Part B: Literacy
12
Syntax, Grammar & Punctuation
Master the technical writing skills assessed in LANTITE
Learning Objectives
- Identify and correct subject-verb agreement errors
- Use verb tenses consistently and correctly
- Apply comma rules with confidence
- Use apostrophes correctly for possession and contraction
- Recognise and fix common grammatical errors
- Choose correct pronoun references
Chapter Progress: 0%
1. Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-Verb Agreement Principles
In English, a verb must agree with its subject in number. A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
- Compound subjects joined by 'and' are plural.
- Indefinite pronouns like everyone, each, nobody, someone always take a singular verb.
- Collective nouns (e.g., class, staff, committee) usually take a singular verb when acting as a single unit.
Example 1
Identifying correct verb forms
❓ Question: Select the grammatically correct verb form to complete the sentence.
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data: School Practicum Document: "Each of the preservice teachers ___ assigned a mentor for their practicum."
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Identify the true subject of the sentence.
2
Apply indefinite pronoun agreement rules.
3
Select the singular verb option.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Subject "Each" (singular pronoun)"
🎯 Final Answer: is (or was)
💡 Why It Is Correct: The subject "Each" is singular and takes a singular verb. The plural noun "teachers" inside the prepositional phrase does not change the subject agreement.
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: Ignore prepositional phrases like "of the teachers" when identifying the true subject of the sentence.
Singular vs Plural Subjects and Verbs
| Subject Type | Example Subject | Verb Type | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular Noun | The teacher | Singular | The teacher writes on the board. |
| Plural Noun | The teachers | Plural | The teachers write on the board. |
| Compound (and) | Tom and Sarah | Plural | Tom and Sarah are planning the lesson. |
| Indefinite Pronoun | Everyone | Singular | Everyone has completed the assignment. |
| Collective Noun | The committee | Singular | The committee meets every Tuesday. |
2. Verb Tenses
Understanding Verb Tenses
Verbs indicate when an action occurs. Consistency in verb tense is crucial for clear communication. LANTITE frequently tests your ability to maintain consistent tense across a passage.
- Simple Tenses: Past (walked), Present (walks), Future (will walk).
- Perfect Tenses: Past Perfect (had walked), Present Perfect (has walked), Future Perfect (will have walked).
Example 2
Maintaining consistent tense
❓ Question: Correct the verb tense error in the student excursion report.
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data: Student Excursion Log: "Yesterday, the students visited the museum and complete their worksheets."
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Identify the time frame established in the sentence.
2
Check all verbs in the sentence for consistency.
3
Correct the inconsistent verb to past tense.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Time marker "Yesterday" + initial past verb "visited""
🎯 Final Answer: "Yesterday, the students visited the museum and completed their worksheets."
💡 Why It Is Correct: Because the sentence begins with "Yesterday" and uses past tense "visited", the secondary verb "complete" must also be past tense ("completed").
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: Always read the entire sentence or paragraph to identify time markers that govern tense consistency.
Tense Forms and Examples
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | verb / verb+s | She plans the curriculum. |
| Simple Past | verb+ed / irregular | She planned the curriculum. |
| Simple Future | will + verb | She will plan the curriculum. |
| Present Perfect | has/have + past participle | She has planned the curriculum. |
| Past Perfect | had + past participle | She had planned the curriculum before the term began. |
3. Pronoun Reference & Agreement
Clear Pronoun Reference
A pronoun (e.g., he, she, it, they, this) must agree with its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in number and gender, and it must be absolutely clear which noun the pronoun refers to.
An ambiguous reference occurs when a pronoun could refer to more than one noun.
Example 3
Fixing unclear pronoun references
❓ Question: Identify and resolve the ambiguous pronoun reference in the sentence.
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data: Classroom Event Note: "When the teacher put the book on the desk, it broke."
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Identify the pronoun creating potential ambiguity.
2
Identify all possible antecedent nouns.
3
Rewrite the sentence to replace the ambiguous pronoun with the specific noun.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Ambiguous pronoun "it" following two singular nouns ("book" and "desk")"
🎯 Final Answer: "The desk broke when the teacher put the book on it." (OR "The book broke when the teacher put it on the desk.")
💡 Why It Is Correct: Because "it" could refer to either the book or the desk, replacing the pronoun or restructuring the sentence eliminates ambiguity.
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: If a sentence contains two singular nouns, avoid using "it" without making the reference crystal clear.
4. Comma Rules
Essential Comma Rules
Commas tell the reader to pause and help clarify the meaning of a sentence.
- Listing: Separate three or more items in a series.
- Compound Sentences: Before a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) that links two independent clauses.
- Introductory Elements: After introductory words, phrases, or clauses.
- Non-essential Info: Around appositives or non-restrictive clauses.
- Direct Address: Setting off the name of a person being spoken to.
- Dates/Places: Separating elements of dates and locations.
Example 4
Adding commas to a passage
❓ Question: Insert appropriate commas to correctly punctuate the sentence.
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data: Student Discussion Record: "After reading the novel the students discussed the plot the characters and the themes."
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Identify introductory dependent clause.
2
Identify listed items in the series.
3
Insert commas after introductory clause and list items.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Introductory clause "After reading the novel" + list of 3 items"
🎯 Final Answer: "After reading the novel, the students discussed the plot, the characters, and the themes."
💡 Why It Is Correct: A comma is needed after the introductory phrase, and commas are required between items in a list.
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: Always use the Oxford comma before "and" in a list for LANTITE writing assessments.
Example 5
Identifying incorrect comma usage
❓ Question: Identify the punctuation error in the sentence and provide the correct punctuation.
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data: Classroom Log Entry: "The bell rang, the students went to lunch."
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Analyze clause structure on both sides of the comma.
2
Identify grammatical error type.
3
Apply correct punctuation to join or separate independent clauses.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Two independent clauses joined by only a comma"
🎯 Final Answer: "The bell rang; the students went to lunch." (OR "The bell rang, and the students went to lunch.")
💡 Why It Is Correct: Joining two complete sentences with only a comma creates a comma splice error. Fix with a semicolon or comma + FANBOYS conjunction.
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: Never join two complete independent sentences with a comma alone.
5. Apostrophes
Contraction vs. Possession
Apostrophes have two main jobs: indicating missing letters (contractions) and showing ownership (possession).
- Contractions: it's (it is), they're (they are), can't (cannot).
- Possession: The student's book (one student). The students' books (multiple students).
Example 6
Choosing between its/it's, their/they're/there, your/you're
❓ Question: Select the correct homophones to fill in the blanks in the sentence.
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data: Staff Circular: "(Its/It's) important that (there/their/they're) submitted on time."
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Test the first blank by expanding to "it is".
2
Test the second blank for subject + verb contraction.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Expanded: "It is important that they are submitted on time.""
🎯 Final Answer: "It's important that they're submitted on time."
💡 Why It Is Correct: Both blanks require contractions: "It's" (it is) and "they're" (they are).
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: Whenever you see "it's" or "they're", expand them in your mind to "it is" or "they are" to verify.
Apostrophe Usage
| Usage Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Contraction | Replaces missing letters | Don't, wouldn't, it's |
| Singular Possessive | Add 's to the noun | The school's principal |
| Plural Possessive (ends in s) | Add an apostrophe after the s | The teachers' lounge |
| Plural Possessive (no s) | Add 's to the plural noun | The children's playground |
| its vs it's | its = possessive, it's = it is | The dog wagged its tail. It's raining. |
6. Semicolons, Colons & Other Punctuation
Advanced Punctuation
Semicolons (;) are used to join two related independent clauses (complete sentences) without using a conjunction.
Colons (:) are used to introduce a list, an explanation, or an expansion of what came before.
Example 7
Choosing between comma, semicolon, and full stop
❓ Question: Which punctuation mark correctly links the two independent clauses in the blank?
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data: Principal Report Summary: "The excursion was a success ___ all the students returned safely."
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Evaluate clause 1 and clause 2 for independence.
2
Check for coordinating conjunctions.
3
Select appropriate punctuation.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Two closely related independent clauses with no conjunction"
🎯 Final Answer: Semicolon (;) → "The excursion was a success; all the students returned safely."
💡 Why It Is Correct: A semicolon links two closely related complete sentences without needing a conjunction like "and".
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: Ensure both sides of a semicolon can stand alone as complete, independent sentences.
Question 1 of 12
Fill in the blank: "Each of the teachers ______ submitted their reports."