ENG 205 MIDTERM APLIA
Determine the purpose and audience of the message. Your responses will help you organize the information.
A coworker is having a hard time beginning a difficult report about foreign currencies and asks you for ideas about how to get started. What advice can you give the writer based on the 3-x-3 writing process?
Problem identification; 10 or fewer
A medical billing company's intranet has a glitch. When employees log on to enter patients' medical insurance data, they are automatically redirected to the insurance company phone directory. When they query the insurance company files, they find themselves looking at the hospital billing records. Jody Abbot, the CIO, recently installed a new database program to handle the company's growing needs. She's not sure whether the problem is in the program or in the company's server. She's going to need some help from her project management team, which consists of 50 individuals. She wants the meeting to be manageable but also wants to get a variety of perspectives, so she calls a meeting with her top project managers. What purpose will this meeting serve? In this situation, how many people should be invited to attend the meeting?
invent new problem-solving options
After lengthy discussions of design specifications for a concept car you are building, your team has come to a mutual understanding of the core problems you face. Shen Tokarev has ideas to solve the electrical problems, but you're concerned the solution will affect your plan to lower the car's gas consumption. To manage this conflict, you can
15 minutes
Approximately how much time should you spend on prewriting once you have gathered the information you need?
Bulleting the list
At the 5th Annual Youth Leaders Conference, participants will have the opportunity to engage in self-paced modules, present outcomes, provide feedback, connect online, collaborate on projects, engage in discussion, and consult leadership experts. What document design strategy would improve the readability and comprehension of this passage?
Focus on congratulating the team using each individual's name, and avoid mentioning the promotion.
Before sending the message, it occurs to you that your e-mail will probably be forwarded to other employees. What will you need to change to make the message appropriate for everyone?
identify customer complaints; promote goodwill; sell their products
Companies use microblogging to: Check all that apply.
You'll save with major discounts at the Barclay Furniture Seattle store's grand opening.
For each of the following sentences, choose the option that makes the message more reader oriented. Come to Barclay's Furniture and see how low we've cut prices at our grand opening in Seattle!
identify key facts
For example, if you're having trouble focusing on a message, you could
Crisis communication Viral marketing
For what purposes do companies use blogs? Check all that apply.
A long, complex message reporting the financial state of the company A message about a legal issue that requires a permanent record
For which of the following messages would an interoffice memo be more appropriate than an e-mail? Check all that apply.
Choose team members carefully.
Hartco Video has just received a contract to develop a new video game for a large gaming company. The company will be working with programmers based in Eastern Europe and hardware manufacturers based in Asia. Monica is in charge of selecting Hartco employees to work on the project team. She's concerned that the geographical distance from the programmers and hardware manufacturers will make it difficult for the project team as a whole to work effectively. What is the first thing Monica should do to ensure that the company builds an effective virtual team?
message decoding; feedback
Helene listens carefully to a sales presentation. When the presenter says, "Are there any questions?" Helene raises a hand. While listening to and grasping the key points of the presentation, Helene is engaged in When Helene raises a hand to ask a question, Helene is engaged in
Ask simple, specific questions.
How might you overcome this communication barrier in the future?
Avoid disparaging critiques of others.
How should you practice courtesy with superiors?
Economy
I am writing to tell you what has been decided in terms of the name of the new product line. I am referring to the new product line of lamps from Denmark. The meeting was scheduled for Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in the morning, but the meeting did not really begin until 10:40 a.m. Some people arrived at 10:30 a.m. but then went to the kitchen for coffee while we waited for the other team members to arrive. Before we began discussing the new product line, we talked about plans for the weekend and about Yvette's new hamster. Sean joked about naming the new line after the hamster. There were four suggestions for the name of the new line. The four suggestions for the name of the new line were Lampmark, Danish Delight, Lys, and Tivoli. After some discussion, everyone agreed on Tivoli. So Tivoli is the name of the new line of lamps from Denmark. Which business writing goal is most obviously ignored in this passage?
I will answer your questions.
I, the writer of the aforementioned report, will respond to your questions as they are asked.
in real time; text telephone call
IM allows you to communicate ___ and is like ___
Punctuation
If anyone wants to come to my office to see my new computer let me know. Determine the problem
because
If your writing contains a flabby expression like in view of the fact that, replace it with the word
should not include senseless chatting
In addition, the writer
Don't text in inappropriate situations. Don't text confidential information.
Jeanne is in a meeting when she receives a text message from a client. The client is requesting confidential information. When no one else is looking, she responds to the client with the following text: "I'll text you the information when I'm out of this meeting." Which texting guidelines does Jeanne ignore in this situation? Check all that apply.
Use a digital calendar system.
Jen is on a project team that has members in four different locations in three time zones. When the team needs to meet at a time that differs from the scheduled weekly meeting, the amount of communication required to find an appropriate meeting time nearly fills up Jen's e-mail inbox. She would like a more efficient way to schedule meetings. What should Jen do, considering that she wants a better method for scheduling team meetings?
Crowdfunding
Last week you went online and found that the following people were asking for money: 1. The developers of a "fidget cube", a desk toy that contains multiple moving parts. 2. The Inclusive Arts Vibe Dance Company, who wants to produce a dance performance called "Chickens and Cheese Pizza". 3. The developers of a "smart microgarden" that allows people to grow plants indoors, year-round, and soil-free. These are examples of:
lack of parallelism
My tasks this week are to confirm hotel reservations, finalize the presentation slides, and rehearsing the presentation. The error in this sentence is a
Allow one person to make most of the comments during the meeting. Have the monthly sales meeting at the same time every month.
Nate, Shelby, and Tomas are in a conference room gathered around a speakerphone. Tomas dials a number and is connected to a conference bridge, where he enters a passcode. Katrina dials in from her home office using her smartphone. All four join the company's monthly virtual sales meeting with their coworkers from around the country. To make the meeting more successful, Nate, Shelby, and Tomas should do all of the following EXCEPT: Check all that apply.
Lack of language skills
One of your engine lathes has broken down, and you've contacted a local repair shop. When you go to the shop, the repairman doesn't speak English, and one of the front office employees is trying to translate. "He says he can't fix it," the translator says to you. "What seems to be wrong with it?" you ask, and the office employee translates this question to the repairman. The repairman points at several mechanisms on the lathe and gives what appears to be a lengthy explanation of the problem. You turn to the office employee, who shrugs. "He says it's broken," she says. What communication barrier is described in this situation?
respond more quickly
Organizations form teams because teams usually
Redecorate your home with the latest styles at an affordable price
Our affordable prices and great styles will make redecorating your home a breeze.
subject line
Part [1] of the e-mail is the
signature block
Part [6] of the e-mail is the
Make appointments, check availability, and keep track of daily activities
Planning meetings is often difficult. Busy schedules make finding adequate meeting times challenging. Digital calendars allow professionals to use their time more effectively by enabling them to:
I don't take my job seriously I am unprofessional I don't respect your authority
Randi Lynn supervises 12 customer service representatives. At the end of each day, each representative is required to send Randi Lynn an e-mail summarizing his or her customer interactions that day. Randi Lynn consistently receives e-mail summaries from Dennis, one of the customer service representatives on her team, with missing information, poorly written sentences, and sloppy formatting. What nonverbal messages do Dennis's sloppy e-mails send to Randi Lynn? Check all that apply.
encourage participants to classify all ideas into groups before evaluating them
Rene conducted a 20-minute brainwriting session during the Historical Society's monthly meeting. The agenda for the session focused on ways to encourage average citizens to visit local historical sites. The group was writing ideas on flipcharts placed around the room when Jeanne said that having a community-wide open house where people could show off important historical items in their homes that were related to the town's history was the best idea and everyone should stop writing. To improve the group's brainwriting, the group leader should
turning off the phone when interacting with colleagues
Rosa Juarez has been contacting clients using a smartphone when the warehouse supervisor stops by to ask questions about the new product line. Rosa can best project professionalism when using the telephone at work by
She should capitalize on lag time.
Sabrina is in a team meeting. The team is discussing which direction it should go with its current project. Each team member has a different opinion; therefore, according to team procedures, each member has two minutes to present his or her argument to the team without interruption. After each member has presented his or her perspective, there will be time for questions and discussion. Sabrina is attempting to truly understand each team member's position. What should she do during pauses in the presentations? Check all that apply.
Correct run-on sentences Reduce sentence lengths Correct fragments
The Human Resources department is happy to announce a career development workshop the workshop will be led by Joseph Pelletier. Joseph has 20 years of experience in career development training he will help you gain a clearer understanding of your career goals and will also discuss tools to work toward your career goals. The workshop will take place November 10 and 11 in the conference room nearest the parking lot on the third floor of the building. From 9:30 a.m. in the morning to 5:30 p.m. in the evening unless it goes longer or ends more quickly than expected. There will be coffee and tea in the morning, and then there will be lunch provided in the afternoon. Respond to this e-mail to sign up if you are interested in this career development workshop led by Joseph Pelletier. Because there are only 40 spots. How could you improve this message? Check all that apply.
Averaging
The department heads of a plastics company sit down to discuss next year's budget. Fabrication says that two of their extruders are outdated and need to be replaced. Accounting explains that without at least two more staffers, they can't keep up with the books. Shipping wants additional funding to cover the rising cost of gasoline. Sales believes they could obtain more clients with a larger travel fund. Everyone wants a larger budget this year. Which strategy would be most effective in this situation?
The faculty agrees with the school board and accepts the proposed initiative.
The faculty has unanimously and strongly decided to go forward with the discussed initiative, so as to better serve the distinguished and important school board members of the community.
Formal research
The market analyst of a chain megastore bakery called More Dough asks you to find out why people are choosing to go to smaller bakeries rather than their megastore in the same area. She asks you to visit the smaller bakeries and observe the consumers and owners. After you observe and gather data, you are to bring your findings to a group of researchers who will establish controlled variables and conduct a series of experiments. What research method did you use in this situation?
Put the cell phone away; express his views during the meeting
The planning session had been long but productive. Shen had been quiet throughout the meeting. He spent his time texting messages to his son on his cell phone instead. The director finished by summarizing the plan to reschedule stock offerings. Everyone was preparing to leave when Shen raised his hand. "I don't know if we covered this," he said, "but have we talked about rescheduling the stock offerings yet? I don't think we should wait until the fall." What could Shen do to make the next meeting more effective and productive? Shen could also
as you wish
The trite business phrase in accordance with your wishes can be revised as
Six folders are left in the break room.
There are six folders left in the break room.
The team has finished the accounting assignment. Please review our questions in column D.
This memo is to inform you that the team has compiled the basic fundamentals of the accounting procedure, and we have noted that there is a serious concern we have identified in column D of the Excel spreadsheet.
shouldn't use exclamation points often
To project a more professional image, the writer
"Is information that"
Unsubstantiated information is information that has not been validated.
a dangling modifier
Walking down the hall, Valerie's folders fell to the ground. The error in this sentence is
inform; refuse a refund; rebuild the customer's goodwill
We strive to satisfy all our customers, so we invite you to exchange "Gods of Parnassus" for another video game from our large inventory. Although we are unable to offer refunds for opened games, we believe you will be able to choose a suitable replacement game in exchange. This message is designed to Specifically, the primary purpose of this message is to The secondary purpose of this message is to
Shop by Tuesday and you'll save an additional 10 percent on all living room sets.
We'll slash an additional 10 percent off living room sets if you shop by Tuesday.
Everyone in senior-level positions has worked his or her way up the corporate ladder and has contributed greatly to the company's success. This team has increased our profits by 6 percent, expanded office space, hired additional IT support, and strengthened our IT infrastructure. These are just a few of this leadership team's many accomplishments.
What are the supporting sentences in Paragraph C?
Texting can be inappropriately used.; Tracking and recovering business text messages is difficult.
What drawbacks will you mention to your supervisor? Check all that apply.
Resist humor and sarcasm. Be concise. Care about tone.
What e-mail tips should you give the new intern? Check all that apply.
Project management
What function can companies improve by using wikis for collaboration?
Sender's name
What is missing in the e-mail's complimentary closing?
Did I check for inaccuracies? Are my introductory clauses followed by a comma? Have I followed standard formatting guidelines?
What questions should you ask yourself when proofreading? Check all that apply.
If my message is forwarded, will it make sense to the new people who see it? Will someone other than my audience see my message? If others see the message, how might they differ from my original audience?
Which are appropriate questions to ask when profiling your audience? Check all that apply.
Increased white space Parallelism
Which design technique would improve the readability of this passage? Check all that apply.
Wiki
Which electronic communication tool would you recommend?
Please prepare for the meeting by reading the employee handbook, and let me know if you have any questions.
Which is the best revision for the e-mail's closing?
10 Ways Cycling Improves Your Health
Which is the best title for your blog post?
The video conference begins at 3 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. If you need a webcam, contact Morris Fishbeck.
Which is the most clear and precise sentence announcing the video conference?
Please update the Jones account after you've completed the daily tally.
Which is the most clear and precise sentence asking for an update on the Jones account?
Stand your ground Exception to the rule Beyond a shadow of a doubt Better than new
Which of the following are clichés that should be dropped from your business messages? Check all that apply.
Remind people of action items. Review meeting decisions.
Which of the following are important when ending a virtual meeting and following up afterward? Check all that apply.
Keeping neatly styled hair
Which of the following is most professional?
Tighten your writing. Evaluate your final product. Control exuberance.
Which of the following items should be on your revision checklist? Check all that apply.
Exactly identical; Basic fundamentals; Each and every
Which of the following options are redundancies? Check all that apply.
Open the file and select "New." Please respond as soon as possible. Happy employees produce good results.
Which of the following sentences employ the KISS formula? Check all that apply.
Ms. DeLillo is always on time.
Which of the following sentences is the most bias free?
I bombed that presentation! The industry has experienced a paradigm shift, and our company is positioned to perform well. Let's take a solutions-oriented approach to the matter.
Which of the following sentences use slang or buzzwords? Check all that apply.
Keep your IM presence status up-to-date.
Which option is the best practice to ensure that people don't waste their time trying to reach you?
C The leadership at the Xcite San Francisco site has been phenomenal during the last ten years. Everyone in senior-level positions has worked his or her way up the corporate ladder and has contributed greatly to the company's success. This team has increased our profits by 6 percent, expanded office space, hired additional IT support, and strengthened our IT infrastructure. These are just a few of this leadership team's many accomplishments. In the next two months, a new leadership team will be formed for the Los Angeles site. This team will consist of transferred employees from the San Francisco site. We will be offering many of you a chance to be part of this move. Additional training will be required for all who are transferring, and moving costs will not be covered. Xcite looks forward to opening another location with excellent products, high profits, and 100 percent employee and customer satisfaction.
Which paragraph or paragraphs use the indirect approach?
What does the receiver need to know about this topic? What will happen if the receiver doesn't take action after receiving the message? What is the receiver to do after reading the message?
Which questions should you ask yourself before determining what and how to research? Check all that apply.
Henry was sad to learn that his coworker was retiring in May.
Which sentence controls exuberance?
The meeting will be at Harry Laughlin's home in Duluth.
Which sentence provides the most clarity?
Please provide your original receipt for a refund. Your money will be refunded if you provide the original receipt. Refunds are available with the original receipt.
Which sentences are expressed most positively? Check all that apply.
Sparkling water, evening wine tasting, four-star hotel restaurant
Which subpoints should you include in your outline?
She is uncomfortable with the conversation.
While you are critiquing a recent presentation the intern has prepared, you notice that she looks at the ground more often than she looks at you and constantly shifts her weight from foot to foot. What message is the intern expressing nonverbally?
A quiet background so that the caller can clearly hear your name and message
You are about to record your new voice mail message. Which of the following voice mail backdrops would be most professional?
Print a double-spaced copy of the report, read the message at least twice, and enlist a proofreading buddy.
You are in the process of preparing the final draft of an important proposal. Accuracy will be extremely important to the success of this proposal. Which of the following proofreading strategies would be most appropriate for this situation?
Blizzard Betty gives ski and snowboard equipment to its top sellers.
You are writing a report on Blizzard Betty, a company that manufactures winter sports gear. In one part of the report, you describe the company's various incentive programs. Each incentive program has its own section. For the section of the report describing Blizzard Betty's top sellers program, which would be the best first sentence?
Good posture
You have a job interview at an accounting firm. You're excited and nervous about the interview, but you want to come across as calm and confident. What form of nonverbal communication will serve you best?
Look at past flyers for this event, ask coworkers what kind of food they would like to have at the party, and ask which bowling alley they prefer.
You have been asked to organize the sixth annual corporate bowling party and send out the e-mail invitation to your coworkers Which is the best research approach?
direct
You will receive a bonus in your next paycheck. The sales department exceeded its goals this month for the third time this quarter. Congratulations! In this message, the __ organizational pattern is used.
He urgently needs his chemical order.; Ask gentle, probing questions.
You work as a salesperson for a chemical manufacturer, which keeps you very busy. Your customers are photographers who use your company's products to create professional images for publication. They are usually a friendly clientele. Today, however, one customer, Jesse Adamson, is upset when he calls to inquire about his order. Jesse says he will miss his deadline if he doesn't receive his order right away. He threatens to stop using your company's products if his demand is not met and his order is not filled immediately. What is the most important message your customer is trying to deliver? What can you do to listen more effectively to your customer?
You and your team
You work for an IT company that specializes in Internet security. You lead a team of six employees who recently conducted an IT security audit of a client's entire enterprise, including three large manufacturing plants in China, one in Mexico, and many executive offices throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. Now you need to present your findings to the client. Who should write and prepare the presentation?
Your team should develop a process in which individuals take responsibility for different aspects of proofing and compiling the report.
You work in HR. You are leading a cross-functional team that is preparing recommendations on how to improve the company's recruiting process. Your team has completed its initial investigation together and worked separately to draft different sections of the report. Your team now needs to finalize and submit the report. During this phase of the writing process, what would be the best strategy for your team?
Performing
You're at your weekly meeting with your teammates. The team's last assignment was producing a broadcasting company's new line of educational programs. Those programs are currently at the top of their category, according to the latest television ratings. "Now," says the team leader, "our next project will be developing science programming. Let's get to work!" Immediately, ideas begin to flow, individual team members take on tasks, and after an hour, you and your team have developed an action plan for a series of science programs. Which phase of team development does this situation describe?
a phone call; rich
You're putting the final touches on a proposal. It all looks good, but you realize you forgot to include the material costs and don't have that information at your fingertips. The supply chain specialist would know, but he's in another building and doesn't seem to be online right now. You'd really like to finish the proposal today. What is the most efficient way to contact him for some quick price quotes? You should use which is a ____ medium
active; is not
Your company works with freelance writers, and Antonio, your colleague, is responsible for processing the freelancers' invoices. Last week, Antonio accidentally input $560 instead of $650 on one of the invoices. The writer hasn't contacted you about the error yet, and you need to e-mail her to let her know that there was a mistake and that she should receive the rest of her payment soon. The following sentence is an excerpt from your e-mail: "Antonio made an error when he was processing your invoice." The sentence excerpted from the e-mail uses ___ voice Given the purpose of your message, this voice ___ appropriate
Your team consists of three people who are collaborating on a short quarterly report. You are putting the final touches on your completed report, and each member simply needs to review the document one more time before it is submitted. Which collaboration tools would be best for this situation? Check all that apply.
1 and 2
[1] There are seven conference calls scheduled for this morning between 10 and 11 a.m. [2] Generally, it is a good idea to limit the number of conference calls to three per hour. [3] In the future, we should schedule calls more carefully. Which sentences contain unnecessary fillers?
Reject redundancies.; Purge empty words.
[1] This community needs programs assisting those in the reentry process. [2] JUMP High Schools' efforts that work toward providing better information for newly released juvenile offenders are remarkably commendable. [3] Basic fundamental information regarding reentry services that addresses the essentials is sorely needed in our community. What types of revisions could be made to the passage to make it more concise? Check all that apply.
1
[1] We will engage in the preparation of your information packet immediately. [2] While we compile your packet, please complete the attached form. Which sentence contains a buried verb?
Lists
can improve readability by providing white space on the page, focusing attention, and increasing skim value.
