layers of management.
B)it takes longer to make decisions.
C)various areas within an organization have little contact with one another.
D)employees at all levels must be skilled communicators.
Answer: D
Q3) Which of the following is an example of an internal organizational communication?
A)A tweet sent to a customer about a private sale that will take place tomorrow
B)A Facebook page advertising a company's products
C)A meeting of all department managers
D)An annual report sent to company stockholders
Answer: C
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Professionalism: Team, Meeting, Listening, Nonverbal
and Etiquette Skills
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115 Verified Questions
115 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A task force must decide whether the company should go public and start selling its stock. Task force members have decided to continue their discussion until all team members have aired their opinions and, ultimately, agree. What method for reaching group decisions is this team using?
A)Majority
B)Consensus
C)Authority rule with discussion
D)Averaging
Answer: B
Q2) Stephanie is about to start her first full-time job after earning her degree and wants to appear as professional as possible. What advice would you give her?
A)Change her current e-mail address, which is StephIsSmokingHot@yahoo.com, to something more businesslike and professional.
B)Use her smartphone during meetings only for meeting-related purposes.
C)Avoid slang, poor grammar, and profanity.
D)All of these choices will help Stephanie appear more professional.
Answer: D
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Intercultural Communication
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115 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) During business negotiations, which group of individuals most likely to place more emphasis on the surrounding context than on the actual words?
A)Germans
B)Americans
C)Canadians
D)Japanese
Answer: D
Q2) Gayle will be traveling to Thailand on business and wants to demonstrate intercultural competence while there. What is the best advice you can give her?
A)Provide judgmental feedback rather than descriptive feedback.
B)Take the lead when interacting with businesspeople from other cultures.
C)Show supportiveness with head nods, eye contact, facial expressions, and physical proximity.
D)Use gestures often and freely to attempt to communicate nonverbally.
Answer: C
Q3) One process for achieving intercultural competence is ____________________, which refers to the use of concrete and specific feedback.
Answer: descriptiveness
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5
Chapter 4: Planning Business Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) Business writing should be purposeful, economical, and ___________ oriented.
Q2) Hannah posts her résumé on the websites of several companies. Unfortunately, it is poorly formatted and contains several spelling and grammar errors. What kind of communication barrier may this cause?
A)Bypassing
B)Differing frames of reference
C)Emotional distraction
D)Physical distraction
Q3) When choosing the best channel for your message, you should consider the importance of the message, the amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required, the necessity of a permanent record, the cost of the channel, the degree of formality desired, the confidentiality and sensitivity of the message, and
A)the receiver's preference and level of expertise.
B)the ability of the channel to showcase your technical expertise.
C)your own communication channel preferences.
D)the ability of the channel to make your company look cutting edge.
Q4) When profiling your audience, what types of questions should you ask about your primary audience? What types of questions should you ask about your secondary audience? List three of each.
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Chapter 5: Organizing and Drafting Business Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) Hard-working employees are rewarded for their efforts is an example of a(n) ____________________ clause.
Q2) Which of the following is an informal research method?
A)Searching the Web
B)Looking in the company files for information
C)Conducting a scientific experiment to gather information under controlled circumstances
D)Searching for information in public and college libraries
Q3) Since our restaurant opened last week, we have been booked solid is an example of a compound sentence.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Many communication experts regard ______________ as the greatest failing of business writers.
A)poor organization
B)bad spelling
C)limited education
D)overconfidence
Q5) A(n) ____________________ is a group of sentences about one idea.
Q6) Describe the four sentence types and write an original example of each.
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Revising Business Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) Use phrases such as please do not hesitate to and thank you in advance to make your writing sound businesslike.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following is free of wordy or trite phrases?
A)It is my personal opinion that we cannot create a reduction in our inventory unless we lower prices.
B)You may be assured that every effort will be made to ship your order by October 1.
C)Management has been unable to reach a conclusion regarding contract negotiations with the union.
D)Although Chinese is the language spoken by the largest number of native speakers in the world, English is considered the language of international business.
Q3) Routine documents and complex documents are proofread using the same method. A)True B)False
Q4) ____________________ means improving the content and sentence structure of your message.
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Chapter 7: Short Workplace Messages and Digital Media
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Sample Questions
Q1) A(n) ____________________ is a digital media file that is distributed over the Internet and downloaded on portable media players and personal computers.
Q2) As Nathan begins his business career, he will probably find himself writing more ____ than other types of messages.
A)letters
B)memos
C)e-mail messages D)text messages
Q3) E-mail is an effective communication channel for critical work situations such as human resources annual reviews, discipline, and promotions.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Please let me know if I may be of further assistance is an example of an effective, professional closing for an e-mail message or memo.
A)True
B)False
Q5) In most businesses today, ____________________ is the communication channel of choice.
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Chapter 8: Positive Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) In today's digital age, business letters have become obsolete.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following instructions is in the imperative (command) mood?
A)Your report should be submitted by Friday.
B)The fourth step involves rebooting your computer.
C)Sign and date the agreement.
D)All of these choices are in the imperative mood.
Q3) A phone call or face-to-face visit is a better channel choice than e-mail when you need to
A)convey enthusiasm, warmth, or another emotion.
B)smooth over disagreements.
C)supply a context.
D)All of these choices.
Q4) Remove the protective seal from the toner cartridge has been written in the ____________________, or command, mood.
Q5) ____________________ messages describe how to complete a task.
Q6) Deciding whether to ____________________ to a customer in an adjustment message is a debatable issue. Some attorneys discourage doing so, but many customers appreciate it.
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Negative Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) Several techniques can be used to close a bad-news message positively. List four of these techniques and give an original example of each.
Q2) Readers often accept bad news better when they feel that their requests have been heard and that they have been treated fairly.
A)True
B)False
Q3) When the bad news is not damaging, when the reader may overlook the bad news, or when firmness is necessary, the ____________________ organizational pattern should be used.
Q4) When denying a claim, use a statement such as If you had read the instruction booklet that came with the air conditioner, you would have known to change the filter every three months to let the customer know why the claim must be refused.
A)True
B)False
Q5) A letter refusing credit might include a statement such as Cash purchases receive a 2 percent discount.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 10: Persuasive and Sales Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) In a sales letter promoting its new hybrid vehicle, a car company included this sentence: Our new hybrid model will save you hundreds of dollars annually on gasoline expenses. The company is focusing on indirect benefits of purchasing this vehicle.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following defines persuasion?
A)Persuasion is a symbolic process.
B)Persuasion involves an attempt to influence.
C)Persuasion involves transmitting a message.
D)All of these are part of the definition of persuasion.
Q3) When applied to language that manipulates, distortion and twisting of the meaning of a message is called ___________.
Q4) The best persuasive requests
A)offer a product more cheaply than all other competitors.
B)anticipate audience resistance.
C)focus solely on direct benefits.
D)are spoken rather than written.
Q5) _______________ messages use persuasion to promote specific products and services.
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Chapter 11: Reporting in the Digital-Age Workplace
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Sample Questions
Q1) Eugene is evaluating the information he found on a website before he includes it in his business report. He asks, "When was this Web site last updated?" What is Eugene evaluating?
A)The currency of the website
B)The authority of the website
C)The content of the website
D)The accuracy of the website
Q2) Sylvia has a great idea for a new fund-raiser for the nonprofit organization for which she works, but she is afraid her boss will be resistant to her idea. Sylvia's report should be written using the ____________________ pattern.
Q3) Reports that present data without analysis or recommendations are classified as ____________________ reports.
Q4) Long formal reports are usually printed on plain paper in A)memo format.
B)manuscript format.
C)letter format.
D)handwritten format.
Q5) Theses, research studies, and complex reports are usually written using a(n) ____________________ writing style.
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Chapter 12: Informal Business Reports
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Sample Questions
Q1) Mary Anne conducted research about ways to recruit high-quality job applicants and has developed a list of possible techniques. She has ranked these techniques and will present them in a report listed from most important reason to least important. What organizational method is Mary Anne using?
A)Time
B)Importance
C)Component
D)Convention
Q2) Which of the following is an analytical report?
A)A report to determine whether a company should outsource its customer support function
B)A report on quarterly sales at a restaurant location
C)A report on the progress of a task force investigating ways to decrease overtime costs
D)A report to stockholders showing the company's profits for the last quarter
Q3) Which of the following transitional expressions can be used to contrast ideas?
A)After, before, first, finally, now, previously, to conclude
B)For example, for instance, in other words
C)At the same time, but, however, though, yet
D)Accordingly, as a result, consequently, therefore
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Chapter 13: Proposals, Business Plans, and Formal Business Reports
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Sample Questions
Q1) The longest and most substantive section of a formal business report is the A)executive summary.
B)introduction.
C)conclusion.
D)body.
Q2) Another form of proposal is a(n) ____________________ plan, which is critical for securing financial support when starting your own company.
Q3) The authorization request section of an informal proposal may include
A)a request for approval.
B)a reminder of key benefits.
C)a deadline beyond which the offer is invalid.
D)all of these choices.
Q4) In the operations and ____________________ section of a business plan, explain specifically how you will run your business, including location, equipment, personnel, and management.
Q5) ____________________ are written offers to solve problems, provide services, or sell equipment.
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Q6) Explain what a proposal is. Then list the six parts of informal proposals, describing what type of information is included in each.
Chapter 14: Business Presentations
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Sample Questions
Q1) Lucy has recorded her weekly lecture to deliver to her students in their online classroom. This type of business presentation is called a(n)
A)impromptu speech.
B)webinar.
C)briefing.
D)keynote address.
Q2) How you look, how you move, and how you speak can make or break your presentation.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A key element in preparing for an oral presentation is analyzing your audience. Audiences fall into one of four categories. List and describe these four audiences. Then tell how you would present to each category of audience to better guarantee that your presentation will be successful.
Q4) Speakers can make up for thin content in their presentation narrative by designing impressive PowerPoint slides or Prezi canvases.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Our old computers are dinosaurs is an example of a(n)
16
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Chapter 15: The Job Search and Résumés in the Digital Age
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Sample Questions
Q1) Don't include any information about hobbies or interests on your résumé because doing so is too personal.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Use expressions such as I hope in the closing of your cover message to sound polite.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Video résumés are appropriate for all career fields.
A)True
B)False
Q4) ____________________ résumés emphasize employment history and work well for candidates who have experience in their field of employment and for those who show steady career growth.
Q5) Which of the following is the best way to learn about a specific career?
A)Search the Web for career-planning information and resources.
B)Take a summer job, internship, or part-time position in the field.
C)Monitor the classified ads to determine qualifications sought, duties, and salary range. D)Visit your campus career center.
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Chapter 16: Interviewing and Following up
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Sample Questions
Q1) When asked about your greatest strengths, include success stories to back up your response.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following statements about screening interviews is most accurate?
A)Remember that a screening interview is not as important as a face-to-face interview, so you can relax during it.
B)Employers use screening interviews to determine whether a job applicant should move on to the next step in the interview process.
C)To be effective, screening interviews must take place in person.
D)Screening interviews are not widely used because they are time-consuming and costly.
Q3) Maxam has just been offered and accepted a full-time position over the phone. What is the best thing for him to do now?
A)Do nothing until he shows up the first day of work.
B)Write a job acceptance letter to confirm the details and formalize the acceptance.
C)Send his new boss a gift to show his appreciation.
D)Show up for several days before his official start date to show his eagerness.
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