Writing: Usage, Sentence Structure, and Revision
The Writing domain assesses grammar and usage, sentence structure, and revision in context. Key concepts: subject-verb agreement (especially with intervening phrases), pronoun agreement and clear reference, verb tense consistency, modifier placement, parallel structure in lists and comparisons, punctuation (comma splices, run-ons, semicolons joining independent clauses, commas with nonessential elements), and rhetorical revision (choosing the sentence that best fits purpose, audience, and flow).
Traps are predictable. A long phrase between subject and verb hides disagreement ("The box of old letters was…"). A pronoun with two possible antecedents creates ambiguity. A sentence that is grammatically correct may still be the wrong answer because it is wordy or shifts tone. On revision questions, "no change" is a legitimate answer-do not fix what is not broken. Also beware of choices that add information the passage never introduced.
Rule of thumb: read the sentence with each choice substituted, and check the shortest correct option first. Concise and clear usually beats elaborate and correct-but-clunky.
Worked example: "Each of the students submitted their project on time." Each is singular, so the formal agreement is "his or her" or a rephrasing like "All the students submitted their projects." The trap is that students sits right next to the pronoun, pulling you toward the plural.