2.1 English Grammar & Usage

English Grammar & Usage on the PMAEE

The English and Verbal Ability subtest of the Philippine Military Academy Entrance Examination (PMAEE) evaluates a candidate's mastery of standard English grammar and usage. As a future military officer, your ability to communicate clearly, precisely, and without ambiguity is critical. In operational environments, a misplaced modifier or an incorrect verb tense can lead to misinterpretation of commands. The PMAEE testing panel designs grammar questions to identify candidates who can quickly spot structural errors. This section covers the core grammar rules tested in the exam, focusing on common traps and high-yield concepts.

Subject-Verb Agreement

The foundational rule of subject-verb agreement is that a singular subject requires a singular verb, and a plural subject requires a plural verb. While this sounds simple, the PMAEE uses several specific structures to obscure the subject and lead you into traps.

Intervening Phrases

The most common way test-makers hide the subject is by inserting a phrase between the subject and the verb. These phrases often contain nouns that differ in number from the subject.

• Rule: Ignore any words that come between the subject and the verb. Common intervening phrases include: along with, as well as, in addition to, together with, accompanied by, and except.
• Incorrect: The Battalion Commander, along with his staff officers, are inspecting the barracks.
• Correct: The Battalion Commander, along with his staff officers, is inspecting the barracks. (The subject is Battalion Commander, which is singular; staff officers is part of the intervening prepositional phrase and is ignored).

Compound Subjects

Compound subjects are two or more subjects joined by coordinating conjunctions.

• Joined by 'And': Typically require a plural verb.
  • Example: The sergeant and the corporal are coordinating the patrol.
  • Exception: If the two nouns represent a single unit or concept, they take a singular verb. (e.g., "Bread and butter is my standard breakfast.")
• Joined by 'Or' or 'Nor': The verb must agree with the subject closest to it (the rule of proximity).
  • Example 1: Neither the Captain nor the lieutenants are attending the council.
  • Example 2: Neither the lieutenants nor the Captain is attending the council.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific people or things. They fall into three categories: singular, plural, and variable.

1. Always Singular: Each, every, everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody, either, neither, one.
   • Trap: "Each of the cadets is (not are) required to carry a rucksack." Even though cadets is plural, the subject is the singular pronoun Each.
2. Always Plural: Both, few, many, several.
   • Example: "Several of the recruits have completed their obstacle course."
3. Variable (SANAM): Some, Any, None, All, Most. These pronouns can be singular or plural depending on the noun in the prepositional phrase that follows them.
   • Example (Singular): "Most of the ammunition was spent." (Ammunition is uncountable/singular).
   • Example (Plural): "Most of the soldiers were deployed." (Soldiers is countable/plural).

Collective Nouns and Special Cases

Collective nouns (e.g., platoon, regiment, committee, audience) take a singular verb when the group acts as a single, cohesive unit, and a plural verb when members act individually.

• Example (Unit): "The platoon marches in unison."
• Example (Individuals): "The committee have different opinions on the budget."

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in number, gender, and person. The PMAEE commonly tests this through complex sentences where the antecedent is hard to locate.

Agreement in Number and Gender

Singular antecedents require singular pronouns, and plural antecedents require plural pronouns.

• Indefinite Pronoun Antecedents: Singular indefinite pronouns (like each or everyone) require singular pronouns.
  • Incorrect: "Each cadet must clean their own locker."
  • Correct: "Each cadet must clean his or her own locker."
• Collective Noun Antecedents: Singular collective nouns require singular pronouns.
  • Correct: "The regiment completed its march." (Not their).

The Ambiguous Pronoun Reference Trap

A pronoun must refer to one, and only one, clear antecedent. If a pronoun can refer to multiple nouns in a sentence, it is ambiguous and grammatically incorrect.

• Ambiguous: "When the Lieutenant spoke to the Sergeant, he seemed nervous." (It is unclear whether he refers to the Lieutenant or the Sergeant).
• Clear: "The Lieutenant seemed nervous when he spoke to the Sergeant." or "When the Lieutenant spoke to the Sergeant, the Sergeant seemed nervous."

Verb Tenses and Consistency

Consistency in verb tense is critical. You must not shift tenses unless there is a clear chronological reason to do so.

Primary Tenses and Major Aspects

Ensure that you understand the progression of events. If a sentence establishes a past timeframe, subsequent verbs describing the same narrative must also be in the past tense.

• Incorrect: "The platoon advanced through the jungle and opens fire on the target."
• Correct: "The platoon advanced through the jungle and opened fire on the target."

Present Perfect vs. Simple Past

• Use simple past for actions completed at a specific time in the past.
  • Example: "He completed the training last year."
• Use present perfect (has/have + past participle) for actions that started in the past and continue into the present, or have relevance to the present.
  • Example: "He has completed the training already."

Modifiers: Misplaced and Dangling

A modifier is a word or phrase that describes another part of the sentence. Modifiers must be placed as close as possible to the words they modify to ensure logical clarity.

Misplaced Modifiers

Occur when the modifier is separated from the word it describes, causing confusion or absurd meanings.

• Incorrect: "The Sergeant observed the target through binoculars that was moving."
• Correct: "Through binoculars, the Sergeant observed the target that was moving."

Dangling Modifiers

Occur when the word being modified is completely missing from the sentence, typically starting with an "-ing" (participle) phrase or prepositional phrase. The subject performing the action must immediately follow the comma.

• Incorrect: "Having polished the boots, they were placed in the locker." (Implies the boots polished themselves).
• Correct: "Having polished the boots, the cadet placed them in the locker."

Preposition Usage

A preposition shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words. Idiomatic preposition usage is a frequent target of the PMAEE. Memorize standard collocations:

• Comply with (not comply to)
• Different from (not different than)
• Angry with a person (not angry at a person)
• Deprive of (not deprive from)
• Insight into (not insight on)
• In search of (not in search for)

Prepositions of Time and Place

• In is used for unspecific times (months, years, seasons) and enclosed places (in Baguio, in the barracks).
• On is used for specific days and dates (on Monday, on December 21) and surfaces (on the parade ground).
• At is used for specific times of day (at 0800 hours) and specific addresses or locations (at Fort del Pilar).

Common Grammatical Errors

Affect vs. Effect

• Affect is a verb meaning to influence or produce a change.
  • Example: "The heavy rain will affect our tactical maneuvers."
• Effect is a noun meaning the result or outcome.
  • Example: "The effect of the leadership change was immediate."

Subjective vs. Objective Pronouns

• Subjective: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who (used as the subject of a verb).
• Objective: me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom (used as the object of a verb or preposition).
• Trap: "Between you and me" (not between you and I, because between is a preposition requiring objective pronouns).
• Who vs. Whom: Use who if you can substitute he/she/they. Use whom if you can substitute him/her/them.
  • Example: "Who wrote the tactical report?" (He wrote it).
  • "To whom was the order delivered?" (It was delivered to him).