NIMCET General English
General English in NIMCET is a 20-question, 30-mark section in the recent pattern, scored +3/−1. It tests standard written English: synonyms and antonyms, idioms and phrasal verbs, one-word substitution, sentence completion, grammar and usage, error spotting, para jumbles and reading comprehension. The passages are usually short, so the section is won by precise reading and grammar rules rather than by vocabulary volume alone.
Core rules
- Subject–verb agreement: the verb agrees with the grammatical subject, not with a phrase between subject and verb. “The list of items is on the desk.”
- “One of + plural noun” takes a singular verb: “One of the boys is absent.”
- Neither/either, each, everyone and somebody are singular: “Neither of the answers is correct.”
- Use the comparative for two things and the superlative for three or more: “better of the two”, “best of the three”.
- Idioms are fixed: “look after” = take care of; “put off” = postpone; “break down” = stop working.
- In para jumbles, find the opening sentence, often a general statement with no pronoun referring backward, and link pronoun and reference chains.
Worked example
Choose the correct sentence: (a) Each of the students have submitted the form. (b) Each of the students has submitted the form. Answer: (b). “Each” is singular, so it takes “has”. The plural “students” sits inside the prepositional phrase “of the students” and does not control the verb. The same logic applies to “everyone”, “neither” and “one of”.
Traps
- Being fooled by a plural noun next to the verb.
- Selecting a synonym that fits the dictionary but not the sentence’s tone.
- In error spotting, correcting style rather than the actual grammatical error.
- In reading comprehension, choosing an option that is true in real life but not stated in the passage.
- In para jumbles, forcing a pronoun sentence first because it “sounds” connected.