Civil Service

Parts of Speech

Understanding the parts of speech is essential for constructing clear, grammatically correct sentences in official documents.

Part	Function	TypesandExamples
Noun	Namesaperson place thing oridea , , ,	Common:employee office policy Proper(capitalized):Department , , .
		ofLabor InternalRevenueService Abstract:justice integrity , . , ,
		compliance Collective:committee jury staff agency board council . , , , , ,
Pronoun	Replacesanountoavoidrepetition	1 Subject:I you he she it we they Object:me him her us them , , , , , , . , , , , . Possessive:my mine your his hers its our their Reflexive:myself , , , , , , , . , themselves Relative:who whom whose which that Indefinite: . , , , , . anyone everyone each either neither all both few many none , , , , , , , , , , several some ,

Theeightpartsofspeech(Continued)

Part	Function	TypesandExamples
Verb	Expressesactionorstateofbeing	Action:write analyze process review authorize implement Linking: , , , , , .
		is are was seem appear become remain Helping:have has had , , , , , , . , , ,
		do did shall will should would may might must can could , , , , , , , , , ,
Adjective	Modifiesanounorpronoun	efficientemployee comprehensivereport preliminaryinvestigation , , ,
		fiscalresponsibility permanentposition federalregulation municipal , , ,
		code
Adverb	Modifiesaverb adjective orother , ,	Often ends in -ly: carefully thoroughly promptly accurately Not , , , .
	adverb	ending in -ly: very quite almost already always never often soon , , , , , , , ,
		well fast hard late , , ,
Preposition	Showstherelationshipbetween	about above across after among before between by concerning , , , , , , , , ,
	words	despite during except for from into of on regarding since , , , , , , , , , ,
		through toward under until upon with within without , , , , , , ,
Conjunction	Connectswords phrases orclauses , ,	Coordinating(FANBOYS):for and nor but or yet so Subordinating: , , , , , , .
		after although because if since unless until when whether while , , , , , , , , , .
		Correlative:both/and either/or neither/nor notonly/butalso , , ,
Interjection	Expressesemotion;rareinformal	oh well indeed certainly , , ,
	writing

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subjects and verbs must agree in number: singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. The applicant submits the form. The applicants submit the forms.

Situation	Rule	Example
CompoundsubjectjoinedbyAND	Pluralverb	Thesupervisorandtheemployeereviewtheprocedure .
CompoundsubjectjoinedbyOR/	Verbagreeswiththenearer	Neitherthedirectornorthemanagersapprovetherequest .
NOR	subject	Neitherthemanagersnorthedirectorapprovestherequest .
Interveningphrase	Ignorethephrase;findthe	Thereport alongwiththeappendices isready The , , .
	truesubject	supervisor aswellastheemployees attendsthetraining , , .
Singularindefinitepronouns	Singularverb	each either neither one everyone anyone someone , , , , , , ,
		nobody:Eachoftheemployeesreceivesahandbook .
Pluralindefinitepronouns	Pluralverb	both few many several:Severaloftheemployeesrequest , , ,
		transfers .
All any more most none some , , , , ,	Dependsonthenounreferred	Someoftheinformationisaccurate Someofthedocuments .
	to	aremissing .
Collectivenouns	Singularasaunit;pluralas	ThecommitteemeetsonTuesday Thecommitteedisagree .
	individuals	abouttheproposal Thestaffhavesubmittedtheirindivi1dual . reports .

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number, person, and gender. Singular antecedents take singular pronouns (The department head will present her findings); plural antecedents take plural pronouns (The managers will present their findings). Compound antecedents joined by AND take plural pronouns (The clerk and the secretary finished their tasks), and those joined by OR or NOR agree with the nearer antecedent (Neither the managers nor the director submitted his evaluation). A collective noun takes its when acting as a unit and their when members act separately.

Formal exam items treat singular indefinite pronouns as singular: Everyone must bring his or her identification. When a sentence sounds awkward, the safest revision is to make the antecedent plural: All applicants must bring their identification.

Verb Tenses

Tense	Use	Example
Present	Currentorhabitualaction	Theclerkprocessesapplicationsdaily .
Past	Completedaction	Thecommitteeapprovedtheproposallastweek .
Future	Actionthatwilloccur	Thedepartmentwillimplementnewprocedures .
Presentperfect	Completedatanunspecifiedtimeor	Theagencyhasimplementednewguidelines .
	continuingtonow
Pastperfect	Completedbeforeanotherpastaction	Theclerkhadprocessedtheapplicationbeforethedeadline
		arrived .
Futureperfect	Completedbeforeafuturetime	Thedepartmentwillhaveprocessedallapplicationsby
		Friday .
Presentprogressive	Ongoingnow	Thecommitteeisreviewingproposals .
Pastprogressive	Ongoinginthepast	Theclerkwasprocessingapplicationswhenthesystem
		failed .
Futureprogressive	Ongoinginthefuture	Thecommitteewillbereviewingproposalsnextweek .

Sentence Structure

Common Grammar Errors

Subject-Verb Agreement

The list of requirements are extensive.

The list of requirements is extensive.

Pronoun Case

Dangling Modifier

Misplaced Modifier

The employee almost worked on every project.

The employee worked on almost every project.

Run-On Sentence

Comma Splice

The report was thorough, it covered all requirements.

The report was thorough; it covered all requirements.

Sentence Fragment

Because the deadline passed.

Processing stopped because the deadline passed.

Importance of Communication Skills