Literary Dictation and Transcription
What the domain tests
Literary dictation assesses whether you can convert continuous, formal English into an accurate, readable transcript. Passages often contain subordinate clauses, quoted material, dates, abbreviations, and proper names, so the grader is checking punctuation, paragraphing, capitalization, and spelling at speed rather than literary interpretation.
Core rules
- Punctuate according to grammatical structure, not breath pauses. A comma splice is still an error even if the reader paused.
- Preserve the dictated wording; do not improve vocabulary or delete repetition.
- Distinguish homophones from context: council/counsel, principal/principle, capital/capitol, ensure/insure.
- Set off nonrestrictive clauses with commas; leave restrictive clauses unpunctuated.
- Use quotation marks for directly quoted speech and place terminal punctuation inside the closing mark in American style.
- Spell proper nouns consistently; if a name is uncertain, use the best supported spelling and flag it for review rather than inventing a variant.
Worked example
Dictated: 'The committee's principal concern was not the principle of transparency but whether counsel had advised the council correctly.' Reasoning: 'principal' means main, so it is not 'principle.' 'Principle' is the rule or value. 'Counsel' is the lawyer; 'council' is the body. The possessive 'committee's' requires an apostrophe before the s. The correlative 'not ... but ...' is parallel, so no comma is needed before 'but' because it joins two noun clauses, not two independent clauses.
Traps that cost marks
- Hearing 'principal' and writing 'principle' because both are common in public-affairs prose.
- Adding a comma before every 'but' or 'which.'
- Breaking a paragraph at a pause rather than at a change of topic.
- Dropping the apostrophe in plural possessives such as 'the justices' chambers.'