BCOM Ch 06 SB

Which of the following would be the most specific wording for a restaurant coupon offering customers a discount?

"Present this coupon during your next visit and receive 10% off the price of one menu item."

Which of the following statements about the advantages of action verbs in business writing are true?

Action verbs spur the reader to action. Action verbs make the writing seem more lively. Action verbs reduce the length of sentences.

Which sentence demonstrates the most effective use of action verbs?

At our learning center, teachers nurture each child and monitor individual progress.

Select all the choices that are characteristics of business communication that is complete.

It is specific. It is accurate. It provides all relevant information.

Which of the following sentences contain empty phrases? (Choose every correct answer.)

Needless to say, we made no profit last year. With that said, let me summarize our recent accomplishments. With all due respect, your sales projections are incorrect.

Which sentences contain wordy prepositional phrases?

On occasion we have lunch at our place of business. In the future, we will address these issues with due diligence in hopes of arriving at a solution. In order to increase the number of successful sales, take out advertisements in a newspaper.

Why is accuracy an essential element of business communication? (Choose every correct answer.)

People will make important decisions based on the communication. Inaccuracy causes readers to lose trust in the writer.

What are some of the benefits of using the active voice? (Choose every correct answer.)

The reader can understand it more quickly. It emphasizes action, which is a key element in business. Usually the sentence will be shorter.

Which two of the following statements are the most specific?

The store generates $6 million in annual revenues. The store made $3,000 more in 2013 than it did in 2012.

Which of the following are good principles for determining the amount of information to include in a business communication? (Choose every correct answer.)

Too much information is distracting and makes the message harder to comprehend. The reader might not know how to respond to a message that has too little information.

Which of the following are effective guidelines for achieving a natural writing style that is easy to read?

Use action verbs. Use a doer-action-object (noun-verb-direct object) sentence pattern. Use short, simple words.

In business communication, long paragraphs are generally associated with which kinds of writers? (Choose every correct answer.)

Writers who are disorganized. Writers who expect to claim too much of the reader's time.

The use of specific facts in your business communication will typically help convince the reader about which of the following? (Choose every correct answer.)

You care about the reader. You know what you are talking about.

What should the length of a paragraph in business communication usually be? (Choose every correct answer.)

at least 20 words 40 to 80 words on average no more than 150 words

Passive voice is sometimes the best choice when the writer wants to

avoid sounding bossy. avoid blaming anyone. be perceived as neutral.

When a writer chooses big words that are not common, the reader will most likely

be distracted from the message.

In general, business communications should

be specific in order to answer the reader's questions.

A brochure that is vague will give the impression that the writer lacks Blank______.

credibility

Which two of the following can often be changed into action verbs in an effort to make your writing more dynamic?

forms of the verb to be nouns

The primary focus of a business message should be to impress the reader with Blank______.

ideas

Which of the following words should be avoided in business communication in favor of more familiar expressions?

loquacious bestow opulent

Business writing should be concise in order to

make the message easier to comprehend.

A sentence written in active voice does which of the following? (Choose every correct answer.)

often includes a direct object includes a strong verb identifies the doer (the subject noun)

Redundant words and phrases

repeat the meaning of previously used words and phrases.

Parallel language is important when

the writing contains a series or list.

The important principle in business writing is

to say what needs to be said in as few words as possible.

To write concisely, it is best to Blank______. (Choose every correct answer.)

use short sentences omit unnecessary words control the length of paragraphs

A sentence written in active voice specifies the doer of the action. This is important because

accountability and coordination are vital in business.

Paragraphs that discuss only one idea or topic tend to be which of the following? (Choose every correct answer.)

easy to understand shorter

For routine business communications, what is the highest average number of words per sentence that writers should aim for?

15 words

In general, for complex or analytical business communications, the average written sentence length should be Blank______ or fewer words.

20

How many words should be in the typical paragraph of a business communication?

40 to 80

Which of the following sentences contain redundant words or phrases? (Choose every correct answer.)

Each year we sponsor an annual family retreat that includes friends and family members. We will be happy to aid and assist you with your project. We base our evaluations on a company's past history.

What is the most important reason business communication should be complete?

It allows people to process your message right away.

What is the key to ensuring that a message will include the right amount of information?

Keep asking yourself what information will be necessary to achieve the purpose of the message.

Empty phrases in business communication tend to do which two of the following? (Choose every correct answer.)

Make sentences unnecessarily long Fill space without adding meaning

Which sentence is written in active voice?

Mary hired three new employees the week after she approved the new budget.

What are two reasons that "The dog bit the mailman" is easier to understand than "The mailman was bitten by the dog"?

The first sentence is shorter. People usually think in the active-voice (doer-action-object) pattern.

Which of the following were found to be true in a study by the American Press Institute concerning reader comprehension? (Choose every correct answer.)

The sentences that people understood most easily had no more than 10 words. For sentences longer than 20 words, comprehension fell to 80% or less comprehension.

What is the effect of action verbs on a business communication?

They give a confident, positive tone.

In response to a business communication that is vague, what do people tend to do? (Choose every correct answer.)

become impatient start skimming to find the information they want feel that their questions have not been answered

The best thing to do with wordy prepositional phrases is usually to

change them into single-word verbs.

Which of the following are common sources of inaccurate information in business communication? (Choose every correct answer.)

misinformation miscalculations errors in typing

In business communication, how many ideas or topics should a paragraph usually address?

one

When readers receive a business message that consists of long paragraphs, they typically will

skim the text instead of reading each word.

Short sentences are best for business communication because

they are easier to understand.

When your writing style is similar to the way your readers think and talk,

they will process the information more easily.

To make business writing easier to read and comprehend, you should

write the way your readers think and talk.