Adjective agreement
Adjective agreement matters in PSC Written Expression, where you must identify or produce the correct form, and it can also support success in Reading Comprehension, where an incorrect answer may reflect confusion about gender, number, or the relationship between a noun and the words that describe it. Candidates often need to spot whether an adjective agrees correctly with the noun it describes. These errors are common because the noun may be far from the adjective, or because another nearby word distracts the reader.
Why this matters on the PSC test
A correct adjective must match the noun in gender and number. On the exam, the mistake is often subtle: the adjective may seem to match a nearby word, but not the noun it actually qualifies.
Core rule
An adjective agrees with the noun it qualifies.
The adjective does not agree with the nearest word by chance. It agrees with the actual noun it describes.
un programme efficace
une politique efficace
des programmes efficaces
des politiques efficaces
Common PSC traps
- Wrong noun target: the adjective is matched with the nearest word instead of the noun it actually qualifies.
- Feminine plural nouns: a common PSC pattern. Example: des décisions éclairées.
- Masculine singular nouns: a feminine form may appear by distraction. Example: un avertissement formel.
- Coordinated adjectives: they must still agree with the noun. Example: des organismes canadiens et étrangers.
- Past participles used adjectivally: example: l’information diffusée.
PSC-style examples
un prix prestigieux
des activités gouvernementales
la Garde côtière canadienne
des rapports clairs
des personnes talentueuses
un avantage concurrentiel
Mini practice
a) claire
b) clair
a) publiques
b) publics
a) rigoureux
b) rigoureuse
1. b) clair
2. a) publiques
3. b) rigoureuse