Technical Accuracy: Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling and Vocabulary
Technical Accuracy: Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling and Vocabulary
This domain assesses control of Standard English: sentence construction, agreement, tense, pronoun reference, punctuation, spelling, and precise word choice. Marks are awarded for accuracy and range, so ambitious vocabulary must remain grammatical.
Core rules
- Secure sentence boundaries. Avoid comma splices and fragments; use semicolons, colons, or full stops deliberately.
- Check subject–verb agreement, especially with collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, and phrases between subject and verb.
- Keep tense and point of view consistent; make pronouns refer clearly to one antecedent.
- Use apostrophes for possession and contraction, commas for clarity, and colons to introduce explanations or lists. Choose vocabulary for precision: “glanced” and “stared” are not interchangeable.
Worked example
Incorrect: “Its’ a shame that the council wont listen to residents.”
Correct: “It’s a shame that the council won’t listen to residents.”
Reasoning: “It’s” is the contraction of “it is”; the possessive “its” has no apostrophe. “Won’t” requires an apostrophe where the “o” of “will not” is omitted. The sentence otherwise has a clear subject (“the council”) and verb (“won’t listen”).
Traps
Confusing homophones such as their/there/they’re and affect/effect; using apostrophes for plurals; comma splices; shifting from past to present tense; mismatched pronouns; misspelling common words; and choosing long words that are misused rather than precise familiar words.