Chapter 5 WRITING BUSINESS MESSAGES Multiple Choice 1. Which of the following statements best reflects the you attitude?

a. You failed to enclose a check for $25. b. We need a check from you for $25 so that we can send the merchandise by May 15. c. We will send you the merchandise as soon as we receive your check for $25. d. You will have your merchandise by July 15 if you send us your check for $25 today. ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 121; TYPE: application 2. Select the sentence with the best you attitude: a. Because your report was poorly written, we cannot accept it. b. Your report failed to meet company requirements. c. When we receive a report that is professional, we can act on your recommendations. d. Once the project includes the necessary estimates, we can proceed with it. ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 121; TYPE: application 3. It is best to limit your use of the word you in business messages if a. you know your audience well. b. your organization prefers a more formal, impersonal style. c. you are filling your audience's informational needs. d. you are preparing a persuasive message. ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 121; TYPE: concept 4. You earn respect from your audience by a. being brutally frank in your criticisms. b. flattering them as much as possible. c. being polite and diplomatic. d. doing all of the above. ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 121-22; TYPE: concept

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5. Select the sentence with the best positive emphasis: a. We failed to complete the process audit on time. b. We will complete the process audit by Friday. c. We havent completed the process audit. d. Because of Joans inaccurate figures on the Haymen project, we are not finished with the process audit. ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 122; TYPE: concept 6. When you are criticizing or correcting, it is best to a. focus on what the person can do to improve. b. emphasize a person's mistakes so that he or she will not make the same ones again. c. be honest and call attention to the person's failures or shortcomings. d. make the person an example for everyone else to learn from. ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept 7. For persuasive messages, the best approach is to a. avoid the you attitude. b. get straight to the point. c. emphasize how your audience will benefit. d. open with the main idea and then provide supporting points. ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept 8. The best approach for getting someone to buy a magazine subscription from your charity group would be to say a. Please buy a subscription; our group really needs the money. b. If you buy a subscription from me I'll make my quota. c. This magazine will keep you informed on issues that affect your daily life. d. Our group doesnt get any assistance from government agencies, so these magazine sales are our main source of funding. ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: application 9. A euphemism is a word or phrase that is a. possibly offensive. b. general or abstract in meaning. c. highly technical. d. a milder term for one with negative connotations. ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept

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10. To establish credibility with your audience, you should a. impress them with a long list of your accomplishments. b. be modest and deferential. c. show that you are confident and that you believe in yourself and in your message. d. use hedge words (maybe, perhaps) to demonstrate your knowledge that no issue is fully cut and dried. ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 126; TYPE: concept 11. In business messages, using terms such as if, hope, and trust is a. usually a bad idea since it takes away from the writers credibility. b. a good way to show your modesty. c. common courtesy. d. acceptable for very formal contexts. ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 127; TYPE: concept 12. The tone of business messages a. can range from informal to conversational to formal. b. should always be formal. c. should always be fairly informal. d. is governed by strict, unwritten rules that do not allow for humor. ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 128; TYPE: concept 13. Generally speaking, business language used to be ____________ it is today. a. less formal than b. more formal than c. about as formal as d. simpler than ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 128; TYPE: concept 14. Plain English is a style of writing a. used only for casual correspondence. b. designed to make complex materials more understandable to the audience. c. aimed primarily at readers for whom English is a second language. d. inappropriate for business communication. ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 129; TYPE: concept

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15. Which of the following is not an example of obsolete language? a. We are in receipt of b. Please be advised that c. Please let us know d. We wish to inform you ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 129; TYPE: application 16. Which of the following sentences contains the strongest and most effective wording? a. Given the parameters of the situation, the most propitious choice would be to make adjustments in certain budget areas. b. We need to cut the operating budget by 12 percent or profits will plummet. c. Someones going to need to do some budget cutting around here or heads will roll. d. Perusal of budgetary figures reveals that a 12 percent reduction in operations is called for if we are to stave off a negative impact on profits. ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 129; TYPE: application 17. Identify the voice in the following sentence: The report was changed by the marketing manager. a. Active b. Passive c. Vocative d. State of being ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 130-31; TYPE: application 18. Using the passive voice makes sense when a. you want to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error. b. you want your sentence to be easier to understand. c. you need to make your sentences shorter. d. you want to emphasize the subject. ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 131; TYPE: concept 19. Which of the following is a content word? a. around b. she c. jump d. the ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 132; TYPE: application

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20. The connotative meaning of a word is a. its dictionary meaning. b. its literal meaning. c. all the associations and feelings the word evokes. d. its objective meaning. ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 133; TYPE: concept 21. Which of the following words are the most abstract? a. kiss, rose, house b. red, sharp, piercing c. kick, move, walk d. love, beauty, innocence ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 133-34; TYPE: application 22. While you may not agree with Joans recommendations, you must admit that her suggestions would save the company money is a a. simple sentence. b. compound sentence. c. complex sentence. d. compound-complex sentence. ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application 23. Stock prices have fallen, and foreign investments are far below normal levels is a a. simple sentence. b. compound sentence. c. complex sentence. d. compound-complex sentence. ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application 24. Which of the following is a compound sentence? a. David is a good worker, and he deserves a raise. b. Because David is a good worker, he deserves a raise. c. David, a good worker, deserves a raise. d. Having been a good worker, David will no doubt receive a raise. ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application

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25. A complex sentence is one characterized by a. two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction. b. a single subject and a single predicate plus any modifying phrases. c. two or more independent clauses along with all modifying phrases. d. an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses related to it. ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: concept 26. You can emphasize key points by a. using extra words to describe them. b. making important ideas the subject of the sentence. c. placing them at the beginning or end of a sentence. d. doing all of the above. ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136-37; TYPE: concept 27. To downplay a dependent clause in a complex sentence, you a. place it at the beginning of the sentence. b. place it at the end of the sentence. c. bury it in the middle of the sentence. d. set it off with a semicolon. ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 137; TYPE: concept 28. A typical paragraph contains the three basic elements of a. a topic sentence, related sentences, and transitional elements. b. simple, compound, and complex sentences. c. the main idea, supporting ideas, and evidence. d. a problem, discussion, and a solution. ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 137; TYPE: concept 29. Words such as nevertheless, however, but, and therefore a. are called pointer words. b. introduce modifiers. c. occur only in complex sentences. d. are useful for making transitions. ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 139; TYPE: concept

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30. A paragraph that focuses on the reasons for something is developed according to which method? a. Illustration b. Comparison and contrast c. Cause and effect d. Problem and solution ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 140; TYPE: concept 31. When you want to develop a paragraph by showing how a general idea is broken into specific categories, which of these methods would you use? a. Illustration b. Comparison and contrast c. Cause and effect d. Classification ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 140; TYPE: concept 32. To ensure a consistent look for all company documents, many organizations provide employees with approved a. autocompletion software. b. spreadsheets. c. macros. d. style sheets. ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept 33. The _____________ feature in software enables you to personalize form letters by inserting names and addresses from a database. a. File merge b. Mail merge c. Autocorrection d. Boilerplate ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept 34. Which type of software feature inserts a ready-made block of text when you type the first few characters? a. Machine translation b. Mail merge c. Autocompletion d. Autocorrection ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept

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35. Boilerplate is a. a piece of computer hardware used to increase modem speed. b. a standard block of text used in various documents without being changed. c. a list of most-used e-mail addresses. d. a machine used in professional printing. ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept True or False 36. Adopting a you attitude in business writing is simply a matter of using the pronoun you as much as possible. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 121; TYPE: concept 37. In general, the word you should be avoided when you are assigning blame for a problem. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 121; TYPE: concept 38. When delivering negative news, it is misleading to emphasize any positive aspects of the situation. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 122; TYPE: concept 39. Always avoid using euphemisms, because they are inherently dishonest. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept 40. Using the word young to describe an employee can have negative implications. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 126; TYPE: concept 41. Being too modest can reduce your credibility with your audience. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 126; TYPE: concept 42. A conversational tone is not appropriate for most business messages. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 128; TYPE: concept

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43. Bragging about your companys accomplishments can be offensive to readers. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 128; TYPE: concept 44. Enlivening business messages with humor will always please your readers, especially if they dont know you very well. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 129; TYPE: concept 45. Plain English is a style of writing used primarily for communicating to those for whom English is a second language. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 129; TYPE: concept 46. Good business letters use language that is as formal as possible and use proven terminology such as please be advised that and we are in receipt of. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 129; TYPE: concept 47. John rented the office is written in the active voice. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 130-31; TYPE: application 48. You should completely avoid use of the passive voice in business writing. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 131; TYPE: concept 49. When composing a draft, you should never skip to another section of the document until youve finished the current one. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 131; TYPE: concept 50. The rules of grammar and usage do not change over time. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 132; TYPE: concept 51. Conjunctions, prepositions, articles, and pronouns are all functional words. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 132; TYPE: concept 52. Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are functional words. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 132; TYPE: concept

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53. Connotative meanings are the literal or dictionary meanings of words. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 133; TYPE: concept 54. In business communication it is best to use words that are low in connotative meaning. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 133; TYPE: concept 55. Abstract words are direct, vivid, clear, and exact. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 133; TYPE: concept 56. Abstract words should be completely avoided in business writing. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 133-34; TYPE: concept 57. Clichs are a valuable tool in business writing, as readers find such words and phrases to be comfortable and familiar. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 134; TYPE: concept 58. In business messages, using a great deal of jargon is an effective way to increase your credibility. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 134; TYPE: concept 59. A compound sentence is one that contains one main thought (independent clause) and one or more subordinate thoughts (dependent clauses). ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: concept 60. We can hire Jane, but not at the salary shes requested is a complex sentence. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application 61. Profits have increased and employee morale is high is a simple sentence. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application 62. Insurance premiums are increasing, and health care costs continue to rise is a compound sentence. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: application

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63. Skilled business writers avoid complex sentences altogether. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: concept 64. To emphasize a dependent clause, it is better to put it at the end of a sentence rather than in the middle. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 137; TYPE: concept 65. A properly constructed paragraph can deal with more than one topic. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 137; TYPE: concept 66. Coherence within and between paragraphs is achieved through the use of transitional words and phrases. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 139; TYPE: concept 67. When developing paragraphs, you should stick to one method within each paragraph and throughout a document. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept 68. Instant messaging and blogging are popular for entertainment, but have not caught on as important business technologies. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept 69. Autocompletion software is essentially the same thing as autocorrection software. ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept 70. Templates and style sheets can both help to ensure a consistent look for all company documents. ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept Fill-in-the-Blank 71. Using the ____________________ attitude allows you to establish empathy with your audience. ANSWER: you; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 121; TYPE: concept

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72. Even in messages detailing negative situations, it is best to emphasize the ____________________ aspects of your topic. ANSWER: positive; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 122; TYPE: concept 73. Instead of using harsh, unpleasant terms, use mild words, or ____________________. ANSWER: euphemisms; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept 74. To avoid embarrassing blunders in language related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, or disability, use ____________________ language. ANSWER: bias-free; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept 75. Terms such as handicapped, crippled, and retarded are examples of ____________________ bias. ANSWER: disability; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 125; TYPE: application 76. If your audience is unfamiliar with you, you need to devote the initial part of your message to establishing ____________________. ANSWER: credibility; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 126; TYPE: concept 77. Style is the way you use words to achieve a certain ____________________, or overall impression. ANSWER: tone; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 127; TYPE: concept 78. A sentence is in the ____________________ voice when the subject performs the action and the object receives the action. ANSWER: active; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 130; TYPE: concept 79. ____________________ words express relationships and have only one unchanging meaning in any given context; ____________________ words, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, carry the meaning of the sentence. ANSWER: Functional, content; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 132; TYPE: concept

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80. The ____________________ meaning of a word is its literal, dictionary meaning, whereas the ____________________ meaning includes all the associations and feelings it evokes. ANSWER: denotative, connotative; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 133; TYPE: concept 81. ____________________ words express a concept or quality, not a tangible object. ANSWER: abstract; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 133; TYPE: concept 82. ____________________ sentences express two or more independent but related thoughts of equal importance. ANSWER: Compound; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: concept 83. ____________________ sentences express one main thought and one or more subordinate thoughts related to it. ANSWER: Complex; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 136; TYPE: concept 84. A (An) ____________________ is a cluster of sentences related to the same general topic. ANSWER: paragraph; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 137; TYPE: concept 85. A standard block of text used in various documents without being changed is called ____________________. ANSWER: boilerplate; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept Short Answer 86. List three strategies to become more sensitive to your audiences needs. ANSWER: You should adopt the you attitude, maintain good standards of etiquette, emphasize the positive, and use bias-free language. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 120; TYPE: concept

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87. You are scheduled to discuss a negative performance evaluation with one of your employees. How can you use the you attitude during your conversation? ANSWER: In cases like this, using the you attitude requires emphasizing what the person can do to improve, rather than dwelling on his or her mistakes and shortcomings. Emphasizing the positive is more likely to yield the results you want. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 122; TYPE: application 88. Define bias-free language. ANSWER: Bias-free language avoids words and phrases that unfairly and even unethically categorize or stigmatize people in ways related to gender, race, ethnicity, age and disability. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 124; TYPE: concept 89. List at least two types of biased language and explain how to avoid each type. ANSWER: (1) Gender bias: Avoid sexist language by using the same label for everyonepolice officer instead of policeman. (2) Racial and ethnic bias: Avoid language that suggests that members of a racial or ethnic group have stereotypical characteristics. (3) Age bias: Mention the age of a person only when it is relevant. (4) Disability bias: Avoid mentioning a disability unless it is pertinent. Put the person first. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 125; TYPE: concept 90. List at least three characteristics that can help establish credibility with your audience. ANSWER: Audiences assign credibility to individuals who display (1) honesty, (2) objectivity, (3) awareness of audience needs, (4) credentials, knowledge, and expertise, (5) endorsements, (6) performance, (7) confidence, (8) evidence-based communication, and (8) sincerity. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 126-27; TYPE: concept 91. Briefly explain the difference between tone and style in business writing. ANSWER: Tone is the overall impression you achieve with a message. Style is the way you use words to achieve a specific tone. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 127; TYPE: concept

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92. List at least three guidelines to follow if you want to achieve a conversational tone in business messages. ANSWER: (1) Avoid obsolete and pompous language such as in due course or we are in receipt of; (2) avoid preaching and bragging; (3) be careful with intimacydont be overly friendly or chatty; and (4) be careful with humor. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 128-29; TYPE: concept 93. Briefly explain the difference between the active voice and the passive voice. ANSWER: You are using the active voice when the subject performs the action, and the object receives the action: John rented the office. You are using the passive voice when the subject receives the action: The office was rented by John. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 130-31; TYPE: concept 94. How is the denotative meaning of a word different from its connotative meaning? ANSWER: The denotative meaning is the literal, or dictionary, meaning of a word. The connotative meaning includes all the associations and feelings evoked by the word. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 133; TYPE: concept 95. Give the definition of a complex sentence, then provide an example of one. ANSWER: A complex sentence expresses one main thought (the independent clause) and one or more subordinate thoughts (dependent clauses). An example is, Although we met our production quota, our repair costs this month were far higher than expected. (Answers will vary.) DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 136; TYPE: concept/application

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Essay 96. Explain what it means to emphasize the positive in business messages, and describe at least three techniques for doing so. ANSWER: Emphasizing the positive in business communication means recognizing the difference between delivering negative news and being negative. When the tone of your message is negative, you put unnecessary strain on business relationships, which can cause people to distance themselves from you and your ideas. One strategy for maintaining a positive tone in a potentially negative situation is to highlight any positive points that will foster a good relationship with your audience. Another strategy involves situations in which you find it necessary to criticize or correct: dont dwell on the other persons mistakes, and avoid referring to failures, problems, or shortcomings. Instead, focus on what the person can do to improve. Other strategies include persuading the audience to do something by emphasizing whats in it for them, and using euphemisms instead of words that might hurt or offend your audience. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 122-24; TYPE: application 97. List three situations in which the passive voice can help you demonstrate the you attitude. ANSWER: The passive voice can be helpful when you need to shift emphasis away from the person who is the subject of your message. These situations include (1) when you need to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error, (2) when you want to point out whats being done without taking or attributing either the credit or the blame, and (3) when you seek to create an objective tone. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 131; TYPE: concept 98. Explain what it means to choose words that communicate well, then list four techniques for selecting the best words when writing business messages. ANSWER: Choosing words that communicate means finding the most powerful words for each situation. Selecting the best words in business messages involves (1) choosing powerful wordsverbs and nouns are better than adjectives and adverbs; (2) choosing familiar wordsterms that are familiar to both you and your readers; (3) avoiding clichs and buzzwords; and (4) using jargon carefully. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 134-35; TYPE: concept

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99. What are the five most common techniques for developing paragraphs? ANSWER: There are several common techniques for developing paragraphs. Illustration involves giving examples to demonstrate the main idea. Comparison and contrast both involve using similarities or differences. Cause and effect requires focusing on the reasons for something. Classification involves showing how a general idea is broken into specific categories. Finally, problem and solution requires presenting a problem and then discussing the solution. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 140; TYPE: concept 100. Briefly describe at least four word processing capabilities that can help business writers shape their writing. ANSWER: Most word processing programs contain features that automatically handle the housekeeping chores often associated with business document preparation. These include (1) style sheetsmaster lists of predefined styles for headlines, paragraph texts, and so on; (2) templates, which provide standardization in terms of page design, available fonts, and other features; (3) autocompletion, which inserts a ready-made block of text when you type the first few characters; (4) autocorrection, which instantly corrects spelling and typing errors and converts texts to symbols; (5) file merge and mail mergefeatures that make it easy to combine files; (6) endnotes, footnotes, indexes, and tables of contents; and (7) wizards, which take you through the process of creating letters, rsums, and other common documents. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 141; TYPE: concept

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