Written Communication and English Language Usage
Precision beats formality
Written communication items test whether you can identify the clearest and most correct version of a sentence or short paragraph. Grammar matters, but so do concision, logical order, and consistent tone. Expect subject–verb agreement across interrupting phrases, pronoun–antecedent agreement, misplaced and dangling modifiers, parallel structure in lists, tense consistency, and punctuation - especially comma splices, semicolons joining independent clauses, and apostrophes for possession versus plurals.
Key concepts: one clear main idea per sentence; modifiers placed next to what they modify; grammatically parallel lists; active voice with a named actor in operational writing; separating observation from inference ("I saw the door was open" versus "I concluded it was forced").
Traps: the longest, most formal option is often padded and vague; an option that "sounds right" may hide an agreement error; introductory modifiers often dangle ("After reviewing the file, the discrepancy was clear" - who reviewed?); confusing restrictive that with nonrestrictive which; passive voice used to hide responsibility.
Rule of thumb: strip prepositional phrases and parentheticals to find the true subject before checking the verb, then confirm every pronoun has exactly one plausible antecedent.
Worked example: "The agent, along with two analysts, (was/were) assigned to the case." Remove "along with two analysts"; the subject is "agent," so choose "was." The interrupting phrase is the trap.