Professional Writing
Exam Answer Key
Course Introduction
Professional Writing is designed to develop students competence in creating clear, concise, and effective written communications for professional settings. This course covers a range of documents including reports, proposals, emails, memos, résumés, and business correspondence, emphasizing the importance of audience, purpose, tone, and organization. Students will practice planning, drafting, revising, and editing professional texts while integrating research, ethical considerations, and appropriate documentation styles. The course also introduces the use of digital tools in writing and collaboration, preparing students for real-world workplace communication challenges.
Recommended Textbook
Business Communication Today 14th Edition by Courtland L. Bovee
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19 Chapters
2709 Verified Questions
2709 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Understanding the Foundations of Business Communications
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148 Verified Questions
148 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/10181
Sample Questions
Q1) What steps can a user take to guard against information overload?
Answer: Users can take a number of steps to control the number and types of messages they choose to receive.Use the filtering features of your communication systems to isolate high-priority messages that deserve your attention.Be wary of subscribing to too many Twitter streams and other sources.Focus on the information you truly need in order to do your job.As a sender,you can help reduce information overload by making sure you don't send unnecessary messages.In addition,when you send messages that aren't urgent or crucial,let people know so they can prioritize.Also,most communication systems let you mark messages as urgent; however,use this feature only when it is truly needed.Its overuse leads to annoyance and anxiety,not action.
Q2) Companies can use ________ to identify and capitalize on market opportunities that are contained in large,complex,or dynamic sets of data.
A)telepresence
B)enterprise IM systems
C)data visualization
D)crowdsourcing
Answer: C
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Collaboration,Interpersonal
Communication,and Business Etiquette
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158 Verified Questions
158 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is the goal of content listening?
A)To evaluate information
B)To judge speaking style
C)To identify limitations in the communication
D)To understand and retain information
E)To understand the meaning of the message
Answer: D
Q2) People are often judged based on the way they dress.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Which of the following is one of the steps to take when preparing for a meeting to help improve meeting productivity?
A)Encourage participation
B)Put the results to effective use
C)Distribute meeting minutes to participants and other interested parties
D)Make sure the meeting is necessary
E)Lead effectively and participate fully
Answer: D
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Chapter 3: Communication Challenges in a Diverse,Global Marketplace
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155 Verified Questions
155 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Briefly describe at least three advantages of a diverse workforce.
Answer: A culturally diverse workforce yields a broader spectrum of viewpoints and ideas.Workforce diversity helps companies understand and identify with diverse markets.It also enables companies to benefit from a wider range of employee talents.
Q2) Discuss the impact culture has on our communication style.
Answer: The interaction of culture and communication is so pervasive that separating the two is virtually impossible.The way you communicate is deeply influenced by the culture in which you were raised.The meaning of words,the significance of gestures,the importance of time and space,the rules of human relationships-these and many other aspects of communication are defined by culture.To a large degree,your culture influences the way you think,which naturally affects the way you communicate as both a sender and a receiver.Intercultural communication is much more complicated than simply matching language between sender and receiver; it goes beyond mere words to beliefs,values,and emotions.
Q3) List at least three areas of nonverbal communication that can differ widely among cultures.
Answer: Greetings,the use of personal space,touching behavior,facial expressions,eye contact,posture and formality can all differ widely among various cultures.
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Chapter 4: Planning Business Messages
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158 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) When should you consider developing a message using a written medium with a print channel?
A)When you want to make a formal impression
B)When you want to avoid creating a permanent record of the message
C)When you want the message to be added to other electronic messages
D)When you want to be able to change the message at a later date
E)When your audience is geographically dispersed
Q2) What should be done if you are unsure of the types of information the audience will need from you?
A)Ask them
B)Follow their blogs
C)Access the knowledge management system
D)Cover all key points in detail
E)Gather more information than needed
Q3) What is a knowledge management system?
A)A centralized database that collects insights of customers and suppliers
B)A communication technology that allows access to blogs
C)The right combination of digital and written communication styles
D)Input technology for those who text often
E)A centralized database that collects insights of employees
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Chapter 5: Writing Business Messages
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173 Verified Questions
173 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A writer should never use an indirect approach when writing for a mobile device.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What should every paragraph include,often at the beginning at the paragraph?
A)A topic sentence
B)A transition
C)A support sentence
D)A unifying phrase
E)A subordinate clause
Q3) What's the problem with phrases such as,"attached please find" and "we are in receipt of"?
A)They are rude.
B)They are too intimate.
C)They are stale and pompous.
D)They involve preaching and bragging.
Q4) What is the difference between tone and style in business writing?
Q5) A conversational tone is not appropriate for most business messages.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Discuss five techniques that can be used to make mobile messages more effective.
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Completing Business Messages
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155 Verified Questions
155 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Although you should vary the length of paragraphs in your business messages,in general you should strive for short paragraphs.
A)True
B)False
Q2) How is parallel construction used in writing?
Q3) Using white space in a document
A)is considered "cheating."
B)is only an option when you can't use color.
C)makes your document look unappealing.
D)provides visual contrast.
Q4) Which of the following is a concern about delivery methods when a communication contains sensitive information?
A)Time
B)File compression method
C)Convenience
D)Cost
E)Security
Q5) What can be done to make a message more concise?
Q6) Describe steps that will help when editing for clarity.
Q7) Describe the advantages and disadvantages of various sentence structures.
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Chapter 7: Digital Media
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156 Verified Questions
156 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) You can plan for important business exchanges via IM by viewing them as A)invitations to discuss personal matters.
B)conversations with specific goals in mind.
C)opportunities to save time by multitasking.
D)routine events that don't require formalities.
Q2) Discuss ways in which writing email is different for business and personal use.
Q3) When you're writing email messages in the workplace,remember that business emails
A)require a higher level of quality than personal emails.
B)should never be shorter than one screen.
C)aren't constrained by the rules of grammar,punctuation,and syntax.
D)are the best medium for internal messages,regardless of their content.
Q4) Websites that are easy to use will encourage visitors to come back more often.
A)True
B)False
Q5) How can mobile blogs and mobile podcasting be effective tools for use with digital devices?
Q6) Explain how information architecture functions as an outline for web design.
Q7) What are the characteristics of an effective email subject line?
Q8) Explain how inappropriate use of email at work can lead to legal problems.
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Chapter 8: Social Media
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174 Verified Questions
174 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) If a customer uses the comment feature to criticize your business blog,you should
A)respond promptly,honestly,and professionally.
B)ignore the criticism unless the critic is incorrect.
C)take verbal potshots at the critic's integrity.
D)let blog readers know that you won't tolerate criticism.
Q2) If you're creating a new wiki,________ just as you would with a new blog or podcast channel.
A)focus on short-run goals
B)think through your long-term purpose carefully
C)plan on developing polices and guidelines later,as you need them
D)don't worry about your audience until the wiki is up and running
Q3) A microblog such as Twitter encourages spontaneous communication,so it isn't necessary to plan a message before posting it.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Identify and discuss several points that writers must understand before they can be effective wiki collaborators.
Q5) List at least three advantages of using blogs in business.
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Chapter 9: Visual Media
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156 Verified Questions
156 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) When you're creating a table for online use,________ to make sure that the table is easy to read.
A)reduce the number of columns and rows
B)remove lines and spaces between columns and rows
C)display data items in unrounded,multiple units
D)present large amounts of data and information
Q2) Microsoft Visio is one example of specialized software used to create
A)professional-quality illustrations.
B)complex spreadsheets.
C)cash flow tracking systems.
D)none of the above.
Q3) Which of the following should be emphasized in the text when introducing and describing a visual?
A)The data
B)The main point of the visual's message
C)How the audience will use the data
D)Problems with the data
E)How to follow the forecasting pattern in the data
Q4) In a line chart,what do the vertical and horizontal axes normally illustrate?
Q5) Identify and discuss guidelines to follow when using photographs as visuals.
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Chapter 10: Writing Routine and Positive Messages
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120 Verified Questions
120 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) If you plan to grant a claim made by a customer who's clearly at fault
A)pinpoint the customer's shortcomings to discourage future mistakes.
B)discourage future mistakes without insulting the customer.
C)scold the customer to discourage future mistakes.
D)post the situation on social media to discourage future mistakes.
E)specifically identify exactly what the customer did wrong.
Q2) When responding to a customer's complaint about one of your company's services,you should
A)soften the situation with excuses such as "Nobody's perfect" or "Mistakes will happen."
B)use a generous,grudging tone.
C)use a standard form letter with blanks left for filling in unique information in neat handwriting.
D)avoid blaming anyone in your organization by name.
E)identify who is specifically to blame.
Q3) Due to potential legal problems,many companies have a policy that prevents employees from providing recommendation letters.
A)True
B)False
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12
Chapter 11: Writing Negative Messages
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130 Verified Questions
130 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) When terminating an employee,which of the following should be included in the message?
A)Clear reasons for the action
B)A statement of what could have been done to avoid the action
C)Contact information if the employee needs to discuss the action further
D)An indication of what can be done to be reinstated
E)A clear expression of thanks for the employee's dedication and service
Q2) Most catastrophes can be predicted and prepared for.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is important to include in the close of a message when you are responding after a mistake was made by your organization?
A)Clear identification of who made the mistake
B)Assurance the error will never happen again
C)A reminder of the bad news
D)Reasons for the decision
E)A description of actions taken to avoid similar mistakes
Q4) Discuss why ethics and etiquette are important when writing bad news messages.
Q5) What are some viable options for refusing social networking recommendation requests?
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Writing Persuasive Messages
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124 Verified Questions
124 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Induction refers to reasoning from a generalization to a specific conclusion.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Most persuasive messages combine
A)truth and falsehood.
B)current and very old evidence.
C)logical and emotional factors.
D)many major points all at once.
E)direct and indirect wording.
Q3) Because using a mobile device is so convenient,most mobile users aren't pressed for time; so,they enjoy receiving intricate promotional messages.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The AIDA approach for persuasive messages should be used with
A)the direct approach only.
B)the indirect approach only.
C)either the direct or the indirect approach.
D)neither the direct nor the indirect approach.
Q5) Discuss the role of emotional and logical appeals in persuasive messages.
Q6) How can marketers make sales and marketing messages truthful and nondeceptive?
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Chapter 13: Finding,Evaluating,and Processing Information
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120 Verified Questions
120 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is one of the most powerful aspects of using online tools when conducting research?
A)The flood of information received from monitoring tools
B)The ability to automatically monitor for new information
C)The ability to access the deep web
D)The human editors who place information from websites into web directories
E)The ability to avoid a metasearch
Q2) Researchers,who are analyzing numeric data,look for ________ to identify patterns that tend to repeat over time.
A)trends
B)causations
C)correlations
D)cross-differentiations
E)means
Q3) When using the Internet to conduct research,you can be reasonably sure that any information you find will be accurate.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Briefly explain the difference between primary research and secondary research.
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Chapter 14: Planning Reports and Proposals
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125 Verified Questions
125 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) When you speculate about the cause of a problem,you are forming a ________,a potential explanation that needs to be tested.
A)hypothesis
B)prospectus
C)quandary
D)supposition
E)direct analysis
Q2) Which of the following is a customized,highly summarized online presentation of business information and reports?
A)An executive dashboard
B)A working outline
C)A formal work plan
D)A statement of purpose
E)An analytical report
Q3) Describe the elements of a formal business plan.
Q4) Discuss guidelines for writing an analytical report that focuses on recommendations.
Q5) Why are analytical reports more challenging to write than informational reports?
Q6) Discuss the three categories of analytical reports.
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals
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133 Verified Questions
133 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) As it applies to writing a business report,use ________ to compose sentences that are uncluttered,carefully worded,and coherent.
A)accuracy
B)balance
C)clarity and logic
D)proper documentation
Q2) If you want to call attention to the visuals in a formal report,you should
A)create a table of contents.
B)include a list of illustrations.
C)submit them in a separate document.
D)cite their sources in the bibliography.
E)place all visuals at the beginning of the report.
Q3) The components of a formal proposal are entirely different from those of other formal reports.
A)True
B)False
Q4) You don't need to verify information that you plan to use in a report.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Discuss key points of controlling the style and tone in a message.
Page 17
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Chapter 16: Developing Presentations in a Social Media Environment
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Sample Questions
Q1) When would using a nonlinear presentation be especially useful?
A)When outlining a presentation like a conventional message
B)When using a predefined flow from start to finish
C)When conveying a message point by point
D)When building up to a final conclusion based on logical steps
E)When showing complicated relationships between several ideas
Q2) In preparing presentations,keep in mind that audience attention levels and retention rates drop sharply after ________ minutes.
A)10
B)20
C)30
D)40
E)50
Q3) The most important aspect of any presentation is
A)enveloping your message within a cloak of technology.
B)impressing the audience with your knowledge,skills,and abilities.
C)getting the audience to receive,understand,and embrace your message.
D)regarding your audience as passive recipients rather than trying to engage them.
E)engaging the audience by asking questions and increasing their involvement.
Page 18
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Chapter 17: Enhancing Presentations with Slides and Other
Visuals
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128 Verified Questions
128 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Presentations featuring free-form slides tend to contain ________ presentations with structured slides.
A)more slides than
B)fewer slides than
C)about the same number of slides as
D)simpler slides than E)more complex slides than
Q2) ________ conveys information that's part of your message; ________ doesn't convey textual or numerical information.
A)Decorative artwork; functional artwork
B)Background artwork; foreground artwork
C)Functional artwork; decorative artwork
D)Transformational artwork; symbolic artwork
E)Decorative artwork; transformative artwork
Q3) You're tired of wasting hours making design changes to one slide at a time in your electronic presentations.What software feature (common in presentation software such as PowerPoint)would be helpful in this situation,and what is its function?
Q4) Describe at least two advantages of using color in business presentations.
Q5) Discuss the disadvantages of using free-form slides for a presentation.
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Chapter 18: Building Careers and Writing Résumés
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135 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) A(n)________ includes key features of the chronological and functional approaches.
A)hybrid résumé
B)mash-up résumé
C)combination résumé
D)indirect résumé
E)traditional résumé
Q2) Why are some employers suspicious of functional résumés?
A)The résumé tends to focus more on the job than on the skills
B)The résumé focuses on supporting skills claims instead of the skills
C)Employers have to spend too much time reading them to determine what a candidate can do
D)Employers want to see the names of the organization
E)The résumé can obscure a candidate's work history
Q3) Explain how to include keywords that will attract prospective employers to your résumé and how to select those keywords.
Q4) Discuss four fallacies about the purpose of a résumé and discuss what the résumé really can do for a candidate.
Q5) How can a candidate use mobile technology in their job search?
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Chapter 19: Applying and Interviewing for Employment
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the final paragraph of your application letter,you should
A)show the reader you mean business and demand an interview.
B)say something philosophical.
C)request an interview and provide contact information.
D)cover your bases by saying something like,"If I've left anything important out,I'm sorry."
E)let the reader know they are making a mistake if they don't call immediately.
Q2) Whenever you submit your résumé to an employer,you should include an application letter to
A)identify what you're sending (your résumé).
B)explain why you're sending your résumé.
C)explain how they can benefit from reading your résumé.
D)all of the above.
Q3) When the interviewer makes an offer to you
A)you need to decide whether to accept the offer immediately.
B)say yes immediately no matter how much she offers.
C)thank the interviewer and ask for some time to make your decision.
D)hold out for more money,no matter how much is offered.
E)tell the employer you will consider the offer after it is made in writing.
Q4) Describe at least five types of employment interviews.
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