247SimpleTests
Citizenship · Sentence Writing Practice

If the officer dictates: 'Adams was the second President.' Which spelling is correct?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

Adams was the second President.

  1. A Adams was the second President.
  2. B Adams was the secund President.
  3. C Adams was the secondPresident.
  4. D Adam was the second president.

Why this is the answer

Correct: 'Adams was the second President.' This sentence uses key vocabulary that may appear on the writing test.

Key spelling points: (1) ADAMS — last name capitalized: 'A-d-a-m-s' (note 's' at the end; this is JOHN ADAMS, the second President's last name, spelled with the plural-style 's'); (2) SECOND — the number adjective spelled 'S-E-C-O-N-D' (not 'secund' or 'sekond'); (3) PRESIDENT — capitalized when used as a title: 'P-r-e-s-i-d-e-n-t.' Numbers and ordinals are useful vocabulary: 1 (one, first), 2 (two, second), 3 (three, third), 4 (four, fourth), 50 (fifty), 100 (one hundred). On the writing test, you may need to write number words OR numerals depending on the sentence. Common ordinal numbers: FIRST (1st), SECOND (2nd), THIRD (3rd), FOURTH (4th), FIFTH (5th), SIXTH (6th), SEVENTH (7th), EIGHTH (8th), NINTH (9th), TENTH (10th). Be careful with 'fourth' vs 'forth' — they're different words: FOURTH = 4th; FORTH = forward. PRESIDENTS in early U.S. history (for context): WASHINGTON (1st, 1789-1797); JOHN ADAMS (2nd, 1797-1801); JEFFERSON (3rd, 1801-1809); MADISON (4th, 1809-1817); MONROE (5th, 1817-1825). Lincoln was the 16th. Names of recent presidents change with elections — current is updated by USCIS regularly.

Source: USCIS Writing Sample — Adams

Practice more questions

This question is from our US Citizenship Test Practice practice test. Take the full practice test to test your knowledge across all Sentence Writing Practice and other topics.

Take the Writing Vocabulary practice test →

About this topic: Sentence Writing Practice

Sentence-writing practice presents full dictation-style sentences. A sentence passes if its meaning is clear — minor spelling, capitalisation and punctuation errors are allowed — so these questions focus on the words that change meaning if misspelt. This is one of 10 Writing Vocabulary questions on sentence writing practice, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our Citizenship exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

Related questions

Sentence Writing Practice

Which sentence is correctly capitalized and punctuated for the USCIS writing test?

 Sentence Writing Practice

If the officer dictates 'Memorial Day is in May,' which is correct?

 Sentence Writing Practice

If dictated: 'The flag is red, white, and blue.' Which spelling is correct?

 Sentence Writing Practice

If dictated: 'People in America have the right to vote.' Choose the correctly spelled and capitalized version:

Recommended study materials

Study guide

U.S. Citizenship Test Study Guide (CreateSpace)

All 100 USCIS civics questions with explanations, plus reading and writing test vocabulary prep.

Check Price → Study guide

Pass the Citizenship Test: 100 Civics Questions (LearningExpress)

Official USCIS question set with detailed rationale, sample interview scripts, and N-400 overview.

Check Price → Study guide

Official USCIS Civics Flashcards (CreateSpace)

Portable flip-card set for all 100 official civics questions — ideal for commute study.

Check Price →

As an Amazon Associate, CJ Affiliate, and AWIN publisher we earn from qualifying purchases. Links above are affiliate links. Full disclosure →