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This quiz is based on Business Communication (activebook 2.0) by John V. Thill and Courtland L. Bovee.

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1. When planning bad-news messages, you should consider the following questions except:
   Should it be sent in writing?
   Do your readers prefer to receive the negative news up front, without delay?
   Would they accept the news more readily if you explained your reasons first?
   All these questions should be considered when planning bad-news messages.
2. The following are examples from this chapter of bad-news messages except:
   refusing to grant a claim
   announcing a plant closing in a press release
   encountering problems filling an order
   giving an employee a negative performance review
3. The following are goals of a bad-news message except:
   to gain acceptance for the bad news
   to maintain as much goodwill as possible with your audience
   to increase sales
   to reduce or eliminate the need for future correspondence on the matter
4. The tone of a bad-news message helps readers in the following ways except:
   to encourage further correspondence
   to accept that your bad news represents a firm decision
   to understand that, under the circumstances, your decision was fair and reasonable
   to preserve their pride
5. Which of the following sentences should not be used in a bad-news message?
   We’re sorry for your inconvenience.
   The merchandise was broken during shipping.
   Your letter reached me yesterday.
   Please recheck the enclosed statement.
6. When deciding whether to use the direct or the indirect approach, consider the following questions except:
   What is the reader’s likely reaction to the news?
   How serious is the situation?
   How important is the message?
   How well do you know the readers?
7. Taking the direct approach in a bad-news message provides the following advantages except:
   It makes a shorter message possible.
   The audience needs less time to reach the main idea, which is the bad news.
   It presents an image of firmness.
   It avoids turning the issue over to an attorney.
8. The following are things to do when writing a buffer except:
   Avoid saying no.
   Avoid wordy and irrelevant phrases and sentences.
   Apologize for the inconvenience.
   Avoid a lengthy buffer.
9. When giving reasons for saying no, use the following techniques except:
   Highlight how your negative decision benefits your reader.
   Cite company policy to cushion the bad news.
   Convince readers that your reasons are logical.
   Avoid apologizing.
10. The following are techniques for stating bad news except:
    State what the company cannot do.
    Minimize the space devoted to the bad news.
    Subordinate bad news in a compound or complex sentence.
    Embed bad news in the middle of a paragraph.
11. Which of the following phrases should not be used in the close of a bad-news message?
    I trust our decision is satisfactory.
    If you have further questions, please write.
    We hope you will continue to do business with us.
    Avoid all these phrases.
12. Which of the following is not a situation requiring bad-news messages about company operations?
    a change in company policy that will have a negative effect on the reader
    problems with company performance
    controversial or unpopular company operations
    all these situations require a bad-news message
13. When delivering bad news to job applicants, follow these guidelines except:
    Open with the direct approach.
    Open with the indirect approach.
    Clearly state why the applicant was not selected.
    Close by suggesting alternatives.
14. When giving a negative performance review follow all these guidelines except:
    Confront the problem right away.
    Deliver the message in private.
    Use the indirect order to avoid an emotional response.
    Focus on the problem.

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