SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 12 September 2025, Shift 2 · English Comprehension · Question 11 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: That the framework lacks provisions for backward compatibility (1)/ is less problematic than the assumption (2)/ that all peripheral institutions will, without coercion, (3)/ adheres to the central directive as framed. (4)

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

Answer

Why

Correct — D. The trigger is the modal will in part (3). A modal is followed by the bare infinitive: will adhere, never will adheres.

The phrase without coercion, set off by commas, and the segment break both separate will from its verb. Read straight from will to the verb it governs.

Drop the modal and adheres still fails: the subject all peripheral institutions is plural. Part (4) should read "adhere to the central directive as framed" — option (d).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
(1) — That the framework lacks provisions is a that-clause acting as the subject. It counts as one idea and takes the singular is in part (2), and lacks agrees with framework.
(b)
(2) — is less problematic than is a correct comparative, less + adjective + than, and the singular is matches the that-clause subject in part (1).
(c)
(3) — will, without coercion, is sound: the modal comes before its verb, and the commas mark off a parenthetical phrase. The fault lies in the verb form that follows, in part (4).

Concept

Modal verbs — will, shall, can, may, must, should, would, could, might — are followed by the bare infinitive, the base form with no -s, -ed or -ing: she will go, it can work.

The modal itself never changes for person: he will, not he wills.

Here a phrase in commas and a segment break stand between the modal and its verb. Find the modal first, then jump to its verb.

The sentence opens with a second trap. A that-clause can look unfinished, but That the framework lacks provisions for backward compatibility is a complete subject, and is less problematic is its verb.

Key facts

A modal verb is followed by the bare infinitive: will adhere, can go, must stop.
A that-clause used as a subject takes a singular verb: That he lied is clear.
Adhere to means to follow or stick to a rule or plan.

Study next

Modals with the perfect infinitive: should have gone, not should have wentSemi-modals that take to: ought to, have to, used toClause subjects opening with That or Whether

Common traps

Reading adheres as an ordinary present-tense verb and missing the will that stands before the comma phrase
Suspecting part (1) because a sentence opening with That looks unfinished

The same modal rule decides 10 Sep 2024, 09:00, English Q.11, where will replaced traditional fossil fuels must read will replace.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

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