Written Communication and Grammar
What this domain tests
This section checks whether you can write clear, correct, policy-appropriate English under time pressure. Expect items on sentence correction, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, modifiers, parallelism, verb tense, capitalization, and concise report style. The goal is not literary style; it is unambiguous, defensible writing.
Core rules
- Make the subject and verb agree, even when a phrase separates them: 'The officer, along with two deputies, was on scene.'
- Fix comma splices with a period, semicolon, or conjunction: not 'The report was late, it was flagged.'
- Keep pronouns clear: 'Officer Reyes told Officer Kim that she would...' is ambiguous; repeat the name.
- Place modifiers next to what they modify: 'Driving north, the officer saw the vehicle,' not 'Driving north, the vehicle was seen.'
- Use parallel structure in lists and report headings: 'secured the scene, interviewed witnesses, and collected evidence.'
- Prefer active voice and past tense in narratives: 'I observed,' not 'It was observed by me.'
Worked example
Sentence: 'Neither the sergeant nor the officers was aware of the policy change, and they did not received the memo.' Correction: 'Neither the sergeant nor the officers were aware of the policy change, and they did not receive the memo.' Reasoning: With 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the nearer subject, 'officers,' so 'were.' After 'did not,' use the base verb 'receive.' The compound sentence is otherwise correctly joined by 'and.'
Traps that cost marks
- A sentence that sounds formal but contains a comma splice.
- 'Would of' for 'would have'; 'their/there/they're.'
- Apostrophe errors in plurals: 'three officer's' should be 'three officers.'
- Changing meaning while correcting grammar.
- Overusing passive voice, which hides who acted.