Business Communications Ch 1, Business communications ch 2, Business Communications ch 3, Business Communications ch 4, Business Communications ch 5, Business Communication ch 6, Business Communications ch 7, Business Communications ch 12

How many commas are needed in the following paragraph to make this grammatically correct? "For communicating with members of your team face-to-face communication is best. Communication that has significant content should be done in person and communication that is purely informational can be delivered over text or email." A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

2

How many total spelling and punctuation errors are in the following paragraph? "Our company has recently purchased the mineral rites to several large tracks of land in Wyoming for oil and gas exploration. We hope to set our operation at one farmers' property along I-25. We have completed the the environmental impact assessment, and it showed that drilling will have no affect on the local wildlife." A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5

5

Which of the following reflects bias free language? A. One of the best applicants was a Latino. B. A female doctor helped my daughter last night. C. A business representative came to the house last night. D. Amy, 42 years old, was the most senior applicant for the job.

A business representative came to the house last night.

The sentence below contains which of the following grammar errors? "Several major airline CEO's held a meeting to discuss new airport security measures, and they all agreed to follow new guidelines." A. Run-on B. Comma Splice C. Fragment/Incomplete D. Apostrophe Use

Apostrophe Use

Which of the following are effective to do during your presentation? Select all that apply. A. Begin with a pause and deliver your first paragraph from memory. This helps you build a connection with the audience. B. Avoid apologizing to the audience, and instead, focus on the presentation. C. Summarize your message and reiterate your main points at the end. D. Pauses should be eliminated from your presentation because they distract your audience from your points and decrease the audience's ability to focus.

B. Avoid apologizing to the audience, and instead, focus on the presentation. C. Summarize your message and reiterate your main points at the end.

Which of the following statements are true about email. Select all that apply. A. Email is outdated and is being replaced by social media and texting. In a few years, email will be gone. B. Business people spend on average 2 hours/day writing and responding to emails. C. The typical worker is overloaded with email, receiving more than 10,000 emails per year on average. D. Deleting an email is an effective way to remove a paper "trail" and makes it unrecoverable.

B. Business people spend on average 2 hours/day writing and responding to emails. C. The typical worker is overloaded with email, receiving more than 10,000 emails per year on average.

Writing is important in fields like English, humanities, and marketing but not in technical fields like finance and engineering. A. True B. False

B. False

Which of the following represents the information age workplace? A. Increased individualized work. B. Increased need for intercultural awareness. C. Expanding management hierarchies. D. Increasing importance on working in a traditional 9-5 office.

B. Increased need for intercultural awareness.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech uses many effective public speaking strategies. Which strategies does Dr. King use in the following paragraph? Answer all that apply. In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." A. Personal Anecdote B. Metaphor C. Simile D. Analogy

B. Metaphor D. Analogy

Which of the following are tips the book suggests for preparing for your presentation? Select all that apply. A. Time your presentation. Most audiences get restless easily. Try to time your talk to be 30-35 minutes maximum. B. Request a lectern. Having a high desk or lectern creates a sense of security for the speaker. C. Avoid interacting with members of the audience before your speech. Save this for Q & A after the talk. D. Preparing thoroughly is one of the most effective strategies for reducing stage fright.

B. Request a lectern. Having a high desk or lectern creates a sense of security for the speaker. D. Preparing thoroughly is one of the most effective strategies for reducing stage fright.

When formatting business letters, which of the following is advisable? Select all that apply. A. Double space the body and single space between paragraphs B. Use block formatting C. Use ragged edges D. Use right justification

B. Use block formatting C. Use ragged edges

All of the following reflect actual considerations when choosing the communication channel. Which is the least important factor when deciding how to contact someone? A. Cost. B. Importance of the message. C. Public Nature vs. Confidentiality D. Convenience.

Convenience.

Which statement best characterizes an effective business tone. A. Formal and structured. B.Conversational and timely. C. Conversational and professional. D. Professional and formal.

Conversational and professional.

You arrive to a meeting 10 minutes late. You walk into the room in the middle of a presentation you were suppose to take notes on. You have sent what kind of negative message? A. Semantic B. Virtual C. Mental D. Nonverbal

D. Nonverbal

All of the following are barriers to listening except.... A. Physical barriers B. Psychological barriers C. Language barriers D. Correct Response Silencing competing sounds

D. Silencing competing sounds

Which of the following are skills employers want in new hires? A. Soft Skills B. Professionalism C. Appreciation of diversity D. Writing Skills E. All of the Above

E. All of the Above

According to the text, which of the following is true about listening? A. More than 50% of our work time is spent listening. B. Immediately following a 10 minute presentation, people only recall about 50% of what they heard. C. Some researchers suggest we only listen at about 25-50% efficiency. D. None of the above are accurate statistics. E. Answers 1-3 are all accurate.

E. Answers 1-3 are all accurate.

All of the following are true about low context cultures except... A. Direct in their communication style. Take words literally. B. Emphasize logic, facts, and objective data. C. Prefer to get down to business and get results. D. Don't mind disagreeing or showing anger. E. Value group membership

E. Value group membership

All of the following statements are true about email except.... A.Email is a permanent record. You shouldn't write anything you wouldn't want your boss, family, or the world to read. Double check before hitting send. B. Email is often the best way to resolve conflict because you can save face. C. Readers make judgments about the message sender based on tone and grammar. D. Email is not typically the best way to make a persuasive argument.

Email is often the best way to resolve conflict because you can save face.

Effective speakers build rapport with the audience. Rapport is a type of informational presentation. A. True B. False

False

Formal business phrases like "as per your request, "Please do not hesitate to," and "every effort will be made" should be used because they are professional in tone. A. True B. False

False

Imagine you are writing a rejection letter. You come to the reasons section. Here, it is important that you use strong words like denied, impossible, and regret to get your point across. A. True B. False

False

Phrases like "fill the bill" and "good to go" should be added to your writing because they are expressions that people understand. A. True B. False

False

Revision is a good practice for beginners. Once you have become a better writer, it is not as useful. A. True B. False

False

The five principles for writing goodwill messages include being selfless, sincere, specific, short, and solemn. B. True C.False

False

The text describes three phases of written communication: writing, revising, and finalizing. A. True B. False

False

Today, email is as secure a mode of communication as snail mail (hard copy letters sent via post). A. True B. False

False

When crafting presentation slideshows, you should use full sentences to boost your credibility. A. True B. False

False

When the bad news involves one person or a small group nearby, emailing or texting is the best strategy because the digital communications allows the group time to save face and gather their emotions. A. True B. False

False

When writing an adjustment letter, apologies should be straightforward, and business writing experts recommend apologies for maintaining satisfied customers. A. True B. False

False

When writing an email or memo, it is not necessary to describe the benefits of your initiative to your reader/audience. A. True B. False

False

When writing instructions or instructional messages, use numbered action verbs for clarity and use the subjunctive mood. A. True B. False

False

The following sentence represents what kind of sentence error? "When George came to the door. Then I answered it. He was dressed in a black suit." A. Run-on B. Fragment C. Comma splice

Fragment

All of the following are organizational strategies except... A. Simple/Complex B. Topic/function C. Value/Size D. Geography/Conventional Grouping E. Problem/Solution

Geography/Conventional Grouping

When gathering research for a project, which of the following requires the most work in terms of evaluating the credibility of the source? A. Company files B. Your boss C. Google search D. A survey that you send out

Google search

The best strategy for submitting a claim or complaint is to write the document with a clearly described desired action, provide evidence for why this claim is justified, and end pleasantly with a goodwill statement. A. True B. False

True

The phrases "true facts" and "absolutely essential" are examples of redundancy because they say the same thing twice. A. True B. False

True

Subject lines should ideally... A. Consist of only one or two words B. Highlight headings like "Issue," "Problem," or "Important" C. Include a verb D. Should be a complete sentence

Include a verb

Please read the following paragraph and identify the best topic sentence for this paragraph. "One engineering company spent $100,000 on soft skills training. Likewise, an accounting firm also spent 58% of their training budget on soft skills training for their employees. One bank spent $1.5 million dollars nationally to help their employees develop soft skills competencies." A. Soft skills training is very time-consuming. B. Soft skills training costs from $100,000 to $1.5 million dollars. C. Many companies are emphasizing soft skills training. D. One company alone is spending $100,000 on soft skills.

Many companies are emphasizing soft skills training.

All of the following are advantages of writing business messages in the "Direct Strategy" format except... A. Saves the reader time B. Helps readers avoid confusing and excessive verbiage C. Minimizes confusion for receptive audiences D. Minimizes negative reactions for unwilling audiences

Minimizes negative reactions for unwilling audiences

Which of the following sentences is the worst in terms of using "excessive exuberance"? A. After thoroughly searching the internet, the firm found the cheapest source of materials available. B. The company invested in a significant amount of property to insure their business could grow. C. The client was extremely upset to realize that he was not definitely entitled to a refund. D. The manufacturer realized that they were producing an excessive amount of unnecessary goods.

The client was extremely upset to realize that he was not definitely entitled to a refund.

In general, active voice is preferred, however, which of the following is an instance when passive voice works well? A. To conceal the doer of an action B. To emphasize clarity C. To highlight positive news D. To achieve parallelism

To conceal the doer of an action

"Be" verbs such as "there is"/"there are" often can be cut to improve sentence efficiency. A. True B. False

True

Apologizing is a good strategy because it helps convey empathy and sensitivity, assuming it will not prompt a lawsuit. A. True B. False

True

At the heart of biased-free language is the idea that we need to focus on a person's merits and not their age, gender, or race. A. True B. False

True

Business writing should be purposeful, persuasive, concise, and should vary in tone depending on who is to receive the message. A. True B. False

True

Communication experts suggest that presenters should tell a story rather than simply outline bullet points. A. True B. False

True

In certain situations, hard-copy letters are still the preferred channel of communication for delivering messages outside an organization. A. True B. False

True

Long lead-ins refer to unnecessary words in the introductory part of a sentence. Long lead-ins should be condensed. A. True B. False

True

Revising a written document takes a considerable amount of time. A. True B. False

True

Which of the following does the textbook suggest are ways to capture an audience's attention? Select all that apply. A. Establish your credibility B. Outline your main points C. Talk about your knowledge, expertise, and qualifications D. Identify with the audience

A. Establish your credibility B. Outline your main points C. Talk about your knowledge, expertise, and qualifications D. Identify with the audience

The textbook talks about how providing the reasons for negative news is important. Which of the following are strategies the book recommends? Select all that apply. A. Explain the cause of the bad news before disclosing the actual bad news. B. If sincere, cite reader benefits, such as the fact that someone or something else benefited. C. Don't explain company policy because this shows you don't care about the reader. D. Try to show that the evidence was considered fairly and seriously.

A. Explain the cause of the bad news before disclosing the actual bad news. B. If sincere, cite reader benefits, such as the fact that someone or something else benefited. D. Try to show that the evidence was considered fairly and seriously.

The textbook mentions several strategies for approaching different audience types. Which of the following statements is completely correct? Select all that apply. A. Friendly: this type of audience likes you and your topic. You can use any pattern. Be sure to be warm and positive. Use humor and personal experiences. B. Neutral: this type of audience is calm and rational, but they may have already made up their minds. Present both sides of the issue fairly with humor and stories, and be more animated in your gestures. C. Uninterested: this audience has a short attention span, and they may be there against their will. Be brief and avoid patterns that seem lengthy. Be more controlled in your gestures. D. Hostile: they want to take charge or ridicule the speaker. They may also be defensive or emotional. Use a noncontroversial pattern such as chronological, and be calm and controlled. Avoid humor.

A. Friendly: this type of audience likes you and your topic. You can use any pattern. Be sure to be warm and positive. Use humor and personal experiences. D. Hostile: they want to take charge or ridicule the speaker. They may also be defensive or emotional. Use a noncontroversial pattern such as chronological, and be calm and controlled. Avoid humor.

Which of the following are best practices for time management with regard to sending emails? Select all that apply. A. If you receive an email but don't have time to respond immediately, send a quite note telling the sender when you plan to respond. B. Check your email at set times to decrease email's distracting effect. C. Make sure and keep your email inbox open at all times so you can respond as quickly as possible. D. Consider the two minute rule: if you can respond to a message within two minutes, then take care of it immediately.

A. If you receive an email but don't have time to respond immediately, send a quite note telling the sender when you plan to respond. B. Check your email at set times to decrease email's distracting effect. D. Consider the two minute rule: if you can respond to a message within two minutes, then take care of it immediately.

Closing pleasantly is an important part of delivering bad news in a sensitive way. Which of the following are strategies for promoting goodwill? Select all that apply. A. Include freebies or coupons. B. Wish the person goodwill moving forward. C. Talk about future relations or business interactions. D. Encourage further correspondence and apologize at the end of the conversation.

A. Include freebies or coupons. B. Wish the person goodwill moving forward. C. Talk about future relations or business interactions.

Which of the following are best practices for delivering bad news? Select all that apply. A. One goal is to make readers understand and accept the bad news. B. You should use language that respects the receiver but also attempts to reduce bad feelings. C. Do everything you can to show that a decision was fair, impartial, and rational. D. Demonstrate your desire to maintain a positive and pleasant relationship.

A. One goal is to make readers understand and accept the bad news. B. You should use language that respects the receiver but also attempts to reduce bad feelings. C. Do everything you can to show that a decision was fair, impartial, and rational. D. Demonstrate your desire to maintain a positive and pleasant relationship.

When writing nonsensitive emails, which of the following are suggested best practices? A. Organize the message using the direct strategy B. Organize the message using the indirect strategy C. Reveal the main idea towards the end of the body D. Explain and justify the main idea in the conclusion to wrap things up E. Include action info or deadlines in the closing

A. Organize the message using the direct strategy E. Include action info or deadlines in the closing

When responding to customers online, which of the following does our text suggest? Select all that apply. A. Respond in a friendly and upbeat tone and avoid blaming or arguing with others. B. Tell customers your name, and keep your position in the company private so you don't bias them. C. Respond in a timely fashion, typically within a week. D. Point users to valuable information on your website and try to be helpful. E. Own up to problems and mistakes, and inform customers when and how you will improve the situation.

A. Respond in a friendly and upbeat tone and avoid blaming or arguing with others. D. Point users to valuable information on your website and try to be helpful. E. Own up to problems and mistakes, and inform customers when and how you will improve the situation.

Which of the following statements are true about texting and instant messaging (IM)? Select all that apply. A. Texting is beneficial because it allows people to get quick, unobtrusive answers to questions. B. If an employee is texting while driving for work, this creates a legal liability. C. If an employee is texting while driving for work, the employee is personally liable for accidents, not the company. D. Text messages and IM can become evidence in lawsuits and legal cases.

A. Texting is beneficial because it allows people to get quick, unobtrusive answers to questions. B. If an employee is texting while driving for work, this creates a legal liability. D. Text messages and IM can become evidence in lawsuits and legal cases.

When should you use the direct strategy to convey negative news? Select all that apply. A. When the bad news is not damaging. In other words, the bad news is not significant. B. When you think the receiver may overlook the bad news. This includes policy changes or legal announcements. C. When the recipient or organization prefers directness. Some audiences simply want to be communicated with in a direct manner. D. When people will be surprised by information, especially if it is significant. Since they are likely to be blind-sided by the news, it is most effective to get the message across as quickly as possible.

A. When the bad news is not damaging. In other words, the bad news is not significant. B. When you think the receiver may overlook the bad news. This includes policy changes or legal announcements. C. When the recipient or organization prefers directness. Some audiences simply want to be communicated with in a direct manner.

When should you use the indirect strategy for communicating bad news? Select all that apply. A. When the bad news is personally upsetting. B. When you believe the bad news will be well-received. C. When the bad news threatens the customer relationship. D. When the bad news is unexpected.

A. When the bad news is personally upsetting. C. When the bad news threatens the customer relationship. D. When the bad news is unexpected.

Which of the following are true about increasing the readability (or skim value) of a written document? Select all that apply. A. White space is important for increasing readability. B. With today's culture of texting, headings are not very useful for highlighting information and improving readability. C. Readability and skimming can be increased by the use of headings and bulleted or numbered lists. D. Using three or more different typefaces in a document helps readers know what is important and aids clarity.

A. White space is important for increasing readability. C. Readability and skimming can be increased by the use of headings and bulleted or numbered lists.

"Indirect" business messages work well with what kind of news? A. Sensitive news B. Bad news C. Ideas that require persuasion D. News that is likely going to be unpleasant to the reader E. All of the above

All of the above

Companies use blogs in order to... A. Provide up to date company information to the press and public. B. Do market research and get consumer feedback. C. Develop an online community following. D. All of the above are true

All of the above are true

Which of the following is unprofessional and should never appear in email/memos/face-to-face communication at work? A. LOL!!! I totally get it. BTW... B. Hey sweetheart, I owe you one! C. What about the old man? D. I can't believe Johnny could be such an idiot. He's f'*#*'d up again, hasn't he? E. All of the above are unprofessional.

All of the above are unprofessional.

Work texting etiquette: which of the following are correct? Select all that are true. A. Use texting to send private and confidential information because you know who will receive it. B. With texting, you should not always expect an instant reply because you don't know when the recipient will read the message. C. Texting is the polite way to express sad news because it helps people save face. D. It is not good business etiquette to text or answer a text while you are having a face-to-face conversation with someone else.

B. With texting, you should not always expect an instant reply because you don't know when the recipient will read the message. D. It is not good business etiquette to text or answer a text while you are having a face-to-face conversation with someone else.

Which of the following represents a dangling modifier? A. Excited about the project, Amy decided to work late. B. Because he left early for lunch, the memo did not reach John's desk until 5pm. C. Working together as a team, we finished about three a.m. D. Because TriStar was such a valuable client, we spent three days working out the contract

Because he left early for lunch, the memo did not reach John's desk until 5 pm.

Which is the correct order of the four-part strategy for delivering bad news? A. Buffer, bad news, reasons, closing B. Reasons, buffer, bad news closing C. Buffer, reasons, bad news, closing D. Closing, Bad news, reasons, buffer

Buffer, reasons, bad news, closing

Eva is a mid-level American business executive working for a tea-company based in the United States. She visits Japan, a high context culture. What does she need to know most? A. High context cultures are difficult to influence. Therefore, Eva knows once Japanese owners agree on negotiations, they are ironclad. B. High context cultures are defined by individual gains. The Japanes are most likely going to want to discuss hard facts first and then have dinner later. If she mis-steps, Eva can rest assured that the Japanese will confront her. C. High context cultures value relationships and preserving one another's "face." It is likely they will take Eva out to dinner to get to know her. The Japanese business executives may hint at their point of view rather than state it outright. D. High context cultures hold a relaxed view towards power and status. Therefore, Eva knows she will probably be talking to the highest boss in the company about securing an American account. Furthermore, she can expect to be treated as an equal.

C. High context cultures value relationships and preserving one another's "face." It is likely they will take Eva out to dinner to get to know her. The Japanese business executives may hint at their point of view rather than state it outright.

All of the following behaviors are unprofessional except... A. Having incomplete sentences in work emails B. Using your cell phone or tablet to text during a meeting or face-to-face conversation. C. Texting a client when you believe a phone call would bother others. D. Using slang or uptalk.

C. Texting a client when you believe a phone call would bother others.

Edward Hall's four zones of social interaction refer to... A. zones we use for meetings compared to social interaction. B. zones at work that we like to regulate. C. our perception of appropriate use of social space and privacy. D. ways we use space to show our approval of colleagues.

C. our perception of appropriate use of social space and privacy.

Identify the grammar error in the following sentence. "Andy and Elizabeth are real estate managers who work for an international company, they manage both personal and commercial properties." A. Run-on B. Passive Voice C. Comma Splice D. Dangling Modifier

Comma Splice

All of the following are true about how you should post a review online except... A. You should keep your complaint clean, polite, and to the point. B. Your post or review may remain indefinitely online, even if you C. Commenting anonymously protects you from subpoenas. D. Reply if a business offers to help or discuss the problem, and update your original post as necessary.

Commenting anonymously protects you from subpoenas.

Identify the grammar error in the following sentence. "The analysis will be finished by Tuesday night, and the report will be on your desk by Wednesday morning." A. Run-on B. Comma Splice C. Dangling Modifier D. Passive Voice

Passive Voice

All of the following are techniques for improving your writing clarity through emphasis except one. Which is not true? A. Using mechanical devices like underlining, bold, and font changes. B. Style C. Label the main idea D. Place the main idea first or last. E. Place the main idea in a dependent clause.

Place the main idea in a dependent clause.

Which of the following is the best "Opening" for a non-sensitive email? A. For the past few months, the HR office has been debating changes in our departmental structure B. Since October, employees have been frustrated with the way things are run... C. Please review the following changes to the HR structure and email us by September 12 D.In 2009, as you all know, the economic crisis influenced our organizational hierarchy

Please review the following changes to the HR structure and email us by September 12

Identify the grammar error in the following sentence. "When John puts the financial statements on my desk I will file the report immediately." A. Comma Splice B. Run-on C. Prepositional Phrase Comma Error D. Passive Voice

Prepositional Phrase Comma Error

The following sentence represents what kind of sentence error? "One job candidate arrived at the gate on time the other two were over thirty minutes late. Suffice it to say the first candidate made a better impression." A. Run-on B. Fragment C. Comma splice

Run-on

Read the following sentence and identify the type of grammatical error. "Companies that purchase investment property on borrowed money must make sure their income from that property exceeds the loan amount and they also must verify that the property does not have any liens." A. Comma Splice B. Passive Voice C. Run-on sentence D. Fragment

Run-on sentence

The text recommends using a combination of 4 types of sentences for clarity with business messages. Which of the following is not one of these types? A. Simple B. Simple Compound C. Compound D. Compound-complex

Simple Compound