Year 3 · Unit 12 · Lesson 1 of 5
Grammar Rescue: Fix the Big Mark-Losers
"Neither of the answers are correct, isn't it?"
This sentence would lose two marks in an objective paper. Can you find both errors?
"Neither of the answers is correct" ("neither" is singular), and the question tag must match the verb: "…, is it?" ("neither" makes the statement negative, so the tag is positive). Mock papers show that the same few grammar points cost the most marks year after year. This lesson re-teaches them at exam speed.
Master the essentials
Concord: either / or, neither / nor
The verb agrees with the nearer subject.
"Either the teacher or the students are to blame." · "Neither the boys nor Sarah is ready."
Concord: "one of", "each", "every"
"One of + plural noun" takes a singular verb; "each" and "every" are singular.
"One of the boys was late." · "Every student has a book."
Concord: collective nouns and "number"
Collective nouns usually take a singular verb; "the number of" is singular, "a number of" is plural; "police" is always plural.
"The committee has decided." · "A number of pupils were absent."
Question tags
Positive statement → negative tag; negative statement (including never, hardly, nobody) → positive tag. "I am" → "aren't I"; "Let's" → "shall we".
"He hardly works, does he?" · "I'm late, aren't I?"
Sequence of tenses
A past reporting verb moves the clause back, and time words change.
"He said he would come the next day."
Second, third and mixed conditionals
if + past → would; if + had + past participle → would have + past participle; mixed: past condition, present result.
"If I had studied, I would be confident now."
Embedded and reported questions
No inversion after "asked", "wonder", "know" or "Can you tell me…".
"Can you tell me where the station is?"
Fixed prepositions
Learn the pairs that exams test most.
different from · good at · prefer A to B · insist on · interested in
See it done
1. Choose: "The number of candidates who passed ___ increased." (has / have)
has. The subject is "the number", which is singular; "candidates" is part of the phrase after "of".
2. Add the tag: "Nobody called while I was out, ___?"
did they. "Nobody" makes the statement negative, so the tag is positive, and "they" stands for "nobody".
Common mistake: Making the verb agree with the nearest noun instead of the real subject: ✗ "The quality of the answers were poor." The subject is "quality", so: ✓ "The quality of the answers was poor."
10 questions with instant feedback
Choose the correct answer. Work quickly: aim for under a minute per question, as in the exam.
1.Either the players or the coach ___ to blame.
Correct. The verb agrees with the nearer subject, "the coach".
Not quite. The verb agrees with the nearer subject, "the coach". Answer: A. is.
Not quite. The verb agrees with the nearer subject, "the coach". Answer: A. is.
Not quite. The verb agrees with the nearer subject, "the coach". Answer: A. is.
2.One of my cousins ___ in Canada.
Not quite. "One of" takes a singular verb. Answer: B. lives.
Correct. "One of" takes a singular verb.
Not quite. "One of" takes a singular verb. Answer: B. lives.
Not quite. "One of" takes a singular verb. Answer: B. lives.
3.The jury ___ reached its verdict.
Not quite. "its" shows the jury is treated as one group: singular. Answer: C. has.
Not quite. "its" shows the jury is treated as one group: singular. Answer: C. has.
Correct. "its" shows the jury is treated as one group: singular.
Not quite. "its" shows the jury is treated as one group: singular. Answer: C. has.
4.She never tells lies, ___?
Not quite. "never" makes the statement negative, so the tag is positive. Answer: D. does she.
Not quite. "never" makes the statement negative, so the tag is positive. Answer: D. does she.
Not quite. "never" makes the statement negative, so the tag is positive. Answer: D. does she.
Correct. "never" makes the statement negative, so the tag is positive.
5.I am your best friend, ___?
Correct. The tag for "I am" is "aren't I".
Not quite. The tag for "I am" is "aren't I". Answer: A. aren't I.
Not quite. The tag for "I am" is "aren't I". Answer: A. aren't I.
Not quite. The tag for "I am" is "aren't I". Answer: A. aren't I.
6.He told us that he ___ the film the day before.
Not quite. After a past reporting verb, the earlier past becomes the past perfect. Answer: B. had seen.
Correct. After a past reporting verb, the earlier past becomes the past perfect.
Not quite. After a past reporting verb, the earlier past becomes the past perfect. Answer: B. had seen.
Not quite. After a past reporting verb, the earlier past becomes the past perfect. Answer: B. had seen.
7.If she had left earlier, she ___ the bus.
Not quite. Third conditional: would have + past participle. Answer: C. would have caught.
Not quite. Third conditional: would have + past participle. Answer: C. would have caught.
Correct. Third conditional: would have + past participle.
Not quite. Third conditional: would have + past participle. Answer: C. would have caught.
8.Could you tell me what time ___?
Not quite. An embedded question uses statement word order. Answer: D. the train leaves.
Not quite. An embedded question uses statement word order. Answer: D. the train leaves.
Not quite. An embedded question uses statement word order. Answer: D. the train leaves.
Correct. An embedded question uses statement word order.
9.My taste in music is quite different ___ my brother's.
Correct. "different from" is the standard form.
Not quite. "different from" is the standard form. Answer: A. from.
Not quite. "different from" is the standard form. Answer: A. from.
Not quite. "different from" is the standard form. Answer: A. from.
10.A number of students ___ asked for extra time.
Not quite. "A number of" means "several", so the verb is plural. Answer: B. have.
Correct. "A number of" means "several", so the verb is plural.
Not quite. "A number of" means "several", so the verb is plural. Answer: B. have.
Not quite. "A number of" means "several", so the verb is plural. Answer: B. have.
Correct the paper
Each sentence has one error. Rewrite it correctly. Then check below.
1. The news are not good.
2. Everybody have submitted their work.
3. He is good in mathematics.
4. If I would have known, I would have helped.
5. You have finished, isn't it?
6. She asked me what was my name.
7. The police has arrested the suspect.
8. I prefer reading than watching television.
1. The news is not good. ("news" is uncountable and singular.)
2. Everybody has submitted their work.
3. He is good at mathematics.
4. If I had known, I would have helped.
5. You have finished, haven't you?
6. She asked me what my name was.
7. The police have arrested the suspect. ("police" is always plural.)
8. I prefer reading to watching television.
Next: the Lesson 1 exit quiz. Five questions, recorded on your dashboard. Aim for 4 out of 5.