SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 18 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 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.

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: The CEO along with his deputies (1)/ were present during the final negotiations (2)/ with the investors (3)/ and regulators. (4)/

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

Answer

Why

Correct — B. The subject is The CEO, one person. Along with his deputies is an add-on phrase: it brings the deputies in without joining them to the subject, as and would.

So the verb agrees with the CEO alone and must be singular. Part (2) prints were present; the repair is was present → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
(1) — The CEO along with his deputies is the subject phrase, and nothing in its wording is faulty. The error is the plural verb it is given in part (2).
(c)
(3) — with the investors completes negotiations with: you negotiate with someone. The preposition and the article are both correct.
(d)
(4) — and regulators adds a second noun to investors, sharing both with and the. The sentence closes correctly.

Concept

A verb agrees with the head of its subject, not with nouns attached to it by a phrase.

Along with, together with, as well as and in addition to attach extra people or things without making the subject plural: The captain, along with the players, was honoured.

Only and joins two subjects into a plural one: The CEO and his deputies were present.

A quick test: cover the add-on phrase and read what is left. The CEO were present fails at once, and The CEO was present is the repair.

Key facts

A phrase opening with along with, together with or as well as does not change the number of the subject.
Only and makes a plural subject: The CEO and his deputies were present.
Setting the phrase off with commas keeps the verb singular: The CEO, along with his deputies, was present.

Study next

Agreement with either ... or and neither ... nor, where the verb follows the nearer subjectAgreement when a that-clause sits between subject and verb: The perception that the guidelines are optional has ledCollective nouns such as committee and team, singular when the group acts as one

Common traps

Matching the verb to deputies, the plural noun just before it, instead of the head noun CEO
Reading along with as if it meant and

The same pull of a nearby plural noun is tested at 14 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.10: after The perception that the guidelines are optional, the key marks have led, which must be has led.

At 14 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.12 the head is The fact, and the key marks reflect, which must be reflects.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

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