SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 12 September 2025, Shift 3 · English Comprehension · Question 20 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 11 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.

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: She insisted me to take the medicine.

(a)that I take the medicine
(b)me that I take medicine
(c)me taking the medicine
(d)to take medicine by me

Answer

Why

Correct — A. Every option slots in after insisted, so the part under test is 'me to take the medicine'.

Insist does not take an object + to-infinitive. It takes a that-clause, 'insisted that I take', or on + -ing, 'insisted on my taking'.

When insist means demand, the verb in the that-clause stays in its base form, take → option (a).

Why the others are wrong

(b)
me that I take medicine — 'She insisted me that I take medicine' — insist cannot take a person directly after it. The that-clause is right, but the stray me breaks the sentence, and the medicine loses its the.
(c)
me taking the medicine — 'She insisted me taking the medicine' lacks the preposition on. The -ing pattern is 'insisted on my (or me) taking the medicine'.
(d)
to take medicine by me — Pairs insist with a to-infinitive, which standard English does not use after insist, and 'by me' is a passive-voice agent attached to an active verb.

Concept

Verbs differ in what may follow them. Advise, tell and ask take object + to-infinitive: 'advised him to rest'. Insist does not.

Insist has two patterns: insist on + -ing ('insisted on my taking'), or insist that + clause ('insisted that I take').

When insist means 'demand that something be done', the that-clause uses the verb's base form — 'that he take', 'that she be present' — or should + base form: 'that he should take'.

Insist that can also mean 'firmly claim'. Then the clause takes an ordinary tense: 'She insisted that she had locked the door.' Taking medicine here is a demand, so the base form fits.

Key facts

Insist takes on + -ing or a that-clause, never object + to-infinitive: 'insisted on my taking', 'insisted that I take'.
After insist, demand or recommend in the sense of requiring an action, the that-clause uses the base form: 'that he take'.
Advise, ask and tell do take object + to-infinitive: 'advised him to avoid'.

Study next

Verb + preposition + -ing: insist on doing, succeed in doing, object to doingThe base-form (subjunctive) verb after demand, insist, recommend, suggestVerbs taking object + to-infinitive: advise, allow, ask, tell

Common traps

Carrying the tell pattern over to insist — 'insisted me to take' copies 'told me to take'.
Choosing 'me taking the medicine' because an -ing form feels right — without on, insist cannot take it.

The contrasting pattern is keyed at 12 Sep 2025, 09:00, English Q.21: advise does take object + to-infinitive, and the keyed sentence reads 'advised him to avoid eating sweets and to exercise regularly'.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Sentence improvement — all 98 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.