SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 19 September 2025, Shift 1 · English Comprehension · Question 21 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.

A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech. He said, “The sun rises in the east.”

(a)He said that the sun rose in the east.
(b)He said that the sun has risen in the east.
(c)He said that the sun rises in the east.
(d)He said that the sun had risen in the east.

Answer

Why

Correct — C. The trigger is the content: 'The sun rises in the east' is a universal truth, true whenever it is said.

After a past reporting verb like said, the tense normally moves one step back. A universal truth is the standard exception: its present simple stays.

So: He said that the sun rises in the east → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
He said that the sun rose in the east. — rose applies the ordinary backshift, rises → rose. The universal-truth exception keeps the present, because the sun still rises in the east now.
(b)
He said that the sun has risen in the east. — has risen is present perfect, which reports one completed rising, not a daily fact. It is not a backshift of rises either, since backshift moves the present to the past.
(d)
He said that the sun had risen in the east. — had risen moves the tense two steps back, present to past perfect, and turns a permanent fact into a single event before he spoke.

Concept

In reported speech, a past reporting verb (said, told) normally pulls the reported verb one tense back: 'I am tired' → he said that he was tired.

The exception is a universal truth, a statement that is always true. Its tense does not change: 'The earth moves round the sun' → the teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

Check the content before you shift the tense.

Some grammars also accept the backshifted form for a fact that is still true. The key here applies the classic rule, which keeps a universal truth in the present.

Key facts

After a past reporting verb, the present simple normally becomes past simple: 'I am busy' → he said that he was busy.
A universal truth keeps its present tense: He said that the sun rises in the east.
The reporting verb itself stays as said, with that introducing the reported clause.

Study next

The full backshift table in reported speechWhen the present tense is kept: universal truthsReporting questions and commands

Common traps

Backshifting automatically because the reporting verb is said — check first whether the reported statement is always true.
Choosing had risen because it sits furthest in the past — the present moves at most one step back, and here not at all.

The ordinary backshift, for contrast, is keyed at 12 Sep 2025, 16:00, English Q.22: 'I am not feeling well' becomes 'He said that he was not feeling well.'

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Narration — all 23 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.