Writing: Clear Sentences, Organization, and Conventions
What the Writing section asks
The OSSLT Writing tasks ask you to choose the clearest version of a sentence, fix errors, combine ideas smoothly, and produce a short piece of writing on a given topic. The concepts you need are sentence completeness, agreement, verb tense, pronoun reference, punctuation (especially commas and apostrophes), word choice, transitions, paragraph unity, and audience and purpose.
Traps to watch for
- Fragments and run-ons. A group of words with no main clause is a fragment; two complete sentences joined by only a comma is a run-on.
- Subject-verb agreement across interruptions. In "The list of items is long," the subject is list, not items.
- Apostrophe confusion. Its shows possession; it's means it is. Their, there, and they're are different words.
- Longest is not best. The correct choice is usually the most direct, not the most elaborate.
- Transition mismatch. However signals contrast; therefore signals result. Check the logic, not the sound.
- Off-topic sentences. In a paragraph, one sentence often does not belong. Ask what the paragraph is mainly doing.
Rule of thumb: read it aloud in your head
If you would not say it that way, it is probably not the best choice. Then check three things: does it have a subject and verb, do they agree, and does the punctuation mark a real boundary?
Worked example
"The team practiced every morning, they wanted to win the final." This is a comma splice. Better: "The team practiced every morning because they wanted to win the final." One main clause, a clear connector, and the reason is explicit.