Ch 9 Business Communication

Which of the following situations might require a progress report?

d. The work of a committee preparing for an open house when a new wing of a hospital is completed

A report that attempts to solve problems by presenting data, drawing conclusions, and offering solutions is called a(n)

a. justification/recommendation report.

Your company currently processes its payroll internally but is considering the use of an external accounting firm. You are in charge of determining whether your company should proceed with this plan. What kind of report would you most likely write?

b. Feasibility report

Which statement regarding digital report formats and delivery is accurate?

a. New technology allows users to hyperlink multimedia content within a document or with associated text or files.

Which of the following is the best advice to follow when writing a summary?

b. Condense the original ideas.

Which of the following is most likely to be written as an informational report?

b. A government regulatory report to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission

An informal writing style includes

d. contractions (for example, wouldn’t, don’t, they’re).

A record of the proceedings of a meeting is called

d. the minutes.

The direct pattern of organization is appropriate for a business report when readers

d. are informed.

Your department needs a new copier, and your job is to research the options. Based on your research, you have selected an all-in-one machine that you believe will be cost effective and will perform well. What kind of report would you write to present your findings?

d. Justification/recommendation report

Irina wants to make sure that she sounds credible in her business report. What should she do to build her credibility?

c. Tell her readers the source of her information

Which of the following sentences demonstrates active-voice verbs?

c. Research indicates a correlation between strong writing skills and promotions

Which of the following represents the best use of language?

d. Seventy-five percent of people agree…

Which of the following statements is accurate?

b. Secondary data are easier and cheaper to gather than primary data.

What type of research source provides the richest and most accurate first-hand information?

b. Interviews

When you receive an assignment to write a report, you should begin the report-writing process by

c. determining your purpose

Reports that present data without analysis or recommendations are

b. informational reports.

Which of the following statements about reports is accurate?

d. Informal reports of eight or fewer pages are the most common report in the workplace.

When you organize a report directly, what is the correct order of ideas to follow?

d. Introduction, facts, and summary

Which of the following is a talking heading?

b. Projected Cost Savings for IT Outsourcing

Vanessa is writing a report that will include headings. What should she do to make sure that her headings are effective?

a. Include at least one heading per report page.

Many business writers begin their report research by

c. visiting company records.

Which of the following is most likely to be written as an informative report?

d. A summary of information presented at a recent conference for technical writers

Headings that describe the content of a report section are called

b. talking headings

Which of the following reports is an example of an analytical report?

d. A report recommending an antiterrorism security system for mass transit

Typical sources for factual information in an informal report include

a. company records, observation, and electronic resources.

Which of the following is not needed in a feasibility report?

d. Persuasive techniques

Headings that show the outline of a report are called

d. functional headings.

The format of a report depends primarily on

d. its length, topic, audience, and purpose.

As a human resources (HR) assistant, you must write a monthly report to the HR director summarizing the number of job applicants, the number of interviews conducted, and the number of active employees. What kind of report would you prepare

d. Information report

In what order should you organize your ideas when you believe your audience will be agreeable to the suggestions in your justification/recommendation report?

a. Identify the problem or need, announce the recommendation, explain the recommendation, and provide necessary action

You have organized the findings section of your information report by answering who, what, when, where, why, and how. This pattern is called

d. journalism style.

You are writing a short, informal report that will stay inside your organization. Which format would be most appropriate?

a. Memo or e-mail format

You work for a development firm and must explain to a customer the results of a year-long study of potential sites for new stores. In what format should you develop this report?

a. Manuscript format

Reports convey information, answer questions, and

d. solve problems.

Connor has studied the effect of on-site daycare on employee work attendance. He must present his findings to his supervisor, who is opposed to this service. How should Connor present his information?

a. Use persuasive strategies and an indirect organizational pattern.

Your current assignment is to condense a 200-page government policy report on oil drilling in Alaska into a shorter report for Sierra Club members to read. What kind of report would you most likely write?

b. Summary report

A report that monitors the headway of a nonroutine or unusual activity is called

b. a progress report

Which of the following statements about functional headings is accurate?

c. Background is an example of a functional heading.

What kind of report condenses the primary ideas, conclusions, and recommendations of a longer report or publication?

d. Summary

Which of the following constructions uses the best writing style for an informal report?

b. We’re pleased to announce the selection of Peck Builders as general contractor for our new office complex.

The indirect pattern of organization is appropriate for a business report when readers

d. must be persuaded.

You are an inventory specialist for a retail store. Your boss has asked you to compile a year-end report listing the merchandise sold each month through the company’s Web site. In what format should you present this data?

a. Preprinted form

Which is the most accurate statement about business report organizational patterns?

a. The indirect pattern seems more logical to many readers because it mirrors the way we solve problems.

Thomas is in charge of taking formal minutes during an Institute of Internal Auditors chapter meeting. Which of the following is the best advice?

d. Record voting results and actions taken.

You are writing a short, informal report that you will send to one of your customers. Which format would be most appropriate?

d. Letter format

As chairperson of a customer service task force, you must update management on your team’s progress. What kind of report will you write?

a. Progress report

Reports that describe routine activities without analysis are called

d. information reports.

When you organize a report indirectly, in which order should you present your ideas?

b. Description of the problem, facts, conclusions, and recommendations

Reports that provide data or findings, analyses, and conclusions are

a. analytical reports