Question 1

The following statement shows racial bias: "The chairman of the committee will be delivering a speech."

Accepted Answer

The statement does not mention race or imply any racial bias; it simply states a fact about a committee chairman delivering a speech.

Question 2

Which of the following is true of business writing?
A)It should be elaborate and detailed.
B)It requires providing sufficient "entry points" into a message to enable skimming.
C) It is contrary to technical writing.
D) It uses a formal style complete with multisyllabic words and long sentences.

Accepted Answer

Business writing should provide "entry points" to allow readers to quickly skim and grasp the main points. It should prioritize clarity and conciseness over elaborate detail. Technical writing may have some overlap with business writing in terms of clarity and conciseness, but they are not necessarily the same thing. Business writing may use a formal style, but it should prioritize readability over the use of long, multisyllabic words and sentences.

Question 3

Business writers prefer simple, informal words that are readily understood and less distracting than more difficult, formal words.

Accepted Answer

Business writers aim to effectively communicate their message to the reader. They prefer simple, informal words that are easy to understand and less distracting than using more complicated, formal words. The goal is to convey the message clearly and concisely without confusing or losing the reader.

Question 4

For the sake of efficiency, you should finish proofreading a document with one revision.

Accepted Answer

It is recommended to revise a document multiple times for errors and clarity. Finishing with only one revision may lead to overlooking mistakes or unclear language.

Question 5

Most often, using specific words while communicating negative ideas keeps the ideas from receiving more emphasis than they deserve.

Accepted Answer

Using specific words can actually draw more attention to the negative ideas, making them seem more significant than they might be with more neutral or vague language.

Question 6

The Fog Index and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level calculator consider the length of sentences and the difficulty of words to produce the approximate grade level at which a person must read in order to understand the material.

Accepted Answer

The Fog Index and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level calculator both consider sentence length and word difficulty to estimate the reading level required to understand the material.

Question 7

The word "salesman" has a gender bias.

Accepted Answer

The word "salesman" specifically refers to a male person who sells goods or services, thus conveying a gender bias towards men. A gender-neutral alternative could be "salesperson."

Question 8

Routinely used clichés capture the receiver's attention because they are interesting.

Accepted Answer

Routinely used clichés are not interesting because they have been overused and lack originality or creativity. They may even have the opposite effect of turning the receiver off or causing them to tune out.

Question 9

Human relations can suffer when denotative words are inadvertently used instead of connotative words.

Accepted Answer

Denotative words refer to the literal, dictionary definition of a word, while connotative words carry additional meanings and emotions. Human relations typically suffer more from misunderstandings or negative implications associated with connotative language rather than the clear, precise use of denotative language.

Question 10

Writing a passage with a readability index appropriate for the audience guarantees the message will be understood.

Accepted Answer

A readability index appropriate for the audience is important, but understanding also depends on the audience's prior knowledge, interest, and the clarity and relevance of the content.

Question 11

Condescending words seem to imply that the communicator is temporarily coming down from a level of superiority to join the receiver on a level of inferiority.

Accepted Answer

Condescending words are meant to make the receiver feel inferior, while the communicator feels superior. The use of such words implies a temporary shift in the balance of power, where the communicator is condescendingly "bridging the gap" to interact with the receiver on a supposedly lower level.

Question 12

In business writing, one should use third person for presenting pleasant ideas and second person for presenting unpleasant ideas.

Accepted Answer

This statement is incorrect. In business writing, the use of first, second, or third person depends on the purpose and context of the message, not on whether the idea is pleasant or unpleasant. It is important to use a consistent and appropriate point of view throughout the message.

Question 13

To produce a finished product that is free of errors, one must use the spell checker to locate simple keying errors and repeated words in the document.

Accepted Answer

Using the spell checker can help locate common typing errors and repeated words, which can help to create a finished product that is free of errors. However, relying solely on the spell checker may not catch all errors, such as grammar or punctuation mistakes. It is still important to proofread and edit the document thoroughly.

Question 14

Business communicators normally use passive voice more heavily than active voice because passive voice conveys ideas more vividly.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Business communicators should use active voice more often than passive voice because it is clearer, more direct, and shorter. Passive voice tends to be wordier and less engaging.

Question 15

Using passive voice reduces the number of words required to express an idea and thus saves the reader a little time.

Accepted Answer

Using passive voice often makes sentences longer because it usually requires more words to convey the same idea as an active voice construction.

Question 16

Writing a message rapidly with intent to rewrite certain portions can be frustrating and can reduce the quality of the finished work.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Writing a message rapidly with intent to...

Question 17

To emphasize a word or an idea, position it first or last in a sentence, clause, paragraph, or presentation.

Accepted Answer

This is a common technique used in writing and speaking to draw attention to important points. Placing a word or idea first or last can help it stand out and be more memorable to the audience.

Question 18

Overuse of visual enhancements will cause a document to appear cluttered and will defeat the purpose of creating an appealing, easy-to-read document.

Accepted Answer

Overusing visual enhancements can make a document difficult to read and may distract from the content, defeating the purpose of creating an appealing document in the first place.

Question 19

To emphasize an idea in a simple sentence, place it in a dependent clause.

Accepted Answer

To emphasize an idea in a simple sentence, it is best to place it in an independent clause. A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and does not give the idea the same level of emphasis.

Question 20

In a document, numerals are typically preferred over bullets unless the sequence of the items in a series is critical.

Accepted Answer

Bullets are typically preferred over numerals in a document unless the sequence of the items in a series is critical, in which case numerals are used to indicate order.

Quiz 4: Preparing Written Messages