English
What the section tests
English in MAH MCA CET tests grammar, usage, vocabulary and comprehension through error spotting, sentence correction, fill-in-the-blanks, synonyms/antonyms, idioms, one-word substitutions, para jumbles and reading comprehension. The aim is standard written English, not literary style.
Core rules to keep ready
- Subject–verb agreement: each, every, either, neither, anyone, nobody take a singular verb. "One of the + plural noun" takes a singular verb: "One of the boys is absent."
- Tenses: use present perfect for a past action with present relevance ("has submitted"); past perfect for the earlier of two past actions ("had left before I arrived").
- Articles: "a" before consonant sounds, "an" before vowel sounds ("an hour", "a university").
- Prepositions: learn fixed pairs - "comply with", "capable of", "insist on", "prefer to".
- Comprehension: read the question stems first, then locate the exact line; the answer must be supported by the passage, not by outside knowledge.
Worked example
Choose the correct sentence: (A) "The number of applicants have increased." (B) "The number of applicants has increased." The subject is "the number", which is singular; "of applicants" is a prepositional phrase and does not change the verb. So B is correct. By contrast, "a number of applicants have increased" uses "a number of" as a plural quantifier. This contrast - "the number" singular, "a number of" plural - is a favourite trap.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing an option that changes the original meaning while fixing grammar.
- Using "their" with a singular indefinite pronoun in formal questions.
- Confusing affect/effect, lie/lay, its/it's.
- In para jumbles, starting with a sentence containing an unexplained pronoun ("He said…").
- In RC, choosing an option that is true in general but not stated in the passage.