Clarity · 3 min read
The Clarity Item
Clarity in writing means expressing ideas so that readers understand them immediately, without confusion or a second possible meaning. Police reports become legal documents used in court, administrative reviews, and investigations, so a sentence that can be read two ways is a real problem, not a matter of style.
On the PELLET B, each Clarity item gives you two sentences that report the same facts. One of them contains a clarity problem; the other does not. You choose the one that is more clearly written. Because there are only two choices, careful reading pays off quickly: if you can name the problem in one sentence, the other is your answer.
| Problem | What goes wrong | Unclear | Clear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modification | A describing word or phrase is placed next to the wrong word, or has nothing logical to describe. | Evidence was collected by the technician in paper bags. | Evidence was collected in paper bags by the technician. |
| Vague or indefinite reference | A pronoun (he, she, it, they, this, which) could refer to more than one word, or to nothing at all. | Officer Diaz told the suspect that he would be searched first. | Officer Diaz told the suspect, "You will be searched first." |
| Run-on sentence | Two complete sentences are joined with no punctuation or with only a comma. | The driver refused to stop, the officer called for a second unit. | The driver refused to stop, so the officer called for a second unit. |
| Sentence fragment | A group of words is punctuated as a sentence but lacks a subject, a verb, or a complete thought. | The deputy waited for backup. Because the suspect was armed. | The deputy waited for backup because the suspect was armed. |
Solving a Clarity item
Read both sentences fully
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Find where they differ
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Test that spot for the four problems
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Pick the sentence with no problem
Key Concept
The two sentences usually use almost the same words. The difference is in where a phrase sits, which noun a pronoun points to, or how two clauses are joined. Find the difference first, then decide which version has only one possible meaning.Worked Examples
a. The deputy had reason to detain the driver when he stepped out of the car. / b. When the deputy stepped out of the car, he had reason to detain the driver.
b. In the first version, "he" could mean the deputy or the driver, and "when he stepped out" could describe either man. The second version allows only one meaning.
a. The shelter is crowded at night, but they still receive a hot meal. / b. The shelter is crowded at night, but residents still receive a hot meal.
b. "They" has no antecedent in the first version; nothing earlier in the sentence names the people meant.
a. Walking to the patrol car, the radio call came in. / b. As the officer was walking to the patrol car, the radio call came in.
b. In the first version the opening phrase dangles: it says the radio call was walking.
Finished reading?
Lock it in with a quick Clarity quiz.