CLT (Classic Learning Test) Grammar and Writing Syllabus

Grammar and Writing syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Grammar and Writing in CLT (Classic Learning Test), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Section Overview and Approach

   3 topics

   • Format of the Grammar/Writing section
     • Four passages with embedded questions
     • 35 minutes for the section
     • Underlined or numbered portions tested in context
   • Standard written English principles
     • Editing for correctness and clarity
     • Concision and effectiveness
   • Reading the passage as an editor
     • Evaluating sentences within paragraph context
     • Choosing 'NO CHANGE' when appropriate
2. 2

   Sentence Structure and Mechanics

   4 topics

   • Complete sentences and fragments
     • Independent and dependent clauses
     • Repairing sentence fragments
   • Run-ons and comma splices
     • Joining independent clauses correctly
     • Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions
   • Punctuation
     • Commas, semicolons, and colons
     • Apostrophes and possessives
     • Dashes and parentheses
   • Modifiers and word order
     • Misplaced and dangling modifiers
     • Clear placement of descriptive phrases
3. 3

   Usage and Agreement

   5 topics

   • Subject-verb agreement
     • Intervening phrases and inverted order
     • Collective and indefinite subjects
   • Pronoun usage
     • Pronoun-antecedent agreement
     • Pronoun case and ambiguous reference
   • Verb tense and form
     • Consistency of tense
     • Irregular verbs and verb mood
   • Parallel structure
     • Parallelism in lists and comparisons
     • Correlative conjunction pairs
   • Commonly confused words
     • Homophones and near-homophones
     • Idiomatic preposition usage
4. 4

   Rhetoric and Composition

   4 topics

   • Word choice and style
     • Diction appropriate to tone and audience
     • Eliminating wordiness and redundancy
   • Organization and coherence
     • Logical sentence and paragraph order
     • Effective transitions
   • Development and rhetorical effectiveness
     • Adding, deleting, or revising for purpose
     • Relevance of supporting information
   • Maintaining authorial intent
     • Choosing revisions that fit the passage's goals
     • Preserving consistent voice

Grammar and Writing flashcards for CLT (Classic Learning Test)

19 of 51 cards from the Grammar and Writing deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. How is the CLT Grammar and Writing section formatted in terms of passages and question style?

   It presents passages with embedded underlined/numbered portions, and multiple-choice questions ask you to choose the best revision (or 'NO CHANGE') for that portion or for the passage's structure and rhetoric.

2. What two broad categories of skills does the CLT Grammar/Writing section test?

   Standard English conventions (grammar, usage, punctuation, sentence structure) and expression of ideas (rhetoric: organization, development, word choice, and authorial intent).

3. What does the 'NO CHANGE' answer option mean, and when should you pick it?

   It means the underlined portion is already correct as written; choose it only when every alternative introduces an error or makes the sentence worse.

4. What is 'Standard Written English'?

   The conventional, formal set of grammar, usage, punctuation, and style rules expected in academic and professional writing, as opposed to casual spoken or dialectal English.

5. On the CLT, what mindset should you adopt when reading a Grammar/Writing passage?

   Read as an editor: evaluate each sentence for correctness, clarity, concision, and consistency, and judge revisions by whether they improve the passage, not just whether they sound familiar.

6. When choosing between two grammatically correct answers, what principle usually decides the CLT answer?

   Prefer the most concise, clear option that preserves meaning; avoid wordiness, redundancy, and awkward phrasing.

7. What three elements must a complete sentence (independent clause) contain?

   A subject, a verb (predicate), and a complete thought that can stand alone.

8. What is a sentence fragment?

   A group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a verb, or a complete thought (often a dependent clause standing alone).

9. How can a dependent-clause fragment be fixed?

   Attach it to a nearby independent clause, or remove/replace the subordinating word so it becomes a complete sentence.

10. What is a run-on (fused) sentence?

    Two or more independent clauses joined with no punctuation or conjunction between them.

11. What is a comma splice?

    The error of joining two independent clauses with only a comma.

12. List four ways to correctly join two independent clauses.

    1) Period (two sentences); 2) Semicolon; 3) Comma + coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS); 4) Make one clause dependent with a subordinating conjunction.

13. What are the FANBOYS coordinating conjunctions?

    For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

14. When do you use a comma before a coordinating conjunction?

    When the conjunction joins two independent clauses; do not use a comma when it merely joins two words or phrases (a compound predicate).

15. What is the primary job of a semicolon?

    To join two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction; it can also separate list items that already contain commas.

16. What are the two main uses of a colon?

    To introduce a list, explanation, or quotation after a complete independent clause; the part before a colon must be a full sentence.

17. How are nonessential (nonrestrictive) elements punctuated?

    They are set off with commas (or dashes/parentheses) on both sides because removing them does not change the core meaning.

18. How are essential (restrictive) elements punctuated?

    They take no surrounding commas because they are needed to identify the noun and complete the meaning.

19. What is the rule for commas with introductory phrases or clauses?

    Place a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or dependent clause before the main clause (e.g., 'After the storm, we left.').

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