Civil Service Exam (Professional) Verbal Ability (English & Filipino) — Subject-Verb AgreementExam Answer Templates

Examiner tip

Collective nouns typically take singular verbs when acting as one unit

Model answer

a) announces

Answer structure

• Select the correct option with no additional explanation required [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Choosing plural verb with collective noun acting as single unit

Key phrases to include

• announces

Examiner tip

Always identify both the error and the rule violation clearly

Model answer

Error: 'have' should be 'has'. The subject 'Each' is singular and requires the singular verb 'has'. Correct sentence: 'Each of the students has submitted their research papers.'

Answer structure

• Identify the incorrect verb form [1 mark]
• Provide the correct verb and brief explanation [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Not identifying specific error word
• Incorrect grammatical explanation

Key phrases to include

• Each
• singular
• has

Examiner tip

Correlative conjunctions require specific proximity rules - always mention which subject is closer

Model answer

Corrected sentence: 'Neither the manager nor the employees were satisfied with the new policy.' Rule: When using 'neither...nor' with compound subjects, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Since 'employees' (plural) is closer to the verb than 'manager' (singular), the plural verb 'were' is correct.

Answer structure

• Write the corrected sentence [1 mark]
• State the specific grammar rule [1 mark]
• Explain application to this sentence [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Incomplete correction
• Vague rule explanation
• Not explaining proximity principle

Key phrases to include

• neither...nor
• closest subject
• proximity rule

Examiner tip

Many nouns ending in 's' are actually singular - focus on meaning, not appearance

Model answer

'The news is shocking to everyone.' Although 'news' ends in 's', it is a singular noun referring to information collectively. Singular nouns that appear plural take singular verbs.

Answer structure

• Provide correct verb form [1 mark]
• Explain the grammatical reason [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Choosing 'are' based on word ending
• Insufficient grammatical explanation

Key phrases to include

• is
• singular noun
• collective meaning

Examiner tip

In comprehensive correction questions, work systematically through each sentence and double-check your corrections

Model answer

Three errors identified and corrected:

1. 'The group of volunteers are working' → 'The group of volunteers is working'

Error: Collective noun 'group' is singular and requires singular verb 'is'.

2. 'Each member have specific' → 'Each member has specific'

Error: Indefinite pronoun 'each' is always singular and requires singular verb 'has'.

3. 'neither the coordinator nor the volunteers seems' → 'neither the coordinator nor the volunteers seem'

Error: With 'neither...nor', verb agrees with nearest subject. 'Volunteers' (plural) is nearest, requiring plural verb 'seem'.

Corrected paragraph: 'The group of volunteers is working diligently. Each member has specific responsibilities. The data shows promising results, and neither the coordinator nor the volunteers seem discouraged.'

Answer structure

• Identify first error with correction [1 mark]
• Identify second error with correction [1 mark]
• Identify third error with correction [1 mark]
• Explain grammatical rules for each error [1.5 marks]
• Provide complete corrected paragraph [0.5 marks]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Missing any of the three errors
• Incorrect rule explanations
• Incomplete corrected version

Key phrases to include

• collective noun
• indefinite pronoun
• neither...nor
• proximity rule
• singular
• plural

Examiner tip

Amounts, distances, and measurements are usually singular concepts

Model answer

is

Answer structure

• Select correct singular verb form [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Treating dollar amount as plural

Key phrases to include

• is

Examiner tip

'A number of' = many (plural), 'The number of' = amount (singular)

Model answer

Both sentences are actually correct, but they illustrate different uses of 'a number of.' In 'There are a number of issues,' the verb 'are' agrees with 'issues' (plural), treating 'a number of' as a quantifier. In 'A number of issues are complex,' the agreement is the same - plural verb with plural noun 'issues.' However, when 'number' itself is the focus ('The number of issues is increasing'), it takes a singular verb.

Answer structure

• Explain the function of 'a number of' as quantifier [1 mark]
• Clarify that both examples are correct [1 mark]
• Contrast with 'the number of' construction [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Incorrectly calling either sentence wrong
• Confusing 'a number of' with 'the number of'

Key phrases to include

• quantifier
• plural agreement
• the number of

Examiner tip

In 'one of' constructions, 'one' remains the subject despite intervening plural nouns

Model answer

Error: 'have' should be 'has.' The main subject is 'One' (singular), not 'candidates.' The relative clause 'who was interviewed yesterday' modifies 'candidates' but doesn't change the main subject. Correct: 'One of the candidates who was interviewed yesterday has been selected.'

Answer structure

• Identify the incorrect verb and correct form [1 mark]
• Explain the subject identification rule [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Not identifying the true subject
• Confusing relative clause modifier

Key phrases to include

• One
• main subject
• relative clause

Examiner tip

Academic subjects (physics, mathematics, economics) are singular

Model answer

is

Answer structure

• Select singular verb for academic subject [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Treating subject names as plural due to 's' ending

Key phrases to include

• is

Examiner tip

Personal pronouns have specific verb forms - 'I am,' 'you are,' regardless of other rules

Model answer

Corrected: 'Either you or I am responsible for this mistake.' Rule: With 'either...or' constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Since 'I' is closer to the verb than 'you,' and 'I' takes the verb form 'am,' the sentence requires 'am' not 'are.'

Answer structure

• Provide corrected sentence [1 mark]
• State the proximity agreement rule [1 mark]
• Apply rule to this specific case [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Not understanding pronoun-verb relationships
• Incomplete rule explanation

Key phrases to include

• either...or
• proximity
• closest subject
• am

Examiner tip

'Majority of + plural noun' usually takes plural verb; 'majority' alone is singular

Model answer

voted. When 'majority' is followed by 'of' plus a plural noun, the verb agrees with the plural object ('voters'). The focus is on the individual voters who made up the majority, not the majority as a single concept.

Answer structure

• Select correct verb form [1 mark]
• Explain agreement with plural object of preposition [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Agreeing with 'majority' instead of 'voters'
• Not explaining the 'of' construction

Key phrases to include

• voted
• voters
• plural object

Examiner tip

Scan for both collective nouns and indefinite pronouns in error identification questions

Model answer

Two errors: 1) 'team are' should be 'team is' - collective noun 'team' takes singular verb when acting as unit. 2) 'everyone have' should be 'everyone has' - indefinite pronoun 'everyone' is always singular. Corrected: 'The team is celebrating their victory, and everyone has contributed to the success.'

Answer structure

• Identify first error (team are → team is) [1 mark]
• Identify second error (everyone have → everyone has) [1 mark]
• Provide corrected complete sentence [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Missing either error
• Not providing corrected version

Key phrases to include

• team is
• everyone has
• collective noun
• indefinite pronoun

Examiner tip

Fractions and percentages: look at what's being measured, not the fraction itself

Model answer

'Two-thirds of the budget is allocated for education.' With fractions, the verb agrees with the object of the preposition. Since 'budget' is singular (referring to one budget as a whole), the verb is singular 'is.'

Answer structure

• Choose correct verb form [1 mark]
• Explain fraction agreement rule [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Focusing on 'two-thirds' rather than 'budget'
• Not understanding fraction rule

Key phrases to include

• is
• fraction
• object of preposition
• budget

Examiner tip

Country names are singular regardless of spelling - United States is, Philippines is

Model answer

'The Philippines is known for its beautiful beaches.' Although 'Philippines' ends in 's,' it refers to one country and takes a singular verb. Country names ending in 's' are treated as singular entities.

Answer structure

• Provide corrected sentence [1 mark]
• Explain country name agreement rule [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Treating country name as plural
• Not explaining the exception

Key phrases to include

• is known
• one country
• singular entity

Examiner tip

Phrases like 'along with,' 'together with,' 'as well as' are NOT the same as 'and' - they don't create compound subjects

Model answer

Error: 'have' should be 'has.' The phrase 'along with the board members' is a prepositional phrase that does not change the subject. The true subject is 'CEO' (singular), so the verb must be singular 'has.' Intervening phrases beginning with 'along with,' 'together with,' or 'as well as' do not create compound subjects. Corrected: 'The CEO, along with the board members, has announced new policies.'

Answer structure

• Identify the error and correction [1 mark]
• Explain the intervening phrase rule [1 mark]
• Provide the corrected sentence [1 mark]

Scoring breakdown

Common mark deductions

• Treating 'along with' as creating compound subject
• Incomplete rule explanation

Key phrases to include

• has
• along with
• intervening phrase
• true subject
• CEO

Do

• Choose quickly based on subject identification
• Trust your first grammatical instinct
• Look for obvious singular/plural markers

Don't

• Overthink simple constructions
• Provide unnecessary explanations
• Second-guess basic rules

Do

• State the correction first
• Give concise rule explanation
• Use precise grammatical terminology

Don't

• Give lengthy explanations
• Provide multiple examples
• Discuss alternative interpretations

Do

• Show complete corrected version
• Explain the grammatical principle
• Demonstrate rule application to specific case

Don't

• Skip any component (error, rule, correction)
• Use vague explanations
• Forget to write complete corrected sentence

Do

• Address each error separately
• Provide complete grammatical explanations
• Include final corrected version
• Use numbered or structured format

Don't

• Rush through multiple errors
• Combine different rules confusingly
• Skip the comprehensive corrected version
• Use informal language