Chapter 03 Organizing and Drafting Business Messages
1. When should passive voice be used in business writing?
a. When you want to de-emphasize the action or the recipient of the action
b. When you want to emphasize the bad news
c. When you want to conceal the doer of the action
d. Never
2. Which of the following uses parallel structure?
a. Our new paralegal must be smart, efficient, and have flexibility.
b. The accident shattered her pelvis, dislocated her foot, and her spinal column was broken in three
places.
c. Big business demands superior forecasting, reporting, and analyzing.
d. A good financial planner must be certified, competent, and must possess ethical standards.
3. To avoid dangling modifiers, you can ask which of the following questions after writing an introductory
phrase?
a. Why?
b. Who or What?
c. When?
d. How many?
4. The sentence that expresses a paragraph's main idea is called the _______.
a. blueprint
b. preview
c. supporting content
d. topic sentence
5. How many main ideas should be developed in a paragraph?
a. Two
b. Three to five
c. One
d. As many as needed to convey effective meaning
6. In effective business writing, where in a paragraph does a topic sentence usually appear?
a. At the beginning, to let readers know what to expect
b. Midway through, to keep readers focused
c. At the end, to summarize what has been discussed
d. Topic sentences are unnecessary in business writing.
7. A topic sentence _______.
a. provides specific details, explanations, and evidence that support the main idea of a paragraph
b. links sentences within a paragraph
c. is unnecessary in a paragraph
d. states the main idea of the paragraph
8. The primary purpose of a paragraph’s supporting sentences is to _______.
a. state the main idea of the paragraph
b. repeat the topic sentence
c. introduce the main idea of the previous paragraph
d. illustrate and strengthen the topic sentence by providing specific details, explanations, and evidence
9. Paragraphs lack coherence when _______.
a. all sentences are written in the active voice
b. each sentence includes dependent and independent clauses
c. ideas are organized randomly and illogically
d. all sentences are compound sentences
10. To build paragraph coherence, a writer should _______.
a. sustain a key idea by repeating the same expression or a similar one
b. avoid using transitional expressions
c. use nouns instead of pronouns
d. exclusively use active voice
11. Which of the following is true about paragraph length?
a. Shorter paragraphs are generally considered more readable.
b. Longer paragraphs make the writer appear more knowledgeable.
c. Paragraph breaks should be avoided because they may cause the reader to lose interest.
d. Paragraphs should contain multiple main ideas to save space.
12. The prevalence of digital communication has de-emphasized writing skills in the workplace.
a. True
b. False
13. Research is key to helping a writer shape a business message.
a. True
b. False
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14. One question writers should attempt to answer before drafting a message is What will happen if the receiver
doesn't complete the requested action?
a. True
b. False
15. Conducting scientific experiments is a method to gather formal research.
a. True
b. False
16. Most routine business messages require formal research.
a. True
b. False
17. Looking in company files for information is considered formal research.
a. True
b. False
18. A scratch list is a detailed, hierarchical plan for organizing ideas and information.
a. True
b. False
19. When you expect the reader to be pleased, mildly interested, or neutral, use the indirect pattern of
organization.
a. True
b. False
20. When you develop a major component on an outline into subpoints, you must have at least two subpoints.
a. True
b. False
21. Another name for the direct strategy is frontloading.
a. True
b. False
22. The indirect strategy works well with three kinds of messages: (a) bad news, (b) ideas that require
persuasion, and (c) sensitive news.
a. True
b. False
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23. One advantage of the indirect strategy is that it respects the feelings of the audience.
a. True
b. False
24. The most compelling and effective messages contain one repeated sentence pattern rather than a variety of
sentences.
a. True
b. False
25. Employers want employees who can write messages appropriately they also want employees who can speak
effectively with others is an example of a well-written sentence.
a. True
b. False
26. The following sentence contains a dangling or misplaced modifier: Working all night, the brief was filed
with the court on time.
a. True
b. False
27. A paragraph is unified when it develops at least three ideas.
a. True
b. False
28. Good writers should avoid repetition of words or key ideas because it shows lack of creativity.
a. True
b. False
29. Business writers should strive for paragraphs with eight or fewer printed lines.
a. True
b. False
30. Which strategy should be used for messages that contain bad news or ideas that require persuasion?
a. Direct
b. Indirect
c. Frontloading
d. Outlining
