Chapter 3 Quiz

Which of the following sentences de-emphasizes the bad news?

Although the company cannot reimburse you for tuition costs, you may attend class during work hours.

Which of the following is not an advantage of frontloading?

Eliminates the need for researching

Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process involves analyzing your purpose, anticipating your audience, and adapting your message to the audience.

False Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process involves researching your topic, organizing your ideas, and composing your first draft. Phase 1 includes analyzing your purpose, anticipating your audience, and adapting your message to the audience.

The direct organizational strategy works well with three kinds of messages: bad news, ideas that require persuasion, and sensitive news.

False The indirect, not direct, organizational strategy works well with bad-news, persuasive, and sensitive messages.

The sentence Business messages should be accurate, concise, and written with clarity demonstrates balanced, or parallel, writing.

False This sentence does not demonstrate balanced, or parallel, writing. To achieve parallel construction, use similar structures and wording to express ideas: Business messages should be accurate, concise, and clear.

To emphasize a main idea through style, you should use underlining, italicizing, or bolding.

False Underlining, italicizing, and bolding are some mechanical, not stylistic, techniques to emphasize a main idea. To achieve emphasis through style, use vivid words, label the main idea, or place the important idea first, last, or in an independent clause.

According to experts, what is the greatest failing of business writers?

Poor organization

Which of the following sentences does not contain a dangling or misplaced modifier?

To apply for financial aid, send in your application by January 1.

A paragraph is unified when it develops a single main idea.

True A paragraph is unified when it develops a single main idea. That idea is usually expressed in a topic sentence at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a paragraph. However, business writers generally place the topic sentence first in a paragraph.

Human Resources Manager Isaac Bauer is researching case studies as he prepares an employee wellness workshop. An effective method of formal research is to search print and online journal articles.

True Because he needs to conduct formal research on wellness, Isaac should search print and online journals for relevant information.

Business writers should strive to keep sentences to 20 words or fewer.

True Business writers should strive for sentences of 20 or fewer words because they have the most impact. However, some sentences may be longer or shorter.

You should strive to use a variety of sentence types in your writing.

True Messages that repeat the same sentence pattern become boring. To avoid monotony and to add spark to your writing, use a variety of sentence types, including simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

Support sentences must relate to the topic sentence.

True One of the hardest things for beginning writers to remember is that all support sentences in a paragraph must relate to the topic sentence because they illustrate, explain, or strengthen the topic sentence.

Well-organized messages group similar items together.

True Well-organized messages group similar items together and follow a sequence that helps the reader understand relationships and accept the writer's views. Unorganized messages fail to emphasize important points and leave readers puzzled, frustrated, and irritated.

Which of the following is a compound sentence?

We know that you'll want to receive the early-bird pricing; therefore, please register for the conference by October 15.

Gina will graduate from Tulane University in July, her brother will graduate from Arizona State University in December is an example of a __________.

comma splice

Brittany is preparing a market analysis for her business plan and knows she will have to conduct formal research to gather the information she needs. To conduct formal research, she should __________.

conduct interviews and surveys or organize a focus group

An effective paragraph __________.

d. focuses on a single main idea

Paragraphs with __________ or fewer lines look inviting and readable.

eight

Business Manager HeatherGuite expects her employees to be displeased or even hostile when she announces a new work schedule that will become effective next month. An effective organizational strategy for Heather is to __________.

explain all background information first

Collecting information before composing a message is important primarily because doing so __________.

helps shape the message

To build paragraph coherence, __________.

incorporate transitional expressions that connect your ideas

Most routine writing tasks, such as composing e-mail messages or informational reports, require information that you can collect __________.

informally

Many job applicants post their résumés on company websites some post on social networking sites such as LinkedIn is an example of a __________.

run-on sentence

Business writers prefer the active voice because in active-voice sentences the __________.

subject is the doer of the action