SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 19 September 2025, Shift 2 · English Comprehension · Question 15 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 13 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: He is more tall than his brother.

(a)taller to
(b)much taller than
(c)taller than
(d)more taller than

Answer

Why

Correct — C. Tall is a one-syllable adjective, so its comparative is formed with -er: tall → taller. More belongs with longer adjectives such as beautiful or comfortable.

A comparative is followed by than, so the phrase becomes taller than.

He is taller than his brother → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
taller to — to follows only a few comparison words of Latin origin, such as superior, senior, junior and preferable. An -er comparative such as taller takes than.
(b)
much taller than — much is an addition, not a correction. Much taller than is good English, but it claims a large gap in height that the original sentence never states.
(d)
more taller than — Double comparative. More and -er both mark the comparative, so more taller says it twice. Use one or the other, never both.

Concept

English builds comparatives two ways. One-syllable adjectives add -er: tall → taller, fast → faster. Adjectives of three or more syllables take more: more beautiful, more comfortable. Two-syllable adjectives vary: happier, but more careful.

A comparative is marked once. More taller and more better are double comparatives, and both are wrong.

In a replacement item, correct the error and add nothing: a word like much or far changes the meaning even when it is grammatical.

More tall is not always wrong. When two qualities of the same person are compared, more is used even with a short adjective: He is more lazy than stupid. Here two people are compared, so the -er form is needed.

Key facts

One-syllable adjectives form the comparative with -er: tall → taller.
Adjectives of three or more syllables take more: more comfortable.
Superior, inferior, senior, junior and prior take to, not than.
A comparative is marked once: more taller is a double comparative.

Study next

Irregular comparatives such as good → better and bad → worseComparison words of Latin origin that take to: senior to, superior to, preferable toDouble superlatives such as most tallest

Common traps

Choosing much taller than because it is grammatical, though it adds a meaning the sentence lacks
Carrying the more from the original into the answer and picking more taller than

26 Sep 2025, 16:00, English Q.21 is the same item with an irregular adjective: The book is more better than the previous one, keyed better than, with much better than and more good than among the wrong options.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Sentence improvement — all 133 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.