Ch-1

Select the statement about business communication that is not true.

A)
Whatever position you have in business, your performance will be judged largely
by your ability to communicate.
B)
If you communicate well, you are likely to be promoted.
C)
All college-educated employees communicate well in the workplace.
D)
Businesses want and need people with good communication skills.
2
The text discusses three trends from the RAND study that are likely to have a huge impact on
communication practices in the 21st century. Which of the following is one of these three trends?
A)
An increasing regulation of international trade
B)
An increasing control of immigration in developed countries
C)
The growing diversity in the workplace and in types of workplaces
D)
The growing number of pressures acting upon the knowledge worker
3
Business communication tends to fall into three broad categories
A)
International, external, and personal
B)
External, internal, and operational
C)
Internal operational, external operational, and personal
D)
External operational, external, and personal
4
Which of the following is not an example of internal-operational communication?
A)
Placing orders with suppliers
B)
Giving orders and instructions to employees
C)
Sending emails with questions about a task assigned by a supervisor
D)
Writing reports concerning sales and inventories
5
The marketing manager of a company sends an email to the creative head of the advertising
company that is handling its account. This is an example of
A)
Personal communication
B)
Informal communication
C)
Downward communication
D)
External-operational communication
6
In the formal network of an organization, the flow of information can be ___________.
A)
Upward or downward
B)
Upward, downward, or lateral
C)
Downward only
D)
Upward only
7

Amanda Slate, who works in the accounting department, is a single-mother like Sally Hendricks
in the marketing department. They discuss common issues and usually have lunch together. This
is an example of the formation of
A)
An organizational network
B)
An informal network
C)
A formal network
D)
A professional network
8
Choose the least appropriate comment about the grapevine in an organization.
A)
It carries much gossip and rumor.
B)
It carries more information than the formal communication network.
C)
Wise managers ignore it.
D)
It is more valuable to the company's operations than a first impression might
indicate.
9
Which of the following statements best applies to the concept of organizational culture as
defined in the textbook?
A)
In a healthy organizational culture employees seem to know what they are doing
and seem to be happy.
B)
Official culture and the actual culture in a company are not necessarily the same
thing.
C)
The culture of a company is dynamic.
D)
All of the above.
10
Which of the following statements is true about business communication as a problem-solving
activity?
A)
There are common communication solutions that can successfully be applied to
all problems in business.
B)
Business communication problems require analysis, creativity, and judgment.
C)
If you use the "rule of thumb" approach with business communication, you will
always have a plan that will solve each unique communication problem.
D)
Focused thinking, research, and planning will guarantee success in the complex
world of business communication.
11
When solving a communication problem, which of the following should you take into account?
A)
Your relationship with your recipients
B)
The larger business-economic, sociocultural, and historical contexts
C)
Your recipients' organizational, professional, and personal contexts
D)
All of the above
12
Which step usually comes earliest in the communication process?

A)
B)
C)
D)

Searching for possible solutions

Composing the message
Defining the situation
Choosing a communication channel

13
You have received a complaint from a customer. You probe the issue: "Does the customer have a
legitimate point?" "What additional information is needed to understand the situation better?" By
asking these questions, you are
A)
Defining the situation
B)
Wasting precious time
C)
Deciding on a response
D)
Considering possible solutions
14
In the communication process selecting a course of action includes
A)
Considering the channel you will use to deliver the message
B)
Considering the potential costs and benefits of each option
C)
Making preliminary choices about the content, structure, and verbal style
D)
All of the above
15
Which of the following statements is the most appropriate choice for describing the model of
communication presented in the book?
A)
It can be a recursive process.
B)
It is mutually constructed in many situations.
C)
It is related to situations in which people are deliberately communicating to
achieve particular business-related goals.
D)
All of the above.
Ch-2
Clear writing begins with
A)
Adapting the message to the reader
B)
Choosing the communication channel
C)
Accounting for the reader knowing about the subject matter of the message
D)
Adjusting the message for the company message
2
Writing for multiple readers
A)
Can be challenging
B)
May require you to define specialized vocabulary for less expert readers
C)
Can accommodate nonexperts without alienating or boring expert readers
D)
All of the above
3

The main rule for effective word choice is

A)
To be guided by your organization's guidelines
B)
To be guided by your audience and purpose
C)
To be guided by your company's style guide
D)
To be guided by your audience
4
Which of the following statements would be the best example of a sentence that uses familiar
words?
A)
Please peruse this project report for errors.
B)
Please scrutinize this project report for errors.
C)
Please read through this project report for errors.
D)
Please examine this project report for errors.
5
According to readability studies, short words generally communicate better than long words.
Which of the following statements best follows this advice?
A)
The implementation of the proposed enhancement is under consideration.
B)
The unanimity of current forecasts is not incontrovertible evidence of an
impending business acceleration.
C)
Prior to accelerating productive operation, the supervisor inspected the machinery.
D)
This old sales strategy will not work in today's business.
6
The use of slang or clichs in communication
A)
Can cause cross-cultural miscommunication
B)
Can make writing sound stale
C)
Can be used in informal communication with people who will understand them
D)
All of the above
7
Use technical terms only when
A)
Communicating with those in your field
B)
Communicating in a memo to a new employee
C)
Communicating with those in your field and outside of your field
D)
None of the above
8
Which of the following is the best example of concreteness?
A)
Sam received 100 points on the last exam.
B)
The majority of workers agreed to the proposal.
C)
I replied to the email as soon as possible.
D)
Joe's sales report showed a significant loss.
9
The overuse of _____ can make your writing less active.

A)
B)
C)
D)

Adjectives
Negative verbs
"To be" verbs
Gerunds

10
Which of the following statements is an example of active voice?
A)
The January sales will be reported soon.
B)
We reported the January sales at the end of last month.
C)
Sales for January were reported on the 30th of the month.
D)
January sales are reported on the 30th of the month.
11
Passive voice is preferred when
A)
The doer of the action is unimportant to the message.
B)
The performer is unknown.
C)
The writer wants to avoid accusing the reader of an action.
D)
All of the above.
12
Which of the following sentences has a camouflaged verb?
A)
The company has established a wellness center.
B)
We arranged to meet for breakfast.
C)
The new policy involved the standardization of the procedures.
D)
The staff amortized the account.
13
Idioms
A)
B)
C)
D)

Should be used correctly if you want to be a precise writer

Have little rhyme or reason
Are word combinations that have become standard in a language
All of the above

14
Word choices can discriminate by
A)
Age
B)
Ethnicity
C)
Gender
D)
All of the above
15
Which of the following sentences is gender-neutral?
A)
Police officers searched the premises before the banquet.
B)
Every flight attendant must prepare her galley before the fight.
C)
The teacher graded her tests at home.
D)
Our postman brings the mail every day at noon.

Ch-3
Readability studies suggest you should
A)
Focus only on choosing the appropriate words
B)
Aim at a level a little below the reader
C)
Aim at a level a little above the reader
D)
None of the above
2
Writing effectively requires
A)
Arranging words into clear sentences
B)
Conducting a reader analysis
C)
Adapting sentences and paragraphs to the intended audience
D)
All of the above
3
Which of the following statements is most accurate with respect to sentence length?
A)
Business audiences tend to prefer longer sentences because these sentences
provide more information.
B)
Business audiences tend to prefer longer sentences because these sentences are
more impressive.
C)
Business audiences tend to prefer text in which long sentences are never used.
D)
Business audiences tend to prefer simple, efficient sentences over long, complex
ones.
4
According to the readability studies, sentences written for middle-level adult readers should
average about
A)
8-10 words per sentence
B)
16-18 words per sentence
C)
20-24 words per sentence
D)
10-14 words per sentence
5
Which of the following statements is the best example of a see saw sentence?
A)
A blog can add visibility to a business, although it can be labor intensive to
maintain, but the time spent on the blog could be worthwhile if it generates a buzz among our
potential customers.
B)
A blog can add visibility to a business. True, maintaining a blog takes time, but if
the blog generates a buzz among our potential customers, the time will be well spent.
C)
While maintaining a blog takes time, it can add visibility to a business and
generate a buzz among potential customers.
D)
All of the above
6

To write short, simple sentences, you should

A)
Use fragments
B)
Combine several thoughts into one sentence
C)
Use only short words
D)
Limit the sentence content
7
Which of the following statements contains a roundabout construction?
A)
The department budget can be observed to be decreasing each new year.
B)
The income must be used to retire the debt.
C)
Your May 10 report concluded that the warranty is worthless.
D)
The union is reviewing the seniority provision of the contract.
8
Which of the following statements is most appropriate?
A)
Longer sentences give more emphasis to their contents.
B)
Sentence length affects emphasis.
C)
Short, simple sentences carry less emphasis.
D)
Sentence length does not affect emphasis.
9
Which of the following sentences illustrates good sentence unity?
A)
Continuous Quality Improvement is a management concept in which work teams
collaborate to meet the organizational goals.
B)
Justin Calkins set the swimming record, and he plans to be a dentist.
C)
The Brass Connection received certification and sales increased 50 percent.
D)
We serviced the equipment and the production line was operated without
interruption.
10
Which of the following is not a violation of sentence unity?
A)
Unrelated ideas
B)
Illogical construction
C)
Passive voice
D)
Excessive detail
11
Which of the following is not a good reason for writing short paragraphs?
A)
To make the message more appealing to readers
B)
To help the reader move through the message quickly
C)
To show good organization
D)
All of the above
12
Which of the following is the best suggestion for writing paragraphs?
A)
Combine topics within a singular paragraph

B)
C)
D)

Make good use of topic sentences

Do not consider the number of typewritten lines in a paragraph
Keep the paragraphs long to enhance readability

13
Which of the following statements is the most appropriate comment about one-line paragraphs?
A)
They should never be used.
B)
They achieve good writing through brevity.
C)
They cause confusion with the reader.
D)
They can be used to emphasize major points.
14
The topic sentence of a paragraph
A)
Is always the last sentence
B)
Is always the middle sentence
C)
May be omitted in some paragraphs
D)
Is always the first sentence
15
Which of the following items helps create paragraph unity?
A)
The repetition of key words
B)
The use of transitional words
C)
The use of pronouns
D)
All of the above
Ch -4
The image of an organization is created by
A)
The services that are provided
B)
The products that are sold
C)
The business etiquette that is shown
D)
All of the above
2
Which of the following techniques helps build goodwill in business writing?
A)
Using a formal tone
B)
Using a conversational style
C)
Using colloquialisms
D)
All of the above
3
Which of the following sentences uses the most conversational phrasing?
A)
Please refer to our May 7 email in which we explain how to file a claim.
B)
In reply to your July 11 letter, please be informed that your adherence to
instructions outlined therein will greatly facilitate attainment of our objective.
C)
Enclosed herewith is the brochure about which you made inquiry.

D)
decline.

I shall be most pleased to avail myself of your kind suggestion when and if prices

4
Which of the following phrases is a rubber stamp?
A)
As good as gold
B)
On the same page
C)
Call the shots
D)
All of the above
5
The you-viewpoint
A)
Only involves word selection
B)
Emphasizes the writer's perspective
C)
Builds goodwill in written messages
D)
All of the above
6
Which of the following situations would benefit from using you-viewpoint?
A)
Writing an advertisement for a new line of laundry detergent
B)
Writing a letter to a customer that says a credit application was approved
C)
Writing a letter to a job applicant that states the person did not get the job
D)
All of the above
7
Which of the following statements is the best example of you-viewpoint?
A)
Your new charge account is now open for your convenience.
B)
We are delighted to announce our company's financial gain for last fiscal year.
C)
Because your credit is weak, we can sell to you on a cash-only basis.
D)
I am happy to report your proposal was accepted.
8
Arguably, some writers believe that you-viewpoint is___________.
A)
Insincere
B)
Dishonest
C)
Manipulative
D)
All of the above
9
Negative language
A)
Helps maintain long-term relationships with the customer
B)
May create resistance to your goals
C)
Has no place in business writing
D)
Maintains goodwill
10

Which of the following sentences best illustrates a positively written message?

A)
You failed to give us the fabric specifications of the chair you ordered.
B)
We regret that we cannot take back the scratched table.
C)
For your convenience, we can exchange the merchandise within seven days of the
purchase date.
D)
Smoking is not permitted anywhere except in the lobby.
11
Techniques for developing courtesy in your message include
A)
Using standard expressions of politeness
B)
Writing directly for your reader
C)
Choosing words for positive effect
D)
All of the above
12
Which of the following statements is the most accurate statement about preaching in business
messages?
A)
A preaching tone usually does not affect goodwill.
B)
A preaching tone is appropriate if you are writing to subordinates.
C)
A preaching tone tends to be intentional.
D)
A preaching tone can result from including elementary information.
13
If you were to recommend good courtesy techniques for business writing, which of the following
is not appropriate?
A)
Using your reader's name in the message
B)
Going beyond the customer's expectation
C)
Preaching to convince the reader of a point
D)
Avoiding anger to maintain customer relations
14
A written message can be perceived as insincere when
A)
A person's name is used too many times in the body of the message
B)
The content is overly complimentary to the reader
C)
Acts are overstated
D)
All of the above
15
Which of the following is not a technique to achieve emphasis?
A)
Position
B)
Repetition
C)
Space
D)
All of the above