COMS 363

Of the following the best example of an opening for an information response is ________.

"Attached is a brochure that details the health plan options you requested"

The best opening sentence for an information response is ________.

"Here is a copy of our brochure Selling Your Home"

The best subject line for a persuasive memo is: ________.

"Improving Customer Service"

The following phrase is the most effective way to mention the cost of an item: ________.

"Only $240 per month"

The following phrase or set of words is appropriate in a bad news message cancelling a workshop: ________.

"Please let me know if either of these alternative dates will be suitable.

The following question is unlikely to lead to an analytical report: ________.

"Should we hire a new cashier?"

The following sentence would make the best closing in an indirect plan message: ________.

"Thank you for your interest in our products"

________ is an incorrect statement about this sequence of numbers: 12 14 8 17 9.

"The range is 8"

The following is a good comment to make in a buffer: ________.

"We appreciate your efforts to raise staff morale"

The following sentence is an example of an implied refusal: ________.

"We are pleased to accept credit cards debit and money orders"

The following sentence is a good way to close a claim refusal: ________.

"We look forward to your next visit to our restaurant"

The following sentence would make the best opening for a cover letter: ________.

"With ten years of experience in accounting I am an excellent candidate for the Accounts Payable position advertised in the Vancouver Sun on February 15."

The following is an effective sentence for minimizing reader resistance: ________.

"You will actually save money after using our product for a year"

The following sentence has an appropriate tone for a bad news message: ________.

"Your account has been closed due to late payments"

The best example of a dateline in European correspondence is ________.

12 February 2014

The term millennials refers to individuals born between ________.

1980 and 2000

When planning messages that are likely to be read on mobile devices keep subject lines and headings under ________ characters each.

30

________ of companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2008 reported some type of sustainability practice.

80 per cent

A 2010 Leger Marketing study found that ________ of Canadian organizations utilize social media as a public engagement tool.

90 per cent

In North America close to ________ of business professionals engage in collaborative writing.

90 per cent

In a formal report appendices are labelled ________.

A B C

________ is not necessarily a bad news message.

A letter assessing an employee's performance

________ is a good way to open and close a message.

A single-sentence paragraph

The following sentence is poorly constructed: ________.

A sole proprietorship is when the business is owned directly by a single person.

________ is an example of secondary research.

Accessing an annual report

An appeal to the "safety and security" level on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs would be used by ________.

An appeal to the "safety and security" level on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs would be used by ________.

________ does not require persuasion.

Announcing bad news to employees

________ is not a primary goal when writing a negative message.

Apologizing

The section of a report that presents your suggestions for solving a problem should be called ________.

Approach and findings

________ is an effective way of gaining attention in a sales letter.

Asking a question

________ contain two or more independent clauses joined only by a comma.

Comma splices

________ is not a type of bad news message.

Consoling someone on the loss of a loved one

________ is not a common letter format.

Formal

The following question is an open question: ________.

How can we get more customers?

The following subject line is appropriate for the delivery of unfavourable news: ________.

Hydro rates to rise on January 1"

The following opening is the most appropriate for an action request: ________.

I joined your health club because it was recommended by a colleague"

An ineffective way to begin a favour request would be ________.

I know you're very busy but I would like to ask you to speak to our group"

To write an effective fundraising message for a charity follow these steps: ________.

Identify an important problem show that the problem is solvable explain how the organization is working to solve the problem ask for a donation

The following sentence is most emphatic: ________.

January 30 is the deadline for applications.

Parts of a paragraph plan include all but one of the following: ________.

Know your line of reasoning

________ show the relationship between two variables on a grid.

Line graphs

The listing of charts tables and illustrations in a formal report is called the ________.

List of Figures

________ is not a way of "tapping into the hidden job market."

Making unannounced visits to the company you want to work for

The following best describes the basic indirect writing plan for persuasive messages: ________.

Obtain interest prove how the reader will benefit and ask for action

The following is a balanced sentence: ________.

Our family likes to go skiing swimming and camping.

________ are written and filed at regular intervals according to schedule.

Periodic reports

________ show values as proportions of the whole.

Pie charts

A ________ is a recent trend in short written reports especially periodic reports.

PowerPoint report

________ is not a good way to de-emphasize bad news.

Putting it in the beginning of a paragraph

________ are a form of primary research.

Questionnaires

The ________ section is not a component of an informal proposal.

Recommendations

________ are longer than average business letters because they are rich in detail.

Sales letters

The ________ section is not common to both formal proposals and formal reports.

Schedule

________ research involves retrieving information based on other people's experiences and observations.

Secondary

________ is not an example of a logical fallacy.

Semper fidelis

The following sentence contains a dangling modifier: ________.

Stapled in the corner you will find the reports in the credenza.

The best way to begin a request memo is ________.

The best way to begin a request memo is ________.

The following sentence is most grammatically correct: ________.

The premiums must be paid before June. We will review our policies.

The following is not an effective heading in an informal report: ________.

Those helpful suggestions

________ show logical temporal and spatial relationships.

Transitional expressions

________ of executives surveyed believe that social media are critical or important to corporate efforts.

Two-thirds

The following sentence has the maximum impact: ________.

Until July 15th save 20 per cent on patio furniture.

The following sentence contains a comma splice: ________.

We would like to inquire about your products please send us some information.

The following is a good tip for resumé writing: ________.

You need to change your resumé constantly

The following claim would require an indirect persuasive approach: ________.

Your MP3 player's battery went dead after the warranty expired

The following is most emphatic: ________.

Your work—especially with clients—has been exemplary.

Patty needs to compare sales figures across the country. She should use ________.

a bar chart

Instructional messages do not typically include ________.

a bulleted lists of steps

Rajeed wrote to his customer: "I will be forced to proceed with legal action if you do not respond by July 15." He is writing ________.

a demand letter

Sami has been asked to follow up on a long disagreement with a customer with a final refusal to pay his claim. In her buffer she should include ________.

a history of past communications

Philip needs to report on weekly sales figures at his outlet over the past year. He should use ________.

a line graph

A unique characteristic of a scannable resumé is ________.

a list of keywords

A response letter is ________.

a marketing document

Priya sells mouse pads in Waterloo ON but sends weekly sales reports to the head office in Victoria BC. She should send ________.

a periodic report in the format of a memo

Most persuasive memos involve ________.

a problem and a solution

By law employers are not allowed to ask ________.

about your marital status

Instructional messages are ________.

action-oriented

To make social media communication rich you need to ________.

add links or photos

The purpose of a Recommendations section in a report is to ________.

advise the reader on a course of action

Within a persuasive memo the request should be placed ________.

after a description of the facts and benefits

The transition expression ________ does not show time sequence.

although

In a bad news message using a direct writing plan the explanation is always followed by ________.

an alternative

One drawback of the indirect structure in bad news messages is that the reader might interpret it as ________.

an attempt to manipulate

Usually the more serious the bad news is the more readers benefit from ________.

an explanation that helps them understand the situation and put it in perspective

An effective employment refusal should begin with ________.

appreciation for the applicant's interest in the company

You've been called in to a job interview but you don't know what the company is paying. You should ________.

ask briefly about salary but focus on what you can do for the company

To submit a resumé by e-mail you should not ________.

attach the resumé to your e-mail message (unless it is requested that you do so)

You should begin an order request letter by ________.

authorizing the purchase of the vendor's products

Report writers should base their reports on reliable facts and evidence ________.

because they are legal documents and can be used in court

Networking includes ________.

becoming involved in community activities and attending networking events or conferences

When replying to a claim request you should ________.

begin by granting the requested adjustment

Before beginning research for your report you should ________.

brainstorm

The ________ section of an indirect bad news message is a first defence against toxic messaging.

buffer

Micro-blogs are not ________.

characterized by long detailed messages

Citing the sources of the material you used helps the report achieve ________.

clarity

Reports that disclose information to governing bodies are called ________.

compliance reports

Appendices are not ________.

composed solely of tables

When preparing a text message always ________.

consider the effect on the reader

A phrase is a group of words ________.

containing a subject and verb which cannot stand on its own as a complete sentence

Using social media does not include ________.

delivering and exchanging paper mail

An ultimatum urgently asking for payment and warning of the penalties for non-payment is usually found in a(n) ________ letter.

demand collection

A blog is similar to a ________.

diary

The skill of negotiation refers to the ability to ________.

discern and respect multiple perspectives

To minimize resistance you should ________.

discuss the reader's objections

To conduct a good interview you should not ________.

distract the interviewee by providing beverages and snacks

You receive a request but pass it on to a specialist in another department. This shows that you ________.

do not have the knowledge or authority to process the request

When using information from an article in a print journal you do not need to record the ________.

editor of the journal

A good writer would not use the passive voice to ________.

emphasize the doer

Internal corporate blogs are directed at __________.

employees

A proposal's highlights are provided in persuasive non-technical language in the ________.

executive summary

Single-sentence paragraphs can be used ________.

for message openers and closers

An order acknowledgement should not include ________.

forceful promotion of other products

The steps in a persuasive claim message are ________.

gain attention prove your claim and request action

Effective employment refusals ________.

gently encourage the applicant

A positive response to a reader's request should ________.

get straight to the good news

The function of ________ is primarily social.

goodwill messages

A complex sentence ________.

has one independent and one dependent clause

A chronological resumé is the best format for people who ________.

have few gaps in their work experience

A report's "skimmability" means ________.

helping make the report accessible by using a readable font headings lists and white space

In the Introduction section of a formal report the writer should mention ________.

how data was collected

The first thing to mention in a persuasive claim is ________.

how much you've enjoyed working with the company in the past

The word ________ is not a subordinate/dependent clause marker.

however

Using social media for external communication results in ________.

improved outreach

In a bad news message a good place to use a compliment is ________.

in the buffer

Your LinkedIn profile should not include ________.

inaccurate skills

Learning how to use social media ethically and effectively is ________.

increasingly important for all levels of staff

The application or cover letter should ________.

interpret the information in the resumé

There are three kinds of corporate blogs: ________.

intranet event and product

To customize your profile URL for LinkedIn you should make sure that it ________.

is a single word

LinkedIn is an excellent resource for ________.

job seekers

Follow-up employment messages do not include ________.

job-application letters

Appropriate methods for creating balance on a page do not include ________.

justified right margins

The ________ is not part of the front matter of a formal proposal.

list of references

During a job interview do not ________.

make eye contact

Social media ________ an organization's message.

make it harder to control

A flow chart ________.

maps out procedures processes or sequences of movement

A persuasive sales message would contain and appeal to the "esteem" level on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs when promoting ________.

membership in a new golf and country club

People in high-context cultures prefer ________.

messages that are not written in direct-approach style

Team-written reports ________.

need every member to be satisfied with the final draft

Cover letters for formal proposals do not ________.

need to be addressed to a department

Incident reports ________.

need to be written and submitted within 24 to 72 hours

In business communications an impersonal writing style is ________.

objective

When declining an invitation you should ________.

offer a constructive alternative if one is available

Canada Post's guidelines for formatting envelopes do not include ________.

omitting the return address on envelopes with pre-printed destination addresses

Questions in request letters should be ________.

open-ended so more than a "yes" or "no" answer is required

Words or ideas from another source are acknowledged in the text of a report using ________.

parenthetical citations

Trip or conference reports do not include ________.

personal details of the attendee's trip

The main point in a direct approach message is ________.

presented in the first paragraph

The practice of social media measurement may raise ________ concerns.

privacy

A message using the indirect writing strategy ________.

provides the explanation before the bad news

When readers act out because they feel limits have been unfairly imposed on them it is known as ________.

psychological reactance

The main purpose of a Conclusions section in a report is to ________.

pull together points made in the report

Goodwill messages ________.

put you in a positive light

In a report headings should not be ________.

ranked

The data you use in a report do not have to be ________.

raw

Persuasive messages should appeal to the reader's ________.

reasoning emotions and ethics

When writing a formal report the writer should ________.

refer to the company's preferences

Boolean logic ________.

refers to a way of refining online searches using descriptors

The typical pattern for collection letters is ________.

reminder inquiry and demand

Reference lists do not ________.

replace in-text citations

In the opening of a solicited application letter it is inappropriate to ________.

request an interview

Topic sentences are not recommended for paragraphs that ________.

reveal bad news

RSS stands for ________.

rich site summary

Expressing anger in a claim request ________.

risks antagonizing the reader

Informational report topics are unlikely to include ________.

schedules

Once a job interview is over you should ________.

send a thank-you letter the next day

You just received a huge order for office supplies from a new customer. You should ________.

send an acknowledgement letter or e-mail about shipping details

Transitional words and phrases _________.

show logical temporal and spatial relationships

A congratulatory letter to a former colleague should ________.

show you are happy

The two S's in the STARS technique for interviewing stand for ________.

situation and skills

The most effective visual aids are not ________.

skewed

Immediacy and ________ underlie the social media experience.

spontaneity

In order to manage their time effectively report writers should always ________.

start early

The main goal of a proposal is to ________.

suggest the means for solving a problem

Making negative remarks about previous employers ________.

suggests that you have interpersonal communication problems

You would write an order request letter when ________.

telephone fax and website are not available

The multimodal nature of mobile communication brings the advantages of ________ to bear on organization communications and the needs of employees and stakeholders.

text image voice and video

Goodwill messages do not include ________.

thanking a client for making it to a meeting on time

A customer wrote you an angry letter accusing your company of dishonesty and fraudulent behaviour. You have to grant her what she is asking. Your response should show ________.

that you deserve your reputation for good customer service

A functional resumé is not considered to be ________.

the "standard" resumé style

The best strategy for emphasizing who is responsible for an action is to use ________.

the active voice

A creative or non-standard resumé includes ________.

the applicant's qualifications presented in a creative way such as in a website or video

A social media campaign is an increasingly exploitable marketing tool because it provides access to millions of current and potential customers without ________.

the cost of advertising

Bad news messages should be delivered using ________.

the direct or indirect strategy

The tone of a collection letter is determined by ________.

the length of time the bill has been unpaid

A request for proposal is not ________.

the same as an external proposal

The work experience section of the resumé does not include ________.

the supervisor's name

The first sentence in a paragraph announces the main idea and is called ________.

the topic sentence

Audience members like podcasts because ________.

they are highly portable and offer an alternative to written content

Fifty-seven per cent of users abandon a website if it takes more than ________ seconds to load.

three

The following is not a good reason for citing and documenting information: ________.

to awe your readers

According to a US Consumer Device Preference Report from Movable Inc. roughly ________ of all e-mail is now opened on smartphones or tablets.

two-thirds

To use Twitter effectively a company should ________.

use a likeable tone

On your Twitter profile do not ________.

use a selfie as a profile photo

Marta has a reputation for being a cold person because she writes brutally frank bad news letters to clients. Instead Marta should ________.

use an indirect structure with a logical explanation

To create a scannable resumé you should ________.

use white space as a formatting tool

Parallelism involves ________.

using the same grammatical form for items in a list

A ________ chart is not a type of bar chart.

vertical

When preparing for an interview ________.

wear clothes that are slightly more formal than you would wear on the job

A blog is a special kind of ________ managed by one person or a team.

web page

The word/phrase ________ is not a transitional expression.

when

You should include your grade point average (GPA) in your resumé ________.

when it's very high

The list of references in MLA style is called ________.

works cited

You would convey bad news indirectly rather than directly when ________.

you don't know the reader very well

When organizing a resumé ________ should come right after the objective statement.

your most noteworthy qualification

________ decision-making demonstrates a commitment to hearing and understanding the positions of all members a willingness to change viewpoints to strengthen the team and a general acceptance that the decision reached is the best one.

Consensus

________ is not a component to the rhetorical situation according to Lloyd Bitzer.

Eisegesis

________ is/are not part of good writing.

Frequent apologies

An example of a high-context culture is ________.

Korea

In a formal business proposal the phrase ________ would be acceptable.

Make best use of

________ are informal and simple and are created by combining verbs and prepositions to deliver their meaning.

Phrasal verbs

________ allows the writer to analyze the context in which the message will be received.

Prewriting

________ show what the receiver stands to gain from the proposal outlined in a business message.

Reader benefits

________ are gestures that control interaction such as leaning forward to signal entry into a conversation.

Regulators

According to PIPEDA personal information includes ________.

Social Insurance Number, bank account number, & ethnic origin

The following phrase is most appropriate for business writing: ________.

Thank you

Planning a document before writing it is ________.

a form of risk prevention

I am writing to advise you that Friday's casual dress rules are changing is an example of a sentence with ________.

a long lead-in

The phrase I am writing to inform you that we have regularized our customer services contains ________.

a long lead-in and a noun conversion

The ability to communicate effectively is ________.

a soft skill

Company intranets ________.

allow employees to share insider information in a protected web environment

The sentence Tom told Jerry that he would never borrow his motorcycle again is an example of ________.

ambiguity

In business communications buzzwords ________.

are trendy attention-getters

One can achieve conciseness by ________.

avoiding redundancies

The word ________ is an example of plain language.

begin

Kinesics is the study of ________.

body language

The best way to communicate a brief uncomplicated question would be ________.

by voicemail

Downward communication from superiors to subordinates ________.

can travel from person to person in a chain

Demand for the use of plain language began ________.

centuries ago

In business communications writers should ________.

choose words that are clear and purposeful

The phrases true to form and at this moment are examples of ________.

clichés

The word communication derives from a Latin root word meaning ________.

common

When writing one should use ________ whenever possible.

concrete nouns

In terms of non-verbal communication a job candidate who says she is "confident" but rarely makes eye contact during the interview is demonstrating ________.

contradiction

Regulation in non-verbal communication includes the ability to ________.

control non-verbal displays to suit social situations

Ethical business conduct ________.

creates and advantage in the marketplace

Skilled communicators shape their messages according to the needs within their organizational culture and their ________ environment.

cultural

A word's ________ is its literal dictionary definition.

denotation

A group of communicators who share a goal or interest in adopting a way of participating in a public discussion is called a ________.

discourse community

The use of emoticons and emoji is ________.

distracting and should be limited

Secondary audiences include ________.

employees who will be affected by the action or decision

In communication age and cultural gaps are examples of ________.

environmental interference

Business ethics stipulates that ________.

executives and employees at every level do the right thing

Communicators in high-context cultures ________.

expect messages to be transmitted through words and non-verbal cues

The best way to communicate bad news is ________.

face-to-face

Kinesics is an important area of study that helps speakers to understand the listener's ________.

facial expressions

Teams need to pass through the following four states of behavioural development: ________.

forming storming norming and performing

Unprofessional behaviour includes ________.

gossiping about colleagues

Professional boundaries ________.

help employees work safely comfortably and productively

Audience profiling ________.

helps the writer determine the best message

Communication theory does not help to explain ________.

how we learn to speak

When businesses manage manufactured risks those risks include potentials for loss from ________.

identity theft

Communications researcher and UCLA professor Albert Mehrabian found that in spoken communication 7 per cent of the meaning is ________.

in the words that are spoken

In cross-functional teams ________.

individuals with different areas of expertise share information for a common goal

Most business communication has only one of two purposes: ________.

informing or persuading

The specialized vocabulary used by specific groups trades or professions is called ________.

jargon

In terms of non-verbal communication nodding one's head is an example of ________.

kinesics

Every document (letter email or report) is in reality a _________.

legal contract acceptable as evidence in a court of law

The form of editing that involves editing for sentence style and format is called ________.

line editing and proofreading

An audience-focused message has immediate relevance because it is responsive to an audience's ________.

needs

All of the following are examples of feedback except ________.

offering to get coffee or tea for someone else

When speaking with someone from another culture always ________.

pay attention to non-verbal clues

Risks in information and communication technologies include ________.

piracy, cyberwarfare, & identity theft

The process of analyzing a writing task and its context at the beginning is called ________.

prewriting

All communications whether for business or other contexts must be formulated based on the ________.

purpose and audience

Workers can show professionalism by ________.

putting clients first

Using plain language means ________.

putting the reader first

Teams can be measured and understood in terms of three dimensions of performance: ________.

quantity quality and satisfaction

Ways to gain the insight and information you need to set professional boundaries include ________.

reading your job description and employment manual

Interpersonal communication involves attitudes behaviours and cognition and the roles they play in creating and managing ________.

relationships

Communicators in low-context cultures ________.

rely on what is said rather than how it is said

Grammar checkers in word processing programs ________.

require the user's judgement

In business messages outlining is ________.

required for long and complex documents

Good writers ________.

revise and edit all their work before sending it out

In concise writing the best strategy is to ________.

revise noun conversions

Plain language ________.

saves time and makes ideas meaningful

The breadth and depth of detail of a project is called its ________.

scope

In communication bypassing is a type of ________.

semantic interference

The ________ method of message development describes the arrangement of steps in a process.

sequential

When a lead author produces an initial draft and the other participants propose and discuss modifications this technique is called ________ writing.

sequential

Bartering is a concept that is part of the ________.

share or peer economy

If a listener says she agrees but raises her eyebrows to suggest she's having doubts ________.

she is sending a mixed message

The ability to communicate effectively is thought of as a(n) ________.

soft skill

Communication is not ________.

solitary

Verbal communication with people from other cultures involves ________.

stopping from time to time to see if they are following what you are saying

Being a good corporate citizen does not involve ________.

suppressing or de-emphasizing important information

The scope of any form of communication refers to ________.

the breadth and depth of detail in a document relative to the subject

Teams are different from work groups because the focus in teams is on ________.

the collective production of a product

Brain drain is defined as ________.

the loss of experts to other countries

In business messages "register" refers to ________.

the variety of language and level of formality used for a specific purpose

In a global business environment relationships thrive on ________.

trust

Social competence includes the ability to ________.

understand other people's mood motives and behaviours

Good business writing does not ________.

use ambiguity to confuse the reader

When writing gender-neutral business correspondence ________.

use both masculine and feminine pronouns or their and they

When brainstorming or mapping the writer should ________.

use free association

Effective written communication with cross-cultural readers does not involve ________.

using humour irony or sarcasm

Being concise involves ________.

using the fewest words possible while still being complete and accurate

You should use jargon when you want to ________.

write for people who use the same vocabulary

Using humour in an international e-mail shows that ________.

you should be sent on a communications training course

When deciding what to wear in the workplace you need to consider ________.

your role interactions and location