I.

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules individually, not

collectively.]
1. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular
too. 10. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the
Anna (is, are) playing outside. subject and the verb. The verb agrees with the subject,
Mark (run, runs) on the track team. not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.
John, as well as his friends, (is, are) taking the
2. If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
examination for
They (is, are) dancing.
aircraft mechanics this weekend.
The boys (love, loves) playing games.
The coach, as well as his players, (is, are) ecstatic.
3. When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or The lady with many cats (walk, walks) by my house.
more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural The people who read news every day (is, are) few.
verb.
II. Misplaced Modifiers
Katie and her classmates (is, are) going to a party.
My sister and brother (walk, walks) to school. Modifiers are words/ group of words which describe or
add information about a specific word in the sentence. It
4. For singular compound subjects joined by or or nor,
can either be an adjective or an adverb.
use a singular verb.
My father or my brother (is, are) accompanying me Examples:
tonight.
 Beautiful Anna is an aircraft technician.
5. For plural compound subjects joined by or or nor, use  John inspected the aircraft thoroughly.
a plural verb.
Neither lamps nor clocks (is, are) placed on the box. A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that
is improperly separated from the word or clause it
6. When a compound subject contains both a singular modifies or describes.
and a plural noun or pronoun joined by or or nor, the
verb should agree with the part of the subject that is To correct a misplaced modifier, place the modifying
nearer the verb. word, phrase, or clause as close as possible to the word
The child or his parents (like, likes) eating chocolates. or words you intend to modify.
His parents or the child (like, likes) eating chocolates.
Examples:
Either the lead mechanic or the trainees (is, are)
1. On her way home, Jan found a gold man’s watch.
expected to join the
general familiarization training next month. CORRECTION: On her way home, Jan found a man’s
gold watch.
7. The words each, each one, everybody, anybody,
anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are 2. The waiter served a chicken to the woman that was
singular and require a singular verb. well buttered.
Everybody (has, have) the responsibility to ensure
safety in the hangar. CORRECTION: The waiter served a chicken that was
Each of my students (is, are) eager to learn. well buttered to the woman.
Everybody (know, knows) me. 3. Jeff bought an old jeep from a crooked dealer with a
8. Doesn’t is a contraction of does not and should be faulty transmission.
used only with a singular subject, Don’t is a contraction CORRECTION: Jeff bought an old jeep with a faulty
of do not and should be used only with a plural subject. transmission from a crooked dealer.
* when using the pronouns, I and you as a subject, don’t
should be used. III. Communication in Aviation
He (don’t, doesn’t) like reading.
Communication is a process by which information is
They (don’t, doesn’t) like writing.
exchanged between individuals through a common
I (don’t, doesn’t) like dancing.
system of symbols, signs, or behavior.
9. A. If we refer to the group as a whole, we consider the
According to dos Santos (2010), aviation training
noun singular. In this case, we use a singular verb.
schools should not just focus on developing the technical
The team (practice, practices) every day.
skills of professionals but also their communication
My family (has, have) never travelled together for a
skills.
vacation.
The International Civil Aviation Organization
B. If we refer individuals within the group, we use
(ICAO) has introduced language proficiency
plural verb.
requirements for air traffic controllers and pilots with the
The couple (is, are) getting divorced next month.
objective to improve the level of language proficiency
[Each member of the
globally and reduce the frequency of communication
couple is considered separately.]
errors. Historically, insufficient English language
The committee (express, expresses) different opinions
proficiency on the part of the flight crew or the
on the matter.
controller has contributed to a number
[The members of the committee are acting
of accidents and serious incidents.
Six areas of language use in the ICAO Language V. Instructions and Procedures
proficiency rating scale
Checklists, job-cards, test procedures, removal/
1. Pronunciation - How to pronounce a word- installation procedures, etc. are the simplest types of
stress, rhythm, intonation. technical document. The sentences are short. One
2. Structure - Grammatical structures and sentence corresponds to one action or ‘step’. Generally,
sentence patterns. only the IMPERATIVE is used.
3. Vocabulary - Sufficient to communicate
effectively on a wide variety of familiar and The first word is the instruction or action you do, then
unfamiliar topics. the element, component, equipment, etc. concerned.
4. Fluency - Able to speak naturally in an
effortless flow. Fluent in speaking in English.
5. Comprehension - Ability to process text,
understand its meaning, and to integrate with
what the reader already knows.
6. Interaction - Sensitive to verbal and nonverbal
cues that’s why you respond to it appropriately.

IV. Word Endings

Always look at the end of a word. It can give you Here are some actions often made in checks, etc.
information about the function of the word.
-er, -or
The ending –er and –or indicate a component, agent, or
assembly which does an action or function:

-ing
The ending –ing indicates an action or a function.

VI. Radio Communication

Basic Radio Etiquette Rules

• The international radio language is
English, except in cases where you are licensed
to speak in some other language.
-ed
• When using a two-way radio, you cannot speak
The ending –ed is the ending of the regular past or and listen at the same time, as you can with a
regular past participle. When it is a participle, it often phone.
indicates a state or an action done and follows the verb • Don't interrupt if you hear other people
to be: talking.  Wait until their conversation is finished
unless it is an emergency. If it is an emergency,
inform the other parties that you have an urgent
emergency message
• Never transmit sensitive, confidential,
financial or military information.  Unless you
are certain your conversations are secured with
the proper level of encryption for the level of
sensitivity, assume your conversations can be
heard by others.
• Memorize call signs and locations of persons
and radio stations you communicate with
regularly.
 • In radio communication you are not called by
your name. Everybody has their own unique call
sign. 
• Think before you speak.
-Decide what you are going say and to whom it
is meant for.
-Make your conversations as concise, precise,
and clear as
possible.
-Avoid long and complicated sentences. If your These terms can be combined such as "Roger Wilco"
message is means "I understand and will comply", or "Over and
long, divide it into separate shorter messages. Out" means "I've finished talking and I'm signing off".
4 Golden Rules of Radio Communication Memorize the Phonetic Alphabet

1. Clarity: Your voice should be clear. Speak a little • It is almost certain you will have to use it in your
slower than normal. conversations.
Speak in a normal tone, do not shout.
2. Simplicity: Keep your message simple enough for • You will often be required to spell a certain
intended listeners word or name in your radio conversations to
to understand. make sure you are understood.
3. Brevity: Be precise and to the point.
• Using the phonetic equivalents instead of letters
4. Security: Do not transmit confidential information on
a radio unless will make sure letters such as 'F' are not
you know the proper security technology is in misinterpreted as 'S', 'T' as 'C, or 'M' as 'N'.
place. Remember,
frequencies are shared, you do not have exclusive
use of the PHONETIC ALPHABET
frequency.

Speaking The Language

Making a Call
• Follow these easy steps to make a call.
• First listen to ensure the channel is clear for
you.
• Press the PTT (Push-To-Talk) button.
• After 2 seconds:
– Say "recipient's call sign"  twice
– followed by   "THIS IS"   and "your
call sign".
• Once the person replies, convey your message.