Section 2.1: Grammar: Agreement and Verb Tenses

Section 2.1: Grammar: Agreement and Verb Tenses

In the Foreign Service, written communication must be precise and unambiguous. Diplomatic documents—from notes verbales to cables—represent the U.S. government, meaning grammatical lapses can introduce dangerous misinterpretations. On the FSOT English Usage and Comprehension section, candidates must diagnose agreement and tense errors under tight time constraints.

Subject-Verb Agreement: Intervening Elements and Compounds

Subject-verb agreement requires a singular subject to take a singular verb and a plural subject to take a plural verb. The FSOT tests this by inserting complex structures between them.

1. Intervening Phrases

Phrases beginning with along with, as well as, in addition to, accompanied by, or together with do not alter the number of the subject.

• Incorrect: The Ambassador, along with the deputy chief of mission and two officers, are attending the summit.
• Correct: The Ambassador, along with the deputy chief of mission and two officers, is attending the summit.
• Analysis: The true subject is the singular Ambassador. The intervening phrase is parenthetical.

2. Compound Subjects

• Joined by and: Compound subjects joined by and require a plural verb.
  • The consular chief and the economic officer are reviewing the trade report.
  • Exception: If the nouns refer to the same person or concept, use a singular verb: The diplomat and author has arrived.
• Joined by or or nor: When subjects are joined by or or nor, the verb must agree with the nearer subject.
  • Neither the public affairs officer nor the local staff members are prepared.
  • Neither the local staff members nor the public affairs officer is prepared.

3. Indefinite Pronouns and Collective Nouns

• Indefinite Pronouns: Each, either, neither, everyone, anybody, and someone are always singular.
  • Each of the diplomatic pouches has been inspected.
• Collective Nouns: Nouns like committee, delegation, or embassy are singular when acting as a unit, but plural if members act individually.
  • The delegation has agreed to the treaty draft. (Unit)
  • The delegation are signing their copies of the agreement. (Individuals)

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Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement and Case Selection

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number, gender, and person.

1. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Avoid pairing singular antecedents with plural pronouns in formal writing.

• Incorrect: If a citizen requests emergency assistance, they should be directed to the consular section.
• Correct (Formal): If a citizen requests emergency assistance, he or she should be directed to the consular section.
• Alternative Correct (Plural): If citizens request emergency assistance, they should be directed to the consular section.

2. Case Selection: Subjective vs. Objective

• Subjective Case (I, he, she, we, they, who) is used for subjects.
• Objective Case (me, him, her, us, them, whom) is used for objects.
• Incorrect: The Deputy Assistant Secretary met with the political analyst and I.
• Correct: The Deputy Assistant Secretary met with the political analyst and me.
• Test: Remove the other noun: "met with I" is incorrect; it must be "met with me."
• Incorrect: Between you and I, negotiations are going poorly.
• Correct: Between you and me, negotiations are going poorly. (Between is a preposition).

3. Who vs. Whom

• Who is a subject pronoun; it performs the action.
  • The officer who drafted the cable is out of the country.
• Whom is an object pronoun; it receives the action or is the object of a preposition.
  • To whom did you send the diplomatic note?
  • The analyst whom we consulted has revised the forecast.

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Verb Tense Consistency and Mood

Verb tenses establish the timeline of events. Unnecessary shifts disrupt readability.

1. Maintaining Tense Consistency

Keep tenses consistent within a sentence or paragraph.

• Incorrect: The diplomat arrived at the ministry, enters the room, and began the presentation.
• Correct: The diplomat arrived at the ministry, entered the room, and began the presentation.

2. Sequence of Tenses in Reported Speech

When reporting past speech, the tense of the subordinate clause shifts backward.

• Direct Speech: "The treaty is ready," the Secretary says.
• Reported Speech: The Secretary stated that the treaty was ready.

3. The Subjunctive Mood

Use the subjunctive mood to express wishes, hypothetical situations, or demands and recommendations. Following verbs like demand, insist, request, require, or recommend, use the base form of the verb.

• Incorrect: The circular requires that each embassy submits a monthly report.
• Correct: The circular requires that each embassy submit a monthly report.
• Correct: It is essential that the Ambassador be notified immediately.

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High-Yield FSOT Exam Traps

• Trap of the Intervening Plural: Do not let a plural noun in a prepositional phrase fool you: The set of guidelines is (not are) ready.
• Gerunds and Possessives: Use the possessive case to modify a gerund.
  • We appreciated his drafting the memo so quickly. (Not him).
• Perfect Tenses: Use the past perfect (had run) to indicate an action completed before another past action: By the time the delegation arrived, the political officer had prepared the briefing.