Agreement, articles and prepositions

After tenses, screening questions focus on three small areas: making the verb match its subject, choosing the right article, and using the right preposition. Each has a few patterns that cause most of the errors.

Find the real subject

The verb agrees with the main noun, not with the nearest noun. Cross out phrases that begin with of, with, along with or as well as, and look at what is left.

• The quality of the calls is improving. The subject is quality.
• The team leader, as well as the agents, was present.
• One of the customers has complained.
• Each, every, everyone, nobody and either take a singular verb: Everyone has a login.

With neither...nor and either...or, the verb agrees with the subject closer to it: Neither the agent nor the supervisors were available.

A, an and the

Choose a or an by the first sound. Say the word aloud: an hour, an MBA, a user, a one-time password.

Use the when both you and the reader know which one you mean: Please check the invoice I sent. A singular countable noun almost always needs an article, so Please send updated invoice is wrong. Do not add the before general plural or uncountable nouns: Customers expect quick replies.

Prepositions that are tested again and again

1. Time: at 5 p.m., on Friday, on 3 June, in July, in the evening.
2. Verb pairs: reply to, listen to, depend on, apply for a job, responsible for, interested in.
3. No preposition needed: discuss the issue, contact the customer, request a refund. Writing "discuss about" or "request for a refund" as a verb is a common slip.

Quick checklist

Before you submit an answer or send a reply, run three checks: cross out the extra phrase and match the verb to the main noun, say the next word aloud to choose a or an, and check whether the verb needs a preposition at all.