Written Communications Flashcards
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1
Q
________ means your business document is not just technically well written but it accomplishes what you want it to accomplish and achieves its goals.
A
impactful
2
Q
A __ revenue-to-cost ratio is a good ___ for your marketing materials.
A
5x roi
3
Q
Two of the characteristics of impactful writing are that it is _____ and ________ appropriate.
A
clear contextually
4
Q
Impactful communication isn’t about you it’s about your _____.
A
reader
5
Q
Shift your ______ from yourself to your reader.
A
focus
6
Q
______ writing means changing the focus from what you want to say to what your _______ needs to know.
A
impactful audience
7
Q
What your writing ________ to do, is irrelevant in writing.
A
intended
8
Q
The reader’s ________ is their reality.
A
perception
9
Q
No amount of after the fact explaining will ever change an audience’s _____ _______ about a written document, especially if it was negative.
A
first impression
10
Q
The _________ _________ ______ is a concept that suggest that we tend to assign deliberate intent to others actions but consider extenuating circumstances when considering our own.
A
fundamental attribution error
11
Q
The fundamental attribution error is a ________ _____.
A
perception error
12
Q
You must begin from the readers _________ every time you write; this must precede the mechanics and logistics of your writing.
A
perspective
13
Q
Don’t write what you _____ to say, write what your reader _______ to know.
A
want needs
14
Q
Your ________ should have nothing to do with your writing approach.
A
personality
15
Q
___________ is a middle ground between friendliness and no-nonsense.
A
professionalism
16
Q
The _______ mirrors the expansion of the language.
A
dictionary
17
Q
Language can change when the meaning of a word changes or ___________ based on usage.
A
expands
18
Q
Language can change when brand new words become ____________.
A
accepted
19
Q
Language can change when _________ or __________ words get pushed out of the lexicon.
A
older unused
20
Q
__________ is the vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge.
A
lexicon
21
Q
Language ________ as a reflection of and as reflected by our culture.
A
changes
22
Q
Language and culture ______ each other.
A
reflect
23
Q
It’s important to have a ______ of how people are using language in today’s culture because that has implications for how they ______ language to be used.
A
grasp expect
24
Q
________ are words that are combined into one word. For ex., solopreneur or glamping.
A
mashups
25
Mashups are a direct reflection of the relationship between language and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
culture
26
There is a _______ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ we have to walk between using language that doesn't damage a professional relationship but also gets to the point a little more quickly than some of us may want it to do when writing for professional context.
delicate balance
27
When we communicate we generally have a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_, a \_\_\_\_\_, or an \_\_\_\_\_\_\_; especially when we communicate in a professional context.
purpose goal intention
28
Every word has two levels of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Its denotation and its connotation.
meaning
29
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is the dictionary definition of a word.
denotation
30
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is the implied and inferred definition of a word based on how we're using it. For ex., words like grass or lift will have different definitions to different people at different times.
connotation
31
Connotative meaning is not _______ in a word.
inherent
32
The words you choose when you communicate should be:
correct, concrete, clear, contextually appropriate
33
We sometimes use a word that sounds like the word we mean but isn't; this is known as \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
malapropism
34
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is using two words that sound ______ but mean different things.
Malapropism alike
35
One of the implications of using the ______ word is how the reader then perceives you.
wrong
36
In written communication you are your \_\_\_\_\_\_. Readers (potential employers and/or clients) view your words as an _______ of you.
words extension
37
Choosing the correct word also means thinking about where it must be ______ to communicate the intended meaning.
placed
38
Even the correct word, incorrectly placed can create a different meaning or a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_; For ex., My favorite new TV show is The Walking Dead. My new favorite TV show is The Walking Dead.
miscommunication
39
Research has found that readers tend to find writers who make mistakes (even in short documents like email) less \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, less ________ and less \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
conscientious intelligent trustworthy
40
When we use a ________ word we're choosing one with less possible variance in the connotative meaning. For ex., "I need you to do this better." What does better mean?
concrete
41
In business writing forget the _______ and say exactly what you mean; get to the point quickly but \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
flourish effectively
42
Pay attention to unnecessary _________ and avoid using two or more ______ words.
repetition similar
43
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is often a sign or result of a lack of confidence in ones writing.
redundancy
44
Readers view the authors of redundant writing as less \_\_\_\_\_\_\_, less \_\_\_\_\_\_\_, and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
intelligent effective annoying
45
Said another way, "In other words", or "I guess what I mean to say is", are all _______ of redundancy.
signs
46
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ usually has very little purpose and is in fact rather empty.
jargon
47
Phrases like deep dive, toe the line, streamlined, think outside the box, leading or bleeding edge are phrases and words that get _______ so much that the _________ of their meanings gets lost.
overused specificity
48
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ _________ means when you write you should place yourself in the context in which your message will be read not the context in which it is written.
contextually appropriate
49
Because we each participate in numerous ________ within a given day its incumbent upon us to be selective about choosing contextually appropriate language numerous times every single day.
subcultures
50
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ word choice can be innocuous when communicating with a friend but can have negative consequences in the professional realm.
imprecise
51
Sometimes failing to consider the ________ can lead us to choosing a word that is correct in meaning but wrong for the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
context context
52
When thinking about whether to use a comma you need to think about the ________ elements of the sentence.
essential
53
If a word or phrase is essential to the sentence do NOT use _______ around it.
commas
54
The ________ of commas indicates that everything in the sentence is critical to its meaning.
absence
55
If a word or phrase is ____ \_\_\_\_\_\_ and simply adds detail DO set it off with commas. For ex., Judith's favorite movies, Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon, both star Humphrey Bogart.
not essential
56
Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, is his best one. This is an _______ use of commas because you need to know his best play; its essential to the meaning of the sentence.
incorrect
57
That and which are not \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
interchangeable
58
If the phrase is integral to the sentence thus you're not setting it off with commas use "\_\_\_\_\_".
that
59
If the phrase is NOT integral to the sentence thus you're setting it off with commas use "\_\_\_\_\_".
which
60
Use a comma between two _________ clauses joined by coordinating or correlative \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
independent conjunctions
61
An __________ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a group of words that could stand on its own as a sentence.
independent clause
62
When two independent clauses are joined by a conjunction such as; and, but, or, neither, or nor, then you want to use a comma _______ the conjunction.
before
63
When an independent clause (a complete sentence) is preceded by a fairly long ________ \_\_\_\_\_\_ you separate those with a comma.
dependent clause
64
Its called a dependent clause because it ________ on the other one to form a complete sentence.
depends
65
If the dependent clause is at least as ____ as or ______ than the independent clause you're probably safe to choose the comma.
long longer
66
Separate two ________ that modify the same _____ with a comma if the word "and" can be used between them without altering the meaning. For ex., I'm lucky to have a supportive, easygoing boss.; It would make just as much sense to say "My boss is supportive and easygoing." So yes the example sentence should have a comma.
adjectives noun
67
Do not use a comma between _________ adjectives. For ex., My dad still has his old leather glove from high school.
cumulative
68
A cumulative adjective is two adjectives where the first adjective ________ the following adjective or the ______ of it and the noun that follows them.
describes idea
69
The ________ comma or serial comma is used when you have items in a series and you use a comma before the "and".
Oxford
70
The argument for using the serial comma is that it adds \_\_\_\_\_\_. For ex., I'd like to thank my parents, Theresa and Tad. The meaning of the sentence changes if you add a comma after Theresa.
clarity
71
Use a _______ to separate two independent clauses NOT separated by a conjunction.
semicolon
72
If you do ___ have two independent clauses you may ___ use a semicolon!
not not
73
A semicolon must be ________ and ________ by an independent clause!
preceded followed
74
When you have items in a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_, and one or more of those items contains a comma, you must use a semicolon to separate the items in the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_. For ex., This course will cover ethical paradigms, including utilitarianism and moral relativism; communication theories; and leadership approaches. This punctuation tells the reader that the phrase "including utilitarianism and moral relativism" is NOT one of the major items in the ______ of what the course will cover but rather relates directly to "ethical paradigms".
series series series
75
There is often more than one correct option for ______ punctuation.
proper
76
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ______ should be used to directly quote a person or an excerpt from some written material such as a book, song, report, etc.
quotation marks
77
Quotation marks should be around the titles of _____ \_\_\_\_\_ such as titles of book chapters, titles of articles within magazines, titles of poems within books of poetry, etc.
minor works
78
Quotation marks can be used to indicate ________ from a potentially questionable or offensive phrase. For ex., If you wanted to make reference to Hitler's "final solution" you'd likely want to use quotation marks to indicate that you find it untoward.
distance
79
Commas always go _____ the closed quotes.
inside
80
Ex., Jackson has made the assertion that "all lead supervisors should receive a raise," but I don't agree with him. There is no comma _____ "that" because when introducing a quotation you do NOT use a comma if you use the word "that". You DO use a comma if you don't use the word “that".
after
81
The word "that" makes the introduction to the quote and the quote itself a _________ sentence.
seamless
82
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ quotation marks should only be used when you're providing a quotation within a quotation.
single
83
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ should always go inside the closed quote marks.
periods
84
The rule for semicolons when it comes to quotation marks is the _________ from the rule for commas and periods.
opposite
85
Semicolons go ______ the closed quotes.
outside
86
When it comes to asking where exclamation points and question marks go in regards to quotation marks, it depends. The consideration is completely \_\_\_\_\_\_. It simply depends on which part of the sentence is excited or interrogative. Is it the overall sentence or is it the quoted material?
logical
87
An ________ clause is a clause whose form is typically associated with question like meanings.
interrogative
88
Unnecessary quotation marks are known formally as _____ quotes; people seem to misuse them when they want to emphasize something.
scare
89
Instead of using scare quotes, if you want to use a word or phrase you should use _____ not quotation marks.
italics
90
Its recommended that you _____ or be judicious with italics.
avoid
91
If you choose a _____ word in the first place you shouldn't need to italicize the word at all.
strong
92
Major works such as books, plays, magazines, poetry volumes, paintings, sculptures, and entire albums should be \_\_\_\_\_\_.
italicized
93
You should italicize ___________ words or terms that have not yet been adopted as common english expressions.
foreign
94
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ foreign words like sushi and croissant are not italicized.
conversational
95
Foreign words ___________ as words are italicized. For ex., "Foreign words that have been adopted into English include *sushi* and *croissant*."
introduced
96
The hyphen is the ______ of the dashes.
shortest
97
Use a hyphen to divide a word with more than one syllable when it falls at the end of a __________ line.
typewritten
98
Hyphens are used with words that have _______ that are separate from their ____ words such as ex-husband or anti-semitic.
prefixes root
99
As language changes many words that used to be _________ have become accepted as one word. For ex., co-worker and un-sportsmanlike are now coworker and unsportsmanlike.
hyphenated
100
The most common misuse of the hyphen is its _______ in compound modifiers.
absence
101
A _________ modifier is when two adjectives work together to modify (describe) the noun that follows them. For ex., Ten-page report
compound
102
If not written correctly compound modifiers can create \_\_\_\_\_\_\_. For ex., the difference between an "old bookstore" (an old store that sells books) and an "old-book store" (a store that sells old books).
confusion
103
Ex., Geospatial planning is a time- and labor-intensive task. This is sometimes called a ______ compound modifier; without a hyphen "time" would look like a standalone noun and cause confusion; therefore placing a hyphen after the first and second parts of the compound modifier correctly indicates that the task is both time intensive and labor intensive.
split
104
En dash is ______ than the hyphen.
longer
105
The __ \_\_\_\_ is not used very often but used primarily to separate numbers in date ranges.
en dash
106
Do not use the en dash to ______ the word "\_\_" or "\_\_\_" in a sentence. For ex., World War II took place from 1939 to 1945. or The event had between 100 and 200 attendees.
replace to and
107
If you've written out the words "from" or "between" you should write out "to" or "and". This is an example of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
parallelism
108
Em dash is the ______ dash.
longest
109
The __ \_\_\_\_ is used to indicate an interruption in thought or speech.
em dash
110
Most people mistakenly use a ______ rather than an em dash.
hyphen
111
Em dashes function similarly to commas around __________ clauses. For ex., Because Lee has opened his third new business—his first two were massive successes—he has a stable financial future.
nonessential
112
You may also use an em dash to set off or emphasize an _______ at the end of a sentence but in that case use only one. For ex., Lee has opened his third new business—his first two were massive successes.
insertion
113
An em dash gives you the _____ emphasis; semicolons give you less (or middle of the road) emphasis; and a parenthesis gives you the least amount of emphasis in a sentence, making it seem almost like an \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
most afterthought
114
Family nouns and job titles should only be ________ when you're using them as the name or part of the name. For ex., For many years, Father worked alongside the chief executive officer as well as President Rankin.
capitalized
115
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ has nothing to do with respect or importance, its just about whether or not its being used as part of the persons name.
capitalization
116
Always capitalize _____ \_\_\_\_\_ (not general) of academic courses.
specific names
117
Don't capitalize the names of \_\_\_\_\_\_.
seasons
118
\_\_\_\_\_\_ capitalize directions when referring to a part of the country. "For ex., Head south to get to the South.
only
119
Subject-verb agreement means if you have one subject you must have a ______ verb; if you have two or more subjects you must have a _____ verb.
singular plural
120
A ______ is a word that takes the place of a noun; like he, she, it, this.
pronoun
121
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ are the nouns to which pronouns refer; _________ can either precede or follow the pronoun. For ex., Kate said she would take the books back to the library. - she is the pronoun and Kate is the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
antecedents antecedents antecedent
122
Just like subjects and verbs, pronouns and their antecedents must also _____ in number. For ex., If anyone wants to get ahead in business, they have to build strong networking skills.- is wrong; If you want to get ahead in business, you have to build strong networking skills.- is correct
agree
123
An ________ pronoun is a pronoun that refers to non-specific beings, objects, or places. For ex., anything, something, each, anyone, and everyone.
indefinite
124
Indefinite pronouns are usually \_\_\_\_\_\_.
singular
125
In most cases and writing its safer to only use they as a ______ pronoun.
plural
126
Be sure your antecedent reference is always \_\_\_\_\_.
clear
127
A _______ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a noun phrase with two or more terms joined by "and"; when joined by "and" that _______ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ can be thought of as plural and a plural pronoun is required. For ex., Rita and Joe sent their proposal to me yesterday.- is correct
compound antecedent compound antecedent
128
Its usually pretty clear how to make compound antecedents agree with their pronouns because the "\_\_\_\_" between them makes it obvious.
and
129
Antecedents using ________ conjunctions usually trip people up.
disjunctive
130
Disjunctive conjunctions are the words "\_\_" or "\_\_\_".
or nor
131
When an antecedent uses a __________ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ the pronoun must agree with the noun its closest to. For ex., Either Scott or Martin will leave his key for you.- is correct; "his" agrees in both number and gender with both of the nouns in the ______________ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
disjunctive conjunction disjunctive antecedent
132
Pronoun _____ refers to the pronouns function in the sentence.
case
133
There are 3 types of pronoun case:
possessive, subjective, objective
134
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_-case pronouns indicate ownership or possession. For ex., His paperback. Her motorcycle. Our corporation.
possessive
135
Two possessive pronouns people struggle with are
their and its
136
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ are words that sound the same but mean different things.
homonyms
137
"There" is a \_\_\_\_\_, and "they're" is short for "they are".
place
138
"Its" is a possessive pronoun and "it" is a ______ like his, hers, and ours.
pronoun
139
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ are used to make words possessive not plural!
apostrophes
140
To make a singular word possessive you ___ apostrophe "s"; this rule is true even when the singular word ends in "S". For ex., James's guitar is out of tune.- is correct
add
141
The fact that a name ends in "\_" has nothing to do with how to make it \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
s possessive
142
The exception to the apostrophe rule is ________ names that end in "S". For ex., General Motors' factories - is correct
corporate
143
To make a plural word possessive make the word plural \_\_\_\_, then possessive; For ex., I will visit all my coworkers' offices.- is correct; the word coworker is made plural simply by adding "S", then add an apostrophe after the "S".
first
144
Usually in English when a word ends in "S" we make it plural by adding "\_\_".
es
145
For ________ plural nouns like child→children; man→men, etc., that do not end in "S" add an apostrophe "S".
irregular
146
When you don't have a plural noun but have two or more separate nouns, if the two subjects possess the same object together consider them ____ \_\_\_\_ and place an apostrophe "s" at the end of that \_\_\_\_; For ex., Bob and Sally's business.
one unit unit
147
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_-case pronouns indicate that the pronoun is the subject of the sentence and is typically the person or thing doing the action; it comes _____ the verb (at least in statements, though not in questions).
subjective before
148
I, he, she, they, we, it, you, and who are _______ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
subjective pronouns
149
Subjective pronouns cannot be used as \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.- For ex., Give the report to Scott and I. - is wrong I (a subjective pronoun) cannot be used as the ________ of a verb or preposition. Sometimes people incorrectly put the subjective pronouns after the verb.
objects object
150
A _________ is a word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to introduce an object.
preposition
151
An object is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase on which a verb __________ an action. It falls at the ____ of a sentence, and is governed by a verb or a preposition.
performs end
152
A subjective pronoun cannot be used as the object of a ____ or preposition.
verb
153
Sometimes the best way to figure which pronoun you need is to swap it with another pronoun and see if it make sense; this works really well with compound pronouns.- For ex., Him and me wrote the proposal together.- try writing it with only one pronoun at a time and listen to whether it still makes sense- Him wrote the proposal... - is wrong; you'd say, He wrote the proposal...- you also wouldn't say, Me wrote the proposal... So, __ \_\_\_ _ \_\_\_\_ ___ \_\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_.
He and I wrote the proposal together.
154
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_-case pronouns indicate that the pronoun is being used as an ______ of either the verb or of a preposition; its either the person or thing who's being acted upon or its the person or thing to which the preposition refers; it comes _____ the verb.
objective object after
155
Me, him, her, them, us, it, you, and whom are _______ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
objective pronouns
156
Objective pronouns cannot be used as \_\_\_\_\_\_\_. For ex., Her and me both have a test tomorrow. -and- Her and I both have a test tomorrow.- both are wrong because "her" is an objective pronoun and should only come after the verb. - She and I both have a test tomorrow because she is a subjective pronoun and comes before the verb. - is correct
subjects
157
A _______ modifier is a modifier that is separated from the word or phrase it's supposed to modify so that it is incorrectly modifying another part of the sentence; or when a modifier is not directly next to the word or phrase it describes. For ex., Jamie found a discarded desk in the basement with a mouse in it.- which has a mouse? the desk or the basement?- "with a mouse in it" is the ________ modifier.
misplaced misplaced
158
\_\_\_\_\_ carry the characteristic of voice which indicates whether the subject of a sentence is doing the action or being acted upon.
verbs
159
\_\_\_\_ ____ indicates that the subject of the sentence is performing the action- For ex., Jill tore the skirt.- Jill is the subject
active voice
160
\_\_\_\_ _____ indicates that the subject of the sentence is being acted upon by the verb; ____ \_\_\_\_ either places the person or thing performing the action in a subordinate position or eliminates it altogether.
passive voice passive voice
161
Active voice means the ______ of the sentence is doing the action.
subject
162
Active voice is generally preferred in writing simply because its more \_\_\_\_\_, \_\_\_\_\_, and to the point.
direct precise
163
Passive voice means the subject of the sentence is being _____ upon.
acted
164
Using/choosing passive voice may create unnecessary ____________ or a lack of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
confusion clarity
165
Using/choosing passive voice may __________ important information.
obfuscate
166
Using/choosing passive voice tends to be __________ and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
awkward wordy
167
You may want to use passive voice when you don't wish to _________ the person or thing doing the action.
identify
168
You may want to use passive voice when the person or thing doing the action is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, or ___________ to identify. For ex., Cancer is usually treated with chemotherapy. or Our house was renovated in 2015.- In each of these sentences, the person or thing carrying out the action is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. The point is what happened, not who did it.
unimportant unclear difficult unimportant
169
You may want to use passive voice when you prefer to emphasize the person or thing ___________ the action rather than the person or thing ________ the action.
receiving doing
170
\_\_\_\_\_ _____ indicate the attitude of the speaker towards what is written; mood refers to how the speaker feels about and is thus framing the topic being discussed in the sentence.
verb moods
171
If the condition could exist or the the thing may have actually happened you use "\_\_\_\_" not "\_\_\_\_". For ex., If I _____ rude, I apologize. or If she ____ there, I guess I missed her.
was were was was
172
The best choice in regards to _____ and _____ is the one that makes the right impact.
voice mood
173
\_\_\_\_\_ is how we aptly communicate exactly when things happen (past, present, or future); not just when they happen but when they happen in relation to one another.
tense
174
Verb modifiers or ______ describe, qualify, or limit the action of verbs; they usually answer when, where, how often, to what extent.
adverbs
175
Adverbs most frequently end in "\_\_".
ly
176
Adverbs can also modify \_\_\_\_\_\_\_, other adverbs or even an entire ______ or sentence.
adjectives clause
177
You must pay attention to adverb \_\_\_\_\_\_\_; sometimes the wrong adverb ________ can create ambiguity or confusion.
placement placement
178
Avoid _______ of adverbs, it can weaken your word choice if ____ on too much; it could be more impactful to choose a better verb or adjective.
overuse relied
179
Pay attention to whether the adverb you're using is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. For ex., He frowned sullenly. or She yelled angrily.
redundant
180
Adverb overuse doesn't strengthen your writing and can communicate a lack of ________ in your word choice or a lazy choice.
confidence
181
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ a sentence can convey more meaning than the use of an adverb or adverb overuse.
rewriting
182
When you end a sentence with a ________ you split the ________ from its object.
preposition preposition
183
Ending a sentence with a preposition indicates that the preposition has no object but prepositions must ____ \_\_\_\_ objects.
always have
184
Ending a sentence with a preposition creates confusing sentence \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
structure
185
The preposition placed at the end of a sentence is often \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
unnecessary
186
A ______ \_\_\_\_\_ is an idiom or set phrase that always takes a certain form even if it looks like a grammatical mistake. For ex., break up; pass out; give in
phrasal verb
187
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ a sentence with a conjunction such as and, but, or yet, is perfectly acceptable and has been since the 10th century; just don't overuse it.
beginning
188
ACE is a business writing process that stands for
analyze craft edit
189
The goal and final output of the ______ phase is to craft a purpose statement.
analysis
190
The ________ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is the foundation for the entire document and in 1 or 2 sentences explains the _______ of the document.
purpose statement purpose
191
Your purpose statement will ultimately become the _______ statement of the document.
opening
192
When you use a purpose statement as the first sentence of your document the _______ will know what to expect when reading the document; they'll also know whether or not they need to read the document at all.
audience
193
\_\_\_\_\_ skip the analysis phase.
never
194
Some writing authorities assert that 90% of documents that fail do so because the writer _______ the analysis phase.
skipped
195
A document that \_\_\_\_, is one that doesn't accomplish what you want it to.
fails
196
Use _____ and ___ for analysis so you don't get lured into writing the draft or even the final product on computer before you're ready. If you're not ready to write, the document will be less or not at all impactful.
paper pen
197
The time you spend on the analysis phase should increase as the _______ or potential impact of the document increases.
importance
198
Be ____ about the documents purpose.
clear
199
In most cases a clear document means that the reader will be more likely to understand your ______ and take the ____ you want them to take.
meaning action
200
If you're ____ about the purpose of your document your readers will be too.
unclear
201
\_\_\_\_\_\_ the audience by asking, who is your audience?
identify
202
In analyzing your audience be ______ in who you're writing it for.
specific
203
Don't mistakenly write your document for a ______ or ______ audience.
generic general
204
Don't mistakenly write your document for the person who _____ \_\_\_\_ with writing it because they may not actually be the audience.
tasked you
205
In analyzing your audience ask what is the audience's _______ knowledge of the topic?
existing
206
If the audience doesn't know much about the topic avoid very ________ language or \_\_\_\_\_; if you must use \_\_\_\_, provide them with aids for understanding (pics, examples, or definitions).
technical jargon jargon
207
If you have no way of knowing or finding out how much your audience knows, then lean on the side of providing _____ info rather than possibly a bunch of info they may already know.
less
208
It's important to know the documents purpose; what is it going to be _____ for?
used
209
For the purpose statement take all the information from the _______ and put it into one statement of 1 or 2 sentences.
analysis
210
Select the ______ facts for your document.
relevant
211
The relevant facts are the facts directly _______ to your purpose statement.
related
212
Gather the relevant facts by asking, "What does the reader _________ need to know relative to my purpose statement?"
absolutely
213
Organize your points into a full sentence, handwritten ________ if the document is very important and if you have time.
outline
214
The four steps for analyzing your document before you write it are:
analyze your purpose, analyze your audience, select the relevant facts, organize your points into an outline
215
Crafting your document is the _____ important step in writing.
least
216
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and ______ should take up the majority of the time you spend on any document (even emails).
analyzing editing
217
Spending the bulk of your time ________ the document is the least effective approach.
writing
218
Don't think of the crafting phase as writing the final document; this is just a \_\_\_\_\_\_!
draft
219
Don't worry about making the crafting version the _____ or particularly good, just write.
best
220
Create a good writing \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
environment
221
Eliminate all _________ (turn off phones, email notifications etc.)
distractions
222
Eliminate distractions that force you to focus on the perfect _____ or ______ like spellcheck and grammar check tools.
word verbiage
223
All you want to do in the craft-building phase is \_\_\_\_\_; don't analyze, don't edit, don't overthink, don't worry about tone or the perfect word or phrasing, just \_\_\_\_\_.
write write
224
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ your purpose statement onto your draft page.
transcribe
225
The purpose statement should be the _____ sentence.
first
226
If you're giving ___ \_\_\_, it may be too direct and come off as uncaring if you begin right away with a purpose statement, in this case you may want to begin with a short background statement.
bad news
227
Everything in this document should _____ from and _______ directly to the purpose statement.
stem connect
228
Write the introduction _____ because an introduction is essentially a _______ for the information contained in the document and if you're not 100% sure whats in the document then how can you ______ it.
last preview preview
229
Take the relevant facts gathered in the analysis phase and ________ them into your main points.
translate
230
Don't worry about the perfect words in the \_\_\_\_\_-building phase.
craft
231
Don't sweat the _____ \_\_\_\_\_ in the craft-building phase.
small stuff
232
Develop a system for _______ those places that you know will need attention when you begin to edit; brackets, comments, bubbles, highlighting, bold type, etc.
tagging
233
You shouldn't struggle with _____ \_\_\_\_\_\_ since there should be little or no guess work about what information to include because you've already ascertained that in the analysis phase.
writers block
234
If you find yourself staring at a ____ \_\_\_\_\_ just type anything; sometimes the simple act of getting your fingers moving often gets your wheels turning so that you'll eventually begin to write about your intended topic.
blank page
235
Keep your sentences \_\_\_\_\_\_.
simple
236
Don't write how you \_\_\_\_\_.
talk
237
Paragraphs should typically be _ to _ sentences long.
3 5
238
If you don't have _ \_\_\_\_\_\_ worth of information to share then ask yourself how important that point really is to the document. Maybe it's really a sub point of another point and it doesn't need its own paragraph.
3 sentences
239
If your paragraph is more than 5 sentences long, are you being unnecessarily long-winded, or are you inadvertently including ______ \_\_\_\_\_ points within one paragraph?
multiple main
240
\_\_\_\_ point, ____ paragraph; ___ point ___ paragraph; using your outline should minimize this issue.
same same new new
241
If you don't have an outline print a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_, plug your main points into it; looking at it while crafting your draft should help.
template
242
Provide \_\_\_\_\_-\_\_\_\_\_ assertions and arguments.
well supported
243
Be cautious of making any ________ claims in any professional writing.
unsupported
244
Writing statements like, "it's clear that" or "in my opinion" are red flags that may indicate that you're about to make an ___________ claim; instead focus on facts and data.
unsubstantiated
245
Try and make claims in an ________ manner; rather than say, "Its clear that we need to rebrand" try saying, "The research conducted by marketing indicates that we need to rebrand".
objective
246
Making unsubstantiated claims can have a real impact on your \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_; people and companies have fallen because of this; sometimes the public may not see the semantic distinction between unsubstantiated and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
credibility deceptive
247
You need to use the language your audience ______ and expects you to \_\_\_\_\_\_.
knows know
248
Jargon may be useful if you're trying to create a sense of ________ \_\_\_\_\_. For ex., a used car vs a certified preowned car.
enhanced value
249
Include a brief _______ if you're going to use jargon and you're unsure of whether your audience will be familiar with it.
definition
250
Don't feel beholden to _______ form.
narrative
251
Long narrative paragraphs tend to be _______ over or ______ more readily.
glossed ignored
252
If the info can be easily _______ into bullet points, tables, headings, or subheadings you should do so; readers find these forms more \_\_\_\_\_\_\_; this is a totally acceptable practice, even in formal writing.
chunked palatable
253
Consider using additional _______ on presenting information to supplement your words.
modes
254
Presenting information in _______ \_\_\_\_\_\_ (pictures, charts, links to additional sources, etc.) enhances the likelihood that the info will connect with your audience; thus the likelihood that they'll understand it and remember it.
multiple modes
255
The links between your own words and the supplements you provide must be _____ and direct.
overt
256
The supplemental information should add _____ but not ____ information.
value new
257
Take \_\_\_\_\_\_.
breaks
258
As a general rule even professional writers get mentally fatigued after about ____ but if you're on a roll don't stop!
45min
259
The _________ should always have two parts and two parts only.
conclusion
260
What are the two parts every conclusion should have?
review and wrap up
261
In the conclusion, ______ the main points (the body) of the document with a _______ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ or a quick _________ of the main points.
review summary review summary
262
The _____ \_\_\_ should entail of one to two brief sentences that put everything in a neat and tidy package so the reader knows definitively that the document has concluded.
wrap up
263
Never ____ \_\_ new information in a conclusion.
bring up
264
The introduction should _______ the body of the document; you can do this with an actual point by point ______ of the main points or a summary \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
preview preview preview
265
Use your list of relevant facts to help create your preview but don't ________ the relevant facts contained in the document with the main points of the document.
confuse
266
In addition to the purpose statement and preview, you should consider whether any additional ________ may be valuable in your intro, but keep this _______ relegated to things that are important to explain before the reader begins reading the rest of the document. For ex., definitions of terms or intentional omissions to the document.
context context
267
Editing and proofreading are not the \_\_\_\_.
same
268
Editing is where you _____ the document.
perfect
269
Editing is analyzing your document to ensure it says what you want it to say in an \_\_\_\_\_\_, ______ and ______ manner.
organized clear concise
270
Editing includes looking for things like: \_\_\_\_\_\_\_, \_\_\_\_\_, and ________ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ not just typos.
organization tone proper grammar
271
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is simply the act of looking for errors.
proofreading
272
The ________ phase should take up the majority of the time you spend on any document.
editing
273
Experts say that anywhere from ___ to ___ of the time you spend on any document (even emails) should be spent on editing.
30% 50%
274
Ideally you should edit your document at least \_\_\_\_\_; you'll find things in the ________ edit that you missed in the first.
twice second
275
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ______ from the document if its a brief or lower stakes email for even a few minutes is helpful.
stepping away
276
Don't over rely on tools like \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
spellcheck
277
Voice means consistency of your voice across the many different written ________ you are called to write documents in and for in today's professional world.
mediums
278
Think of your written voice as your digital \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
fingerprint
279
Consistency in ones writing means __________ to create and retain the same principles and guidelines, quality and standards time after time ignoring any distraction or temptation to do otherwise.
persevering
280
Sometimes you may be tasked to write in a _______ voice.
company
281
Its important that your voice and writing consistently portrays who you are as a _____________ because in the _____________ world people often only know us and our work virtually.
professional professional
282
Its important that the _____ and _____ of your voice are always the same across documents and mediums.
tone tenor
283
A person reading your documents ought to be able to ______ you from your writing.
identify
284
When you write a professional communication you are always __________ an organization in some capacity whether you are formally functioning as that organizations voice or not.
representing
285
How do you want to be ______ professionally?; does your writing match the ______ you hope people have of you in your writing?
viewed image
286
Consistent voice makes you seem more \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
trustworthy
287
When you write with the same _______ and standards each time your readers know they can rely on the _______ of your content.
quality quality
288
Consistent voice enhances your credibility and perhaps your level of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
responsibility
289
If you're seen as a consistent high quality writer your _________ may count on you more and more for that skill.
leadership
290
Having a consistent voice also makes it easier to _____ an audience of other professionals who grow to ____ on you for research and content. This is especially important if one of the goals of your professional writing is to ____ a target audience that benefits from and seeks your perspective.
build rely build
291
Know the difference between your ____ and your \_\_\_\_.
voice tone
292
Contrary to voice, tone can change; think of tone as a _____ and voice as distinctly you.
filter
293
Your tone may ______ but your voice should remain the same.
change
294
Strive for consistent word choice in terms of both ________ and verbiage.
complexity
295
Strive for generally consistent sentence \_\_\_\_\_\_\_, which can create a consistent tempo.
length
296
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ in consistent use of pronouns.
engage
297
Don't switch back and forth between ________ and _____ person, especially in the same document.
second third
298
Be consistent with your use of \_\_\_\_\_; make sure you are completely confident your readers will _________ each word.
jargon comprehend
299
Consider any _______ and colloquialisms you use.
clichés
300
In the case of _________ consider your audience, context, and goal.
contractions
301
If your context and audience call for more ______ writing, you probably shouldn't use contractions; however if you're writing for social media that will be less ______ and contractions may be OK.
formal formal
302
Keep ______ in mind; don't take things for _______ that your reader "should already know"; never write how you speak.
clarity granted
303
\_\_\_\_\_\_ remain professional, \_\_\_\_\_\_.
always always
304
Work emails are \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
discoverable
305
It is legal in the U.S. for your employer to read your emails and context is almost never ___________ when emails are viewed by other people.
considered
306
\_\_\_\_\_\_ to your organization's in‐house style guide or manual.
adhere
307
For a list of style guides type "list of style guides" in \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
wikipedia
308
\_\_\_\_\_ _____ are excellent helpful tools for ensuring that you not only write in consistent voice but also in the manner in which your organization has deemed best practice; why would you turn down an opportunity to demonstrate that you can meet expectations?
style guides
309
Most style manuals are also great __________ for grammar and punctuation \_\_\_\_\_.
resources rules
310
Most organizations probably don't have their own specific style guides although many have _______ style guides which tend to focus on the visual elements of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
branding branding
311
Most organizations refer employees to ________ level style guides.
industry
312
It makes sense for you to get _______ with any style guide that is generally accepted for your industry.
familiar
313
If your industry doesn't have a style guide pick one of the ______ or commonly used ones and treat it like your \_\_\_\_\_.
general bible
314
If your industry does have a style guide and it isn't very comprehensive pick one of the general or big name style guides as a ________ or \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
backup supplement
315
Style guides are also important for ensuring consistency in documents that have ________ authors.
multiple
316
Organizations may ask multiple authors to _________ on the writing of one particular document.
collaborate
317
An organization may also have ___ \_\_\_\_ of document that at different times has a different author (marketing copy, a blog, or a twitter feed, etc).
one type
318
Brand management experts note that consistent voice when employing multiple authors creates a stronger ________ between an organizations brand and its \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
relationship audience
319
Experts agree that having each author ______ follow the agreed upon style guide is one of the most effective ways to ensure consistency.
strictly
320
For multiple author documents make sure all authors are aware of and _____ on the _____ of the document.
agree tone
321
In the ACE business‐writing process, audience analysis is just as important when you have _______ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_; it's important that all of the authors have a clear understanding of the audience.
multiple authors
322
Its recommended having one author take the _____ on crafting the audience analysis and sharing it with the other authors; then ask the other authors to fill in any ____ in that information; then share the ____ audience analysis with all authors.
lead gaps final
323
Avoiding writing how you speak is _______ important with multiple authors.
especially
324
Its recommended that authors collaborate on editing the document and letting someone _______ and highly competent (has eagle eyes), who _____ one of the authors perform the final edit.
trusted isn't
325
If you collaborate on the editing phase consider ________ roles.
assigning
326
If you have a group of authors in mind consider having them _______ their editing collaboration on a document first; perhaps convert a passage from a children's book, or a Shakespeare scene to corporate speak; then have the group edit it to make sure it meets the parameters for your organization; this will help them practice a ______ and consistent voice.
practice unified
327
Many of our colleagues only know us through email so its important to treat the medium as an _______ of our professional selves.
extension
328
To be a good listener (via email), you can communicate an ______ \_\_\_\_\_\_ attitude in your response to emails from others.
active listener
329
Assume positive _____ when it comes to other writers.
intent
330
Try and read between the lines; consider your ________ with the person; give them the benefit of the doubt just like you'd hope they'd do to you.
relationship
331
Consider possible reasons for the tone you _____ as problematic; maybe they were in a hurry; maybe they assume you know them well enough and so they assume you wouldn't read it any other way.
infer
332
Consider the potential ______ of your response; remember the _______ reflex; its the same in writing.
outcomes reciprocity
333
Let your writing ________ who you are despite who they choose to be.
demonstrate
334
Read the ______ email before coming to a conclusion.
entire
335
Don't _______ to the email right away.
respond
336
If you need more ________ about the email ask for it; do so _________ and take responsibility for the lack of understanding instead of blaming the sender for any writing issues.
clarification diplomatically
337
If you need time to think about a response...\_\_\_\_ \_\_!; But let them know you'll respond later.
take it
338
If you have a _______ reaction definitely step away from the document/email for no less than __ hours.
negative 24
339
When you finally do respond be sure to show ______ for the sender and their point of view.
respect
340
In communication, behaviors fall into one of three categories:
confirming, rejecting, disconfirming
341
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ behaviors are behaviors that make the other person feel respected and valued or at least heard.
confirming
342
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ behaviors are behaviors like arguing, contradicting and complaining.
rejecting
343
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ behaviors are by far the most damaging kinds of behaviors; they're behaviors that say to the other person, "I don't even care enough about you to respond." "You don't exist." "You aren't valued."
disconfirming
344
Research shows that _________ behaviors are even worse than _______ behaviors.
disconfirming rejecting
345
When you get an email from someone and respond by offering your ______ without first acknowledging theirs that is disconfirming behavior.
opinion
346
To build a _______ relationship through writing we have to use confirming behaviors by showing respect for the fact that the sender has a point of view and took the time to share it with us.
strong
347
Writing phrases like "I hear you"; "Thats a great suggestion" or "What an interesting observation", can be simple ways to offer ______ confirmation that you value and respect your _________ opinion.
simple colleagues
348
You can build stronger relationships through writing by using a _________ approach in your emails.
collaborative
349
Its all about how you ______ things with the words you \_\_\_\_\_\_.
frame choose
350
\_\_\_\_\_\_ ___ before jumping into the body of an email with a little banter or a greeting first.
warm up
351
Never begin a statement with a "\_\_\_".- For ex., "This is great \_\_\_." Don't use ___ as a qualifier.
but but but
352
Use provisionalism _______ of certainty.
instead
353
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_is characterized by listening with an open mind and being open to others opinions.
provisionalism
354
Provisionalism doesn't mean you don't have strong opinions it just means that I acknowledge the _______ that I might not be right or that others opinions have \_\_\_\_\_.
possibility merit
355
Words like perhaps, might, or possibly, __________ provisionalsm.
communicate
356
Perhaps asking for the other person's opinion or actively inviting your recipient's perspective along with sharing your own, is ______ \_\_\_ to communicate provisionalism.
another way
357
When you're _______ you demonstrate a lack of regard for others and their ideas.
certain
358
When we exhibit \_\_\_\_\_\_, we're convinced that we are right...period, and no amount of additional information will change that fact, therefore we are uninterested in receiving any.
certainty
359
Certainty ____________ unconfirming behavior.
demonstrates
360
Words like can't, won't, never, always, or must _________ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
demonstrate certainty
361
Emphasize that issues, approaches, problems, etc., are "ours" rather than "\_\_\_\_\_" or "\_\_\_\_".
yours mine
362
Word your emails in a way that ____________ individual fault or error and emphasizes mutual success.
deemphasizes
363
Never engage in\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ _________ over email; no ________ to this policy.
conflict management exceptions
364
Pick up the phone and call them or email them only to request a meeting to discuss the ________ when you have a conflict.
situation
365
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ the attachment first to an email before you write it.
attach
366
Stick to one ______ per email and make sure the subject line reflects that _____ and that ______ only.
topic topic topic
367
If you absolutely have to email ____ \_\_\_\_\_\_ in one email put them both in the subject line; anymore than that you should separate the emails.
two topics
368
Be careful about how you're using your ______ to conduct professional email exchanges.
phone
369
An _________ is a word that modifies (describes) a verb (he sings loudly), an adjective (very tall), another adverb (ended too quickly), or even a whole sentence (Fortunately, I had brought an umbrella).
adverb
