Unit 1: Subject-Verb Agreement and Error Identification

1. Subject-Verb Agreement (SVA)

Subject-Verb Agreement constitutes the foundation of grammatical correctness in sentence correction questions. The fundamental rule is simple: A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. However, aptitude tests often complicate sentences to obscure the subject.

A. The Rule of Prepositional Phrases

Never treat the noun inside a prepositional phrase as the subject. Always look before the preposition.

• Incorrect: The box of chocolates are missing.
• Correct: The box [of chocolates] is missing.
• Key Strategy: Mentally cross out prepositional phrases (starting with of, in, for, at, with, by) to expose the true subject.

B. Compound Subjects

• Joined by "AND": Generally plural.
  • Example: The CEO and the Manager are attending the meeting.
  • Exception: If the two nouns refer to the same person or a single unit/idea.
    • Example: Fish and chips is my favorite meal.
    • Example: The founder and creative director is arriving soon. (Same person).
• Joined by "OR / NOR": The verb agrees with the subject closest to it.
  • Rule: Look at the noun after Or/Nor.
  • Example: Neither the players nor the coach was present.
  • Example: Neither the coach nor the players were present.

C. Indefinite Pronouns

• Always Singular: Each, Every, Everyone, Everybody, Anyone, Anybody, Someone, Somebody, No one, Nobody, Either, Neither.
  • Example: Each of the employees has received a bonus. (Not have).
• Always Plural: Both, Few, Many, Several.
  • Example: Several of the files are corrupt.
• Variable (SANAM Rule): Some, Any, None, All, Most.
  • These depend on the noun that follows (Countable vs. Uncountable).
  • Example: Some of the cake is gone. (Uncountable/Singular).
  • Example: Some of the cakes are gone. (Countable/Plural).

D. Collective Nouns

Nouns that imply a group (e.g., Team, Committee, Jury, Family, Crowd, Audience).

• Acting as one unit: Use a singular verb.
  • Example: The jury has reached a verdict.
• Acting individually: Use a plural verb.
  • Example: The jury are arguing among themselves.

E. "The Number" vs. "A Number"

• The number of: Always Singular (Refers to a specific statistic).
  • Example: The number of applicants is increasing.
• A number of: Always Plural (Means "many").
  • Example: A number of applicants are waiting outside.

2. Errors Based on Tenses

Tense errors usually involve inconsistency or the incorrect application of perfect tenses.

A. Tense Consistency

Do not shift tenses within a sentence or paragraph unless there is a specific time indicator that necessitates the change.

• Incorrect: She finished her report and submits it to the manager.
• Correct: She finished her report and submitted it to the manager.

B. The Perfect Tenses

• Past Perfect (Had + V3): Used for the "Past of the Past." Use this strictly when two actions happened in the past, and you need to show which happened first.
  • Formula: 1st Action (Past Perfect) + 2nd Action (Simple Past).
  • Example: The train had left before we reached the station.
• Present Perfect (Has/Have + V3): Used for actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past or actions continuing into the present.
  • Specific time = Simple Past: "I saw that movie yesterday."
  • Unspecified time = Present Perfect: "I have seen that movie."

C. Conditional Tenses (If-Clauses)

3. Errors Based on Modifiers

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes another word. Errors occur when the modifier is not clearly linked to the word it describes.

A. Dangling Modifiers

This occurs when the subject of the modifier is missing from the sentence. The sentence usually starts with an introductory phrase (often an -ing phrase), and the subject immediately following the comma must be the doer of that action.

• Incorrect: Walking down the street, the trees looked beautiful.
  • Analysis: The trees were not walking.
• Correct: Walking down the street, I saw that the trees looked beautiful.

B. Misplaced Modifiers

The modifier is present but placed too far from the word it modifies, creating ambiguity.

• Incorrect: She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates.
  • Analysis: Sounds like the children were sitting on plates.
• Correct: She served sandwiches on paper plates to the children.

C. Squinting Modifiers

A modifier placed between two words so that it could modify either one.

• Ambiguous: Running quickly improves health. (Is the running quick, or is the improvement quick?)
• Clear: Quick running improves health.

4. Errors Based on Parallelism

Parallelism requires that parts of a sentence that are grammatically the same, or perform the same function, must be structured similarly.

A. Lists and Series

Items in a list must follow the same grammatical form (all nouns, all -ing verbs, all infinitives).

• Incorrect: The candidate is smart, articulate, and works hard. (Adjective, Adjective, Verb Phrase).
• Correct: The candidate is smart, articulate, and hard-working. (Adjective, Adjective, Adjective).

B. Correlative Conjunctions

Pairs like Neither/Nor, Either/Or, Not only/But also must be followed by the same grammatical structure.

• Incorrect: He is not only intelligent but also plays sports.
• Correct: He is not only intelligent but also athletic.
• Correct: He not only has intelligence but also has athletic ability.

C. Comparisons

When comparing X and Y, X and Y must be parallel types of words.

• Incorrect: The pollution in Delhi is worse than Mumbai. (Comparing "Pollution" to "City").
• Correct: The pollution in Delhi is worse than that of Mumbai.

5. Company Specific Vocabulary

Aptitude tests for companies like TCS, Infosys, Accenture, and Deloitte often focus on specific lexical categories.

A. Confusing Words (Homophones & Near-Homophones)

• Affect vs. Effect:
  • Affect (Verb): To influence. ("The weather affected the match.")
  • Effect (Noun): The result. ("The effect of the medicine.")
• Principle vs. Principal:
  • Principle: A rule or belief.
  • Principal: Main person (Headmaster) or sum of money.
• Compliment vs. Complement:
  • Compliment: Praise.
  • Complement: Something that completes or goes well with something else.
• Elicit vs. Illicit:
  • Elicit: To evoke or draw out (a response).
  • Illicit: Illegal.

B. Common Corporate/Business Vocabulary

• Fiscal: Relating to government revenue, especially taxes.
• Mitigate: To make less severe, serious, or painful.
• Lucrative: Producing a great deal of profit.
• Liability: The state of being responsible for something, especially by law; a financial debt.
• Stakeholder: A person with an interest or concern in something, especially a business.
• Paradigm: A typical example or pattern of something; a model.

C. High-Frequency Root Words for Error Identification

Understanding roots helps decode difficult vocabulary in sentence correction.

• Bene- (Good): Benefactor, Benevolent, Benign.
• Mal- (Bad): Malevolent, Malign, Malfunction.
• Chron- (Time): Chronological, Anachronism, Synchronize.
• Ver- (Truth): Verify, Veracity, Verdict.
• Loq/Loc (Speech): Loquacious (talkative), Eloquent, Circumlocution.

D. Idiomatic Errors

Companies often test knowledge of fixed prepositions.

• Incorrect: Prefer coffee than tea. | Correct: Prefer coffee to tea.
• Incorrect: Superior than. | Correct: Superior to.
• Incorrect: Good in English. | Correct: Good at English.
• Incorrect: Dispose off. | Correct: Dispose of.
• Incorrect: Comprise of. | Correct: Comprise (or "Composed of").