SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 12 September 2025, Shift 2 · English Comprehension · Question 10 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 13 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: Much of what appears to be coordination (1)/ among the regulatory bodies and private stakeholders (2)/ are, in fact, coincidental overlaps (3)/ caused by differing mandates. (4)

(a)(1)
(b)(2)
(c)(3)
(d)(4)

Answer

Why

Correct — C. The subject is Much of what appears to be coordination among the regulatory bodies and private stakeholders, and its head is Much.

Much measures an uncountable quantity and takes a singular verb: much of the work is done, never much of the work are done. The plural stakeholders, standing right before the verb, is the lure.

Part (3) should read "is, in fact, coincidental overlaps" — option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
(1) — Much of what appears is a sound opening: Much is followed by an of-phrase, and the what-clause inside it rightly takes the singular appears. Nothing here needs changing.
(b)
(2) — among fits here, since the coordination would run across many bodies and stakeholders. The phrase is correct; it only plants the plural noun that pulls the verb towards are.
(d)
(4) — caused by differing mandates is a past-participle phrase describing the overlaps, and differing is a correct adjective. The sentence closes cleanly.

Concept

A verb agrees with the head of its subject, however long the subject grows. Strip away the of-phrase and any clause inside it, and the head is what remains.

Much is used with uncountable nouns, so it takes a singular verb: Much of the evidence was lost.

Two plural nouns sit near the verb here: stakeholders before it, overlaps after it. Neither is the subject, so neither decides the verb.

There is no 'No error' choice, so one of the four parts has to be wrong. Once the agreement fault in part (3) is found, parts (1), (2) and (4) need only a quick check.

Key facts

A verb agrees with the head of its subject, not with the nearest noun or the noun after it.
Much takes a singular verb: Much of the evidence was lost.
Many is used with plural countable nouns and takes a plural verb: Many of the files were lost.

Study next

Agreement after of-phrases: much of, many of, each of, one ofA whole clause as the subject: That the report failed to act was surprisingA singular subject with a plural complement: The main problem is the delays

Common traps

Matching the verb to stakeholders, the plural noun just before it
Matching the verb to overlaps, the plural complement after it

The same head-of-subject rule decides 14 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.10: in The perception that the guidelines are optional rather than compulsory have led, the head is perception, so have led must be has led.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Error spotting — all 121 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.