Grammar & Punctuation

Grammar & Word Choice

Subject-verb agreement, correct pronoun use (who vs. whom, between vs. among), and identifying misspelled words.

Questions are set in an office or business context. Expect familiar workplace scenarios and vocabulary.

What the exam tests

Identifying the Grammatically Correct Sentence

Given four similar sentences, select the one that is 100% correct in grammar, word choice, and spelling (e.g., 'Neither Jack nor Jill returned to work').

Counting Errors

A sentence is provided; identify whether it contains 1, 2, 3, or no errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling.

Line-by-Line Proofing

A list of sentences (Line 1, Line 2, etc.) is provided; determine the exact number of misspelled words in each specific line.

Fill-in-the-Blank

A sentence is given with a missing word; select the grammatically correct word (such as 'nor' or 'among') to complete it.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Key rules

  • ›The subject and verb must agree regardless of words placed between them.
  • ›Two singular subjects joined by 'or', 'either/or', or 'neither/nor' require a singular verb.
  • ›If a singular and plural subject are joined by these connectors, place the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
  • ›Words like 'each', 'everyone', 'everybody', 'anyone', 'somebody', and 'someone' are always singular and require singular verbs.

Common traps

  • !Do not let intervening phrases (e.g., 'along with', 'as well as') trick you into changing the verb number. The verb agrees with the grammatical subject only.

Proper Use of Pronouns and Word Choice

Key rules

  • ›Use 'who' if you can replace it with he/she; use 'whom' if you can replace it with him/her.
  • ›Use 'who' for people; use 'that' or 'which' for things or groups.
  • ›Use 'between' for two people or items; use 'among' for three or more.
  • ›Use 'nor' with 'neither'.

Common traps

  • !Never use 'of' in place of 'have' (e.g., 'should have', not 'should of').
  • !Do not confuse 'between' and 'among'. Use 'between' for exactly two and 'among' for three or more.

Identifying Misspelled Words

Key rules

  • ›Use 'i' before 'e' except after 'c'.
  • ›'Q' is always followed by 'u'; no English words end in 'v' or 'j'.
  • ›If a word ends in 'y', change the 'y' to 'i' before adding a plural suffix (e.g., 'lady' → 'ladies').
  • ›Drop the final 'e' if the suffix begins with a vowel (e.g., 'dare' → 'daring').

Common traps

  • !Watch for common office terms that are frequently misspelled: 'dictation', 'opportunity', 'received'.

Try one

Choose the sentence that is most grammatically correct.

A.Neither the manager nor the clerks was available for the meeting.
B.Neither the manager nor the clerks were available for the meeting.
C.Neither the managers nor the clerk were available for the meeting.
D.Neither the manager or the clerks were available for the meeting.

When subjects are joined by 'neither/nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. 'Clerks' (plural) comes last, so the verb must be plural: 'were.' Option C incorrectly pairs a plural 'managers' with a singular 'clerk were.' Option D incorrectly uses 'or' instead of 'nor' with 'neither.'

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