Informal Reports
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The three factors of successful reports are ________.
a) content, tone, skimmability
b) content, clarity, skimmability
c) content, clarity, accuracy
d) content, clarity, tone
2. ________ is not a feature of an informal report.
a) Use of a table of contents for reports over five pages
b) Use of personal pronouns
c) Infrequent use of visual aids
d) A within-report summary
3. Marta sells mousepads in Waterloo, ON, but sends weekly sales reports to the head office in Victoria, BC. She should send ________.
a) an analytical report
b) a periodic report in memo format
c) a justification report in memo format
d) an information report in letter format
4. The main sections of an analytical report are ________.
a) purpose/introduction, background, facts/findings, recommendations/ conclusions
b) purpose/introduction, discussion/analysis, conclusions, recommendations
c) purpose/introduction, discussion, analysis
d) purpose/introduction, facts/findings, discussion/analysis, recommendations/conclusions
5. Report writers should use a more formal tone than usual ________.
a) because they don't know where the report could end up
b) because they are less important than their readers
c) to make the report seem impressive and important
d) to exaggerate the importance of their findings
6. ________ is not a functional heading.
a) Recommendations
b) New Policy on Secure Messaging
c) Findings
d) Problems
7. A heading in all caps, bold, and centred, would be ________.
a) third level
b) first level
c) descriptive
d) second level
8. The following is not an effective heading: ________.
a) Those helpful suggestions
b) Suggestions to improve parking congestion
c) Some helpful suggestions
d) Students frustrated by parking scenarios
9. The first step in writing a report is to ________.
a) review situation, requirements, and restrictions
b) review situation, boundaries, and restrictions
c) review timing, boundaries, and restrictions
d) review timing, requirements, and availabilities
10. ________ is an incorrect statement about this sequence of numbers: 12, 14, 8, 17, 9.
a) "The median is 12"
b) "The range is 8"
c) "The mean is 12"
d) (a) and (b)
11. The section of a report that presents your interpretation of the facts you've uncovered can be called ________.
a) discussion or recommendations
b) background or discussion
c) conclusion or analysis
d) discussion or analysis
12. The section of a report that presents your suggestions for solving a problem should be called ________.
a) Conclusions
b) Summary
c) Recommendations
d) Suggestions
13. Reports that disclose information to governing bodies are called ________.
a) recommendation reports
b) incidental reports
c) investigative reports
d) compliance reports
14. Michel needs to request improved equipment from head office. He should write ________.
a) a direct summary
b) an indirect feasibility report
c) a direct justification report
d) a purpose statement
15. A competitive document that has to establish credibility and persuade readers is called ________.
a) a proposal
b) a quotation
c) a précis
d) a summary
16. Very large or complex tables can be made more readable by ________.
a) using shading on alternating lines
b) decreasing the height of cells
c) putting important figures in boldface
d) using alternating fonts for clarity
17. Pat needs to compare sales figures across the country. She should use ________.
a) a matrix
b) a pie chart
c) a bar chart
d) a line chart
18. Philip needs to report on weekly sales figures at his outlet over the past year. He should use ________.
a) a pie chart
b) a flow chart
c) a bar chart
d) a line graph
19. A chart that shows the progress of different aspects of a project over time is called ________.
a) a Gantt chart
b) a grouped line graph
c) a flow chart
d) a Berlin chart
20. Simone needs to illustrate the new procedures for requesting travel advances. She should use ________.
a) a flow chart
b) a Berlin chart
c) an organizational chart
d) a table
21. Business reports are not ________.
a) selective about the information provided
b) based on the writer's opinions
c) legal documents
d) designed for specific audiences
22. The effectiveness of a report depends on the writer's control of ________.
a) his or her emotions
b) syntax
c) the audience's reactions
d) skimmability
23. ________ is not a good way for a writer to ensure that the report makes sense to the reader.
a) Providing pertinent facts
b) Using overly simple language
c) Adapting the report to the audience
d) Interpreting facts
24. Citing the sources of the material you used helps the report achieve ________.
a) nothing
b) clarity
c) plagiarism
d) skimmability
25. ________ are written and filed at regular intervals according to schedule.
a) Periodic reports
b) Prepared-form reports
c) Letter reports
d) Formal reports
26. When using the direct approach for a report, the writer opens with ________.
a) a summary of the report
b) facts and findings
c) the purpose or problem
d) recommendations
27. The following would make the best heading for a report advising workers not to use voice mail for private information: ________.
a) Voice-Mail Problems
b) "Voice-Mail Problems"
c) Recurring Problems with Using Voice Mail as a Method of Conveying Confidential Information
d) Voice Mail
28. Headings should not be ________.
a) ranked
b) long
c) parallel
d) descriptive
29. The data you use in a report does not have to be ________.
a) reliable
b) valid
c) current
d) raw
30. When using information from an article in a print journal, you do not need to record the ________.
a) author of the article
b) publication date of the journal
c) title of the journal
d) editor of the journal
31. ________ is the most substantial section of any report.
a) Introduction
b) Findings
c) Conclusions/Recommendations
d) Visuals
32. Analytical reports tend to end with ________.
a) a graph
b) an analysis of the data
c) a summary
d) recommendations
33. The most effective visual aids are not ________.
a) integrated into the text
b) skewed
c) included for a purpose
d) uncluttered
34. ________ show values as proportions of the whole.
a) Matrixes
b) Tables
c) Pie charts
d) Bar charts
35. A ________ chart is not a type of bar chart.
a) vertical
b) segmented
c) deviation
d) pictorial
36. ________ show the relationship between two variables on a grid.
a) Tables
b) Bar charts
c) Line graphs
d) Matrixes
37. Informational report topics are unlikely to include ________.
a) business trips
b) onsite accidents
c) sales calls
d) schedules
38. ________ reports have a problem-solving function and are prepared on a voluntary basis.
a) Compliance
b) Investigative
c) Summary
d) Justification
39. Incident reports ________.
a) are subjective and provide each witness's personal opinion of what happened
b) are never needed in workplaces with high safety standards
c) need to be written and submitted within 24 to 72 hours
d) are written using the indirect approach
40. The following question is unlikely to lead to an analytical report: ________.
a) "Should we hire a new cashier?"
b) "Should we change our health plan provider?"
c) "Should we open another branch office?"
d) "Should we add a new line of products to our inventory?"
41. Purpose statements do not describe a report's ________.
a) scope
b) importance
c) limitations
d) background
42. Skimmability means ________.
a) helping make the report accessible by using a readable font, headings, lists, and white space
b) using short sentences and words
c) that you should skip a certain portion of the report
d) that the information provided is not important
43. Personal pronouns ________.
a) ensure that formal reports have a "you" message
b) are never used in formal reports
c) help achieve skimmability in formal reports
d) make formal reports more reader-friendly
44. In indirect analytical reports the discussion and analysis ________.
a) are included in the introduction and background
b) are included in the conclusion
c) introduce the findings
d) come before the conclusion
45. A matrix is ________.
a) a word table that presents qualitative information.
b) a chart consisting of vertical or horizontal bars
c) a word table that presents quantitative information
d) a chart that presents numerical data
46. A flow chart ________.
a) maps out procedures, processes, or sequences of movement
b) uses pictorial symbols to represent particular items
c) shows a schedule
d) shows positive and negative values
47. Trip or conference reports do not include ________.
a) an explanation of the purpose of the trip/conference
b) an identification of the event, destination, and the dates of the trip
c) personal details of the attendee's trip
d) a description of each main topic covered at an event/conference
48. A ________ is a recent trend in short written reports, especially periodic reports.
a) PowerPoint report
b) memo report
c) direct information report
d) feasibility report
49. Before beginning research for your report, you should ________.
a) make sure data is current
b) look for trends in data
c) keep track of bibliographical details
d) brainstorm
50. A report using a yardstick approach answers the following question: ________.
a) "Is this project feasible?"
b) "How long will the project take?"
c) "Which option is best?"
d) "How many resources should we consult?"
True or False Questions
1. A business report is a legal document that can be used as evidence in court.
2. One of the three factors in successful report-writing is the visual layout of the report.
3. Formal reports can be written in memo format.
4. Informational reports have a strong persuasive focus.
5. A report using a letter format has a formal tone and is used within an organization.
6. Recommendations should be placed at the end of an indirect analytical report.
7. Talking heads are useful in reports containing potentially negative or sensitive information.
8. Headings should be placed in quotation marks.
9. A small coffee is being sold in various coffee shops in Moncton, NB, for $0.95, $1.00, $1.15, $1.29, and $1.75. The median price is $1.15.
10. An informal information report in letter format could have an alphanumeric or decimal outline.
11. The Findings section can also be called Results or Facts.
12. The summary of an investigative report should always contain recommendations.
13. Feasibility reports evaluate whether a project or alternative is advisable and practical.
14. A to-file report would be a good format for summarizing an informal conversation with a supervisor in an elevator.
15. The section of an informal report that establishes the purpose of the document is called the Introduction.
16. Tables in reports may be printed in either landscape or portrait format.
17. A flow chart is a diagram showing the hierarchy or structure of a company.
18. It is acceptable for the bars in a bar chart to be of different widths.
19. Picture graphs were invented to plan and manage projects.
20. Headings are not used in abbreviated e-mail reports.
21. Situational reports are written in response to business trips, conferences, and the progress of continuing projects.
22. To find your co-workers' vacation schedules, you would consult a Gantt chart.
23. Activity reports can help middle and senior managers stay informed of ongoing activities or projects.
24. Committing facts and ideas to the printed page should be a "one-shot process."
25. You should never begin editing as soon as you finish your first draft.