SSC CGL 2024 Tier-I · 11 September 2024, Shift 3 · English Comprehension · Question 5 of 100

Text as printed on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; answer per SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 6 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. The questions and options here are reproduced as printed on a candidate's own response sheet for this shift — the Commission's text, unchanged. Each answer is SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet; SSC allowed challenges to it and never publishes a final key. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Select the option that expresses the given sentence in passive voice. He must deliver pizza.

(a)Pizza can be delivered by him.
(b)Pizza must be delivered by him.
(c)Pizza has to be delivered by him.
(d)Pizza have to be delivered by him.

Answer

Why

Correct — B. The rule for a modal + bare infinitive is to keep the modal and put be + past participle after it.

must deliver → must be delivered
object pizza → subject of the passive
subject He → agent by him

That gives "Pizza must be delivered by him.", which is option (b).

The modal must is carried across untouched. Changing voice moves the object to the front — it does not license a different modal.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Pizza can be delivered by him. — The structure is sound, but can replaces obligation with ability or permission. A voice change must preserve the original modal, and the sentence says must.
(c)
Pizza has to be delivered by him. — has to also expresses obligation, but it is a different verb form substituted for the modal. The passive of must is must be, not has to be.
(d)
Pizza have to be delivered by him. — Two faults at once: have does not agree with the singular subject pizza, and have to again swaps out the modal must.

Concept

Voice change with a modal is mechanical. The modal itself never changes — only what follows it does.

Active: subject + modal + V1 + object.
Passive: object + modal + be + V3 + by + agent.

So can help becomes can be helped, should send becomes should be sent, and must deliver becomes must be delivered.

Options that quietly swap the modal for a near neighbour are the standard trap, because has to and must mean nearly the same thing in speech and are still not interchangeable in a voice-change answer.

The original sentence has no article before pizza, and the keyed passive keeps it that way. Do not reject an option for a missing the when the active did not have one either.

Key facts

The passive of a modal is modal + be + V3, as in must be delivered and should be finished.
Must expresses obligation while can expresses ability or permission, so they are not interchangeable.
Have to and has to are semi-modals that carry obligation but are not the passive form of must.

Study next

Passive with other modals: should, will, may, might, ought toPassive of double-object verbs, where either object can become the subjectPassive of imperatives, which take let plus be plus V3

Common traps

Accepting has to be delivered because it means the same thing, when the exam wants the modal itself preserved.
Overlooking the agreement slip in Pizza have to be delivered, where the singular subject needs has.

SSC gives a short active sentence and four passives that differ in one element — tense, modal or agreement — so compare the options against each other before choosing.

Voice-change items also run at 11 Sep 2024, 09:00, English Q.11 (Ravi will play the match.) and 10 Sep 2024, 12:30, English Q.17.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.