MKS CMAT · Verbal Ability
CMAT Grammar: Common Errors Explained with Practice
CMAT grammar questions become more manageable when you identify the relationship being tested: subject and verb, modifier and noun, items in a list, pronoun and reference, or one time frame and another.
These are original MKS learning questions. They are not official TU questions or a list of guaranteed live-test item types.
YOUR LEARNING ROUTE
Build the skill. Then apply it.
Five checks before choosing an option
Find the real subject
Ignore interrupting phrases. In “The list of topics is useful,” the subject is singular list, not plural topics.
Place modifiers beside what they describe
“Walking through the library, Rina noticed the new display” clearly makes Rina the person walking. A misplaced opening phrase can accidentally describe the wrong noun.
Keep parallel items in the same form
“The plan requires reading, practising and reviewing” uses three -ing forms. Mixing “reading, to practise and review” weakens the structure.
Match time and condition
Use verb forms that show the intended sequence. An unreal past condition commonly uses “If I had known, I would have acted.”
Protect meaning
A sentence can be grammatical yet unclear. Check pronoun references and whether punctuation changes the intended relationship.
Six original questions
Q1. Subject–verb agreement
Choose the correct sentence.
- A. Each of the applicants have submitted the form.
- B. Each of the applicants has submitted the form.
- C. Each of the applicant have submitted the form.
- D. Each applicants has submitted the form.
Q2. The head noun
Choose the correct completion: “The list of revision topics ___ on the desk.”
- A. are
- B. were
- C. is
- D. have been
Q3. Modifier placement
Which sentence clearly means that Rina was walking?
- A. Walking through the library, the new display attracted Rina.
- B. Walking through the library, Rina noticed the new display.
- C. The new display, walking through the library, attracted Rina.
- D. Rina noticed, walking the new display, through the library.
Q4. Agreement with neither/nor
Choose the correct sentence.
- A. Neither the manager nor the assistants was available.
- B. Neither the manager nor the assistants were available.
- C. Neither the manager or the assistants were available.
- D. Neither manager nor the assistants is available yesterday.
Q5. Interrupting phrase
Choose the correct completion: “The report, along with its charts, ___ ready.”
- A. are
- B. were
- C. is
- D. have
Q6. Unreal past condition
Choose the sentence that correctly describes an unreal past situation.
- A. If I knew, I will call you.
- B. If I had known, I would have called you.
- C. If I have known, I would call you yesterday.
- D. If I would know, I had called you.
PAUSE · CHECK · IMPROVE
Use the next section as an action step.
Keep your working and source notes. Record what was uncertain, then choose one small correction or verification task before moving on.
Answers and explanations
Q1 — B. “Each” is singular, so it takes “has.” The plural noun inside the “of” phrase does not control the verb.
Q2 — C. The head noun is singular “list.” “Of revision topics” modifies it.
Q3 — B. The noun immediately after the opening modifier is Rina, so the sentence clearly identifies who was walking.
Q4 — B. With neither/nor, the verb commonly agrees with the nearer subject; “assistants” is plural, so “were” fits. The paired conjunction is neither/nor.
Q5 — C. “Along with its charts” is an interrupting phrase. The subject “report” is singular.
Q6 — B. “Had known” marks the unreal past condition, and “would have called” gives its imagined past result.
Review grammar by reason
For every error, name the rule and rewrite the sentence. Do not memorize only the correct letter. A useful mistake note says, “I matched the verb to the nearest plural noun instead of the head subject.”
Continue with the Verbal Ability guide and reading comprehension practice.
Questions and explanations are original MKS learning material. Study scenes are AI-generated illustrations.
Keep your preparation moving.
Explore the wider CMAT learning route or find current class information with MKSPrep.
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