Harvard Business Writing in Business Exam

Recipients of ultra-short form messages such as texts don't care about sentence construction, punctuation, or spelling.

False

The following topic implies an informative purpose: The advantages of doing job-related academic work

False

Ultra short form communication cannot be used for persuasion.

False

Using the passive voice in business writing is never justified.

False

Select the phrase that best completes this sentence: The first step of Writing for Action Style is...

Find the action.

It is usually not necessary to divide an action plan into short-term and long-term steps.

False

Emotions are too unpredictable to use for persuading a business audience.

False

In business, persuasion typically involves one or two communications.

False

Select the word that best completes this sentence: The purpose of persuasive writing is to motivate an audience to think, feel, or _______ in the way the communicator intends.

Act

Which one of the following items is seldom used for persuading business audiences?

All are frequently used (Emotion, Character, Argument, Qualitative evidence)

Which one of the following is not an essential element of an action plan?

Argument

Which of these items is not a quality of good business writing?

Assertive

What is the objective of an action plan based on a diagnosis?

Capitalize on positives, eliminate or reduce negatives Distribute information Assign responsibility Fix a problem

Select the word that best describes the tone of this sentence: We have enjoyed many successes over the last few quarters; nevertheless, we must remember that success is never guaranteed and can evaporate quickly.

Cautious

Which correctly states the tradeoff of long business documents?

Comprehensive coverage of a topic versus audience reluctance to read

The opening of an informative communication has three functions. Two of them are telling the audience the information that will be delivered and why they need to know it. What is the third?

Connecting the information to the audience's existing knowledge

Which of the following is not one of the six steps stated in "The Guidelines for Writing Successful Emails"?

Don't be concerned about spelling or punctuation.

Which two are benefits of understanding your writing process? I. Improves the reliability of your writing process II. Allows you to write a message faster III. Makes you slow down and think IV. Increases your attention to detail V. Increases your writing efficiency

I and V

Which two are ways of generating ideas for a written message. I. Taking notes II. Asking questions III. Making an outline IV. Asking an expert what you should write V. Reading a book about writing

II and III

Which one of the following is not a means of engaging the readers of a long document?

Interesting facts even if not closely related to the topic

Which one of the following items is not useful for analyzing the audience of an informative communication?

The identity of the audience Any barriers to communication The audience's knowledge of the topic The audience's attitude toward the topic The communicator's attitude toward the audience The communicator's previous experience with the topic

Select the word that best completes this sentence: Action plans are critical to organizations because they translate _________ into action.

Thought

Select the best definition of tone in writing.

Tone is the writer's attitude toward the audience and the subject as conveyed through a message.

Because reading is linear, writing needs a linear structure.

True

Character is a resource for creating persuasion.

True

Direct writing means writing that tells the audience what the writer thinks.

True

Editing and Correcting is one of the four parts or stages of the writing process.

True

Narrative can be an effective organizer of informative communication.

True

Order of importance can be an effective organizer of informative communication.

True

Reason is a resource for creating persuasion.

True

Revising is one of the four parts or stages of the writing process.

True

The author of a long business document like a report has to put limits on the amount of detail.

True

The following topic implies an informative purpose: The terms of a company's tuition support for employees doing academic work related to their jobs.

True

The goal of the editing part of the writing process is to make the sentences easy to read.

True

The goals of an action plan summarize the major outcomes of the plan.

True

The term "digital disinhibition" means the tendency of people using digital media to say things they would never say if the recipient were physically present.

True

Writers in business have to be prepared to receive unanticipated information and adapt their persuasion messages as necessary.

True

You can use the same audience analysis questions for informative and persuasive writing.

True

Which practice is most important to clear writing?

Using logical sentence structure

Select the phrase that best completes this sentence: The goal of drafting is to write a first draft that expresses your thinking,

but isn't necessarily ready for the audience.