Chapter 4 Self-Quiz

Which of the following does NOT characterize plain language?

simplicity

directness

intricacy

clarity

Why is plain style effective for business writing?

It puts the audience at a distance.

It requires the audience to spend more time reading.

It helps the audience remember the message.

It provides an opportunity to write differently than everyday language.

In plain style, sentence lengths should be no more than how many words?

5

10

20

50

To incorporate the plain-language style, which of the following should a writer practise?

using ambiguous language

avoiding passive-voice constructions

distancing the subject from the verb

avoiding use of personal pronouns

Which of the following are examples of familiar, accessible language?

words with a French derivative

foreign expressions

words that substitute -ize and -ization endings

important-sounding words

Which of the following sentences is the best use of familiar words?

I will finalize the report tomorrow.

I will finish the report tomorrow.

Finalization of the report will take place tomorrow.

Cessation of my task will take place tomorrow and you shall receive the report.

Which of the following is true about jargon?

It is always necessary in business writing.

It is acceptable when it is purposeful and transparent.

It is acceptable when it clouds meaning.

It is understandable by all audiences.

Effective word choice includes which of the following?

specific qualitative statements

abstract language

ambiguous language

idiomatic statements

Which statement is true about writing concisely?

Writers should always make their messages as short as possible.

Conciseness can never be overdone.

Conciseness must be balanced with completeness and politeness.

Brevity does not affect a message's tone.

Which of the following is a technique to achieve conciseness?

adding extended verb phrases

inserting redundancies

eliminating or revising empty words and phrases

including prepositional phrases

Which of the following is NOT an example of active voice?

Lee-Sun gave an entertaining presentation.

The formal report was written by a team.

The proposal addressed the competition.

Redundancies create unnecessary wordiness.

Which sentence contains an expletive construction?

There are five new staff members attending the orientation program.

Five new staff members are attending the orientation program.

The orientation program will be attended by five new staff members.

The human resources manager updated the orientation program.

Which sentence does NOT contain an expletive construction?

It is difficult to forecast sales for the Christmas retail season.

There are additional costs for expedited shipping.

There is a new dress code policy.

Employees are invited to a summer barbecue.

Which term refers to a word's implied or associative meaning?

connotation

denotation

contraction

detraction

Which of the following is true about conversational business tone in written communication?

It includes slang.

It allows for grammar mistakes.

It is similar to the way you would express yourself in a face-to-face meeting.

It includes repetition.

Which of the following is true about an impersonal style?

It uses a mix of sentence lengths.

It uses first names and personal references.

It uses the active voice.

It uses personal pronouns.

A reader-focused style includes which of the following?

de-emphasizing benefits to readers

sending trivial messages

adding first-person pronouns (e.g., "I" and "me")

using second-person pronouns (e.g., "you" and "your")

Which sentence is a good example of reader-based writing?

Our company offers employees free gym memberships.

You can work out for free with your corporate gym membership.

You need to use the gym membership provided by the company.

I hope my offer of a free gym membership is appreciated.

To develop a polite tone, what should writers do?

Use extreme politeness.

Suppress or censor what you need to say to avoid insult.

Develop a courteous tone that is natural and friendly.

Use sarcasm or show anger only when necessary.

Which of the following is true about inclusive language?

It treats all groups equally.

It draws attention to ancestry and religion.

It points out people's disabilities.

It warns readers about someone's criminal conviction.

Which salutation is sexist and best avoided in writing?

Dear Mr. Cheng

Dear Sirs

Hello Ms. Carrington

Dear Recruitment Team

Which of the following is NOT a gender-neutral title?

worker

salesman

manager

chairperson

Which sentence does NOT include gender-neutral pronouns?

Every manager approves departmental vacation requests.

All managers approve their departments' vacation requests.

Every manager approves their employees' vacation requests.

Every manager approves his employees' vacation requests.

What should you do if you are unsure which gender pronoun to use?

Use your best judgement to choose one.

Never use the more recently coined pronouns "ze" or "hir."

Never ask the person which pronoun to use.

Use a plural pronoun (e.g., "they" and "their").

A confident tone includes which of the following?

apologies, even when they are unnecessary

bragging and boasting

data and informative material

weasel words like "I hope" and "I trust"

Quiz Content