SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 14 September 2025, Shift 2 · English Comprehension · Question 9 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.

Select the correct option: It was imperative that the document ___ signed before the close of business.

(a)will be
(b)was
(c)be
(d)had been

Answer

Why

Correct — C. The trigger is It was imperative that. Adjectives of necessity such as imperative, essential and vital take the mandative subjunctive: the bare verb, with no tense and no agreement.

So the clause keeps be even though the main verb was is past:
It was imperative that the document be signed before the close of business → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
will be — Will be is a future indicative, a prediction. The clause after imperative states a requirement, and will also clashes with the past-tense was.
(b)
was — Was is the ordinary past indicative, which reports a fact. After imperative that, formal English states the requirement with the bare verb be, whatever the tense of the main clause.
(d)
had been — Had been is the past perfect, which places the signing before some other past moment. The deadline is already given by before the close of business, and the mandative clause takes the bare verb.

Concept

The mandative subjunctive follows words of demand, requirement or proposal: verbs such as insist, demand, suggest and recommend, and adjectives such as imperative, essential, vital and necessary.

Its verb is the bare infinitive, with no -s for he or she and no change for past time: 'She insisted that he go.' 'It is essential that everyone be present.'

In the passive the pattern is be + past participle: that the document be signed.

British English also allows should here: It was imperative that the document should be signed. Should be is not among the options, and be is the form the key marks.

Key facts

Imperative, essential, vital and necessary + that take the bare verb: that he be, that she go.
The mandative subjunctive does not change for past time: It was imperative that the document be signed.
In the passive the pattern is be + past participle: that the document be signed.
British English also uses should + verb here: that the document should be signed.

Study next

Verbs that take the mandative subjunctive: insist, demand, recommend, suggest, proposeThe past subjunctive were: if I were, I wish I wereLest + should or the bare verb: lest he fall

Common traps

Backshifting to was because the main verb was is past, when the subjunctive keeps be
Choosing had been because the signing had to come before a deadline, when before the close of business already says that

The same bare-verb rule after insist is keyed at 12 Sep 2025, 16:00, English Q.20, where 'She insisted me to take the medicine' becomes that I take the medicine.

The contrast case is 19 Sep 2024, 12:30, English Q.7: think does not take the subjunctive, so 'she be completely safe' is keyed as is completely safe.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Fill in the blank — all 58 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.