SSC CHSL 18 November 2025 · Shift 3 · English Language — questions with answers

1

Identify the part of the sentence that contains a grammatical error. A. The jury, B. after a long period of intense deliberation, C. were united in its verdict D. to convict the man, which shocked the public.

A.The jury
B.after a long period of intense deliberation
C.were united in its verdict
D.to convict the man, which shocked the public.

Solution

Collective noun agreement A collective noun such as 'jury', 'team' or 'committee' takes a plural verb only when its members are thought of as acting separately.

Here the word 'united' and the singular pronoun 'its' both show that the jury is being treated as one single body, so the verb must be singular too. Therefore the plural verb 'were' is wrong; part C should read 'was united in its verdict'. Parts A, B and D contain no error, so the error lies in part C. Correct sentence: The jury, after a long period of intense deliberation, was united in its verdict to convict the man, which shocked the public.

2

Identify the part of the sentence that contains a grammatical error. A. Despite of B. his illness, C. he attended D. the meeting.

A.Despite of
B.his illness
C.he attended
D.the meeting

Solution

Preposition error 'Despite' already carries the meaning 'in spite of', so it is never followed by the preposition 'of'. The two correct forms are 'despite his illness' and 'in spite of his illness'; mixing them into 'despite of' is a very common error. Parts B, C and D are correct, so the error lies in part A. Correct sentence: Despite his illness, he attended the meeting.

3

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate preposition: The chef cut the pizza

____

eight slices for the customers.

A.in
B.among
C.into
D.between

Solution

Preposition usage 'Into' shows a change from one whole into a new form or into separate parts, so it is the preposition used with cut, divide, break and translate.

Cutting one pizza so that it becomes eight slices is exactly this change of a whole into parts, so 'cut the pizza into eight slices' is right. 'In' would show only position, while 'between' (two) and 'among' (more than two) are used for sharing something out, not for cutting. Hence, option (c) is the most appropriate answer.

4

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate preposition: The speaker dwells

____

the importance of unity and the power of peace.

A.on
B.at
C.through
D.beside

Solution

Verb-preposition collocation 'Dwell on' (or 'dwell upon') is a fixed verb-preposition pair meaning to speak, write or think about something at length. The speaker keeps returning to unity and peace, so 'dwells on the importance of unity' is the natural collocation. 'Dwell at', 'dwell through' and 'dwell beside' are not standard English; 'dwell in' does exist, but only in the sense of living in a place. Hence, option (a) is the most appropriate answer.

5

Select the most appropriate synonym of the word: Morose

A.Happy
B.Gloomy
C.Bright
D.Cheerful

Solution

Synonym 'Morose' means sullen, gloomy and ill-tempered - the mood of a person who sits silent and unsmiling. 'Gloomy' carries the same sense of sadness and low spirits, so it is the closest synonym. 'Happy', 'Bright' and 'Cheerful' all suggest good spirits and liveliness, which is the very opposite of 'morose'. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

6

Select the most appropriate synonym of the word: PRUDENCE

A.Carelessness
B.Wisdom
C.Impulse
D.Waste

Solution

Synonym 'Prudence' is the quality of being careful and far-sighted, of judging sensibly before acting. 'Wisdom' - the ability to make sound judgements from knowledge and experience - matches that sense most closely. 'Carelessness' and 'Impulse' name the very opposite habits, and 'Waste' has nothing to do with judgement at all. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

7

Choose the correct meaning of the idiom: Bits and bobs

A.Large and valuable items
B.Small miscellaneous items
C.A complete collection
D.Something very important

Solution

Idiom meaning 'Bits and bobs' is a British idiom meaning small odds and ends - assorted little things of no great value. Example: She keeps all her bits and bobs in an old biscuit tin. The idiom insists on two ideas together, small and mixed; the other options speak of things that are large, complete or important, so each misses at least one half of the meaning. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

8

Select the most appropriate antonym of the word: Shallow

A.Deep
B.Flat
C.Low
D.Slight

Solution

Antonym 'Shallow' means having little depth, so its true opposite must be a word meaning extending far down from the surface. 'Deep' is that word, and shallow-deep is the standard antonym pair for depth. 'Flat' and 'Low' describe level and height rather than depth, and 'Slight' means small in degree, so none of them is the opposite of 'shallow'. Hence, option (a) is the most appropriate answer.

9

Select the most appropriate antonym of the word: Exonerated

A.Absolved
B.Convicted
C.Vindicated
D.Acquitted

Solution

Antonym 'Exonerated' means officially cleared of blame or freed from a charge.

'Convicted' means formally declared guilty by a court, which is the exact reverse of being cleared. The trap here is that 'Absolved', 'Vindicated' and 'Acquitted' all mean freed from blame, so they are synonyms of 'exonerated', not antonyms. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

10

Choose the correct one-word substitute for: A person who believes in only one God

A.Polytheist
B.Monotheist
C.Theist
D.Idolater

Solution

One-word substitution The prefix 'mono-' means one and the Greek root 'theos' means god, so a monotheist is a person who believes in a single God.

'Polytheist' comes from 'poly-' (many) and so believes in many gods, a 'Theist' merely believes that God exists without fixing the number, and an 'Idolater' worships images. Only 'Monotheist' carries the idea of 'only one'. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

11

Change the following sentence into the Active form. The brave soldier had been awarded a distinct medal by the general after his heroic action.

A.The general had been awarding the brave soldier a distinct medal after his heroic action.
B.The general gave the brave soldier a distinct medal after his heroic action.
C.After his heroic action, the general had awarded the brave soldier a distinct medal.
D.After his heroic action, a distinct medal had been awarded to the brave soldier by the general.

Solution

Passive to active voice The given sentence is passive and stands in the past perfect tense: 'had been awarded'.

In the active form the doer 'the general' becomes the subject, 'had been awarded' becomes 'had awarded', and the tense must remain past perfect. That gives 'the general had awarded the brave soldier a distinct medal', which is exactly option (c) with the time phrase simply moved to the front. Option (a) shifts to the past perfect continuous, (b) drops the perfect tense altogether, and (d) is still in the passive voice. Hence, option (c) is the most appropriate answer.

12

Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech. She said, 'I will be painting the wall.'

A.She said that she would be painting the wall.
B.She said that she will be painting the wall.
C.She said that she was painting the wall.
D.She said that she would paint the wall.

Solution

Direct to indirect speech The reporting verb 'said' is in the past tense, so the reported speech must be back-shifted one step.

'Will be painting' is the future continuous; on back-shift it becomes 'would be painting', and the pronoun 'I' changes to 'she' to agree with the speaker. So the sentence becomes: She said that she would be painting the wall. Option (b) keeps 'will', (c) changes it to the past continuous, and (d) drops 'be' and so loses the continuous sense. Hence, option (a) is the most appropriate answer.

13

Which sentence contains a misspelled word?

A.Dogs can perceive sounds we cannot hear.
B.She perceived a hint of sadness in him.
C.He percieved the risk involved in the deal.
D.Do you perceive any difference in the taste?

Solution

Spelling The rule 'i before e except after c' applies here: immediately after the letter c the pair is written 'ei'. The verb is therefore spelt p-e-r-c-e-i-v-e, and its past form is 'perceived'. Option (c) writes it as 'percieved', with the two letters reversed, so that is the sentence containing the misspelt word. Options (a), (b) and (d) spell 'perceive' and 'perceived' correctly. Hence, option (c) is the most appropriate answer.

14

Which sentence contains a misspelled word?

A.Regular maintenance is essential to keep your driving license valid and your vehicle safe to drive.
B.He applied for a license to perform the electrical maintainance required for the old building.
C.The specialized license allows the team to perform maintenance on high-voltage equipment safely.
D.You must show your license before you can authorize any maintenance work on the server.

Solution

Spelling Although the verb is 'maintain', the noun formed from it drops the 'i' of '-ain' and is spelt 'maintenance'. Option (b) writes 'maintainance', keeping the verb's spelling inside the noun, so that is the sentence with the misspelt word. The words 'license', 'specialized' and 'authorize' in the other options are all spelt correctly. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

15

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: The furniture in the new offices are expensive and we must maintain them.

A.The furniture in the new offices is expensive and we must maintain them.
B.The furniture in the new offices are expensive and we must maintain it.
C.The furniture in the new offices is expensive and we must maintain it.
D.The furniture in the new offices are expensive and we must maintain them.

Solution

Uncountable noun agreement 'Furniture' is an uncountable noun: it has no plural form and always takes a singular verb and a singular pronoun.

So 'are' must become 'is', and the pronoun referring back to the furniture must be 'it', not 'them'. The phrase 'in the new offices' is only a modifier; the plural noun 'offices' inside it can never decide the verb. Only option (c) makes both corrections - (a) fixes the verb alone, (b) fixes the pronoun alone, and (d) simply repeats the original sentence. Hence, option (c) is the most appropriate answer.

16

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: Twenty miles are a long distance to run.

A.Twenty mile are a long distance to run
B.Twenty miles are a long distance to run
C.Twenty miles is a long distance to run
D.Twenty mile is a long distance to run

Solution

Subject-verb agreement When a plural expression of distance, time, weight, money or age is thought of as one single quantity, it takes a singular verb.

'Twenty miles' here names one stretch of distance, not twenty separate miles, so the verb must be 'is' and not 'are'. The noun itself stays plural - 'twenty mile' is never correct - which rules out options (a) and (d). Hence, option (c) is the most appropriate answer.

17

Choose the correct passive voice transformation of the sentence: We will have finished the task by next month.

A.The task will have been finished by us by next month.
B.The task will be finished by us by next month.
C.The task would have been finished by us by next month.
D.The task has been finished by us by next month.

Solution

Active to passive voice The active sentence stands in the future perfect tense: 'will have finished'.

In the passive the object 'the task' becomes the subject, 'will have finished' becomes 'will have been finished', and the doer takes 'by' before it. That gives: The task will have been finished by us by next month. Option (b) drops the perfect form, (c) replaces 'will' with 'would', and (d) shifts to the present perfect. Hence, option (a) is the most appropriate answer.

18

Choose the correct passive voice transformation of the sentence: The mechanics are repairing the vintage cars for the annual auto show.

A.The vintage cars are repaired by the mechanics for the annual auto show.
B.The vintage cars are being repaired by the mechanics for the annual auto show.
C.The vintage cars were being repaired by the mechanics for the annual auto show.
D.The vintage cars have been repaired by the mechanics for the annual auto show.

Solution

Active to passive voice The active sentence stands in the present continuous tense: 'are repairing'.

In the passive the object 'the vintage cars' becomes the subject, the verb takes the form 'are being repaired', and 'by the mechanics' follows it. Option (a) leaves out 'being' and so becomes the simple present, (c) shifts to the past continuous, and (d) shifts to the present perfect. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

19

Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct voice. The economist stated that although the experts had been predicting the recession for months, the authorities had not yet taken any preventive steps, and she feared that the economy was crashing.

A."Although the experts were predicting the recession for months, the authorities have not yet taken any preventive steps, and I fear that the economy is crashing," the economist Stated.
B."Although the experts have been predicting the recession for months, the authorities haven't yet taken any preventive steps, and I fear that the economy is crashing," the economist stated.
C."Although the experts had been predicting the recession for months, the authorities had not yet taken any preventive steps, and I feared that the economy was crashing,' the economist stated.
D."Although the experts had been predicting the recession for months, the authorities have not yet taken any preventive steps, and I feared that the economy was crashing,' the economist stated.

Solution

Indirect to direct speech To move from indirect to direct speech the back-shift of the verbs has to be undone and the reporting clause placed outside the quotation.

So 'had been predicting' returns to 'have been predicting', 'had not yet taken' to 'haven't yet taken', 'she feared' to 'I fear', and 'was crashing' to 'is crashing'. The conjunction 'that' is dropped, the speaker refers to herself as 'I', and the whole speech is enclosed in a matching pair of quotation marks. Option (b) makes every one of these changes; (a) turns the perfect continuous into a plain past continuous, while (c) and (d) leave the verbs still back-shifted. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

20

Directions (Qs. 20-24): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. The history of written communication has been a fascinating progression from ancient inscriptions to digital typography. Early civilizations depended on labor-intensive methods like clay tablets and papyrus scrolls, which, while durable, restricted the spread of knowledge to a privileged few. The invention of the movable type printing press in the 15th century, introduced by Johannes Gutenberg, marked a revolutionary epoch, enabling the mass production of books through mechanical reproduction. This breakthrough was eventually followed by lithography, which utilized chemical processes to print images and text with greater speed, though often requiring bulky equipment. The 20th century saw the emergence of phototypesetting, valued for its precision and flexibility. However, the most profound shift occurred with the arrival of digital publishing. Digital technologies merged high-speed output with relatively low costs, transforming personal, educational, and professional document creation. Contemporary advancements have moved beyond static text. Interactive digital platforms integrate with global networks, facilitating real-time editing, multimedia embedding, and collaborative writing. These innovations not only democratize information access but also reshape how narratives are constructed and consumed. From the scratch of a reed stylus to the instant update of a cloud-based document, writing has matured into a synthesis of art, technology, and connectivity-an essential element of modern society.

The phrase "facilitating real-time editing, multimedia embedding, and collaborative writing" functions as:

A.Gerund phrase
B.Participle phrase
C.Infinitive phrase
D.Absolute phrase

Solution

Types of phrases In the passage the sentence reads: Interactive digital platforms integrate with global networks, facilitating real-time editing, multimedia embedding, and collaborative writing.

The phrase begins with 'facilitating', an -ing form placed after a comma to describe the result of the action in the main clause; such a group is a participle phrase. A gerund phrase works as a noun, that is, as a subject or an object; here the phrase names no thing at all, it only modifies the clause, so it cannot be a gerund phrase. An infinitive phrase would have to begin with 'to + verb', and an absolute phrase would carry its own noun before the participle, so neither fits. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

21

Directions (Qs. 20-24): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. The history of written communication has been a fascinating progression from ancient inscriptions to digital typography. Early civilizations depended on labor-intensive methods like clay tablets and papyrus scrolls, which, while durable, restricted the spread of knowledge to a privileged few. The invention of the movable type printing press in the 15th century, introduced by Johannes Gutenberg, marked a revolutionary epoch, enabling the mass production of books through mechanical reproduction. This breakthrough was eventually followed by lithography, which utilized chemical processes to print images and text with greater speed, though often requiring bulky equipment. The 20th century saw the emergence of phototypesetting, valued for its precision and flexibility. However, the most profound shift occurred with the arrival of digital publishing. Digital technologies merged high-speed output with relatively low costs, transforming personal, educational, and professional document creation. Contemporary advancements have moved beyond static text. Interactive digital platforms integrate with global networks, facilitating real-time editing, multimedia embedding, and collaborative writing. These innovations not only democratize information access but also reshape how narratives are constructed and consumed. From the scratch of a reed stylus to the instant update of a cloud-based document, writing has matured into a synthesis of art, technology, and connectivity-an essential element of modern society.

Identify the tense in "writing has matured into a synthesis of art, technology, and connectivity".

A.Present perfect
B.Past perfect
C.Present continuous
D.Simple present

Solution

Tense identification The verb group in the quoted part is 'has matured'. Rule: has/have + past participle (V3) makes the present perfect tense. 'Has' is a present-tense auxiliary and 'matured' is the past participle, so the action is finished but its result is felt now. Past perfect would need 'had matured', present continuous 'is maturing' and simple present 'matures'. Hence the tense used is present perfect, option (a).

22

Directions (Qs. 20-24): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. The history of written communication has been a fascinating progression from ancient inscriptions to digital typography. Early civilizations depended on labor-intensive methods like clay tablets and papyrus scrolls, which, while durable, restricted the spread of knowledge to a privileged few. The invention of the movable type printing press in the 15th century, introduced by Johannes Gutenberg, marked a revolutionary epoch, enabling the mass production of books through mechanical reproduction. This breakthrough was eventually followed by lithography, which utilized chemical processes to print images and text with greater speed, though often requiring bulky equipment. The 20th century saw the emergence of phototypesetting, valued for its precision and flexibility. However, the most profound shift occurred with the arrival of digital publishing. Digital technologies merged high-speed output with relatively low costs, transforming personal, educational, and professional document creation. Contemporary advancements have moved beyond static text. Interactive digital platforms integrate with global networks, facilitating real-time editing, multimedia embedding, and collaborative writing. These innovations not only democratize information access but also reshape how narratives are constructed and consumed. From the scratch of a reed stylus to the instant update of a cloud-based document, writing has matured into a synthesis of art, technology, and connectivity-an essential element of modern society.

The word "epoch" most nearly means:

A.Disaster
B.Era
C.Machine
D.Decline

Solution

Vocabulary: synonym 'Epoch' means a distinct and important period of history. The passage calls Gutenberg's movable-type press 'a revolutionary epoch' — the beginning of a new age of mass-produced books. 'Era' carries exactly this sense of a long, clearly marked stretch of time. 'Disaster', 'machine' and 'decline' name a calamity, an object and a fall respectively, none of which is a period of time. Hence the correct option is (b).

23

Directions (Qs. 20-24): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. The history of written communication has been a fascinating progression from ancient inscriptions to digital typography. Early civilizations depended on labor-intensive methods like clay tablets and papyrus scrolls, which, while durable, restricted the spread of knowledge to a privileged few. The invention of the movable type printing press in the 15th century, introduced by Johannes Gutenberg, marked a revolutionary epoch, enabling the mass production of books through mechanical reproduction. This breakthrough was eventually followed by lithography, which utilized chemical processes to print images and text with greater speed, though often requiring bulky equipment. The 20th century saw the emergence of phototypesetting, valued for its precision and flexibility. However, the most profound shift occurred with the arrival of digital publishing. Digital technologies merged high-speed output with relatively low costs, transforming personal, educational, and professional document creation. Contemporary advancements have moved beyond static text. Interactive digital platforms integrate with global networks, facilitating real-time editing, multimedia embedding, and collaborative writing. These innovations not only democratize information access but also reshape how narratives are constructed and consumed. From the scratch of a reed stylus to the instant update of a cloud-based document, writing has matured into a synthesis of art, technology, and connectivity-an essential element of modern society.

The word 'democratize" in the passage means:

A.To restrict strictly
B.To make accessible to everyone
C.To vote efficiently
D.To print slowly

Solution

Vocabulary: word meaning 'Democratize' means to open something up to all people instead of keeping it with a select few. The passage says the new platforms 'democratize information access', which answers the earlier line that knowledge was once 'restricted to a privileged few'. So here the word means 'to make accessible to everyone'. 'To restrict strictly' is the exact opposite; the word has nothing to do with voting efficiently or with printing slowly. Hence the correct option is (b).

24

Directions (Qs. 20-24): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. The history of written communication has been a fascinating progression from ancient inscriptions to digital typography. Early civilizations depended on labor-intensive methods like clay tablets and papyrus scrolls, which, while durable, restricted the spread of knowledge to a privileged few. The invention of the movable type printing press in the 15th century, introduced by Johannes Gutenberg, marked a revolutionary epoch, enabling the mass production of books through mechanical reproduction. This breakthrough was eventually followed by lithography, which utilized chemical processes to print images and text with greater speed, though often requiring bulky equipment. The 20th century saw the emergence of phototypesetting, valued for its precision and flexibility. However, the most profound shift occurred with the arrival of digital publishing. Digital technologies merged high-speed output with relatively low costs, transforming personal, educational, and professional document creation. Contemporary advancements have moved beyond static text. Interactive digital platforms integrate with global networks, facilitating real-time editing, multimedia embedding, and collaborative writing. These innovations not only democratize information access but also reshape how narratives are constructed and consumed. From the scratch of a reed stylus to the instant update of a cloud-based document, writing has matured into a synthesis of art, technology, and connectivity-an essential element of modern society.

According to the passage, which innovation merged high-speed output with relatively low costs?

A.Clay tablets
B.Movable type press
C.Lithography
D.Digital publishing

Solution

Reading comprehension: detail The question asks which innovation combined high speed with low cost. The first paragraph states: 'Digital technologies merged high-speed output with relatively low costs.' That sentence follows 'the most profound shift occurred with the arrival of digital publishing', so the innovation meant is digital publishing. Clay tablets were labour-intensive, the movable-type press is credited with mass production, and lithography 'often required bulky equipment'. Hence the correct option is (d).

25

Which of the following pairs of homonyms can be used to fill in the blanks most suitably? The reporter tried to

____

a response regarding the

____

activities allegedly carried out by the firm.

A.illicit, elicit
B.elicit, illicit
C.imminent, eminent
D.eminent, imminent

Solution

Confusable word pairs First fix the meaning and the part of speech of each word in the pairs. 'Elicit' is a verb meaning 'to draw out a response'; 'illicit' is an adjective meaning 'illegal, unlawful'. Blank 1 comes right after 'tried to', so a verb is needed: the reporter tried to elicit a response. Blank 2 stands before the noun 'activities', so an adjective is needed: illicit activities allegedly carried out by the firm. 'Eminent' (famous, distinguished) and 'imminent' (about to happen) suit neither slot. Hence the correct option is (b).