3.2 English Grammar, Syntax, Subject-Verb Agreement & Tense Consistency

English Grammar, Syntax, Subject-Verb Agreement & Tense Consistency

In military staff work, grammatical errors are not merely aesthetic defects—they introduce ambiguity into operational directives, confuse lines of command, and compromise tactical coordination. A poorly structured operation order (OPORD) or ambiguous situation report (SITREP) can result in conflicting operational timelines or improper asset deployment.

The verbal section of the Ghana Armed Forces Officer Cadet Written Examination evaluates candidate mastery of formal English syntax. Test items concentrate on high-frequency error categories: subject-verb agreement across intervening parentheticals, sequence of tenses, the subjunctive mood, modifier alignment, parallel structure, and pronoun case mechanics.

Complex Subject-Verb Agreement

The fundamental grammatical principle that a singular subject demands a singular verb and a plural subject demands a plural verb becomes complex when examiners introduce intervening clauses, correlative structures, and collective nouns.

1. Intervening Prepositional Phrases and Parenthetical Modifiers

The grammatical number of a subject is never altered by words, phrases, or clauses that separate it from its predicate verb. Common parenthetical connectors include along with, as well as, together with, in addition to, accompanied by, and including.

• Rule: Strike out the parenthetical modifier mentally to isolate the true structural subject.
• Incorrect: "The Commanding Officer, accompanied by three staff captains, were inspecting the forward ammunition depot."
• Correct: "The Commanding Officer, accompanied by three staff captains, was inspecting the forward ammunition depot."
• Diagnostic: The true subject is singular (The Commanding Officer). The intervening phrase (accompanied by three staff captains) is an adjectival modifier and does not create a plural compound subject.

2. Correlative Conjunctions and the Rule of Proximity

When compound subjects are joined by correlative conjunctions—either... or, neither... nor, not only... but also—the predicate verb must agree in number and person with the closer subject (the subject nearest to the verb).

• Formula: Neither [Subject A] nor [Subject B] + [Verb agreeing strictly with Subject B]
• Case 1: "Neither the platoon commander nor the riflemen were aware of the minefield."
  • Analysis: Riflemen is plural and closest to the verb; hence the plural verb were is required.
• Case 2: "Neither the riflemen nor the platoon commander was aware of the minefield."
  • Analysis: Platoon commander is singular and closest to the verb; hence the singular verb was is required.

3. Collective Nouns in Military Command Contexts

Military terminology relies heavily on collective nouns: regiment, battalion, company, corps, platoon, staff, committee, board, jury, and crew.

• Singular Treatment (Unified Unit): When the collective entity acts as a single, cohesive, unified body, it takes a singular verb and singular pronouns.
  • Correct: "The 5th Infantry Battalion has completed its deployment to the northern border."
• Plural Treatment (Individual Constituent Action): When individual members of the entity act independently, hold differing views, or perform separate tasks, the noun takes a plural verb.
  • Correct: "The promotion board were divided in their assessments of the candidate's field performance."

4. Indefinite Pronouns: Singular vs. SANAM Mechanics

• Always Singular: Each, everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody, either, neither.
  • Correct: "Every one of the frontline fortifications was reinforced with steel plating."
  • Common Trap: The plural noun fortifications inside the prepositional phrase of the frontline fortifications tempts candidates to choose were. The subject is the singular pronoun Every one.
• Variable (The SANAM Group): Some, All, None, Any, Most. The grammatical number of SANAM pronouns depends on the countable or uncountable nature of the noun in the modifying prepositional phrase.
  • Uncountable / Singular: "None of the jet propellant was salvaged from the storage depot."
  • Countable / Plural: "None of the armored personnel carriers were damaged during the ambush."

Tense Consistency, Sequence of Tenses, and the Subjunctive Mood

Sequence of Tenses in Complex Reporting

When a sentence transitions between an independent main clause and subordinate clauses, the verb tenses must reflect chronological reality rather than random shifting.

PAST PERFECT (Earlier Past Event)  -->  SIMPLE PAST (Later Past Event)  -->  PRESENT/FUTURE
"The vanguard had secured the ridge before the main armored column arrived at dusk."

If the main verb of a reporting sentence is in the past tense, subordinate verbs reporting the historical action must shift back chronologically:

• Incorrect: "The patrol leader reported that the perimeter is breached two hours ago."
• Correct: "The patrol leader reported that the perimeter had been breached two hours ago."

The Subjunctive Mood: Mandative and Counterfactual

Examiners regularly test the subjunctive mood, which expresses conditions contrary to fact, hypothetical scenarios, or formal administrative mandates.

1. The Mandative Subjunctive (Verbs of Urgency, Command, and Demand)

In formal military correspondence, when a sentence contains a main verb or adjective denoting command, recommendation, requirement, or necessity (insist, demand, command, require, mandate, recommend, it is imperative that, it is essential that), the subordinate clause that follows must use the bare infinitive (base form of the verb without to, without third-person -s, and using be instead of is/are/was).

2. The Counterfactual Subjunctive (Conditions Contrary to Fact)

When expressing a hypothetical situation, wish, or condition contrary to present reality using if, as if, or as though, the verb to be takes the past subjunctive form were for all grammatical persons (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).

• Incorrect: "If the company commander was present on the ridge, the withdrawal would proceed orderly."
• Correct: "If the company commander were present on the ridge, the withdrawal would proceed orderly."
• Analysis: The commander is not actually on the ridge; the clause expresses an unreal, hypothetical condition contrary to fact.

Modifier Placement: Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

Modifiers provide descriptive detail, but their syntactic placement determines whether a sentence conveys military clarity or absurd confusion.

The Golden Rule of Modifiers

A descriptive word, phrase, or clause must be placed as close as syntactically possible to the noun or pronoun it is intended to modify.

Dangling Modifiers

A dangling modifier occurs when an introductory verbal phrase (typically a participial phrase ending in -ing or -ed) does not logically modify the grammatical subject of the independent clause that immediately follows.

• Flawed Construction: "Advancing through the mangrove swamp under heavy mortar fire, the forward observation post was sighted."
  • Diagnostic: The introductory participial phrase is Advancing through the mangrove swamp.... Syntactically, this phrase modifies the grammatical subject that follows the comma: the forward observation post. But an observation post cannot advance through a swamp.
• Corrected Construction (Agent as Subject): "Advancing through the mangrove swamp under heavy mortar fire, the scout platoon sighted the forward observation post."
• Alternative Correction (Dependent Clause): "As the scout platoon advanced through the mangrove swamp under heavy mortar fire, it sighted the forward observation post."

Misplaced Adverbs: The Logic of Limiting Words

Adverbs such as only, merely, scarcely, hardly, and almost restrict the specific word that immediately follows them. Misplacing these adverbs distorts the operational meaning:

• Ambiguous: "The tactical communications officer only authorized transmissions during emergencies."
  • Meaning: The officer did nothing else except authorize transmissions (he did not speak, eat, or sleep).
• Precise: "The tactical communications officer authorized transmissions only during emergencies."
  • Meaning: Transmissions were restricted strictly to emergency circumstances.

Parallel Structure and Pronoun Mechanics

Parallelism Across Compound Structures

Parallelism requires that coordinate elements—words, phrases, or clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or) or correlative conjunctions (either... or, not only... but also)—share identical grammatical form.

• Faulty Series: "The company commander instructed his platoon leaders to secure the bridgehead, clearing all defensive bunkers, and that they should establish communication with headquarters."
  • Diagnostic: The series mixes an infinitive (to secure), a gerund/participle (clearing), and a noun clause (that they should establish).
• Correct Parallel Series: "The company commander instructed his platoon leaders to secure the bridgehead, to clear all defensive bunkers, and to establish communication with headquarters."

Pronoun Case: Subjective vs. Objective

Pronoun forms must correspond to their syntactic function within the clause:

• Subjective Case (I, he, she, we, they, who): Used for subjects of verbs and predicate nominatives.
  • "It was he (not him) who authorized the counter-offensive."
• Objective Case (me, him, her, us, them, whom): Used for direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions.
  • "The brigade commander issued operational orders directly to Major Boateng and me (not I)."
  • Diagnostic: Mentally drop Major Boateng and: "The commander issued operational orders to me."

Who vs. Whom

• Use who when the pronoun performs the action (subject of the clause).
• Use whom when the pronoun receives the action (object of a verb or preposition).
• Diagnostic: Substitute he or him:
  • "The lieutenant who led the assault was commended." (He led the assault = who).
  • "The staff officer whom the General selected for the attaché post was fluent in French." (The General selected him = whom).

Comprehensive 'Incorrect vs. Correct' Syntax Matrix

The following matrix summarizes frequent grammatical pitfalls tested in officer cadet verbal examinations, pairing flawed constructions with their corrected counterparts and underlying syntactic principles.