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Tentative answers may be written in pencil (7)

Ross

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'tentative answers' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both related to communication as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?

I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.

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(Other definitions for guesses that I've seen before include "Opinions formed with little or no information" , "Forms tentative opinion, thinks likely" , "Hypothesises" , "Conjectures, estimates" , "Conjectures, reckons" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
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