SSC CHSL 24 November 2025 · Shift 3 · English Language — questions with answers

1

Choose the one-word substitute for the following sentence: Deepak encountered a traveler who moved from place to place without a fixed home or a permanent job.

A.Itinerant
B.Pilgrim
C.Globetrotter
D.Voyager

Solution

One-word substitution The sentence describes a person who keeps moving from place to place with no fixed home and no permanent job. Itinerant - travelling from place to place, especially in order to find work; this is exactly the idea in the sentence. Pilgrim - one who journeys to a holy place for religious reasons, so the motive is faith, not work. Globetrotter - one who travels widely for pleasure, which says nothing about lacking a home or a job. Voyager - one who makes a long journey, usually by sea or into space. Hence the correct option is (a).

2

Choose the option that has an error in the sentence. When asked why patients had started the cardio program, 70% of them saw it as vitals.

A.When asked why patients had started
B.the cardio program
C. $70 %$ of them saw it as vitals.
D.No correction required

Solution

Error spotting Test each underlined part separately against the sense of the sentence. The patients regarded the cardio programme as absolutely necessary, so the word after 'saw it as' must be the adjective 'vital'. 'Vitals' is a plural noun meaning the body's essential internal organs, which makes no sense in this context. So the error lies in the part reading

70 %

of them saw it as vitals; it should be 'saw it as vital'. Hence the correct option is (c).

3

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option: Despite being a public figure for decades, the novelist remained

____

rarely giving interviews and never discussing the inspiration behind her hauntingly complex stories.

A.gregarious
B.enigmatic
C.transparent
D.negligent

Solution

Vocabulary - fill in the blank The contrast word 'Despite' plus the details - rarely giving interviews, never discussing her inspiration - show that the novelist stayed hard to understand. 'Enigmatic' means mysterious and difficult to understand, so it fits the blank exactly. 'Gregarious' (fond of company) and 'transparent' (open and frank) both contradict her silence. 'Negligent' means careless about a duty, which is not what avoiding interviews shows. Hence the correct option is (b).

4

Select the most appropriate synonym of the word: ABJURE

A.Relinquish
B.Emphasize
C.Deny
D.Greet

Solution

Synonym 'Abjure' means to give up or formally renounce a belief, claim or practice. 'Relinquish' also means to give up or let go of something willingly, so it carries the same idea of surrendering what one held. 'Deny' is the tempting choice, but it means to say that something is not true or to refuse to give something - not to renounce one's own belief. 'Emphasize' means to stress the importance of something and 'greet' means to welcome; neither is related. Hence the correct option is (a).

5

Select the correct form of the verb to fill in the blank: By the time the search party arrived, the injured hiker had

____

in the ravine for over ten hours.

A.Layer
B.Liar
C.Laid
D.Lain

Solution

Verb forms - lie / lay After the auxiliary 'had' the verb must be in its third form, the past participle. Two verbs are being confused here, and they behave differently.

The hiker was simply resting in the ravine and no object follows, so the intransitive verb 'lie' is needed. Its third form is 'lain', giving 'had lain in the ravine for over ten hours'. 'Laid' would need an object, and 'layer' and 'liar' are nouns, not verb forms. Hence the correct option is (d).

6

Select the most appropriate synonym of the word: SAGACITY

A.Folly
B.Prudence
C.Naivety
D.Inexperience

Solution

Synonym 'Sagacity' is the noun for being wise and showing sound judgement. 'Prudence' is the quality of acting with careful judgement and foresight, which matches it closely. 'Folly' is foolish behaviour, 'naivety' is lack of worldly wisdom and 'inexperience' is lack of practical knowledge. All three of those point the opposite way, so they are antonyms rather than synonyms. Hence the correct option is (b).

7

Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to improve the given sentence. If no substitution is required, select 'No substitution.' The new office desk measures 4 feet at 3 feet.

A.of 3 feet
B.by 3 feet
C.in 3 feet
D.No substitution

Solution

Preposition in dimensions When the two dimensions of an object or a surface are stated together, they are joined by the preposition 'by'. So we say 'a room 12 feet by 10 feet' and here 'the desk measures 4 feet by 3 feet'. 'Of' would introduce a single measurement, as in 'a length of 3 feet', not a second dimension. 'In' is used for the unit of measurement ('measures 4 in feet' is not English), so it cannot join the two figures. Hence the correct option is (b).

8

Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to improve the given sentence. If no substitution is required, select 'No substitution.' We arrived at the island with boat.

A.with a boat
B.by boat
C.in a boat
D.No substitution

Solution

Preposition of transport A means of transport takes 'by' with no article before it: by bus, by train, by air, by sea, by boat. 'With' introduces an instrument that a person holds or uses, so 'with boat' is doubly wrong - wrong preposition and a missing article. 'In a boat' is grammatical, but it states where the travellers sat rather than how they travelled, which is what the sentence is about. So the underlined part must become 'by boat'. Hence the correct option is (b).

9

Select the sentence which uses the word 'ring' with a meaning different from the others.

A.I forgot to silence my phone, and I heard a loud ring during the meeting.
B.The school bell will ring at exactly 3:00 PM to signal the end of class.
C.The boxer stepped into the ring, ready for the championship match.
D.Can you hear the high-pitched ring coming from that old television?

Solution

Homonym - 'ring' Check what 'ring' stands for in each sentence. In (a) it is the sound of a phone, in (b) it is the sounding of a school bell and in (d) it is a high-pitched sound from a television. All three therefore use 'ring' in the sense of a sound. In (c) the ring is the roped, enclosed area in which a boxing match is fought - a place, not a sound. That makes (c) the odd one out. Hence the correct option is (c).

10

Choose the correct one-word substitute for: To surprise or impress someone greatly.

A.Jolt
B.Stupefy
C.Astonish
D.Bewildered

Solution

One-word substitution 'Astonish' means to surprise or impress someone greatly, which is the given definition word for word. 'Stupefy' is close, but it means to shock someone so much that they cannot think clearly, which is stronger than mere surprise. 'Jolt' means to give a sudden physical or mental shock. 'Bewildered' is an adjective meaning completely confused, so it cannot answer a definition beginning with 'To ...'. Hence the correct option is (c).

11

Choose the correct indirect narration of the following statement from the given alternatives: The general said to the soldiers, "We have secured the borders and are now moving toward the capital."

A.The general told the soldiers that they have secured the borders and were then moving toward the capital.
B.The general told the soldiers that they had secured the borders and were then moving toward the capital.
C.The general told the soldiers that they had secured the borders and are now moving toward the capital.
D.The general told the soldiers that we had secured the borders and were then moving toward the capital.

Solution

Direct to indirect speech 'Said to' becomes 'told' when the listener is named, and 'that' introduces the reported clause. The reporting verb is in the past, so the tenses inside the quotation move one step back.

'We' covers the general and the soldiers together, and since both appear in the reporting clause it becomes 'they'. Option (a) leaves 'have secured' unchanged and (c) leaves 'are now moving' unchanged, so both fail the backshift. Option (d) keeps the pronoun 'we', which cannot survive in reported speech here. Hence the correct option is (b).

12

Choose the most suitable preposition from the given options to fill in the blank in the following sentence: She was so engrossed

____

her work that she completely lost track of time.

A.with
B.by
C.in
D.on

Solution

Preposition after adjective The adjective 'engrossed' is always followed by the preposition 'in'. The same pattern holds for 'absorbed in', 'immersed in' and 'lost in', all of which describe total attention to something. The sense fits: she was so deeply into her work that she noticed nothing else, not even the time. 'With', 'by' and 'on' do not collocate with 'engrossed'. Hence the correct option is (c).

13

Change the following sentence into the Active form: The witness was made to provide a statement before the officer.

A.The witness provided a statement to the officer.
B.The officer made the witness provide a statement.
C.The officer was made to provide a statement by the witness.
D.A statement was provided by the witness to the officer.

Solution

Passive to active voice In the passive 'was made to provide', the doer of the compelling is the officer before whom the statement was given. So the officer becomes the subject of the active sentence and the witness becomes the object. The causative verb 'make' takes a bare infinitive in the active voice: make + object + base form of the verb. That gives 'The officer made the witness provide a statement', with 'provide' and not 'to provide'. Option (a) drops the idea of compulsion altogether, while (c) and (d) are still passive sentences. Hence the correct option is (b).

14

Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect voice. "The technicians will be repairing the server tomorrow,' the manager said.

A.The manager said that the technicians will be repairing the server the next day.
B.The manager said that the technicians would be repairing the server the next day.
C.The manager said that the technicians would have been repairing the server the next day.
D.The manager said that the technicians were going to be repairing the server tomorrow.

Solution

Reported speech - future continuous No listener is named, so the reporting verb stays 'said' and 'that' is added. The quoted verb 'will be repairing' is future continuous; with a past reporting verb 'will' becomes 'would'. The time word 'tomorrow' also has to shift, because the reporting is no longer being done on that day.

Option (a) keeps 'will', (c) turns the verb into the future perfect continuous and (d) keeps 'tomorrow' unchanged. Hence the correct option is (b).

15

Select the sentence with an incorrect spelling.

A.His countenance was friendly and welcoming to everyone he met.
B.She had a sad countainance after hearing the disappointing news.
C.The baby's countenance brightened the moment he saw his mother.
D.It was difficult to read his countenance because he kept his face so still.

Solution

Spelling All four sentences use the same word, so only its spelling has to be compared. The correct spelling is 'countenance', meaning a person's face or facial expression, and options (a), (c) and (d) all spell it that way. Option (b) writes 'countainance', inserting an extra 'a' after 'count-'. So that sentence is the one with the wrong spelling. Hence the correct option is (b).

16

Choose the correct passive voice transformation of the sentence: We are developing an interactive program.

A.An interactive program has been developed by us.
B.An interactive program is being developed by us.
C.An interactive program is developed by us.
D.An interactive program was being developed by us.

Solution

Active to passive voice 'Are developing' is present continuous, whose passive structure is is/are + being +

V_{3}

. The object 'an interactive program' becomes the subject, and it is singular, so the auxiliary is 'is'. The subject 'we' becomes the agent 'by us'. This gives 'An interactive program is being developed by us'. Option (a) shifts to the present perfect, (c) drops 'being' and becomes simple present, and (d) shifts to the past continuous. Hence the correct option is (b).

17

Choose the correct passive voice transformation of the sentence: Did you finish the report?

A.The report was finished by you?
B.Was the report finished by you?
C.Had the report been finished by you?
D.Is the report finished by you?

Solution

Passive of an interrogative 'Did you finish ...?' is a question in the simple past, so the passive must also remain a question. The structure is: Was/Were + object +

V_{3}

+ by + agent? The object 'the report' is singular, so the auxiliary is 'was', and 'you' becomes 'by you'. This gives 'Was the report finished by you?'. Option (a) keeps statement word order, (c) uses the past perfect and (d) uses the present tense. Hence the correct option is (b).

18

Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct voice: The geography teacher told the class that the sun rises in the east.

A.The teacher said to the class, "The sun rose in the east."
B.The teacher said to the class, 'The sun will rise in the east.'
C.The teacher said to the class, "The sun is rising in the east."
D.The teacher said to the class, "The sun rises in the east."

Solution

Indirect to direct speech To return to direct speech, 'told the class that' becomes 'said to the class,' and the words spoken go inside quotation marks. The sun rising in the east is a universal truth, and the tense of a universal truth never changes in either direction of narration. So the verb must stay in the simple present as 'rises'. Options (a), (b) and (c) change it to 'rose', 'will rise' and 'is rising', all of which break that rule. Hence the correct option is (d).

19

Directions (Qs. 19-23): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. In many conservative societies, discussing menstrual hygiene openly is still considered a taboo. This cultural restriction, combined with a lack of access to sanitary products, forces many young girls to suffer in silence during their cycles. The shame associated with a natural biological process often leads to high school dropout rates and significant health risks, as many rely on unhygienic alternatives instead of modern medical solutions. However, activists argue that education is the most effective tool to dismantle these outdated perceptions. They believe that providing accurate information to both men and women is essential for creating a supportive environment. Just as society treats nutrition as a basic human right, reproductive health also requires the same level of openness and resources. Unfortunately, the silence surrounding the topic persists in rural areas, hindering progress. Overcoming this taboo involves a shift in mindset across all levels of society. When communities start treating health as a priority over tradition, the cycle of shame can finally be broken. Only by normalizing these conversations can we ensure that no individual is forced to compromise their health or dignity due to societal pressure.

Identify the tense used in the sentence: "Just as society treats nutrition as a basic human right, reproductive health also requires the same level of openness."

A.Present perfect
B.Simple past
C.Present simple
D.Past perfect

Solution

Identifying the tense Look at the two main verbs of the sentence: 'treats' and 'requires'. Both are base verbs carrying the -s ending used with a singular subject, which is the mark of the present simple. There is no 'has/have +

V_{3}

', so it is not the present perfect, and no past form, so it is neither of the past options. The sentence also states a general truth about how society behaves, which is a typical use of the present simple. Hence the correct option is (c).

20

Directions (Qs. 19-23): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. In many conservative societies, discussing menstrual hygiene openly is still considered a taboo. This cultural restriction, combined with a lack of access to sanitary products, forces many young girls to suffer in silence during their cycles. The shame associated with a natural biological process often leads to high school dropout rates and significant health risks, as many rely on unhygienic alternatives instead of modern medical solutions. However, activists argue that education is the most effective tool to dismantle these outdated perceptions. They believe that providing accurate information to both men and women is essential for creating a supportive environment. Just as society treats nutrition as a basic human right, reproductive health also requires the same level of openness and resources. Unfortunately, the silence surrounding the topic persists in rural areas, hindering progress. Overcoming this taboo involves a shift in mindset across all levels of society. When communities start treating health as a priority over tradition, the cycle of shame can finally be broken. Only by normalizing these conversations can we ensure that no individual is forced to compromise their health or dignity due to societal pressure.

Identify the voice used in the sentence: 'In many conservative societies, people still consider discussing hygiene a taboo."

A.Passive voice
B.Active voice
C.Imperative voice
D.Subjunctive voice

Solution

Identifying the voice Find the subject and check whether it performs the action or receives it. In 'people still consider discussing hygiene a taboo', the subject is 'people' and the verb is 'consider'. The people are the ones doing the considering, so the subject is the doer and the sentence is in the active voice. The passive of the same idea would read 'discussing hygiene is still considered a taboo', with a form of 'be' plus the past participle - neither of which is present here. Hence the correct option is (b).

21

Directions (Qs. 19-23): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. In many conservative societies, discussing menstrual hygiene openly is still considered a taboo. This cultural restriction, combined with a lack of access to sanitary products, forces many young girls to suffer in silence during their cycles. The shame associated with a natural biological process often leads to high school dropout rates and significant health risks, as many rely on unhygienic alternatives instead of modern medical solutions. However, activists argue that education is the most effective tool to dismantle these outdated perceptions. They believe that providing accurate information to both men and women is essential for creating a supportive environment. Just as society treats nutrition as a basic human right, reproductive health also requires the same level of openness and resources. Unfortunately, the silence surrounding the topic persists in rural areas, hindering progress. Overcoming this taboo involves a shift in mindset across all levels of society. When communities start treating health as a priority over tradition, the cycle of shame can finally be broken. Only by normalizing these conversations can we ensure that no individual is forced to compromise their health or dignity due to societal pressure.

Select the most appropriate meaning of the word 'taboo' as per the passage.

A.A celebrated event
B.A religious ceremony
C.A social custom that prohibits or restricts a particular practice
D.A government regulation

Solution

Vocabulary in context A taboo is a social or cultural ban - something a community forbids its members to do, or even to talk about. The passage says that discussing menstrual hygiene openly is 'still considered a taboo' and in the very next sentence calls it a 'cultural restriction'. So the word carries the sense of a prohibition imposed by society, which is exactly what option (c) states. A celebration, a religious ceremony or a government regulation do not fit: a taboo is neither festive nor written into law. Hence the correct option is (c).

22

Directions (Qs. 19-23): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. In many conservative societies, discussing menstrual hygiene openly is still considered a taboo. This cultural restriction, combined with a lack of access to sanitary products, forces many young girls to suffer in silence during their cycles. The shame associated with a natural biological process often leads to high school dropout rates and significant health risks, as many rely on unhygienic alternatives instead of modern medical solutions. However, activists argue that education is the most effective tool to dismantle these outdated perceptions. They believe that providing accurate information to both men and women is essential for creating a supportive environment. Just as society treats nutrition as a basic human right, reproductive health also requires the same level of openness and resources. Unfortunately, the silence surrounding the topic persists in rural areas, hindering progress. Overcoming this taboo involves a shift in mindset across all levels of society. When communities start treating health as a priority over tradition, the cycle of shame can finally be broken. Only by normalizing these conversations can we ensure that no individual is forced to compromise their health or dignity due to societal pressure.

Select the most appropriate meaning of the phrase "suffer in silence" as per the passage?

A.To celebrate quietly
B.To endure pain or distress without complaining or seeking assistance
C.To study in a quiet environment
D.To speak in a low volume

Solution

Idiomatic phrase 'To suffer in silence' means to bear pain or hardship without complaining and without asking anyone for help. The passage says the girls are forced to 'suffer in silence' during their cycles because of shame and a lack of sanitary products - they endure the difficulty entirely on their own. Option (b) carries exactly this sense of enduring distress without complaint or assistance. The other options fasten only on the literal word 'silence' - speaking softly, studying quietly, celebrating quietly - and lose the idea of suffering altogether. Hence the correct option is (b).

23

Directions (Qs. 19-23): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. In many conservative societies, discussing menstrual hygiene openly is still considered a taboo. This cultural restriction, combined with a lack of access to sanitary products, forces many young girls to suffer in silence during their cycles. The shame associated with a natural biological process often leads to high school dropout rates and significant health risks, as many rely on unhygienic alternatives instead of modern medical solutions. However, activists argue that education is the most effective tool to dismantle these outdated perceptions. They believe that providing accurate information to both men and women is essential for creating a supportive environment. Just as society treats nutrition as a basic human right, reproductive health also requires the same level of openness and resources. Unfortunately, the silence surrounding the topic persists in rural areas, hindering progress. Overcoming this taboo involves a shift in mindset across all levels of society. When communities start treating health as a priority over tradition, the cycle of shame can finally be broken. Only by normalizing these conversations can we ensure that no individual is forced to compromise their health or dignity due to societal pressure.

According to the passage, what is the primary tool to dismantle outdated perceptions?

A.Financial aid
B.Education
C.Strict laws
D.Traditional rituals

Solution

Detail from the passage The second paragraph states it directly: 'However, activists argue that education is the most effective tool to dismantle these outdated perceptions.' The tool named there is education, so option (b) simply restates the line of the passage. Financial aid, strict laws and traditional rituals are nowhere offered in the passage as the means of changing these perceptions - in fact tradition is named as the thing to be overcome. Hence the correct option is (b).

24

What is the synonym of 'Abiding'.

A.Perishable
B.Momentary
C.Evanescent
D.Perennial

Solution

Synonym 'Abiding' means lasting for a long time - enduring, permanent.

'Perennial' also means continuing on and on, year after year, so it is the closest word in meaning. The other three point the opposite way: 'perishable' = liable to decay quickly, 'momentary' = lasting only a moment, 'evanescent' = fading away almost at once. Hence the correct option is (d).

25

Select the incorrectly spelt word.

A.Umbilecal
B.Precious
C.Empirical
D.Fractured

Solution

Spelling The word in option (a) is misspelt: the correct spelling is 'Umbilical'.

It comes from the Latin umbilicus ('navel'), and the vowel of that root is an i, so the third syllable is -li-, not -le-. 'Precious', 'Empirical' and 'Fractured' are all written correctly. Hence the incorrectly spelt word is option (a).