Part B: Literacy
12
Syntax, Grammar & Punctuation
Master the technical writing skills assessed in LANTITE
Learning Objectives
- Identify and correct subject-verb agreement errors
- Use verb tenses consistently and correctly
- Apply comma rules with confidence
- Use apostrophes correctly for possession and contraction
- Recognise and fix common grammatical errors
- Choose correct pronoun references
Chapter Progress: 0%
1. Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-Verb Agreement Principles
In English, a verb must agree with its subject in number. A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
- Compound subjects joined by 'and' are plural.
- Indefinite pronouns like everyone, each, nobody, someone always take a singular verb.
- Collective nouns (e.g., class, staff, committee) usually take a singular verb when acting as a single unit.
Example 1
ACER Authentic Problem: Intervening Prepositional Phrases (2019 Lit Q8)
❓ Question: Correct the error in the sentence: "The pace of technological innovations and improvements are constantly increasing, and it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future."
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data:
TECHNOLOGY AND PARENTING
The pace of technological innovations and improvements are constantly increasing...
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Identify the head noun of the subject noun phrase.
2
Identify the intervening prepositional phrase.
3
Match the verb to the head noun.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Subject "The pace" is singular"
🎯 Final Answer: is
💡 Why It Is Correct: The subject of the clause is the singular noun "pace", not the plural nouns "innovations and improvements" inside the prepositional phrase. The verb must be "is".
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: Official ACER Grammar Rule: Bracket off prepositional phrases ("of X, Y, Z") to reveal the true grammatical subject.
Singular vs Plural Subjects and Verbs
| Subject Type | Example Subject | Verb Type | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular Noun | The teacher | Singular | The teacher writes on the board. |
| Plural Noun | The teachers | Plural | The teachers write on the board. |
| Compound (and) | Tom and Sarah | Plural | Tom and Sarah are planning the lesson. |
| Indefinite Pronoun | Everyone | Singular | Everyone has completed the assignment. |
| Collective Noun | The committee | Singular | The committee meets every Tuesday. |
2. Verb Tenses
Understanding Verb Tenses
Verbs indicate when an action occurs. Consistency in verb tense is crucial for clear communication. LANTITE frequently tests your ability to maintain consistent tense across a passage.
- Simple Tenses: Past (walked), Present (walks), Future (will walk).
- Perfect Tenses: Past Perfect (had walked), Present Perfect (has walked), Future Perfect (will have walked).
Example 2
ACER Authentic Problem: Perfect Tense with 'Since' (2019 Lit Q16)
❓ Question: Which verb correctly completes the sentence? "Since the report on our students' performance on the national test was published, the media's response ___________________ a focus of discussion."
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data:
COMMUNITY ATTITUDES
Since the report ... was published, the media's response ... ___________________ a focus of discussion.
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Notice the time trigger "Since [past event] was published".
2
Determine appropriate tense: Present Perfect (has/have + past participle).
3
Check subject number: "the media's response" is singular.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Time frame "Since" + singular subject "response""
🎯 Final Answer: has become
💡 Why It Is Correct: Clauses introduced by "Since [past time]" require the present perfect tense in the main clause. Because "response" is singular, the correct verb is "has become".
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: LANTITE Tense Anchor: "Since" + past time point demands present perfect ("has become" or "have become").
Tense Forms and Examples
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | verb / verb+s | She plans the curriculum. |
| Simple Past | verb+ed / irregular | She planned the curriculum. |
| Simple Future | will + verb | She will plan the curriculum. |
| Present Perfect | has/have + past participle | She has planned the curriculum. |
| Past Perfect | had + past participle | She had planned the curriculum before the term began. |
3. Pronoun Reference & Agreement
Clear Pronoun Reference
A pronoun (e.g., he, she, it, they, this) must agree with its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in number and gender, and it must be absolutely clear which noun the pronoun refers to.
An ambiguous reference occurs when a pronoun could refer to more than one noun.
Example 3
ACER Authentic Problem: Concessive Clause Comma Placement (2019 Lit Q15)
❓ Question: After which word would the insertion of a comma most improve the sentence? "However teachers may feel personally about becoming promoters as well as educators it is important that our school’s achievements are made known among the community."
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data:
COMMUNITY ATTITUDES
However teachers may feel personally about becoming promoters as well as educators it is important that our school’s achievements are made known...
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Analyse the syntax: "However" here is not an adverbial transitional word (meaning "nevertheless"); it is a subordinating conjunction meaning "no matter how".
2
Identify where the introductory dependent clause ends and the main clause begins.
3
Place a comma to separate the introductory clause from the independent clause.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Introductory clause ends at "educators"."
🎯 Final Answer: educators
💡 Why It Is Correct: The introductory concessive clause "However teachers may feel personally about becoming promoters as well as educators" must be separated from the main clause by a comma placed after "educators". Placing a comma after "However" would distort the sentence meaning.
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: Official ACER Punctuation Trap: Distinguish between "However," as a connective and "However [adjective/noun]" introducing a subordinate clause.
4. Comma Rules
Essential Comma Rules
Commas tell the reader to pause and help clarify the meaning of a sentence.
- Listing: Separate three or more items in a series.
- Compound Sentences: Before a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) that links two independent clauses.
- Introductory Elements: After introductory words, phrases, or clauses.
- Non-essential Info: Around appositives or non-restrictive clauses.
- Direct Address: Setting off the name of a person being spoken to.
- Dates/Places: Separating elements of dates and locations.
Example 4
ACER Authentic Problem: Direct Speech Quotation Punctuation (Sample Lit Q9)
❓ Question: Which version has acceptable punctuation?
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data:
HISTORY EXCURSION
Four versions of a student's quoted assignment sentence.
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Check punctuation at the end of the first quote before the dialogue tag "she said".
2
Check punctuation after the dialogue tag before the second independent quote.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Comma inside first quote; full stop after attribution; capital letter starting second sentence."
🎯 Final Answer: ‘Our community is not static,’ she said. ‘It is constantly changing.’
💡 Why It Is Correct: The first quotation ends with a comma inside single quotes. The dialogue attribution ends with a full stop, and the second spoken sentence begins with a capital letter inside quotation marks.
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: LANTITE Speech Conventions: In Australian educational style, attribution tags separating two independent sentences end with a full stop, not a comma (avoiding comma splices).
Example 5
Identifying incorrect comma usage
❓ Question: Identify the punctuation error in the sentence and provide the correct punctuation.
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data: Classroom Log Entry: "The bell rang, the students went to lunch."
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Analyze clause structure on both sides of the comma.
2
Identify grammatical error type.
3
Apply correct punctuation to join or separate independent clauses.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Two independent clauses joined by only a comma"
🎯 Final Answer: "The bell rang; the students went to lunch." (OR "The bell rang, and the students went to lunch.")
💡 Why It Is Correct: Joining two complete sentences with only a comma creates a comma splice error. Fix with a semicolon or comma + FANBOYS conjunction.
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: Never join two complete independent sentences with a comma alone.
5. Apostrophes
Contraction vs. Possession
Apostrophes have two main jobs: indicating missing letters (contractions) and showing ownership (possession).
- Contractions: it's (it is), they're (they are), can't (cannot).
- Possession: The student's book (one student). The students' books (multiple students).
Example 6
Choosing between its/it's, their/they're/there, your/you're
❓ Question: Select the correct homophones to fill in the blanks in the sentence.
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data: Staff Circular: "(Its/It's) important that (there/their/they're) submitted on time."
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Test the first blank by expanding to "it is".
2
Test the second blank for subject + verb contraction.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Expanded: "It is important that they are submitted on time.""
🎯 Final Answer: "It's important that they're submitted on time."
💡 Why It Is Correct: Both blanks require contractions: "It's" (it is) and "they're" (they are).
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: Whenever you see "it's" or "they're", expand them in your mind to "it is" or "they are" to verify.
Apostrophe Usage
| Usage Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Contraction | Replaces missing letters | Don't, wouldn't, it's |
| Singular Possessive | Add 's to the noun | The school's principal |
| Plural Possessive (ends in s) | Add an apostrophe after the s | The teachers' lounge |
| Plural Possessive (no s) | Add 's to the plural noun | The children's playground |
| its vs it's | its = possessive, it's = it is | The dog wagged its tail. It's raining. |
6. Semicolons, Colons & Other Punctuation
Advanced Punctuation
Semicolons (;) are used to join two related independent clauses (complete sentences) without using a conjunction.
Colons (:) are used to introduce a list, an explanation, or an expansion of what came before.
Example 7
Choosing between comma, semicolon, and full stop
❓ Question: Which punctuation mark correctly links the two independent clauses in the blank?
📄 Source Passage / Reference Data: Principal Report Summary: "The excursion was a success ___ all the students returned safely."
📝 Step-by-Step Method:
1
Evaluate clause 1 and clause 2 for independence.
2
Check for coordinating conjunctions.
3
Select appropriate punctuation.
🔍 Evidence Extracted: "Two closely related independent clauses with no conjunction"
🎯 Final Answer: Semicolon (;) → "The excursion was a success; all the students returned safely."
💡 Why It Is Correct: A semicolon links two closely related complete sentences without needing a conjunction like "and".
⚡ LANTITE Exam Strategy: Ensure both sides of a semicolon can stand alone as complete, independent sentences.
Question 1 of 12
ACER 2019 Q8: "The pace of technological innovations and improvements [are / is] constantly increasing." Which is correct?