Practice Question
Hey, gang!Lately there have been a whole bunch of small but avoidable errors in the formatting and styling for our website. Although I’m happy to review your work, I cannot continue to spend this many hours per day playing firefighter. Please take a sec to refamiliarize yourselves with our style manual and be sure to follow it closely going forward. Thanks MorganThe above is an internal memo from the head of a web development team. Which of the following words or phrases are informal within a business context? (Select all that apply.)
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Correct Answer:
playing firefighter
Rationale:
▶️ playing firefighter
✍️ This phrase is an idiomatic and casual expression that implies putting out urgent problems.
✍️ Such figurative language is generally unsuitable in formal business communication.
✍️ Using idioms like this can reduce clarity and professionalism in internal memos.
▶️ a whole bunch
💎 This is a colloquial phrase meaning “a large amount” or “many,” but it lacks formal tone.
💎 Business contexts require precise and formal language, so casual expressions like this should be avoided.
💎 Replacing it with phrases like “several” or “many” improves the professional quality of the writing.
▶️ Hey, gang!
📙 This is an informal greeting, typical in casual conversations but too casual for business memos.
📙 Business communications generally use neutral or professional greetings such as “Hello team” or “Dear all.”
📙 Informal greetings can undermine the seriousness and respectfulness expected in workplace correspondence.
▶️ Take a sec
🖋️ This phrase is a colloquial abbreviation of “take a second,” which is too informal for professional contexts.
🖋️ Formal writing prefers complete phrases to maintain clarity and professionalism.
🖋️ Avoiding slang or shortcuts ensures the message is taken seriously by all recipients.
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This question is from Teas 7 English & Language Use~2025 Exam 4 which contains 35 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: ATI TEAS
- Subcategory: Comprehensive Teas 7 Exam(s)
- Domain: Comprehensive Teas 7~2025
- Answer Choices: 6