Business Writing

As a business writer, you must make your messages clear. One way to achieve clarity is to apply the KISS formula, which stands for ________ .

Keep it short and simple. As a business writer, your goal is to express, not impress. Therefore, one way to achieve clearer writing is to apply the KISS formula, which stands for Keep It Short and Simple. This formula emphasizes active-voice sentences that use direct and clear language.

Drop cliches, slang, and business buzzwards

Last but not least, we must cut costs - We must cut costs Hey, prof, what do you think of my killer paper? - Professor, what do you think of my paper? Our point man will telephonically communicate our relanguaged proposal to you. - Jake will call you with our revised proposal

The sentence Please do not hesitate to call me could be revised for clarity by eliminating a(n) ________ .

This sentence could be made more concise by replacing the trite business phrase "Please do not hesitate to" with just the word "Please."

Limit long lead-ins

This to let you know that Monday is a holiday - Monday is a holiday I am sending this e-mail to announce that our internal audit begins January 5. - Our internal audit begins January 5.

Eliminate flabby expressions

at this point in time - now due to the fact - because in very few cases - seldom despite the fact that - although in the near future - soon

Reject redundancies

combined together - combined exact same - exact or same my personal opinion - my opinion refer back - refer

Headings can be an effective tool to highlight information, improve readability, and ________ .

Headings not only add visual impact but also encourage the writer to group similar material together, help the reader separate major ideas from details, allow a busy reader to skim familiar and less important information, and give the reader a quick preview or review of the important ideas.

Purge empty words

In this case, General Motors the car company was reorganized. - General Motors was reorganized

Keep short and simple (KISS)

It would not be advisable for to affix your signature at this point and time. - You should sign now

What is the best way to judge the success of your communication?

The best way to judge the success of your messages is feedback from your receiver. This feedback will tell you how to modify your efforts to improve your communication.

Brenda has written her résumé and has included a bulleted list of her qualifications. Which of the following items within her bulleted list does not demonstrate parallel structure?

"Daily customer service" does not express parallel structure in Brenda's bulleted list of qualifications. Items in a bulleted or numbered list must be written consistently. Brenda should revise her résumé so that this item begins with a past-tense verb.

To enhance the readability of your document, use a margin that aligns lines ________ .

Aligning the text at the left and leaving the right margin without alignment (ragged) provides more white space and improves readability.

In today's technological world, business writers must know how to microblog effectively. Microblogging involves ________ .

Because social media networks now play a dominant role in the business world, microblogging, the exchange of short messages on social media networks, is very common. When microblogging, you should include only main ideas, choose descriptive but short words, personalize the message if possible, and be prepared to write several versions to ensure conciseness, clarity, and correctness.

When proofreading complex documents, ________ .

Because you don't expect to find errors in your own writing, be vigilant about anticipating them as you proofread the document.

Do not capitalize the initial word of each line in a bulleted or numbered list.

False

Paradigm shift, leveraging, and value-added services are examples of slang.

False

The following is an example of effective business writing: We hire managers who meet our necessary prerequisites and can direct workers who lack motivation.

False

To make your business messages meaningful and current, include popular words or expressions such as "blowing the budget" and "getting burned."

False

Which of the following statements is inaccurate?

Proofread a printed copy of a long, complex document at least three times—the first time for word meanings, the second time for grammar and mechanics, and a third time to verify consistency in formatting.Proofread a printed copy of a long, complex document once to catch all errors.

The final phase of the 3-x-3 writing process involves editing, proofreading, and ________ .

The final phase of the 3-x-3 writing process involves editing, proofreading, and evaluating. Evaluating is the process of analyzing whether your message achieves its purpose.

Which of the following sentences demonstrates effective, concise style?

The sentence beginning with "Generally" demonstrates conciseness. All other answer choices contain redundancies, long lead-ins, or unnecessary fillers.

Drop unnecessary there/is are and it is/was fillers

There are more than 45 visitors who commented on her blog. - More than 45 visitors commented on her blog

When challenged by the competition, a smart salesperson can shoot from the hip and make a bundle even in a tight market contains ________ .

This sentence contains clichés. Smart business writers replace clichés ("shoot from the hip" and "make a bundle") with fresh, new expressions.

Chandler has just completed writing a long company report. He should set it aside for at least a day before proofreading it.

True

Concise messages save reading time.

True

Empty space on a page is called white space

True

Evaluating your document helps you determine how successful your message will be.

True

Numbered or bulleted lists increase reader comprehension.

True

Proofreading before a document is completed is likely to be a waste of time.

True

Which of the following statements about bulleted and numbered lists is most accurate?

Using bulleted and numbered lists makes finding information easier

Which is a question most likely to be asked in the evaluation phase of revision?

When evaluating your final message, you are likely to ask yourself "Will my message achieve its purpose?" Other questions might be "Could my message be improved?" and "How will I know whether my message is successful?"

When proofreading a document, you will check all of the following for errors except ________ .

When proofreading, you will look for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, names and numbers, and format. Consider readability during evaluation.

Many of us struggle with proofreading our own writing because we ________ .

You may struggle with proofreading your writing because you have seen the same information repeatedly. This causes you to see what you expect to see as you skim the document.

the best way to evaluate the success of a message is through

feedback

Unbury Verbs

give consideration - consider reach a conclusion - conclude create a reduction in - reduce make a decision about - decision

Correcting the grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting, and mechanics in a document involves the process of

proofreading

Dump trite business phrases

pursuant to your request - as you requested please do not hesitate - please thanking you in advance - thank you enclosed please find - enclosed

The sentence "Most students choose a student that is in close proximity to campus when deciding where to eat" would be more concise by eliminating the

redundancy; The expression "close proximity" is redundant because "proximity" and "closeness" are synonyms

the problem with opening fillers such as "it is" and "there are" is that beginnings are a type of

wordiness