Grammar: Structure, Agreement, and Word Choice
What the section tests
The Grammar portion asks you to choose the word or phrase that correctly completes a sentence or to identify the accurate form. Items focus on verb tense and aspect, subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, prepositions and articles, comparatives, word forms (noun/adjective/adverb), and sentence structure (clauses, connectors).
Concepts to master
- Agreement: find the true subject, ignoring phrases between subject and verb ("The box of tools is heavy").
- Tense consistency: time markers (yesterday, since, by the time) signal which tense is required.
- Connectors: although/despite, because/because of, so/such - match the grammatical pattern, not just the meaning.
- Word form: after a determiner or adjective, you often need a noun; after a verb, an adverb may be required.
Traps
- Distractor agreement: an intervening plural noun tempts a plural verb.
- Nearly synonymous connectors with different grammar (despite + noun vs. although + clause).
- Sound-alike forms: affect/effect, its/it's, fewer/less.
- Tempting tense that clashes with a time expression.
Worked example
"By the time the results were announced, the team ___ for months."
- (A) waits (B) has waited (C) had been waiting (D) will wait Answer: C. "By the time" plus a past event requires past perfect; the duration ("for months") calls for the continuous form. Rule of thumb: identify the time anchor first, then choose the tense that fits it, and check that the verb agrees with its real subject.