Chapter 07 Positive Emphasis
j j j j
Revision Notes j
Truej/jFalsejQuestions
1. Injbusinessjcommunication,jphrasesjsuchjasj"Ijhope"jandj"Ijtrustjthat"jarejtypicallyjusedjtojindica
tejajshift.
FALSE
Bewarejofjhiddenjnegatives:jwordsjthatjarejnotjnegativejinjthemselvesjbutjbecomejnegativejinjcon
text.j"But"jandj"however"jindicatejajshift,jso,jafterjajpositivejstatement,jtheyjarejnegative.j"Ijhope"j
andj"Ijtrustjthat"jsuggestjthatjajpersonjisn’tjsure.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
7-1
,2. Hiddenjnegativesjarejwordsjthatjarejnotjnegativejinjthemselvesjbutjbecomejnegativejinjcont
ext.
TRUE
Hiddenjnegativesjarejwordsjthatjarejnotjnegativejinjthemselvesjbutjbecomejnegativejinjcontext.j"
But"jandj"however"jindicatejajshift,jso,jafterjajpositivejstatement,jtheyjarejnegative.j"Ijhope"jandj"Ijtr
ustjthat"jsuggestjthatjyoujaren’tjsure.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
3. Thejsentence,j"IjhopejIjhavejprovidedjyoujthejinformationjyoujwanted,"jhasjajnegativejconn
otation.
TRUE
Wordsjthatjarejnotjnegativejinjthemselvesjmayjbecomejnegativejinjcontext.j"Ijhope"jandj"Ijtrustjtha
t"jimplyjthatjthejpersonjconveyingjthejmessagejisjnotjsure.jTherefore,jinjthisjcontext,j"Ijhope"jcarrie
sjajnegativejconnotation.
AACSB:jAnalyticj
AACSB:jCommunication
Blooms:jApplyj
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j2jMediumjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
7-2
,4. Injorderjtojdeemphasizejajnegative,jyoujshouldjputjitjinjthejlastjparagraphjofj yourjmessage.
FALSE
Tojdeemphasizejajnegative,jputjitjinjthejmiddlejofjajparagraphjratherjthanjinjthejfirstjorjlastjsentence,j
injthejmiddlejofjthejmessagejratherjthanjinjthejfirstjorjlastjparagraphs.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
5. Whenjtherejisjajbenefitjandjajrequirementjthejreaderjmustjmeetjtojgetjthejbenefit,jthejsente
ncejisjusuallyjmorejpositivej ifjthejrequirementjisjputjfirst.
FALSE
Whenjyoujhavejajbenefitjandjajrequirementjthejreaderjmustjmeetjtojgetjthejbenefit,jthejsentencejisjus
uallyjmorejpositivejifjyoujputjthejbenefitjfirst.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
7-3
, 6. Tellingjpeoplejthatjyoujarejdoingjthingsj“forjtheirjownjgood”jhelpsjtojcreatejpositive
emphasis.
FALSE
Ifjyoujlinkjthejnegativejelementjtojajbenefit,jbejsurejitjisjajbenefitjthejreaderjwilljacknowledge.jAvoidjtell
ingjpeoplejthatjyou’rejdoingjthingsj“forjtheirjownjgood.”jTheyjmayjhavejajdifferentjnotionjofjwhatjtheirj
ownjgoodjis.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
7. Negativejinformationjcanjbejomittedjifjthejreaderjdoesjnotjneedjthejinformationjtojmakejajdecisi
on.
TRUE
Omitjnegativesjentirelyjonlyjwhenjthejreaderjdoesjnotjneedjthejinformationjtojmakejajdecision,jwhe
njyoujhavejalreadyjgivenjthejreaderjthejinformationjandjhejorjshejhasjaccessjtojthe
previousjcommunication,jorjwhenjthejinformationjisjtrivial.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
7-4
j j j j
Revision Notes j
Truej/jFalsejQuestions
1. Injbusinessjcommunication,jphrasesjsuchjasj"Ijhope"jandj"Ijtrustjthat"jarejtypicallyjusedjtojindica
tejajshift.
FALSE
Bewarejofjhiddenjnegatives:jwordsjthatjarejnotjnegativejinjthemselvesjbutjbecomejnegativejinjcon
text.j"But"jandj"however"jindicatejajshift,jso,jafterjajpositivejstatement,jtheyjarejnegative.j"Ijhope"j
andj"Ijtrustjthat"jsuggestjthatjajpersonjisn’tjsure.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
7-1
,2. Hiddenjnegativesjarejwordsjthatjarejnotjnegativejinjthemselvesjbutjbecomejnegativejinjcont
ext.
TRUE
Hiddenjnegativesjarejwordsjthatjarejnotjnegativejinjthemselvesjbutjbecomejnegativejinjcontext.j"
But"jandj"however"jindicatejajshift,jso,jafterjajpositivejstatement,jtheyjarejnegative.j"Ijhope"jandj"Ijtr
ustjthat"jsuggestjthatjyoujaren’tjsure.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
3. Thejsentence,j"IjhopejIjhavejprovidedjyoujthejinformationjyoujwanted,"jhasjajnegativejconn
otation.
TRUE
Wordsjthatjarejnotjnegativejinjthemselvesjmayjbecomejnegativejinjcontext.j"Ijhope"jandj"Ijtrustjtha
t"jimplyjthatjthejpersonjconveyingjthejmessagejisjnotjsure.jTherefore,jinjthisjcontext,j"Ijhope"jcarrie
sjajnegativejconnotation.
AACSB:jAnalyticj
AACSB:jCommunication
Blooms:jApplyj
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j2jMediumjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
7-2
,4. Injorderjtojdeemphasizejajnegative,jyoujshouldjputjitjinjthejlastjparagraphjofj yourjmessage.
FALSE
Tojdeemphasizejajnegative,jputjitjinjthejmiddlejofjajparagraphjratherjthanjinjthejfirstjorjlastjsentence,j
injthejmiddlejofjthejmessagejratherjthanjinjthejfirstjorjlastjparagraphs.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
5. Whenjtherejisjajbenefitjandjajrequirementjthejreaderjmustjmeetjtojgetjthejbenefit,jthejsente
ncejisjusuallyjmorejpositivej ifjthejrequirementjisjputjfirst.
FALSE
Whenjyoujhavejajbenefitjandjajrequirementjthejreaderjmustjmeetjtojgetjthejbenefit,jthejsentencejisjus
uallyjmorejpositivejifjyoujputjthejbenefitjfirst.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
7-3
, 6. Tellingjpeoplejthatjyoujarejdoingjthingsj“forjtheirjownjgood”jhelpsjtojcreatejpositive
emphasis.
FALSE
Ifjyoujlinkjthejnegativejelementjtojajbenefit,jbejsurejitjisjajbenefitjthejreaderjwilljacknowledge.jAvoidjtell
ingjpeoplejthatjyou’rejdoingjthingsj“forjtheirjownjgood.”jTheyjmayjhavejajdifferentjnotionjofjwhatjtheirj
ownjgoodjis.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
7. Negativejinformationjcanjbejomittedjifjthejreaderjdoesjnotjneedjthejinformationjtojmakejajdecisi
on.
TRUE
Omitjnegativesjentirelyjonlyjwhenjthejreaderjdoesjnotjneedjthejinformationjtojmakejajdecision,jwhe
njyoujhavejalreadyjgivenjthejreaderjthejinformationjandjhejorjshejhasjaccessjtojthe
previousjcommunication,jorjwhenjthejinformationjisjtrivial.
AACSB:jCommunicationj
Blooms:jRemember
LearningjObjective:j07-01jApplyjstrategiesjforjpositivejemphasisjuse.
LeveljofjDifficulty:j1jEasyjT
opic:jHowjdojIjcreatejpositivejemphasis?
7-4