Learn by Novus · Open practice pack v1

Written communication: full practice bank: open practice pack

100 untimed questions across 10 authored sections.

This is untimed educational practice for one cognitive skill. It is not a clinical, diagnostic, employment, or professionally recognized assessment, and it does not produce an IQ score or credential.

Learner worksheet

One hundred untimed self-check questions across ten sections, starting with spelling and punctuation basics and building towards advanced editing judgment. Work at your own pace. Every answer comes with a short explanation that teaches the underlying rule.

Choose one answer for each item. For a delayed-recall item, read its study text, cover it, and then answer without looking back.

Spelling essentials

Pick the correctly spelled word or the spelling that completes the sentence.

1. written-communication-s01-q01

Which word is spelled correctly?

  1. Seperate
  2. Separate
  3. Seperete
  4. Separete

Answer:

2. written-communication-s01-q02

Which word is spelled correctly?

  1. Definately
  2. Definitly
  3. Definitely
  4. Definetely

Answer:

3. written-communication-s01-q03

Which word is spelled correctly?

  1. Accommodate
  2. Accomodate
  3. Acommodate
  4. Accommadate

Answer:

4. written-communication-s01-q04

Which word is spelled correctly?

  1. Neccessary
  2. Necessery
  3. Neccesary
  4. Necessary

Answer:

5. written-communication-s01-q05

Which word is spelled correctly?

  1. Embarass
  2. Embarrass
  3. Embarras
  4. Embbarass

Answer:

6. written-communication-s01-q06

Which word is spelled correctly?

  1. Occurrence
  2. Occurence
  3. Occurrance
  4. Ocurrence

Answer:

7. written-communication-s01-q07

Which spelling completes the sentence: "Did you ___ my email yesterday?"

  1. recieve
  2. receeve
  3. receve
  4. receive

Answer:

8. written-communication-s01-q08

Which is the standard British spelling?

  1. Color
  2. Colur
  3. Colour
  4. Coulor

Answer:

9. written-communication-s01-q09

Which word is spelled correctly?

  1. Enviroment
  2. Environment
  3. Enviornment
  4. Environmant

Answer:

10. written-communication-s01-q10

Which word is spelled correctly?

  1. Mispell
  2. Misspel
  3. Mispel
  4. Misspell

Answer:

Punctuation foundations

Choose the sentence or phrase that uses punctuation correctly: apostrophes, commas, colons and hyphens.

11. written-communication-s02-q01

Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?

  1. The dog wagged it's tail.
  2. Its going to rain soon.
  3. The dog wagged its tail.
  4. The dog wagged its' tail.

Answer:

12. written-communication-s02-q02

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

  1. Before we left, we locked the office.
  2. Before we left we locked, the office.
  3. Before, we left we locked the office.
  4. Before we left we locked the office,

Answer:

13. written-communication-s02-q03

Which list is punctuated correctly?

  1. We need pens, paper and, folders.
  2. We need pens paper and folders.
  3. We need, pens, paper and folders.
  4. We need pens, paper and folders.

Answer:

14. written-communication-s02-q04

Which version correctly joins these two complete sentences?

  1. The report is late, we must apologise.
  2. The report is late; we must apologise.
  3. The report is late we must apologise.
  4. The report is late; and, we must apologise.

Answer:

15. written-communication-s02-q05

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

  1. Have you sent the invoice?
  2. Have you sent the invoice.
  3. Have you sent the invoice,
  4. Have you sent, the invoice?

Answer:

16. written-communication-s02-q06

Several teachers share one staff lounge. Which phrase shows this possession correctly?

  1. The teachers lounge
  2. The teacher's lounge
  3. The teachers' lounge
  4. The teachers lounge'

Answer:

17. written-communication-s02-q07

Which sentence uses the colon correctly?

  1. The box contains: pens, tape and glue.
  2. The box contains three items: pens, tape and glue.
  3. The box: contains three items, pens, tape and glue.
  4. The box contains three items; pens, tape and glue.

Answer:

18. written-communication-s02-q08

Which sentence punctuates the interrupting word "however" correctly?

  1. The venue however, was too small.
  2. The venue, however was too small.
  3. The venue however was too small.
  4. The venue, however, was too small.

Answer:

19. written-communication-s02-q09

Which sentence is written correctly?

  1. You're going to enjoy this course.
  2. Your going to enjoy this course.
  3. Youre going to enjoy this course.
  4. Your'e going to enjoy this course.

Answer:

20. written-communication-s02-q10

Which phrase uses hyphens correctly?

  1. A five-years-old policy
  2. A five year old policy
  3. A five-year-old policy
  4. A five-year old policy

Answer:

Grammar: agreement and tense

Choose the verb or pronoun that makes each sentence grammatically correct.

21. written-communication-s03-q01

Complete the sentence: "The list of candidates ___ on the desk."

  1. are
  2. were
  3. have been
  4. is

Answer:

22. written-communication-s03-q02

Complete the sentence: "Neither of the printers ___ working."

  1. are
  2. is
  3. were
  4. have been

Answer:

23. written-communication-s03-q03

Complete the sentence: "Each of the students ___ a laptop."

  1. has
  2. have
  3. are having
  4. were having

Answer:

24. written-communication-s03-q04

Complete the sentence: "By the time the courier arrived, the parcel ___ ready for an hour."

  1. was being
  2. is
  3. had been
  4. has been

Answer:

25. written-communication-s03-q05

Complete the sentence: "She ___ in Leeds since 2019."

  1. lives
  2. lived
  3. has lived
  4. is living

Answer:

26. written-communication-s03-q06

Complete the sentence: "The manager asked Priya and ___ to draft the notice."

  1. I
  2. me
  3. myself
  4. she

Answer:

27. written-communication-s03-q07

Complete the sentence: "If the client ___ earlier, we would have booked the larger room."

  1. called
  2. would call
  3. calls
  4. had called

Answer:

28. written-communication-s03-q08

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

  1. There are fewer errors in this draft.
  2. There is fewer errors in this draft.
  3. There are less errors in this draft.
  4. There is less errors in this draft.

Answer:

29. written-communication-s03-q09

Complete the sentence: "She has ___ the letter already."

  1. wrote
  2. written
  3. writed
  4. writing

Answer:

30. written-communication-s03-q10

Complete the sentence: "Neither the manager nor the assistants ___ available."

  1. were
  2. was
  3. is
  4. has been

Answer:

Word choice: commonly confused words

Choose the word that fits the sentence. These pairs are confused constantly in workplace writing.

31. written-communication-s04-q01

Complete the sentence: "The new policy will ___ every department."

  1. affect
  2. effect
  3. effectuate
  4. afflict

Answer:

32. written-communication-s04-q02

Complete the sentence: "The change had little ___ on sales."

  1. affect
  2. afflict
  3. effect
  4. effection

Answer:

33. written-communication-s04-q03

Complete the sentence: "___ going to be a long meeting."

  1. Its
  2. It's
  3. Its'
  4. Their

Answer:

34. written-communication-s04-q04

Complete the sentence: "The clients left ___ coats in reception."

  1. there
  2. they're
  3. theyre
  4. their

Answer:

35. written-communication-s04-q05

Complete the sentence: "The wine ___ the meal perfectly."

  1. complimented
  2. complamented
  3. complemanted
  4. complemented

Answer:

36. written-communication-s04-q06

Complete the sentence: "He refused to sign on ___."

  1. principle
  2. principal
  3. princible
  4. principel

Answer:

37. written-communication-s04-q07

Complete the sentence: "Take my ___: proofread before you send."

  1. advise
  2. advize
  3. advice
  4. adviece

Answer:

38. written-communication-s04-q08

Complete the sentence: "Please ___ that the door is locked before leaving."

  1. assure
  2. ensure
  3. insure
  4. unsure

Answer:

39. written-communication-s04-q09

In British English, which word completes the sentence correctly: "You should ___ your presentation before Friday."?

  1. practice
  2. practicing
  3. practises
  4. practise

Answer:

40. written-communication-s04-q10

Complete the sentence: "Order more envelopes from the ___ cupboard."

  1. stationary
  2. stationairy
  3. stationery
  4. stationry

Answer:

Sentence structure: fragments, run-ons and modifiers

Identify complete sentences, spot faulty joins, and place modifiers where they belong.

41. written-communication-s05-q01

Which of these is a complete sentence?

  1. Because the meeting ran late.
  2. The meeting ran late.
  3. Running late again the meeting.
  4. Although the meeting late.

Answer:

42. written-communication-s05-q02

Which of these is a sentence fragment?

  1. The lift is broken.
  2. We took the stairs.
  3. It was quicker.
  4. Which surprised everyone.

Answer:

43. written-communication-s05-q03

Which sentence contains a comma splice?

  1. The train was delayed, so we waited inside.
  2. Because the train was delayed, we waited inside.
  3. The train was delayed, we waited inside.
  4. The train was delayed; we waited inside.

Answer:

44. written-communication-s05-q04

Which revision best fixes the comma splice: "The printer jammed, nobody noticed until noon."?

  1. The printer jammed, but nobody noticed until noon.
  2. The printer jammed nobody noticed until noon.
  3. The printer, jammed, nobody noticed until noon.
  4. The printer jammed, nobody, noticed until noon.

Answer:

45. written-communication-s05-q05

Which revision fixes the dangling modifier in: "Walking into the office, the smell of paint was overwhelming."?

  1. Walking into the office, the paint smelled overwhelming.
  2. Walking into the office, I found the smell of paint overwhelming.
  3. The smell of paint, walking into the office, was overwhelming.
  4. Walking, into the office the smell of paint was overwhelming.

Answer:

46. written-communication-s05-q06

Which sentence clearly means that she answered almost all of the questions?

  1. She nearly answered every question.
  2. Nearly she answered every question.
  3. She answered every nearly question.
  4. She answered nearly every question.

Answer:

47. written-communication-s05-q07

Which sentence places "only" so that it strictly limits what was checked, the invoices and nothing else?

  1. The assistant checked only the invoices.
  2. Only the assistant checked the invoices.
  3. The assistant checked the only invoices.
  4. The assistant only checked the invoices.

Answer:

48. written-communication-s05-q08

Which is the best single sentence combining: "The intern drafted the notice." and "The manager approved it."?

  1. The intern drafted the notice, the manager approved it.
  2. The intern drafted the notice the manager approved it.
  3. The intern drafted the notice, and the manager approved it.
  4. The intern drafted the notice and, the manager approved it.

Answer:

49. written-communication-s05-q09

Which sentence attaches its dependent clause correctly?

  1. Although the budget was cut. The project continued.
  2. Although the budget was cut the project, continued.
  3. The project continued although, the budget was cut.
  4. Although the budget was cut, the project continued.

Answer:

50. written-communication-s05-q10

What does the fragment "When the files arrived." need in order to become a complete sentence?

  1. A comma
  2. A main clause
  3. A question mark
  4. Another dependent clause

Answer:

Clarity and concision

Choose the version that says the same thing in the clearest, most direct way.

51. written-communication-s06-q01

Which is the most concise revision of: "At this point in time, we are currently reviewing the proposal."?

  1. At this time we are currently reviewing the proposal.
  2. At this point in time we review the proposal.
  3. We are reviewing the proposal.
  4. We are, at this point, currently reviewing the proposal now.

Answer:

52. written-communication-s06-q02

Which phrase contains a redundancy?

  1. Advance planning
  2. Quarterly report
  3. Signed contract
  4. Spare key

Answer:

53. written-communication-s06-q03

Which single word best replaces the phrase "due to the fact that"?

  1. Meanwhile
  2. Regarding
  3. However
  4. Because

Answer:

54. written-communication-s06-q04

Which sentence is written in the active voice?

  1. The invoice was approved by the manager.
  2. The manager approved the invoice.
  3. The invoice has been approved.
  4. Approval of the invoice was given.

Answer:

55. written-communication-s06-q05

Which is the most direct revision of: "It is recommended that submission of the form be completed by staff before Friday."?

  1. It is recommended the form's submission be completed before Friday by staff.
  2. Submission of the form should be completed before Friday.
  3. Staff should submit the form before Friday.
  4. The form, before Friday, should be submitted by staff.

Answer:

56. written-communication-s06-q06

Which is the clearest instruction?

  1. Label each box with its contents.
  2. Boxes are to be labelled with respect to the matter of their contents.
  3. The labelling of each box should be conducted contents-wise.
  4. It is necessary that box labelling regarding contents occurs.

Answer:

57. written-communication-s06-q07

Which single word best replaces the phrase "in the event that"?

  1. When
  2. If
  3. Unless
  4. Whereas

Answer:

58. written-communication-s06-q08

Which revision removes all the redundant wording from: "Please refer back to the original source document."?

  1. Please refer back to the original source.
  2. Please refer back to the source document.
  3. Please refer to the original source document.
  4. Please refer to the source document.

Answer:

59. written-communication-s06-q09

Which is the most direct version?

  1. We decided to postpone the launch.
  2. We made a decision to postpone the launch.
  3. A decision was made by us to postpone the launch.
  4. The making of a decision on postponing the launch occurred.

Answer:

60. written-communication-s06-q10

Which sentence communicates most clearly to a general audience?

  1. We'll leverage synergies to optimise stakeholder touchpoints.
  2. We'll actionize our learnings going forward.
  3. We'll work with partners to improve the service.
  4. We'll operationalise cross-functional alignment.

Answer:

Tone, register and audience

Judge which wording best fits the reader, the situation and the level of formality required.

61. written-communication-s07-q01

Which opening line is most appropriate for a formal complaint email to a supplier?

  1. Hey guys, bit of a problem here!
  2. TO WHOEVER READS THIS: FIX IT.
  3. yo, the order's wrong again lol
  4. I am writing to raise a concern about our most recent order.

Answer:

62. written-communication-s07-q02

A letter opens "Dear Ms Patel". Which sign-off follows British convention?

  1. Yours faithfully
  2. Yours sincerely
  3. Cheers
  4. Later

Answer:

63. written-communication-s07-q03

Which sentence delivers bad news to a customer while keeping a professional tone?

  1. Unfortunately, we are unable to refund this item, but we can offer an exchange.
  2. It's not our problem the item broke.
  3. Refunds are for careful customers only.
  4. You should have read the policy properly.

Answer:

64. written-communication-s07-q04

Which sentence is most suitable for an announcement to all staff across every level of seniority?

  1. As per my last correspondence, kindly revert at the earliest.
  2. u all need to send the forms asap
  3. Please send your completed forms to HR by Friday.
  4. It is incumbent upon each employee to effectuate form submission.

Answer:

65. written-communication-s07-q05

Which rewrite best softens this blunt line to a client: "Your figures are wrong."?

  1. There appear to be some discrepancies in the figures. Could we review them together?
  2. Your figures are wrong, unfortunately.
  3. Wrong figures again: please fix.
  4. The figures are wrong; kindly correct them at once.

Answer:

66. written-communication-s07-q06

Which apology to a customer is most effective?

  1. Mistakes happen; that's life.
  2. We apologise if you feel there was a problem.
  3. Sorry!!!
  4. We are sorry for the delay to your order and have dispatched a replacement today.

Answer:

67. written-communication-s07-q07

Which phrase is too informal for a written business report?

  1. A significant increase
  2. A massive jump
  3. A notable rise
  4. A marked improvement

Answer:

68. written-communication-s07-q08

A website outage must be explained to non-technical customers. Which explanation fits the audience best?

  1. The DNS resolver failed over incorrectly after the BGP reroute.
  2. The infrastructure experienced cascading packet loss.
  3. A technical fault briefly stopped our website from loading; it is now fixed.
  4. Root cause: misconfigured failover in the resolver fleet.

Answer:

69. written-communication-s07-q09

Which sentence is appropriately neutral for formal meeting minutes?

  1. Dave rambled on about the budget forever.
  2. The budget discussion was a total waste of time.
  3. The committee discussed the budget and deferred a decision to March.
  4. Budget stuff got talked about, decision later I guess.

Answer:

70. written-communication-s07-q10

In British letter-writing convention, when is "Yours faithfully" used?

  1. When the recipient is named in the greeting
  2. When the letter opens "Dear Sir or Madam"
  3. Only in emails, never printed letters
  4. Only when writing to close colleagues

Answer:

Proofreading practice

Each item contains a sentence with zero or more errors. Find exactly what needs correcting.

71. written-communication-s08-q01

Proofread: "The committee have issued it's final report." What needs correcting?

  1. "it's" should be "its"
  2. "committee" should be "comittee"
  3. "final" should be "finale"
  4. Nothing: the sentence is correct

Answer:

72. written-communication-s08-q02

Which sentence contains a subject–verb agreement error?

  1. The reports are ready.
  2. The manager writes clearly.
  3. The invoices was posted yesterday.
  4. The team meets on Mondays.

Answer:

73. written-communication-s08-q03

Proofread: "Please find attached the minuets from Tuesday's meeting." What is the error?

  1. "attached" should be "atached"
  2. "minuets" should be "minutes"
  3. "Tuesday's" should be "Tuesdays"
  4. Nothing: the sentence is correct

Answer:

74. written-communication-s08-q04

How many spelling errors does this sentence contain? "The recieved goods were placed in the warehouse untill the manger arrived."

  1. 0
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3

Answer:

75. written-communication-s08-q05

Which sentence is completely error-free?

  1. Their going to announce the results today.
  2. They're going to announce the results today.
  3. There going to announce the results today.
  4. Theyre going to announce the results today.

Answer:

76. written-communication-s08-q06

Proofread: "The seminar will be held on the 3rd of Febuary at the Grand Hotel, tickets are free." Which pair correctly identifies both errors?

  1. "seminar" is misspelled; a question mark is missing
  2. "Grand Hotel" should be lower case; "free" is misspelled
  3. "Febuary" should be "February"; the comma wrongly joins two complete sentences
  4. "held" should be "holded"; "tickets" should be "ticket's"

Answer:

77. written-communication-s08-q07

Which sentence has a punctuation error?

  1. We invited the designer, the developer and the writer.
  2. The office closes at 5 p.m. on Fridays.
  3. Have you booked the room?
  4. The clients name was missing from the form.

Answer:

78. written-communication-s08-q08

Proofread: "Between you and I, the deadline seams unrealistic." Which option identifies both errors?

  1. "I" should be "me"; "seams" should be "seems"
  2. "Between" should be "Among"; "deadline" should be "dead line"
  3. "you" should be "yourself"; "unrealistic" should be "unreal"
  4. There is only one error in the sentence

Answer:

79. written-communication-s08-q09

Which version of the sentence is completely correct?

  1. The principle reason for the delay were the strikes.
  2. The principal reason for the delay were the strikes.
  3. The principal reason for the delay was the strikes.
  4. The principle reason for the delay was the strikes.

Answer:

80. written-communication-s08-q10

Proofread: "Staff must sign in at reception, collect there badge, and returning it before leaving." Which option identifies the errors?

  1. Only "reception" is misspelled
  2. Only "badge" should be "badges"
  3. "sign in" should be "signing in"
  4. "there" should be "their", and "returning" should be "return"

Answer:

Organisation and cohesion

Choose the linking words, sentence order and paragraph logic that hold a piece of writing together.

81. written-communication-s09-q01

Which linking word best completes: "The venue was expensive. ___, we booked it because of its location."

  1. Similarly
  2. Nevertheless
  3. Consequently
  4. For example

Answer:

82. written-communication-s09-q02

Which is the best topic sentence for a paragraph about the benefits of cycling to work?

  1. Cycling can be dangerous in the rain.
  2. Bicycles were invented in the nineteenth century.
  3. Many people drive to work every day.
  4. Cycling to work benefits both your health and your finances.

Answer:

83. written-communication-s09-q03

Which sentence does NOT belong in a paragraph about reducing office paper use?

  1. The office kitchen also needs new mugs.
  2. Double-sided printing halves paper consumption.
  3. Digital archiving removes the need for printed copies.
  4. Staff can share documents through the intranet instead of printing them.

Answer:

84. written-communication-s09-q04

These instructions are scrambled: 1. "Finally, submit the form." 2. "First, download the form." 3. "Then fill in your details." 4. "Next, attach your ID." What is the correct order?

  1. 2, 4, 3, 1
  2. 3, 2, 4, 1
  3. 2, 3, 4, 1
  4. 1, 2, 3, 4

Answer:

85. written-communication-s09-q05

Which connective best completes: "___ the survey closed early, the response rate exceeded expectations."

  1. Because
  2. Since
  3. As a result of
  4. Although

Answer:

86. written-communication-s09-q06

Which transition signals that a conclusion is coming?

  1. In summary
  2. In addition
  3. By contrast
  4. Meanwhile

Answer:

87. written-communication-s09-q07

A well-structured paragraph should generally contain:

  1. As many separate ideas as possible
  2. No topic sentence, to keep the reader guessing
  3. One main idea supported by related details
  4. At least ten sentences

Answer:

88. written-communication-s09-q08

Which word best completes the link between these sentences: "The council rejected the plan. ___ decision surprised local businesses."

  1. They're
  2. This
  3. Those
  4. Them

Answer:

89. written-communication-s09-q09

Which sentence best continues the paragraph after: "Remote work has reshaped demand for office space."?

  1. Many firms have since reduced their rented floor space.
  2. Coffee consumption varies widely across Europe.
  3. Office chairs come in many designs.
  4. Some employees enjoy gardening at weekends.

Answer:

90. written-communication-s09-q10

Which structure is most logical for a letter of complaint?

  1. Request for action → account of the problem → greeting → sign-off
  2. Greeting → request for action → account of the problem → sign-off
  3. Account of the problem → greeting → request for action → sign-off
  4. Greeting → account of the problem → request for action → sign-off

Answer:

Advanced editing judgment

The hardest calls an editor makes: parallelism, ambiguity, faulty comparison and multi-error revision.

91. written-communication-s10-q01

Which sentence has correct parallel structure?

  1. The role involves drafting reports, to schedule meetings, and customer calls.
  2. The role involves drafting reports, scheduling meetings, and to call customers.
  3. The role involves drafting reports, scheduling meetings, and calling customers.
  4. The role involves to draft reports, scheduling meetings, and calling customers.

Answer:

92. written-communication-s10-q02

Which revision removes the ambiguity in: "Ana told Maria that she had won the award."?

  1. Ana told Maria, 'You have won the award.'
  2. Ana told Maria that she, had won the award.
  3. Ana told her that she had won the award.
  4. She told Maria that she had won the award.

Answer:

93. written-communication-s10-q03

The sentence "When the box hit the shelf, it broke." is ambiguous. Which revision makes clear that the SHELF broke?

  1. It broke when the box hit the shelf.
  2. When the box hit the shelf, the box broke.
  3. When it hit the shelf, the box broke.
  4. The shelf broke when the box hit it.

Answer:

94. written-communication-s10-q04

Complete the sentence in formal register: "If I ___ you, I would resend the invoice."

  1. was
  2. were
  3. am
  4. be

Answer:

95. written-communication-s10-q05

Choose the best revision of: "There are several factors which must be taken into consideration by managers when they are making decisions about hiring."

  1. There are several factors managers must take into consideration when making hiring decisions.
  2. Several factors must be taken into consideration by managers making hiring decisions.
  3. When making decisions about hiring, there are several factors for managers to consider.
  4. Managers must consider several factors when hiring.

Answer:

96. written-communication-s10-q06

Which sentence uses a semicolon with a conjunctive adverb correctly?

  1. The shipment was delayed, however; we met the deadline.
  2. The shipment was delayed; however, we met the deadline.
  3. The shipment was delayed however; we met the deadline;
  4. The shipment was delayed; However we met the deadline.

Answer:

97. written-communication-s10-q07

Which sentence implies the company has only ONE warehouse?

  1. Our warehouse, which is in Leeds, flooded last week.
  2. Our warehouse that is in Leeds flooded last week.
  3. One of our Leeds warehouses flooded last week.
  4. Our warehouses in Leeds flooded last week.

Answer:

98. written-communication-s10-q08

Which revision best fixes the faulty comparison in: "The average salary in Leeds is higher than London."?

  1. The average salary in Leeds is more higher than London.
  2. The average salary in Leeds is higher than London is.
  3. The average salary in Leeds is higher than that in London.
  4. The average salary in Leeds is higher, than London.

Answer:

99. written-communication-s10-q09

Which sentence maintains a consistent point of view throughout?

  1. One should check your drafts before you send them.
  2. You should check your drafts before you send them.
  3. One should check their drafts before you send them.
  4. You should check one's drafts before they send them.

Answer:

100. written-communication-s10-q10

Which version is correct, concise and unambiguous?

  1. Each of the applicants were asked to bring their certificates, which was checked at the desk.
  2. Each applicant was asked to bring their certificates, which the desk checked them.
  3. Each applicant was asked to bring their certificates, which were checked at the desk.
  4. Each of the applicants was asked to bring certificates which, were checked at the desk.

Answer:

Authored hints

This cognitive practice source does not publish authored hints. Every item is listed as missing a hint, and no hint text is generated or inferred.

100 worksheet items do not have an authored hint.

This source contains no authored hints. No hint text was generated.

Answer key

ItemChoiceAnswer
written-communication-s01-q01BSeparate
written-communication-s01-q02CDefinitely
written-communication-s01-q03AAccommodate
written-communication-s01-q04DNecessary
written-communication-s01-q05BEmbarrass
written-communication-s01-q06AOccurrence
written-communication-s01-q07Dreceive
written-communication-s01-q08CColour
written-communication-s01-q09BEnvironment
written-communication-s01-q10DMisspell
written-communication-s02-q01CThe dog wagged its tail.
written-communication-s02-q02ABefore we left, we locked the office.
written-communication-s02-q03DWe need pens, paper and folders.
written-communication-s02-q04BThe report is late; we must apologise.
written-communication-s02-q05AHave you sent the invoice?
written-communication-s02-q06CThe teachers' lounge
written-communication-s02-q07BThe box contains three items: pens, tape and glue.
written-communication-s02-q08DThe venue, however, was too small.
written-communication-s02-q09AYou're going to enjoy this course.
written-communication-s02-q10CA five-year-old policy
written-communication-s03-q01Dis
written-communication-s03-q02Bis
written-communication-s03-q03Ahas
written-communication-s03-q04Chad been
written-communication-s03-q05Chas lived
written-communication-s03-q06Bme
written-communication-s03-q07Dhad called
written-communication-s03-q08AThere are fewer errors in this draft.
written-communication-s03-q09Bwritten
written-communication-s03-q10Awere
written-communication-s04-q01Aaffect
written-communication-s04-q02Ceffect
written-communication-s04-q03BIt's
written-communication-s04-q04Dtheir
written-communication-s04-q05Dcomplemented
written-communication-s04-q06Aprinciple
written-communication-s04-q07Cadvice
written-communication-s04-q08Bensure
written-communication-s04-q09Dpractise
written-communication-s04-q10Cstationery
written-communication-s05-q01BThe meeting ran late.
written-communication-s05-q02DWhich surprised everyone.
written-communication-s05-q03CThe train was delayed, we waited inside.
written-communication-s05-q04AThe printer jammed, but nobody noticed until noon.
written-communication-s05-q05BWalking into the office, I found the smell of paint overwhelming.
written-communication-s05-q06DShe answered nearly every question.
written-communication-s05-q07AThe assistant checked only the invoices.
written-communication-s05-q08CThe intern drafted the notice, and the manager approved it.
written-communication-s05-q09DAlthough the budget was cut, the project continued.
written-communication-s05-q10BA main clause
written-communication-s06-q01CWe are reviewing the proposal.
written-communication-s06-q02AAdvance planning
written-communication-s06-q03DBecause
written-communication-s06-q04BThe manager approved the invoice.
written-communication-s06-q05CStaff should submit the form before Friday.
written-communication-s06-q06ALabel each box with its contents.
written-communication-s06-q07BIf
written-communication-s06-q08DPlease refer to the source document.
written-communication-s06-q09AWe decided to postpone the launch.
written-communication-s06-q10CWe'll work with partners to improve the service.
written-communication-s07-q01DI am writing to raise a concern about our most recent order.
written-communication-s07-q02BYours sincerely
written-communication-s07-q03AUnfortunately, we are unable to refund this item, but we can offer an exchange.
written-communication-s07-q04CPlease send your completed forms to HR by Friday.
written-communication-s07-q05AThere appear to be some discrepancies in the figures. Could we review them together?
written-communication-s07-q06DWe are sorry for the delay to your order and have dispatched a replacement today.
written-communication-s07-q07BA massive jump
written-communication-s07-q08CA technical fault briefly stopped our website from loading; it is now fixed.
written-communication-s07-q09CThe committee discussed the budget and deferred a decision to March.
written-communication-s07-q10BWhen the letter opens "Dear Sir or Madam"
written-communication-s08-q01A"it's" should be "its"
written-communication-s08-q02CThe invoices was posted yesterday.
written-communication-s08-q03B"minuets" should be "minutes"
written-communication-s08-q04D3
written-communication-s08-q05BThey're going to announce the results today.
written-communication-s08-q06C"Febuary" should be "February"; the comma wrongly joins two complete sentences
written-communication-s08-q07DThe clients name was missing from the form.
written-communication-s08-q08A"I" should be "me"; "seams" should be "seems"
written-communication-s08-q09CThe principal reason for the delay was the strikes.
written-communication-s08-q10D"there" should be "their", and "returning" should be "return"
written-communication-s09-q01BNevertheless
written-communication-s09-q02DCycling to work benefits both your health and your finances.
written-communication-s09-q03AThe office kitchen also needs new mugs.
written-communication-s09-q04C2, 3, 4, 1
written-communication-s09-q05DAlthough
written-communication-s09-q06AIn summary
written-communication-s09-q07COne main idea supported by related details
written-communication-s09-q08BThis
written-communication-s09-q09AMany firms have since reduced their rented floor space.
written-communication-s09-q10DGreeting → account of the problem → request for action → sign-off
written-communication-s10-q01CThe role involves drafting reports, scheduling meetings, and calling customers.
written-communication-s10-q02AAna told Maria, 'You have won the award.'
written-communication-s10-q03DThe shelf broke when the box hit it.
written-communication-s10-q04Bwere
written-communication-s10-q05DManagers must consider several factors when hiring.
written-communication-s10-q06BThe shipment was delayed; however, we met the deadline.
written-communication-s10-q07AOur warehouse, which is in Leeds, flooded last week.
written-communication-s10-q08CThe average salary in Leeds is higher than that in London.
written-communication-s10-q09BYou should check your drafts before you send them.
written-communication-s10-q10CEach applicant was asked to bring their certificates, which were checked at the desk.

Worked explanations

written-communication-s01-q01

The word is "separate": a useful memory aid is that there is "a rat" in the middle: sep-a-rat-e.

written-communication-s01-q02

"Definitely" is built on the word "finite", which keeps the -i- spelling: de-finite-ly.

written-communication-s01-q03

"Accommodate" is generous. It has room for a double c and a double m.

written-communication-s01-q04

Remember "one collar, two sleeves": "necessary" has one c and a double s.

written-communication-s01-q05

"Embarrass" doubles both the r and the s: going red twice over, as the memory aid has it.

written-communication-s01-q06

"Occurrence" keeps the double c and double r of "occur" and takes the -ence ending, not -ance.

written-communication-s01-q07

This follows the classic rule "i before e, except after c", so after the c it is -ei-: receive.

written-communication-s01-q08

British English keeps the -our ending in words such as "colour", "flavour" and "honour"; the -or ending is the American convention.

written-communication-s01-q09

A handy check: "environment" contains the word "iron", envi-ron-ment, which stops you dropping the n.

written-communication-s01-q10

The prefix mis- attaches to the whole word "spell", so both the s of mis- and the s of spell survive: misspell.

written-communication-s02-q01

"Its" without an apostrophe is the possessive form; "it's" with an apostrophe always means "it is" or "it has". Test by expanding: "the dog wagged it is tail" makes no sense.

written-communication-s02-q02

An introductory clause is followed by a comma, and the comma sits at the boundary between the introduction and the main clause, nowhere else.

written-communication-s02-q03

Commas separate the items in a list; no comma is needed after the verb "need" or directly after "and".

written-communication-s02-q04

Two complete sentences can be joined by a semicolon on its own. A comma alone creates a comma splice, and running them together with nothing creates a run-on.

written-communication-s02-q05

A direct question ends with a question mark, and no comma separates the verb from its object.

written-communication-s02-q06

For a plural noun that already ends in s, the possessive apostrophe goes after the s. An apostrophe before the s would signal just one teacher.

written-communication-s02-q07

A colon introduces a list only after a complete statement. It should not split a verb from its object or be replaced by a semicolon, which joins sentences rather than introducing lists.

written-communication-s02-q08

A word that interrupts the flow of a sentence is set off by a pair of commas, one before and one after. A single comma on either side leaves the interruption half-fenced.

written-communication-s02-q09

"You're" is the contraction of "you are", with the apostrophe replacing the missing a. "Your" is possessive and cannot stand in for "you are".

written-communication-s02-q10

When a phrase acts as a single description before a noun, it is hyphenated all the way through, and the measurement word stays singular: "five-year-old", not "five-years-old".

written-communication-s03-q01

The true subject is "list", which is singular, the plural phrase "of candidates" only describes it. Strip the prepositional phrase and the agreement becomes clear: "the list is on the desk".

written-communication-s03-q02

"Neither" on its own is grammatically singular, it means "not one of the two", so it takes a singular verb even though two printers are mentioned.

written-communication-s03-q03

"Each" treats the group one member at a time, so it is singular: each one has a laptop.

written-communication-s03-q04

When one past event happens before another past event, the earlier one takes the past perfect: the parcel had been ready before the courier arrived.

written-communication-s03-q05

An action that started in the past and continues to the present takes the present perfect. The word "since" is the signal: it links a past starting point to now.

written-communication-s03-q06

Drop the other person to test the pronoun: "the manager asked me" works, while "the manager asked I" does not. Objects of a verb take the object form.

written-communication-s03-q07

A hypothetical about the past ("we would have booked") pairs with the past perfect in the if-clause: if the client had called, we would have booked.

written-communication-s03-q08

Use "fewer" for things you can count (errors) and "less" for quantities you cannot (time, water). The plural subject "errors" also needs the plural verb "are".

written-communication-s03-q09

After "has" or "have", an irregular verb takes its past participle: write, wrote, written. "Wrote" is the simple past and cannot follow "has".

written-communication-s03-q10

With "neither ... nor", the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Here the nearer subject is the plural "assistants", so the verb is plural.

written-communication-s04-q01

To "affect" something is to influence it: a verb, which is what this sentence needs. "Effect" is usually the noun for the result itself.

written-communication-s04-q02

Here the sentence needs a noun, the result itself, which is "effect". A quick test: if "the impact" fits the gap, the word you want is "effect".

written-communication-s04-q03

The sentence expands to "It is going to be a long meeting", so the contraction with the apostrophe is required.

written-communication-s04-q04

"Their" shows possession: the coats belong to the clients. "There" points to a place, and "they're" means "they are".

written-communication-s04-q05

To "complement" (with an e) is to complete or go well with something; to "compliment" (with an i) is to praise. The wine completes the meal, so the e-spelling is right.

written-communication-s04-q06

A "principle" is a rule or moral belief: refusing "on principle" means refusing because of a belief. "Principal" means main, or the head of a school; your princi-pal is your pal.

written-communication-s04-q07

"Advice" with a c is the noun (the thing you give); "advise" with an s is the verb (the act of giving it). The sentence needs the noun.

written-communication-s04-q08

To "ensure" is to make certain something happens; to "insure" is to arrange financial cover; to "assure" is to tell a person confidently. Making certain the door is locked calls for "ensure".

written-communication-s04-q09

British English spells the verb with an s, "to practise", and the noun with a c: "a practice". The same c/s split appears in advice/advise, which can serve as the memory anchor.

written-communication-s04-q10

"Stationery" with an e is paper and office supplies: remember e for envelope. "Stationary" with an a means not moving.

written-communication-s05-q01

A complete sentence needs a subject and a main verb and must not hang on a subordinating word. "Because" and "although" turn a clause into a fragment unless a main clause follows.

written-communication-s05-q02

A clause beginning with "which" is a relative clause. It describes something in another sentence and cannot stand alone.

written-communication-s05-q03

A comma splice joins two complete sentences with only a comma. The fix is a semicolon, a full stop, or a comma plus a joining word such as "so" or "and".

written-communication-s05-q04

Adding a coordinating conjunction after the comma, here "but", legitimately joins the two clauses and signals the contrast between the jam and the delayed discovery.

written-communication-s05-q05

An opening modifier must describe the subject that immediately follows it. A smell cannot walk into an office, so the sentence needs a person as its subject.

written-communication-s05-q06

"Nearly" modifies whatever follows it. Placed before "every question" it means almost all were answered; placed before "answered" it suggests she almost answered but did not.

written-communication-s05-q07

"Only" limits the word or phrase immediately after it, so to restrict what was checked it must sit directly before "the invoices". Put it before the verb and it strictly limits the action instead.

written-communication-s05-q08

Two complete clauses are joined with a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction. The comma goes before "and", never after it.

written-communication-s05-q09

When a subordinate clause opens the sentence, a single comma marks where it ends and the main clause begins. A full stop there would strand the subordinate clause as a fragment.

written-communication-s05-q10

A clause beginning with "when" is subordinate. It sets up a time but says nothing complete on its own. Only adding an independent clause ("When the files arrived, we began sorting them") completes the thought.

written-communication-s06-q01

The present continuous tense already places the action in the present, so "at this point in time" and "currently" add nothing. Cut every word that repeats what the verb form conveys.

written-communication-s06-q02

Planning is by definition done in advance, so "advance planning" says the same thing twice. The other phrases each add genuine information.

written-communication-s06-q03

Wordy connective phrases usually hide a one-word equivalent: "due to the fact that" simply means "because", and the shorter form is always easier to read.

written-communication-s06-q04

In the active voice the doer comes first and performs the verb: the manager approved. Passive constructions reverse this and often hide who acted.

written-communication-s06-q05

The clearest instruction names who acts and what they do: staff submit. Turning the buried noun "submission" back into the verb "submit" removes the padding.

written-communication-s06-q06

Good instructions start with a verb and address the reader directly. Padding such as "with respect to" and turning verbs into abstract nouns only blurs who must do what.

written-communication-s06-q07

"In the event that" introduces a condition, and the plain conditional word is "if". "When" would wrongly imply the event is certain to happen.

written-communication-s06-q08

"Refer" already carries the idea of going back, and a source is by definition where the material originally came from, so both "back" and "original" can go.

written-communication-s06-q09

Prefer the plain verb over its noun form: "decided" beats "made a decision". Each step away from the simple verb adds words without adding meaning.

written-communication-s06-q10

Plain words carry the message; business jargon forces readers to translate. If a sentence still works after swapping each buzzword for an everyday word, the everyday version was better all along.

written-communication-s07-q01

A formal complaint states its purpose calmly and professionally in the first sentence. Anger, slang and all-capitals undermine the writer's credibility before the facts are even heard.

written-communication-s07-q02

British convention pairs "Yours sincerely" with a named recipient and reserves "Yours faithfully" for letters opening "Dear Sir or Madam".

written-communication-s07-q03

Professional bad-news writing states the decision plainly, avoids blaming the reader, and offers an alternative where one exists.

written-communication-s07-q04

Writing for a broad audience aims for the middle register: polite, plain and specific. Text-speak is too casual, while stiff legalistic phrasing obscures a simple request.

written-communication-s07-q05

Softening works by describing the problem rather than accusing the person, and by inviting collaboration instead of issuing a verdict. Tacking a polite word onto an accusation does not change its force.

written-communication-s07-q06

An effective apology names the specific failing, accepts responsibility, and states what is being done about it. "We apologise if you feel..." shifts blame to the reader's feelings and is not a real apology.

written-communication-s07-q07

Report register favours measured, precise vocabulary. "Massive jump" is conversational and vague about scale, where the alternatives signal magnitude in a neutral, professional tone.

written-communication-s07-q08

Match the explanation to what the reader needs to know: what happened, how it affected them, and whether it is resolved. Technical detail belongs in the engineering report, not the customer notice.

written-communication-s07-q09

Minutes record what was discussed and decided, without opinion or editorial colour. Neutral verbs and concrete outcomes are the hallmarks of the genre.

written-communication-s07-q10

The traditional pairing is: unnamed recipient ("Dear Sir or Madam") takes "Yours faithfully"; named recipient takes "Yours sincerely".

written-communication-s08-q01

The possessive of "it" never takes an apostrophe. Expanding the contraction exposes the error: "the committee have issued it is final report" is nonsense.

written-communication-s08-q02

A plural subject needs a plural verb: "the invoices were posted". Checking each subject against its verb one pair at a time is the quickest way to catch these slips.

written-communication-s08-q03

A minuet is a stately dance; the written record of a meeting is the minutes. Spellcheckers miss this because both are real words, which is exactly why human proofreading matters.

written-communication-s08-q04

There are three: "recieved" should be "received", "untill" should be "until", and "manger" should be "manager". The last one is the sneakiest because "manger" is itself a real word.

written-communication-s08-q05

The sentence needs "they are", so the contraction with the apostrophe is the only correct form. Expanding the word in your head is the reliable test.

written-communication-s08-q06

"February" keeps its first r even though it is rarely pronounced, and the comma before "tickets are free" splices two complete sentences that need a full stop, dash or semicolon between them.

written-communication-s08-q07

The name belongs to the client, so a possessive apostrophe is required: "the client's name". Missing apostrophes are among the most common proofreading catches.

written-communication-s08-q08

Prepositions such as "between" take object pronouns: between you and me. And a "seam" is a line of stitching; the verb meaning "appears" is "seems".

written-communication-s08-q09

Two checks stack here: "principal" (meaning main) is the right word, and the singular subject "reason" needs the singular verb "was". The plural "strikes" after the verb does not control agreement.

written-communication-s08-q10

The badge belongs to the staff member, so the possessive "their" is needed, and the three listed actions must stay parallel: sign in, collect, return.

written-communication-s09-q01

The second sentence pushes against the first, booking despite the expense, so a contrast connective is needed. "Nevertheless" signals exactly that concession.

written-communication-s09-q02

A topic sentence announces the paragraph's main claim so that every following sentence can support it. History, hazards and other people's habits all point away from the stated topic.

written-communication-s09-q03

Every sentence in a paragraph should serve its main idea. Kitchen mugs have nothing to do with paper use, so that sentence breaks the paragraph's unity.

written-communication-s09-q04

The sequencing words are the map: "First" opens, "Then" follows, "Next" continues, "Finally" closes. Logic agrees. You must download and complete the form before attaching anything or submitting.

written-communication-s09-q05

Closing early would normally reduce responses, so exceeding expectations is a surprise: a contrast, not a consequence. The connective must signal that tension, not claim the early close caused the high turnout.

written-communication-s09-q06

Transitions are signposts: "in summary" tells the reader the argument is being wrapped up, while the others promise more content, a comparison, or a parallel event.

written-communication-s09-q07

The paragraph is the unit of one idea: a topic sentence states it and the remaining sentences develop it. When a second idea arrives, that is the cue for a new paragraph.

written-communication-s09-q08

Demonstratives tie sentences together by pointing back at what was just said: "this decision" refers the reader straight to the rejection. The pointer must be singular to match "decision".

written-communication-s09-q09

Cohesion means each sentence picks up the thread of the last. A claim about reshaped demand is best followed by concrete evidence of that reshaping, firms cutting their floor space.

written-communication-s09-q10

A complaint persuades best when the reader learns what happened before being asked to act: greet, explain the problem with evidence, then request a specific remedy, and close formally.

written-communication-s10-q01

Items in a list must share one grammatical shape. Once the first item uses an -ing form, every item must follow suit, mixing -ing forms with to-infinitives or bare nouns breaks the pattern.

written-communication-s10-q02

The pronoun "she" could point to either woman. Direct speech forces the reference into the open. "You" can only mean Maria. Adding commas or more pronouns leaves the ambiguity untouched.

written-communication-s10-q03

The fix for an ambiguous pronoun is to make the intended noun the subject: "the shelf broke" leaves no doubt. Restating the wrong noun, or reshuffling the pronoun, either changes the meaning or keeps the ambiguity.

written-communication-s10-q04

A hypothetical condition contrary to fact takes the subjunctive "were" in formal writing. The speaker is not, and cannot be, the other person. "If I was" appears in speech but formal register keeps the subjunctive.

written-communication-s10-q05

The strongest edit applies every clarity move at once: cut the empty "there are" opening, turn the passive into an active verb, and compress "take into consideration" to "consider" and "making decisions about hiring" to "hiring".

written-communication-s10-q06

When "however" joins two complete sentences, the semicolon ends the first clause and a comma follows the adverb: clause; however, clause. The adverb stays lower case because the sentence has not ended.

written-communication-s10-q07

A clause set off by commas is non-defining: it adds a side note about the only warehouse there is. Without the commas, "that is in Leeds" defines which warehouse, implying there are others elsewhere.

written-communication-s10-q08

A comparison must set like against like: a salary can only be higher than another salary, not higher than a city. "That in London" stands in for "the average salary in London" and restores the logic.

written-communication-s10-q09

Pick a pronoun standpoint, "you" or "one", and hold it for the whole sentence. Drifting between the two mid-sentence is one of the most common consistency faults editors correct.

written-communication-s10-q10

Three checks must all pass: "each" takes a singular verb ("was asked"), the relative clause agrees with the plural "certificates" ("were checked"), and the relative pronoun does its work alone, adding a second pronoun or a stray comma reintroduces an error.