Grammar, Punctuation and Sentence Structure in Context
What you must know
Examiners test grammar inside real sentences, so you must spot errors rather than recite rules. Know subject-verb agreement, including collective nouns and phrases that sit between subject and verb; consistent tense; clear pronoun reference; and the difference between a phrase, a clause and a sentence. Learn the punctuation that joins and separates: a comma splice is two sentences joined by a comma alone; a semicolon joins closely related independent clauses; a colon introduces an explanation or list; dashes mark an aside; apostrophes show possession or contraction.
Traps
Frequent errors include confusing 'its' and 'it's', misplacing plural apostrophes ('student's' for 'students''), writing a fragment as a sentence ('Because the rain stopped.'), dangling a modifier ('Running to the bus, my bag fell' suggests the bag was running), and shifting tense mid-narrative. In 'choose the correct sentence' items, test each option by locating the verb first, because most errors hide there.
Worked example
Original: 'The team of players were late, however they still won.' Revised: 'The team of players was late; however, they still won.' The subject is 'team', so the verb is singular; the two clauses need a semicolon, and the conjunctive adverb 'however' takes a following comma.
Rule of thumb
Find the verb, find its subject, then check what separates them. Most agreement questions answer themselves.