What you'll learn
This lesson covers grammar and usage — the rules that make a sentence correct in standard written English. You will learn to spot and fix six kinds of errors that the GED tests again and again:
- Subject-verb agreement (The list of names is long, not are).
- Pronouns — agreement, case (I vs. me) and clarity.
- Verb tense — keeping time consistent.
- Frequently confused words — their/there/they're, its/it's, affect/effect, than/then, lose/loose, your/you're.
- Wordiness — saying it in fewer words.
- Informal language — slang that does not belong in a work email or letter.
How it appears on the GED. The Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) test includes language items spread through the reading section. Most look like a short workplace or community document — a memo, an email, a letter, a notice — with a few drop-down menus inside the text. You click the menu and choose the word or phrase that makes the sentence correct. Sometimes the question is a regular multiple-choice item that quotes a sentence and asks which revision is correct.
The good news: these items test a small set of rules, and each rule has a quick test you can do in your head. This lesson teaches those tests.
Key terms
- subject — who or what the sentence is about (The manager called).
- verb — the action or state word (The manager called).
- agreement — matching singular with singular and plural with plural (the bus is; the buses are).
- prepositional phrase — a group of words starting with of, in, for, with, on, at, from … (the box of tools).
- pronoun — a word that replaces a noun (she, it, they, him, its).
- antecedent — the noun a pronoun replaces (Maria lost her badge).
- pronoun case — subject form (I, he, she, we, they, who) vs. object form (me, him, her, us, them, whom).
- reflexive pronoun — a -self word that points back to the subject (I taught myself).
- ambiguous pronoun — a pronoun that could refer to more than one noun.
- tense — the time a verb shows: past (worked), present (works), future (will work).
- homophones — words that sound alike but differ in meaning and spelling (their/there/they're).
- contraction — two words joined with an apostrophe (it's = it is).
- wordiness — using more words than needed (due to the fact that → because).
- register — the level of formality; workplace writing uses a formal or neutral register.
1. Subject-verb agreement
A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb. In the present tense, the singular verb usually ends in -s (the shift starts), and the plural does not (the shifts start).
The GED trap: words in between. Test writers put a phrase between the subject and the verb so that the noun closest to the verb is the wrong number.
- The box of gloves is in the supply room. (Cross out of gloves → The box is.)
- The workers in the warehouse are on break. (Cross out in the warehouse → The workers are.)
Look at the figure:
Special subjects to memorize:
| Subject | Number | Example |
|---|---|---|
| each, every, either, neither, everyone, somebody, nobody | singular | Each of the drivers has a key. |
| both, few, many, several | plural | Several of the forms are missing. |
| A and B | plural | Ana and Joe work nights. |
| neither A nor B, either A or B | agrees with the closer one | Neither the manager nor the clerks were told. |
| the number of | singular | The number of calls has risen. |
| a number of | plural | A number of calls have come in. |
Inverted sentences. When a sentence starts with There or Here, the subject comes after the verb: There are three forms (subject = forms).
2. Pronouns: agreement, case and clarity
Agreement. A pronoun matches its antecedent in number. The company updated its policy (one company → its). The drivers turned in their logs (plural → their). Group nouns such as company, committee, team, staff are normally treated as singular in American English: The committee approved its budget.
Case. Use subject case when the pronoun does the action and object case when it receives the action or follows a preposition.
| Subject case | Object case |
|---|---|
| I | me |
| he / she | him / her |
| we | us |
| they | them |
| who | whom |
The trap is the compound: Call Marcus or me (not I); Dana and I will attend (not me). Test by covering the other person: Call me / I will attend.
Reflexives (myself, yourself, themselves) are only correct when they point back to the subject: I reminded myself. Send the file to Jamal or myself is wrong — use me.
Who vs. whom. Answer the clause with he or him. The clerk who helped me (he helped me). The customer whom we called (we called him).
Clarity. A pronoun must point to one clear noun. When Jo spoke with Ana, she agreed — who agreed? Fix it by naming the person: When Jo spoke with Ana, Ana agreed. Also avoid a vague this or it with no noun behind it.
3. Verb tense and frequently confused words
Tense consistency. Keep verbs in the same time frame unless the time actually changes. Look for time clues: yesterday, last year, in 2019, now, currently, next week, by Friday.
- Wrong: Last week the crew paints the hallway and fixed the lights.
- Right: Last week the crew painted the hallway and fixed the lights.
Has/have + past participle (present perfect) links the past to now: Since May, sales have risen. It does not go with a finished time: not Last month we have organized a cleanup.
Frequently confused words. These are the pairs the GED uses most.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| their | belongs to them | their badges |
| there | a place; there is/are | Park there. There are two lots. |
| they're | they are | They're late. |
| its | belongs to it | The store changed its hours. |
| it's | it is / it has | It's raining. |
| your / you're | belongs to you / you are | Your shift — you're on time. |
| affect | verb: to influence | Rain may affect the schedule. |
| effect | noun: a result | The effect was clear. |
| than | comparison | bigger than |
| then | time, next | First sign in, then clock in. |
| lose / loose | verb: misplace / adjective: not tight | Don't lose the key. The bolt is loose. |
| accept / except | receive / leave out | We accept cash. Everyone except Al. |
| whose / who's | belongs to whom / who is | Whose coat? Who's next? |
| to / too / two | toward / also, more than enough / the number 2 | Go to the desk. It's too cold. Two forms. |
| passed / past | verb: went by / earlier time or beyond | We passed the test. In the past, … |
| knew / new | verb: past of know / not old | She knew the code. The new code works. |
The contraction test: if a word has an apostrophe, expand it (it's → it is). If the expanded sentence makes no sense, you need the possessive with no apostrophe.
4. Wordiness and informal language
Wordiness. Good workplace writing is clear and direct. The GED rewards the shortest choice that keeps the full meaning and is grammatical.
| Wordy | Concise |
|---|---|
| due to the fact that | because |
| at this point in time | now |
| in order to | to |
| in the event that | if |
| each and every | each / every |
| the reason is because | the reason is that / because |
| completely finished, past history, free gift | finished, history, gift |
Also watch for redundancy — saying the same thing twice: finally, at last; repeat again; join together.
Informal language. A memo or letter uses a formal or neutral register. Replace slang and spoken forms:
- gonna, wanna, gotta → going to, want to, have to (or better, will, must)
- super, totally, really (as intensifiers) → very, or a more precise word
- awesome, cool, a ton of, stuff, kids → excellent, many, materials, children
- spoken forms: try and → try to; could of / should of → could have / should have
Example: The new break room is super awesome. → The new break room is much more comfortable.
Formal does not mean fancy. Choose plain, precise words. We will strictly enforce this rule is better than both We're gonna be super strict and Rigorous adherence to the aforementioned regulation shall be enforced.
Worked example 1 — agreement with a phrase in between
Notice: The boxes of printer paper in the copy room ___ for all departments to share.
Question: Choose the correct verb: is / are / was / has been.
Think-aloud:
- "The noun right before the blank is room, which is singular. That's probably a trap."
- "Let me cross out the prepositional phrases: of printer paper and in the copy room. What's left? The boxes ___ for all departments."
- "Boxes is plural, so I need a plural verb. The notice is about now, so present tense."
- "Is, was and has been are all singular. Only are is plural and present."
Answer: are.
Worked example 2 — pronoun case in a compound
Email: If the copier jams again, please let Ms. Tran or ___ know right away.
Question: Choose: I / me / myself / mine.
Think-aloud:
- "There's a compound: Ms. Tran or ___. I'll cover Ms. Tran or."
- "Please let ___ know. I'd say let me know, never let I know."
- "Myself sounds polite, but it only works if the subject is I. The subject here is an understood you. So myself is out."
- "Mine is possessive — it would mean something that belongs to me."
Answer: me.
Worked example 3 — tense and a confused word together
Newsletter: Last spring, the city ___ new streetlights on Park Avenue. The ___ on nighttime safety has been dramatic.
Question: Blank 1: installs / installed / will install / is installing. Blank 2: affect / effect / affects / effected.
Think-aloud:
- "Blank 1 — time clue: Last spring. That's a finished past time, so I need simple past: installed."
- "Blank 2 comes after The, and it's the subject of has been. So it's a noun."
- "Affect is the Action (verb); Effect is the End result (noun). I want the noun — effect."
- "Effected is a verb (brought about), and affects is a verb too. Neither can follow The here."
Answers: installed; effect.
Worked example 4 — choosing the clearest, most formal revision
Original sentence in a letter to tenants: "In the event that you are gonna be away for more than a week, it is our request that you let the office know."
Question: Which revision is clearest and most appropriate?
A. In the event that you're going to be away for more than a week, let the office know.
B. If you will be away for more than a week, please let the office know.
C. If you are gonna be away for more than a week, please let the office know.
D. If you will be away for more than a week, it is our request that you please let the office know.
Think-aloud:
- "I see two problems in the original: wordiness (In the event that, it is our request that) and slang (gonna)."
- "A fixes gonna but keeps In the event that — still wordy. Out."
- "C is concise but keeps gonna. Out."
- "D keeps it is our request that and now repeats the request with please. Out."
- "B is short, polite and standard."
Answer: B.
Common traps
- Matching the verb to the nearest noun. Wrong: The list of supplies are ready. Right: The list … is ready — the subject is list.
- Treating each or everyone as plural. Wrong: Each of the nurses have a locker. Right: Each … has a locker.
- Using I or myself to sound polite. Wrong: Give the forms to Dee or I/myself. Right: to Dee or me.
- Putting an apostrophe in a possessive pronoun. Wrong: The team won it's game. Right: The team won its game. (It's always means it is or it has.)
- Switching tenses in the middle of a passage. Wrong: Yesterday the truck arrives late and missed the dock. Right: arrived … missed.
- Picking the longest or fanciest answer. The GED prefers concise, plain, standard English — not the most formal-sounding wording.
Test-day strategy
- Read the whole sentence, and the one before it. Drop-down items depend on context — a time clue or an antecedent may be one sentence away.
- Name the rule first. Before you open the menu, ask: is this agreement, pronoun, tense, a confused word, wordiness, or tone? Knowing the rule tells you which test to run.
- Use the quick tests. Cross out phrases to find the subject. Cover the other person in a compound pronoun. Expand contractions. Look for time words.
- Try every option in the sentence. Read each one silently in place. Wrong choices often sound fine alone but break the sentence in context.
- Check that a revision does not create a new error. A choice may fix one problem and add another (a fragment, a case error).
- Prefer concise and standard. When two options are both grammatical, the shorter, clearer one is usually right.
- Keep moving. Language items should take under a minute each. If one takes longer, choose your best answer, flag it, and return if time allows. Never leave a drop-down blank — there is no penalty for guessing.
Check yourself
Read the library notice. Then choose the option that correctly completes the sentence.
Oakwood Public Library — Notice to Patrons
The computer lab will close at 3:00 p.m. this Friday. will be a staff training session in the lab that afternoon. Regular hours will resume on Saturday morning.
Choose an answer from each menu.
Hint
The blank starts a sentence that announces that something exists or will happen. Which word does that job?
Step-by-step solution
The sentence announces that a training session will take place: "___ will be a staff training session in the lab." This is an existence sentence, and English uses there to start it ("There is…", "There will be…").
Step by step:
- Try they are in the blank: "They are will be a staff training session" makes no sense, so they're is out.
- Their must come before a noun it owns (their training). Here it would be followed by the verb will, so it cannot work.
- Theirs replaces a whole noun phrase ("The lab is theirs"); it cannot start this sentence.
- There fits: "There will be a staff training session."
The correct choice is There.
Tip: Run the three quick tests for this word family: they're = "they are"; their = belongs to them; there = a place, or the start of "there is/there will be."
Check yourself
Memo: Parking Lot Repaving
MEMORANDUM
To: All Riverside Community Health Center Staff
From: Denise Alvarez, Facilities Manager
Date: April 7
Subject: Parking lot repaving
(1) Starting Monday, April 21, a paving crew will resurface the east parking lot. The work is expected to take four days, weather permitting. During that time, the east lot will be closed to all vehicles, including delivery trucks.
(2) We know that parking is already tight, so we have arranged several options. Staff members may park in the church lot on Elm Street, which is about two blocks away. A shuttle van will run between the church lot and our front entrance every fifteen minutes from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The schedule for the shuttle runs are posted on the break-room bulletin board and on the staff website.
(3) The repaving will not effect patient appointments. Patients will continue to use the west lot, which has 40 spaces and four accessible spots near the main door. To keep those spaces open for patients, we ask all employees, including managers and part-time staff, to use the church lot or the shuttle during the project.
(4) Last spring, the same crew repaired the north lot ahead of schedule, and the results have held up well through the winter. We expect a similar outcome this time. The new surface will have brighter lines, better drainage, and two additional accessible parking spaces.
(5) If you have a question about your shift, a special parking need, or a delivery that cannot be moved, please contact Marcus Bell or I before Friday, April 18. Marcus can be reached at extension 214, and I can be reached at extension 230. We will do our best to find a solution for everyone.
(6) Thank you for your patience. A few days of inconvenience will give us a safer, cleaner lot for years to come.
In paragraph 2, the memo says: "The schedule for the shuttle runs are posted on the break-room bulletin board and on the staff website."
Which correction should be made to this sentence?
Hint
Cross out the prepositional phrase that starts with for. What is the subject, and is it singular or plural?
Step-by-step solution
Paragraph 2 says: "The schedule for the shuttle runs are posted…" The noun right before the verb is runs, which is plural, and that tempts writers to use are. But runs sits inside the prepositional phrase for the shuttle runs, and the subject of a sentence is never inside a prepositional phrase.
Step by step:
- Cross out the phrase: "The schedule
for the shuttle runs___ posted." - The real subject is schedule — one schedule, singular.
- A singular subject takes a singular verb: schedule is.
- Check the other choices: being is not a complete verb and turns the sentence into a fragment; were is still plural and also shifts to past tense; runs to run's adds an apostrophe that makes no sense.
The correct answer is change are to is.
Tip: On the GED, agreement errors almost always hide a phrase between the subject and the verb. Cover the phrase, then match the verb to the word that is left.
Summary
- Find the true subject by crossing out phrases; each, every, everyone, neither and the number of are singular.
- Use subject case (I, he, she, we, they, who) for doers and object case (me, him, her, us, them, whom) after verbs and prepositions; test compounds by covering the other noun.
- Make every pronoun point to one clear noun, and match it in number (the company … its).
- Keep verb tenses consistent with the time clues in the passage.
- Possessive pronouns have no apostrophe (its, their, your, whose); expand contractions to test them; affect = verb, effect = noun; than compares, then tells time.
- Choose concise, standard, formal wording over padded phrases and slang.