Grammar and Applied Language Structures
Grammar and Applied Language Structures tests whether you can apply rules in context: tense, agreement, articles, prepositions, modals, voice, narration, clauses, connectors, and error correction. Questions are usually gap-fill, transformation, or editing.
Rules that decide most answers
- Subject–verb agreement: with either…or and neither…nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- Tense: use present perfect for past action with present relevance; use past perfect for the earlier of two past actions.
- Passive: keep tense and aspect; “The team has completed the survey” becomes “The survey has been completed by the team.”
- Reported speech: shift tense and pronouns only when the reporting verb is past; keep universal truths unchanged.
- Articles: a/an for indefinite countables, the for shared or specific reference; zero article for general plurals.
- Connectors: although contrasts, therefore shows result, unless means “if not”.
Worked example
“Neither the principal nor the teachers ___ informed.” Options: was/were. Reason: the nearer subject is plural teachers, so the verb is were. If the order were reversed-“Neither the teachers nor the principal was informed”-the singular principal would control.
Traps
Do not let a phrase between subject and verb change agreement (“The list of items is”). Do not use present perfect with a finished past time (“yesterday”). Do not drop “by” in passive when the agent matters. Do not shift tense inside reported speech without reason.