People Vocabulary: Practice Questions & Explanations

ABRAHAM LINCOLN is on the USCIS WRITING VOCABULARY list under PEOPLE. Correct spelling is 'A-B-R-A-H-A-M L-I-N-C-O-L-N.' Common dictation sentences using Lincoln: 'Abraham Lincoln was the President during the Civil War.' 'Lincoln was the President in February.' 'Lincoln was an American President.'

Writing test format: the USCIS officer dictates ONE OF THREE sentences. The applicant writes the sentence on a tablet or paper. The applicant must get one of three sentences correct (in writing). Minor spelling errors may be acceptable if the meaning is clear, but applicants should aim for correct spelling especially of vocabulary words. Other PEOPLE on the writing vocabulary list: George Washington. Names of months and days of the week are also on the list and are commonly used in dictated sentences.

Practice tip: write the vocabulary words multiple times until you can spell them correctly. Pay special attention to: silent letters (Lincoln has an L before the N); double letters; common confusion points. Print clearly — neat printing is generally easier to read than cursive for the officer.

GEORGE WASHINGTON is on the USCIS WRITING VOCABULARY list under PEOPLE. Correct spelling: 'G-E-O-R-G-E W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N.' Note the order of letters in 'Washington' — the trickier letter combinations include 'sh' (s-h) and the ending '-ing-ton.' Common dictation sentences using Washington: 'George Washington was the first President.' 'George Washington was the Father of Our Country.' 'Washington was the first President.' 'Washington, D.C., is the capital.' Note: 'Washington' can mean either the person (George Washington) or the place (Washington, D.C., the capital city; or Washington state). Context tells you which.

Writing tips: (1) Practice the names BEFORE your interview — spell them aloud as you write them; (2) Watch for tricky combinations: 'George' has 'g-e-o-r-g-e' which is unusual; 'Washington' has 'w-a-s-h-i-n-g-t-o-n'; (3) Don't worry about cursive vs. print — clearly written print is fine; (4) Capitalize names properly (capital letters at the start of first and last names). The full vocabulary list is published on the USCIS website and on the M-480 'Welcome to the United States' handbook.

Correct: 'GEORGE WASHINGTON was the first President.' This is one of the most likely dictation sentences on the USCIS writing test. Practice this exact sentence and similar ones. GEORGE WASHINGTON is spelled: 'G-E-O-R-G-E W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N.' Tips for spelling: GEORGE starts with G (a soft G sound, /j/, similar to the J in James — but spelled with G); has E-O-R-G-E pattern; WASHINGTON has W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N. Note 'Washington' includes the letter combination 'sh' (W-A-S-H) followed by 'ington' (I-N-G-T-O-N). Capitalize: both first and last names start with capital letters. SAMPLE SENTENCES YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO WRITE: 'George Washington was the first President.' 'George Washington was the Father of Our Country.' 'Washington, D.C., is the capital.' 'Adams was the second President.' 'Lincoln was the President in February.' 'Lincoln was an American President.'

Writing practice tips: (1) Get familiar with each vocabulary word; (2) Practice each sentence multiple times by writing it from memory; (3) Have a friend dictate sentences and check your spelling; (4) Use lined paper; print neatly; capitalize where needed; punctuate with periods (or question marks for questions).

Requirement: write one of three sentences correctly. The officer dictates each sentence clearly. You may not see the sentence written before you write it.

Correct: 'Lincoln was the President during the Civil War.' Spelling: PRESIDENT = P-R-E-S-I-D-E-N-T (9 letters). Common mistake: writing 'Presidant' with 'a' instead of 'e' at the end. The correct spelling ends in '-IDENT' (i-d-e-n-t), not '-IDANT.' Memory aid: think of 'resident' which has the same '-ident' ending. CIVIL WAR is on the USCIS WRITING VOCABULARY list under CIVICS. Correct spelling: 'C-I-V-I-L W-A-R' (two words, both capitalized as a specific historical event). The Civil War (1861-1865) was a war fought between the NORTHERN STATES (the Union) and SOUTHERN STATES (the Confederacy). The war began over the issue of SLAVERY and the seceding of Southern states. The UNION (North) won. Key outcomes: ABOLITION OF SLAVERY (13th Amendment, 1865); preservation of the Union; over 600,000 American deaths; massive economic and social changes. Sample dictation sentences: 'Lincoln was the President during the Civil War.' 'The Civil War was in the 1800s.' 'Lincoln was the President in the Civil War.'

Other people-related vocabulary: George Washington (1st President); Abraham Lincoln (16th President, led during Civil War); Adams (refers to John Adams, 2nd President, sometimes appears as just 'Adams'). Capitalize PRESIDENT when it's used as a title attached to a specific person, or when referring to THE President of the United States. Use lowercase 'president' when referring to presidents in general or non-specific roles.

Correct: 'Father of Our Country' is the proper title for George Washington.

Writing vocabulary: FATHER OF OUR COUNTRY is on the USCIS CIVICS WRITING VOCABULARY list. It is a PROPER NOUN PHRASE and should be capitalized: Father (capital F), of (lowercase), Our (capital O), Country (capital C) — all words in a title are typically capitalized except small connecting words, though the USCIS list may show different capitalization; follow the pattern your study materials show. POSSESSIVE PRONOUN 'OUR': O-U-R means 'belonging to us'; it is different from: HOUR (H-O-U-R = 60 minutes); ARE (A-R-E = a form of 'to be'; 'they ARE' or 'you ARE'); these homophones (words that sound the same) are common error points in dictation tests because they sound identical.

Full sentence: 'The Father of Our Country was George Washington.' OR 'George Washington was the Father of Our Country.' Both are common USCIS writing test sentences. GEORGE WASHINGTON spelling review: G-E-O-R-G-E W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N — this is one of the most important names to spell correctly on the USCIS writing test.

GEORGE WASHINGTON is on the USCIS WRITING VOCABULARY list under PEOPLE. The correct spelling is 'G-E-O-R-G-E W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N.' Common dictation sentences include 'George Washington was the first President' and 'Washington is the Father of Our Country.' On the writing test, the USCIS officer dictates one sentence and the applicant writes it; the applicant must write one of up to three sentences correctly. Minor spelling or punctuation errors that do not prevent understanding are generally acceptable, but practicing the correct spelling of high-frequency names like Washington builds confidence.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN is on the USCIS WRITING VOCABULARY list under PEOPLE. The correct spelling is 'A-B-R-A-H-A-M L-I-N-C-O-L-N' — note the silent 'l' before the 'n' in Lincoln. A common dictation sentence is 'Abraham Lincoln was the President during the Civil War' or 'Lincoln was an American President.' The writing test requires the applicant to write one of up to three dictated sentences correctly. Practicing the spelling of Lincoln, one of only two names on the PEOPLE writing list (the other being Washington), is focused, manageable preparation.