Question 1

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: No one knows where he is staying.

Accepted Answer

where he is staying. In an indirect question, the word order is statement-like: subject + verb. So “where he is staying” is correct, not “where is he staying.”

Question 2

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: She demanded me to swallow the medication.

Accepted Answer

demanded that I swallow the medication. The verb “demand” is followed by a that-clause: “demanded that I swallow.” The original sentence is ungrammatical because “demanded me to” is not standard usage.

Question 3

Rearrange the following sentences to form a coherent paragraph: 1. These influences include how much sunlight is received, the make-up of the atmosphere, and the Earth’s orbital path. 2. Long-term shifts in Earth’s climate are shaped by an intricate mix of natural and human-driven influenc

Accepted Answer

2, 1, 3, 4. Sentence 2 introduces the topic broadly. Sentence 1 explains the natural influences, sentence 3 adds the main human influence, and sentence 4 gives the concluding effect on energy balance and temperature.

Question 4

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: The higher the office was (1)/ the more pressing became the need (2)/ for prudence, propriety, and (3)/ avoiding of early disclosure. (4)

Accepted Answer

(4). The error is in “avoiding of early disclosure.” After “for,” the gerund should not take “of” here; the correct phrase is “avoidance of early disclosure” or “avoiding early disclosure.”

Question 5

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: I am used to get up early every morning.

Accepted Answer

to getting up. The phrase "be used to" means accustomed to, and it is followed by a noun or gerund. Therefore, "to getting up" is correct, not "to get up".

Question 6

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: The initiatives praised by the committee (1)/ are not only designed to modernise reporting systems (2)/ but also improving transparency in funding distribution (3)/ across all districts. (4)

Accepted Answer

(3). The structure "not only... but also" requires parallel grammatical forms. Here, "are not only designed... but also improving" is incorrect; it should be "but also improve" or "but also are improving" depending on meaning.

Question 7

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: The fact that citizens have no remedy available (1)/ when environmental breaches are ignored at the ministerial level (2)/ highlight a broader decline in (3)/ constitutional accountability. (4)

Accepted Answer

(3). The subject is "The fact", which is singular. Therefore, the verb should be "highlights" instead of "highlight".

Question 8

A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech. Sikha said, “I like this pen as it is very useful.”

Accepted Answer

Sikha said she liked that pen as it was very useful.. In indirect speech, the present tense "like" changes to past tense "liked." The demonstrative "this" changes to "that," and the pronoun changes from "I" to "she."

Question 9

Select the correct option: The researcher found the correlation to be ________ weak to shape policy.

Accepted Answer

too. The structure "too weak to shape policy" is grammatically correct and conveys that the correlation was not strong enough. The other options do not fit the standard construction.

Question 10

Rearrange the following sentences to form a coherent paragraph: 1. The fast-growing spread of misleading and false content on social media poses a serious threat to healthy public discussion. 2. This approach involves carefully checking claims, evidence, and sources to judge how accurate a

Accepted Answer

1, 3, 4, 2. Sentence 1 introduces the issue of misleading content. Sentence 3 explains its impact, sentence 4 gives the response, and sentence 2 explains what that response involves. This creates a logical progression from problem to solution.

Question 11

Convert the sentence from passive voice to active voice: The report will have been submitted by the analyst before the deadline.

Accepted Answer

The analyst will have submitted the report before the deadline.. The sentence is in the future perfect passive form: "will have been submitted." In active voice, the agent "the analyst" becomes the subject, and the tense remains future perfect.

Question 12

Select the correct option: Each of the reports __________ been verified before submission.

Accepted Answer

has. The subject is "Each," which is singular, so it takes a singular verb. Therefore, "has" is correct.

Question 13

A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in indirect speech: She said, “Where have you been living for the past few months?”

Accepted Answer

She asked where I had been living for the past few months.. The direct question is converted into reported speech using the reporting verb "asked." Since the original tense is present perfect continuous, it shifts to past perfect continuous in indirect speech.

Question 14

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: It is high time you must follow a proper routine.

Accepted Answer

followed a proper routine. The expression 'it is high time' is followed by the past tense to indicate that something should happen now. Therefore, 'you followed a proper routine' is the correct structure, and among the options the closest correct replacement is 'followed a proper routine'.

Question 15

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: Had I been aware of the delay, I will start earlier.

Accepted Answer

would have started earlier. The sentence expresses an unreal past condition, so the result should be in the third conditional form. 'Had I been aware of the delay, I would have started earlier' is grammatically correct.

Question 16

A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech: She said, “Finish it right now.”

Accepted Answer

She told me to finish it immediately.. The sentence is an imperative, so in indirect speech it becomes 'told me to finish it immediately'. The reporting verb and time expression are adjusted appropriately.

Question 17

Select the correct option: The committee issued several directives, none of _______ were implemented.

Accepted Answer

which. The clause 'none of which were implemented' is grammatically correct because 'which' refers to the directives. 'Whom' is used for people, and 'that' is not used after a preposition here.

Question 18

A sentence is provided in indirect speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding direct speech: The manager remarked that employees needed to submit their reports by Monday.

Accepted Answer

“Employees need to submit their reports by Monday,” the manager remarked.. The indirect speech reports a statement, so the direct speech should be a declarative sentence. Since the obligation is expressed generally, 'need to submit' is the best direct form among the options.

Question 19

Select the correct option: No sooner ________ the report released than the media erupted with criticism.

Accepted Answer

had. The correct structure is 'No sooner had + subject + past participle + than...'. Here, 'had' is required before the subject 'the report' in inverted form. So the sentence should read: 'No sooner had the report been released than the media erupted with criticism.'

Question 20

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: The guideline seeks to neither prosecute minor violations (1)/ nor overlook repeated breaches (2)/ arising from procedural confusion (3)/ rather than deliberate misconduct. (4)

Accepted Answer

(1). The error is in part (1) because 'neither' should be followed by a parallel structure with 'nor'. The sentence should read 'to neither prosecute minor violations nor overlook repeated breaches' or 'neither prosecute minor violations nor overlook repeated breaches' without the extra 'to' before the second verb phrase.

Question 21

Convert the sentence from passive voice to active voice: A report is submitted to the supervisor by the intern every Monday.

Accepted Answer

The intern submits a report to the supervisor every Monday.. In the passive sentence, 'the intern' is the agent introduced by 'by'. To change it into active voice, make 'the intern' the subject and keep the present simple tense because the original sentence is in present simple passive.

Question 22

Select the correct option: The circular stated that all staff must comply ______ the updated safety guidelines.

Accepted Answer

with. The correct collocation is "comply with" when referring to rules, instructions, or guidelines. Other prepositions do not fit this standard usage.

Question 23

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: He is confident to clear the interview.

Accepted Answer

of clearing the interview. The adjective "confident" is commonly followed by "of" when expressing assurance about an outcome. So, "confident of clearing the interview" is correct.

Question 24

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: The committee’s recommendations, striking in both breadth and detail, (1) triggered reactions not only from the departments involved (2) but also from the reviewers who state they (3) had not been permitted to examine key files. (4)

Accepted Answer

(3). The error is in part (3): "who state" should be "who stated" to maintain tense consistency with the past narrative. The rest of the sentence is grammatically acceptable.

Question 25

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: That several civic bodies have revived obsolete regulations (1) to curb public criticism does not only indicate administrative expediency (2) but also weakens the democratic spirit (3) that those provisions were intended to safeguard. (

Accepted Answer

(2). The error is in part (2): the correct structure is "does indicate not only administrative expediency but also..." or "not only indicates... but also..." depending on the intended emphasis. As written, "does not only indicate" is awkward and incorrect in standard usage.

Question 26

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: You must adapt with these changing circumstances.

Accepted Answer

adapt to these changing circumstances. The verb "adapt" is followed by the preposition "to" when referring to adjustment to a situation. Therefore, "adapt to these changing circumstances" is correct.

Question 27

A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech. Rita said, "I had submitted the assignment."

Accepted Answer

Rita said that she had submitted the assignment.. The reporting verb "said" is in the past, so the past perfect "had submitted" remains unchanged in indirect speech. The pronoun also changes from "I" to "she".

Question 28

Identify the misspelt word.

Accepted Answer

Supercilous. "Supercilous" is misspelt; the correct spelling is "supercilious". The other three words are correctly spelled.

Question 29

Select the correct option: Her conclusion was bold and diametrically _____ the earlier findings of the committee.

Accepted Answer

at odds with. The phrase "at odds with" means in disagreement or conflict with. It fits the sentence because her conclusion contrasts with the committee’s earlier findings.

Question 30

A sentence is provided in indirect speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding direct speech. The professor remarked that the sun rises in the east.

Accepted Answer

"The sun rises in the east," the professor remarked.. The statement "the sun rises in the east" is a universal truth, so it remains in the present simple tense. Therefore, the correct direct speech is the same sentence with quotation marks.

Question 31

Select the correct option: The reporter declined to ______ her informants even after intense questioning.

Accepted Answer

give away. "Give away" means to reveal or disclose something, especially a secret. Here, it fits because the reporter refused to reveal the identities of her informants.

Question 32

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: She do not understand this concept properly.

Accepted Answer

does not understand. The subject "She" is singular third person, so the auxiliary should be "does" rather than "do". In negative present simple, the main verb remains in base form, so "understand" is correct. Hence, "does not understand" is the proper replacement.

Question 33

Change the following from active to passive: Did the committee sanction the revised environmental policy?

Accepted Answer

Was the revised environmental policy sanctioned by the committee?. The sentence is in the simple past tense: "Did ... sanction". In passive voice, the object "the revised environmental policy" becomes the subject, and the verb changes to "was sanctioned". Since it is a question in active voice, the passive form is a statement here.

Question 34

Select the correct option: The consultant delivered a report, __ conclusions were supported by multiple audits, to the committee.

Accepted Answer

whose. "Whose" is the correct relative pronoun to show possession. Here, the conclusions belong to the report, so "whose conclusions" is grammatically correct. The other options do not express possession.

Question 35

Convert the sentence from passive voice to active voice: The suspect was thought to have been staying in a remote lodge before being arrested.

Accepted Answer

Authorities thought the suspect had been staying in a remote lodge before they arrested him.. The passive structure "was thought to have been staying" can be rewritten in active voice by supplying a logical subject such as "authorities." The action of staying is in the past perfect continuous sense relative to the arrest, so the active form becomes "had been staying". This preserves the meaning most accurately.

Question 36

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: Ravi is junior than his brother in the office.

Accepted Answer

junior to. The adjective "junior" is followed by "to" when comparing rank or status. Therefore, "Ravi is junior to his brother" is correct. The phrase "junior than" is ungrammatical.

Question 37

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: Neither did the committee acknowledge the financial irregularities, nor did they consider the repeated warnings issued by auditors, which, according to reports, has been ignored for a long time.

Accepted Answer

(4). The phrase "warnings issued by auditors" is plural, so the relative clause should use a plural verb. The error is in "has been ignored," which should be "have been ignored" to agree with "warnings." Therefore, part (4) contains the error.

Question 38

Convert the following sentence from passive voice to active voice: The final report has been reviewed by several experts.

Accepted Answer

Several experts have reviewed the final report.. In passive voice, 'The final report' is the subject, but in active voice the doer becomes the subject. Since the original tense is present perfect passive, the active form is 'Several experts have reviewed the final report.'

Question 39

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: The manager could not decide whether to approve the merger (1)/ or if the announcement were merely a diversion (2)/ intended to calm investors (3)/ after the recent financial losses. (4)

Accepted Answer

(2). The error is in part (2): 'whether ... or if' is incorrect here. The sentence should use parallel structure, such as 'whether to approve the merger or whether the announcement was merely a diversion.'

Question 40

Convert the following direct speech into indirect speech: He said, “My friends will leave tonight.”

Accepted Answer

He said that his friends would leave that night.. In indirect speech, 'will' changes to 'would' when the reporting verb is in the past tense. The time expression 'tonight' changes to 'that night', so the correct sentence is 'He said that his friends would leave that night.'

Question 41

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: The assumption, not that the reforms themselves were poorly designed but rather that their public messaging — filled with concepts distant from local conversations — have led more to voter indifference than administrative lapses as such

Accepted Answer

(2). The error is in part (2): the subject of the clause is singular, so the verb should be "has led" instead of "have led." The rest of the sentence is grammatically acceptable in context.

Question 42

Select the correct option: If the firewall ___ disabled, the network notifies the security team immediately.

Accepted Answer

is. The sentence states a present condition and its immediate effect, so the simple present tense is needed. "Is" correctly fits the singular subject "firewall."

Question 43

Select the correct option: The committee insisted that ethical standards must not be compromised ___ the sake of profit.

Accepted Answer

for. The correct idiomatic phrase is "for the sake of profit." The other prepositions do not form the standard expression.

Question 44

Change the following from active to passive: The committee can grant special awards to outstanding researchers.

Accepted Answer

Special awards can be granted to outstanding researchers by the committee.. In passive voice, the object "special awards" becomes the subject. Since the active sentence uses "can grant," the passive form is "can be granted."

Question 45

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: He moved cautiously lest he should slip.

Accepted Answer

lest he slip. "Lest" is used to express a negative purpose and is commonly followed by a base verb form. "Lest he slip" is the most appropriate replacement.

Question 46

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: She answered the questions quick.

Accepted Answer

quickly. "Answered" is a verb, so it should be modified by an adverb. The correct adverb form is "quickly," not the adjective "quick."

Question 47

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: Neither the teacher nor the students was present in the hall.

Accepted Answer

were present. In a neither-nor construction, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Since "students" is plural, the correct verb is "were". The sentence should read: "Neither the teacher nor the students were present in the hall."

Question 48

Change the following from active to passive: The analysts will be updating the database during the session.

Accepted Answer

The database will be being updated during the session.. The active sentence is in future continuous tense: "will be updating." In passive voice, future continuous becomes "will be being + past participle." Therefore, the correct passive form is "The database will be being updated during the session."

Question 49

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: He explained for me the procedure.

Accepted Answer

explained to me. The verb "explain" takes the preposition "to" before the person being addressed. So, the correct phrase is "explained to me." The other options are grammatically incorrect in standard English.

Question 50

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: Each of the employees have submitted the form.

Accepted Answer

has submitted the form. "Each" is a singular subject, so it takes a singular verb. Therefore, "has submitted" is correct, not "have submitted."

SSC CGL (Prelims) General: English Grammar questions with solutions

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