The primary audience for your message is made up of

   a. all who receive it.

   b. the decision makers or opinion molders.

   c. those people with the highest status.

   d. those people who represent the opinions and attitudes of the majority.

When it comes to proofreading your documents

   a. you should allot enough time in the planning process to do a thorough proofing job.

   b. it’s okay to let a few mechanical errors slip through, since the content is what counts.

   c. you should focus primarily on grammar and spelling; it’s too late to do anything about the design or format.

   d. all of the above.

In a positive message, the main idea is presented

   a. in the first sentence of the middle paragraph.

   b. at the end of the middle paragraph.

   c. right at the beginning of the letter.

   d. in the last sentence of the letter.

Informative headings and subheadings

   a. simply identify topics covered in the document.

   b. guide readers to think a certain way about the topics covered.

   c. are easier to write than descriptive headings.

   d. are less helpful to readers than descriptive headings.

The most basic type of communication is

   a. nonverbal

   b. oral

   c. written

   d. sign language

Individuals outside an organization might respond more readily to a request if they are told

   a. how the request benefits them.

   b. how many others have replied favorably.

   c. how easy it will be to say yes.

   d. why they have been selected.

Which of the following is an example of an ethical dilemma?

   a. Deciding whether or not to inform employees that layoffs are coming, when a big project needs to be finished.

   b. Deciding whether or not to sell company stock when you have inside information on a coming downturn.

   c. Deciding whether or not to use the copy machine for your personal papers.

   d. Deciding whether or not to declare the costs of your vacation travel as a deductible business expense.

When you need to inform stakeholders that your company is having serious problems

   a. the best approach is to leak the news to the press rather than make a public announcement.

   b. minimize the bad news by presenting it in as favorable a light as possible.

   c. use the direct approach.

   d. use as many hedging words as possible.

If you request a recommendation from a person you haven”t had contact with recently, you should

   a. use the opening of your letter to refresh the person’s memory.

   b. enclose a stamped, preaddressed envelope.

   c. use the persuasive approach.

   d. use the bad-news approach.

Which of the following is not an example of pompous language?

   a. ‘as per your letter’

   b. ‘please be advised that’

   c. ‘please let us know’

   d. ‘under separate cover’