Subject guide
Grammar and correct usage items test whether you can spot and fix errors in subject–verb agreement, verb tense, pronouns, and sentence structure. The reliable method is to find the true subject of each verb, ignore the words in between, and check that every part of the sentence agrees in number and tense.
Relevance to your level
Grammar is part of verbal ability on both levels. Because the rules are finite and repeat often, it is one of the most reliable places to gain points with focused practice.
Question 1
Choose the correct word: The list of approved applicants ___ posted on the bulletin board.
Correct answer: B. was
Why: The subject is "list" (singular), not "applicants." The phrase "of approved applicants" only describes the list, so the singular verb "was" is correct.
Learning objective: Apply subject-verb agreement when a phrase separates subject and verb.
Question 2
Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
Correct answer: B. Please keep this matter between you and me.
Why: "Between" is a preposition, so it must be followed by object pronouns. "Me" is the object form; "I" is a subject pronoun, and "myself" is reflexive and incorrect here.
Learning objective: Use the correct pronoun case after a preposition.
Question 3
Choose the correct verb: Neither the supervisor nor the staff members ___ informed about the change.
Correct answer: C. were
Why: With "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the nearer subject. The nearer subject is "staff members" (plural), so "were" is correct.
Learning objective: Apply the proximity rule for neither/nor agreement.
Question 4
Choose the sentence with correct verb tense.
Correct answer: B. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already started.
Why: The meeting started before the past action of arriving, so the earlier action takes the past perfect "had started." The other options mix tenses illogically.
Learning objective: Sequence past events correctly using the past perfect tense.
Question 5
Choose the correctly constructed sentence.
Correct answer: B. Submitting the form late, the applicant had her request denied.
Why: The opening phrase "Submitting the form late" must describe the person doing the action. Only option B places the doer (the applicant) right after the phrase, avoiding a dangling modifier.
Learning objective: Identify and correct dangling modifiers.
Subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, pronoun case, and misplaced or dangling modifiers appear most often. Mastering these four areas covers the majority of usage items.
Find the true subject and mentally delete any phrase between it and the verb. Match the verb to that subject's number — singular subject, singular verb.
Yes. Verbal ability covers both English and Filipino, so practice correct usage in both languages.
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