7.2 Grammar And Subject-Verb Agreement

Find The Core Subject And Verb First

Subject-verb agreement means a verb must match its subject in number. A singular subject takes a singular verb (The officer writes); a plural subject takes a plural verb (The officers write). On the CJBAT this is one of the most reliable categories to crack, because the fix is mechanical: strip the sentence down to its core and check the match.

The test-writers' favorite trick is to wedge a phrase between the subject and the verb so the verb looks like it should match the nearest noun instead of the real subject.

"The list of acceptable IDs is posted."

The subject is list (singular), not IDs. The phrase of acceptable IDs only describes the list. Mentally delete it — "The list is posted" — and the agreement is obvious. The intervening noun is a decoy.

The Rules That Get Tested

A few of these deserve a second look. Indefinite pronouns like each, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anyone, nobody, someone are grammatically singular even though they feel like many people — "Everyone is seated," not are. With or / nor, the verb agrees with the subject closer to it: "Neither the deputy nor the recruits are present," but "Neither the recruits nor the deputy is present." With there is / there are, the real subject comes after the verb, so count that noun: "There are several reasons."

Verb Tense Consistency

Grammar items also test verb tense. Keep the timeline steady unless the meaning requires a shift. A common error sentence mixes tenses for no reason:

Wrong: "The recruit finished the form and signs it." Right: "The recruit finished the form and signed it."

Both actions are in the past, so both verbs should be past tense. The CJBAT will plant a sudden present-tense verb in a past-tense sentence (or vice versa) and ask you to spot the inconsistency.

The Three-Step Agreement Routine

Under Section III time pressure, run this every time:

• Step 1 — Find the subject. Ask "Who or what does the verb?"
• Step 2 — Delete the middle. Cross out prepositional phrases and other interrupters in your head.
• Step 3 — Match number and tense. Confirm singular/plural agreement and a consistent timeline.

This routine turns a fuzzy "that sounds off" reaction into a decision you can defend in seconds — which is exactly what you need when grammar items are competing with reasoning items for the same 60 minutes.

Worked Examples

Example 1 — the prepositional-phrase decoy.

"The set of fingerprint cards (was / were) logged into evidence."

The subject is set, singular. Of fingerprint cards is a prepositional phrase. Delete it: "The set ___ logged." The correct verb is was. The plural-looking cards is bait.

Example 2 — compound subject.

"The witness and the suspect (was / were) interviewed separately."

Two subjects joined by and form a plural subject, so the verb is were. Anyone who reads only as far as the suspect and picks was falls for the singular-near-the-verb trap.

Example 3 — indefinite pronoun + neither/nor.

"Neither of the candidates (has / have) checked in, and everyone (is / are) waiting."

Neither is singular → has. Everyone is singular → is. Both feel plural because crowds are involved, but grammatically each governs a singular verb. The corrected sentence: "Neither of the candidates has checked in, and everyone is waiting."

Example 4 — tense consistency.

"The officer secured the scene and then interviews the witness."

Secured is past; interviews jumps to present with no reason. Fix the second verb to match: "...and then interviewed the witness."

Example 5 — inverted order with 'there.'

"On the desk (is / are) the two confirmation slips."

The sentence is inverted: the real subject (two confirmation slips) comes after the verb. Because the subject is plural, the verb is are — "On the desk are the two confirmation slips." When a sentence starts with there or here or a location, hunt for the subject after the verb and count that noun, not the introductory word.

Example 6 — collective noun.

"The review board (meets / meet) on the first Monday."

A collective noun like board, committee, team, jury, staff names a single group acting as one unit, so it normally takes a singular verb: meets. You would only use a plural verb if the members were acting as separate individuals, which the CJBAT rarely tests — when in doubt with a single group name, treat it as singular.

Why This Category Is Worth Drilling

Subject-verb agreement and verb tense are the closest thing Written Expression has to guaranteed points, because the rules are fixed and the fix is mechanical. Reading comprehension and the reasoning abilities require interpretation; agreement does not. If you can reliably (a) locate the true subject, (b) delete the interrupting phrase, and (c) match number and tense, you convert a whole class of items into near-automatic correct answers — and you do it fast enough to protect time for the harder Section III material.