SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 15 September 2025, Shift 2 · English Comprehension · Question 12 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.

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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: Not only does the report fail to address the structural gaps, (1)/ but also it overlooks the more pressing issue (2)/ of community exclusion which, according to activists, (3)/ have been systematically ignored for years. (4)

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

Answer

Why

Correct — D. The trigger is which in part (3). A relative pronoun takes its number from the noun it stands for, and here that noun is the issue of community exclusion, a singular noun.

The aside according to activists sits between which and its verb but changes nothing.

So the verb must be singular: which has been systematically ignored, not have been. The error is in part (4) → option (d).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
(1) — Not only does the report fail is correct. When not only opens a clause, the auxiliary comes before the subject, and does + fail supplies that inversion.
(b)
(2) — but also it overlooks completes the not only ... but also pair, and overlooks agrees with its subject, it (the report). The order but it also overlooks is also possible; the fault lies in part (4).
(c)
(3) — of community exclusion which, according to activists, raises no error: which follows community exclusion, the noun it refers to, and the commas fence off the aside. The fault is the verb that comes next.

Concept

Relative pronouns have no number of their own. Which, who and that borrow it from their antecedent, the noun they refer to, and the verb in the relative clause agrees with that noun.

the issue which has been ignored
the issues which have been ignored

Find the antecedent by asking what the clause describes. Here it is community exclusion that has been ignored for years, not the structural gaps of part (1).

The nearest noun to have been is activists, a plural, which is why have been can sound right on a quick read. Lift the aside out and read: 'community exclusion which has been systematically ignored for years'.

Key facts

A relative pronoun takes its number from its antecedent: the issue which has, the issues which have.
An aside between commas, such as according to activists, does not change the verb's number.
A clause opened by not only takes inversion: Not only does the report fail.

Study next

Finding the antecedent of which when two nouns stand before itInversion after negative openers: not only, never, hardly, no soonerAgreement with along with and as well as: The minister, along with his aides, was present

Common traps

Matching the verb to activists, the plural noun right before have been
Marking part (1) because the inverted does the report fail looks like a question

The same agreement is tested in reverse at 14 Sep 2025, 09:00, English Q.11. In 'overlapping regulatory mandates which, though designed to safeguard institutional autonomy, ends up paralyzing', the antecedent is plural, and the key again marks part (4).

At 14 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.10, 'The perception that the guidelines are optional rather than compulsory have led' is keyed at part (2): the verb must agree with perception.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Error spotting — all 86 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.