Grammar, Syntax and Sentence Structure
What the question is really asking
Grammar items test whether a sentence is well formed: agreement, tense, pronoun reference, modifier placement, parallelism, and clause structure. The task is to spot the error or choose the version that is grammatically sound and unambiguous.
Concepts to master
- Subject-verb agreement: find the true subject, ignoring interrupting phrases ("The list of items is long"). Watch collective nouns and inverted order.
- Pronoun reference and agreement: every pronoun needs one clear antecedent; ambiguous it or they is an error.
- Tense and aspect: keep sequences consistent; use past perfect only for an action completed before another past action.
- Modifier placement: a participial phrase must attach to the noun it describes ("Walking home, I saw the fire", not "Walking home, the fire was seen").
- Parallelism: items in a list or comparison must share grammatical form.
- Comparisons: complete and logical ("than those of last year", not "than last year").
- Sentence boundaries: avoid fragments and run-ons; know how semicolons and colons work.
Traps to expect
- A long phrase between subject and verb hiding an agreement error.
- A dangling modifier at the start of a sentence.
- A pronoun with two possible antecedents.
- A mixed construction ("The reason is because...").
- An answer that fixes one error but introduces another.
Rule of thumb
Simplify: strip the sentence to subject, verb, object. Most errors become visible. Then check each remaining element (modifiers, pronouns, lists) against the stem's meaning.
Worked example
"Neither the manager nor the employees was informed." With neither...nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject, employees, so the correct form is were.