Chapter 5

You can subordinate an idea by a. devoting more space to the idea. b. using passive voice instead of active voice. c. using reasonable repetition. d. underlining or capitalizing particular words or phrases. e. doing all of these.

doing all of these

Which is not a reason to avoid slang in business writing? a. It is too informal. b. It is not businesslike. c. It is identified with a specific group of people. d. It is short-lived. e. It may not be understood by the general population.

its not businesslike

Which of the following is not a principle of the "you" attitude? a. Stress the reader's benefits of doing what you ask. b. Develop empathy for the reader. c. Emphasize how the reader will be affected. d. Write from the reader's perspective. e. Use the word you frequently when conveying negative information.

last one

A _____ sentence is often used to emphasize a single idea. a. passive-voice b. compound c. complex d. simple e. compound-complex

simple

Which sentence does not contain a cliché or wordy expression? a. According to our records, you paid your bill after the due date. b. During 2004, the company will focus on redefining its mission statement c. It goes without saying that customer service representatives must be polite at all times. d. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the development team for its extraordinary effort on the project. e. Enclosed you will find three copies of the contract.

During 2004, the company will focus on redefining its mission statement

Sincerity is not conveyed in which of the following statements? a. I'm surprised that you were not aware of the upcoming business luncheon. b. I know you are a top-notch executive and I am a mere college student, but I would appreciate your answers to some questions. c. Your satisfaction is more important than profits; therefore, we will gladly exchange your new stereo system. d. I seriously doubt that you really want me to speak at the awards banquet e. none of these

Im surprised that you were not aware of the upcoming business luncheon

Which sentence lacks parallelism? a. The seminars will be held on February 14, March 15, and April 1. b. Victoria is proficient not only in word processing but also in database management. c. Our word processing program includes pull-down menus, scroll bars, and sentences can be checked for grammatical errors. d. Students will learn how to write effective messages, make persuasive speeches, and handle themselves in interviews. e. The new smoke detector is both efficient and effective.

Our word processing program includes pull-down menus, scroll bars,and sentences can be checked for grammatical errors

Which sentence contains nondiscriminatory language? a. The young, yuppie managers lack the experience needed to develop policies. b. Stephen, the gay science instructor, receives high student evaluations. c. That nerdy high school kid in the tech section sold me the wrong ink cartridge for my printer. d. Dr. Lopez and his assistant, Ms. Martin, attended the seminar. e. Tonya, a Hispanic sales representative, is the employee of the month.

The young, yuppie managers lack the experience needed to develop policies.

Which sentence displays a confident writing style? a. I hope that my explanations make sense to you. b. To take advantage of this special offer, call our toll-free number. c. If you have any further problems, please don't hesitate to call me. d. Why not order the new exercise equipment? e. If you agree with my proposal, please let me know.

To take advantage of this special offer, call out tall-free number

Identify the sentence that does not contain a redundant phrase. a. Young adults should plan ahead for retirement. b. Understanding absolute and relative cell references is fundamental to working with spreadsheets. c. The company will give each and every employee a year-end bonus. d. Receive a free gift when you subscribe to our magazine. e. When and if profits increase by 15 percent, everyone will receive a raise.

Understanding absolute and relative cell references is fundamental to working with spreadsheets

The phrase came to an agreement is an example of a. an expletive. b. unnecessary repetition. c. concise language. d. jargon. e. a hidden verb.

a hidden verb

a. a transitional expression that connects ideas in logical fashion. b. a trite or obvious statement that implies a condescending attitude. c. a paragraph that lacks both parallel structure and unity. d. a series of short, simple sentences that explain a single idea. e. an overconfident statement that implies arrogance.

a trite or obvious statement that implies a condescending attitude

Which statement does not appear overconfident? a. After completing two training sessions, you should see your productivity increase. b. I'm sure that you will want to order the new video training series. c. I know that these clip-art images are perfect for your business. d. Because I'm sure you want these wrist pads, I will call you tomorrow. e. If you know what's good for you, you'll order these wrist pads.

after completing two training sessions, you should see your productivity increase

Avoid focusing on the reader in which of the following instances? a. You must refuse the reader's request. b. You disagree with the reader. c. You must point out the reader's mistakes. d. You need to discuss negative news with the reader. e. all of these

all of these

Identify the logical compound sentence. a. Plans A and B are safe and convenient options as retirement investments. b. Jill will photocopy the letters, and Adam will type the envelopes. c. Although the data was received after the deadline, we still managed to complete the project within one week. d. Please purchase paper clips, pencils, and notebooks when you go to the office supply store. e. Doug types 100 words per minute, and Amy sings in the choir.

although the data was received after the deadline, we still managed to complete the project within one week

The phrase there is is an example of a. an expletive. b. a hidden verb. c. a buzz word. d. an action verb. e. jargon.

an expletive

Identify the sentence that does not contain a cliché or slang. a. If you want to play ball with me, you need to increase your offer. b. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on your promotion. c. As you requested, I sent a new catalog to the supervisor. d. The bottom line is that we must improve our customer relations. e. If I can be of further help, please do not hesitate to call me.

as you requested, I sent a new catalog to the supervisor

Which guideline about confident writing is correct? a. Use confident phrases such as I hope. b. Encourage the reader to provide excuses for denying your request. c. Imply that something might not work out satisfactorily. d. Avoid using presumptuous language such as "I know you will agree." e. Appear helpful with statements such as "Let us know if you have other problems."

avoid using presumptuous language such as "I know you will agree"

You can develop a confident message by a. believing that your decision is based on sound logic. b. starting a sentence with I hope. c. using self-conscious words and phrases. d. demonstrating arrogance. e. doing all of these.

believing that your decision is based on sound logic

Mechanics include all of the following except a. content. b. punctuation. c. number expression. d. word division. e. abbreviations.

content

Logically, a paragraph should a. cover a single topic. b. connect the previous paragraph to the topic sentence. c. be divided into simple and compound sentences. d. use parallel structure for coherence. e. contain no fewer than 25 characters.

cover a single topic

Positive language a. is more likely to help achieve your objectives than negative language. b. builds and maintains goodwill between you and your reader. c. often provides more information than negative language. d. can be achieved by stressing what can be done instead of what cannot be done. e. does all of these.

do all of these

Business writers should create an overall tone that a. emphasizes and subordinates ideas appropriately. b. avoids discriminatory language. c. appears confident, courteous, and sincere. d. conveys the "you" attitude. e. does all of these.

does all of these

Which of the following is not a way to achieve clarity in your writing? a. Be sure the message is accurate and complete. b. Use familiar words and phrases. c. Emphasize compound sentences. d. Avoid dangling expressions. e. Eliminate unnecessary jargon.

emphasize compound sentences

Short and simple words help business writers a. impress their readers. b. emphasize the receiver of the action. c. use jargon to build credibility. d. express their meaning without distraction. e. use redundancy in appropriate situations.

express their meaning without distraction

Which transition does not reflect a cause-and-effect relationship? a. as a result b. consequently c. because d. finally e. hence

finally

Assume you have five paragraphs in a letter. Which paragraph receives the most emphasis? a. first b. second c. third d. fourth e. fifth

first

A paragraph has coherence when each sentence a. is connected smoothly to the sentence before and the sentence after. b. uses parallel construction to develop one idea consistently and logically. c. demonstrates the "you" attitude through implied or stated reader benefits. d. uses nondiscriminatory language. e. uses the appropriate typeface and mechanics.

is connected smoothly to the sentence before the sentence after

Which of these statements about sentence variety is not true? a. Using too many simple sentences makes writing seem choppy. b. Mixing negative and positive sentences maintains reader interest. c. Readers may have difficulty reading a message with too many long sentences. d. If you use different sentence patterns and lengths, your messages will be more interesting. e. A message that contains one long sentence after another can bore readers.

mixing negative and positive sentences maintains reader interest

When all your sentences work together to develop a single idea, the result is a. the "you" attitude. b. paragraph unity. c. coherence. d. parallelism e. reader benefits.

paragraph unity

Passive voice is appropriate when a. you want to inform an applicant tactfully that he was not chosen for the job. b. the identity of the person doing the action is unimportant. c. you want to emphasize the receiver of the action instead of the doer of the action. d. the person who performed the action is unknown. e. Passive voice is appropriate in all of these situations.

passive voice is appropriate in all of these situations

Which sentence effectively uses words that are familiar to businesspeople? a. Please ascertain whether the deliverance of merchandise will be forthcoming in the duration of the business cycle. b. He was not cognizant of the actuality that he was still in a probationary period. c. A financial deficit may be encountered during the transitional period following the merger. d. The board of directors will soon meet to discuss acquiring the Sonar Company. e. The accountant will commence to compute the amount of monetary funds that should be allocated for remunerations.

please ascertain whether thee deliverance of merchandise will be forth coming in the duration of the business cycle

Which statement does not contain sexist language? a. The sports jocks hang out at the Recreation Building. b. The girls in the office will attend the secretarial meeting. c. Doug is the best man for the project. d. Sally enjoys being a homemaker. e. The stewardess asked the passengers to prepare for landing.

sally enjoys being a homemaker

An idea receives the most emphasis in a a. simple sentence. b. compound sentence. c. complex sentence. d. compound-complex sentence. e. dependent clause.

simple sentence

To subordinate an idea, place it in a. a simple sentence. b. the first independent clause of a compound sentence. c. the dependent clause of a complex sentence. d. the independent clause of a complex sentence. e. an independent clause in a compound-complex sentence.

the dependent clause of complex sentence

Two related ideas of equal importance should be positioned in a. two simple sentences. b. a compound sentence. c. the dependent clause of a complex sentence. d. the dependent clause of a compound-complex sentence. e. the independent clause of a complex sentence.

the independent clause of complex sentence

Which statement does not contain a dangling expression? a. Eric informed Jason about the policy changes, but he doesn't like the changes. b. While reviewing the corporate report, a few discrepancies were found. c. While traveling to Boston, the auditor will review the financial reports. d. Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address while traveling to Gettysburg on the back of an envelope. e. The manager plans to address the use of cell phones in weekly meetings.

the manger plans to address the use of cell phones in weekly meetings

In an active sentence, a. the subject is the receiver of the action. b. the subject is subordinated to the action. c. the action is subjunctive to the doer. d. the subject performs the action. e. the verb tense describes the doer.

the subject performs the action

Which strategy best emphasizes an idea? a. using a compound sentence b. placing the idea in a middle paragraph c. minimizing the space devoted to a topic d. using active voice e. typing the entire message in all capital letters

using active voice

Two expressions that carry negative connotations are a. compound-complex and redundant. b. will not and cannot. c. subjunctive and passive voice. d. ethnocentrism and abstraction. e. ambiguity and expletive.

will not and cannot

Identify the statement that does not contain an unnecessarily long word. a. Brian fabricated the events of the accident to circumvent prosecution. b. Please initiate the modification of the innovative computer system. c. William is vital to the success of the convention. d. The vice president will recapitulate the presentation after illustrating the new software. e. Initiate the termination procedures for the dispensable employees.

william is vital to the success of the convention

Which of the following sentences should be rewritten without the "you" attitude? a. You won a brand-new entertainment center. b. After placing an order, you will be entered into our weekly drawing. c. You should have written a more in-depth report. d. Your new living room furniture will arrive by Friday afternoon. e. Your résumé will be forwarded to the appropriate manager for review.

you should have written a more in-depth report

Identify the sentence that best reflects the "you" attitude. a. The order was shipped on March 15. b. You should receive your order by Friday, April 10. c. We have extended our store hours until 10 p.m. on weekends. d. Please send your completed questionnaire by December 1 so I can start analyzing the data and preparing my report. e. You will be smart to open a checking account at our bank because we pay higher interest rates.

you should receive your order by Friday, April 10

Which of the following does not contain platitudes or other offensive expressions? a. You must realize that full tuition refunds are available only before the first day of class. b. Our company depends on customers like you to pay the balance owed on their accounts on time. c. Apparently you did not carefully read the procedures memo before submitting your travel reimbursement request. d. I find it difficult to believe that your new VCR ate your videotape collection. e. Your letter has been forwarded to the Tulsa division. One of the service specialists will call you by next Friday.

your letter has been forwarded to the Tulsa division. One of the service socialist will call you be next friday

Negative language is appropriate when a. your message must be strong and emphatic. b. the reader wants to retain your goodwill. c. you are focusing your reader on specific facts. d. a sentence contains a hidden verb or subject. e. jargon and slang would be misconstrued.

your message must be strong and emphatic