SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 20 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 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: They enjoyed during the holidays.

(a)enjoyment in the holidays
(b)enjoyed in the holidays
(c)themselves during the holidays
(d)themselves in holidays

Answer

Why

Correct — C. The trigger is the verb enjoyed. Enjoy is transitive: it needs an object, something enjoyed. 'They enjoyed during the holidays' has only a time phrase after it, so that slot is empty.

When the subject simply had a good time, the object is the reflexive pronoun: They enjoyed themselves during the holidays → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
enjoyment in the holidays — enjoyment does fill the object slot, but with the noun of the same verb: 'They enjoyed enjoyment in the holidays' says nothing new. The object for having a good time is themselves.
(b)
enjoyed in the holidays — enjoyed repeats the verb that already sits outside the highlighted part: 'They enjoyed enjoyed in the holidays.' The object slot is still empty.
(d)
themselves in holidays — in holidays drops the article that the holidays needs. The pronoun themselves is right, but the phrase must be in the holidays or during the holidays.

Concept

A transitive verb needs an object: enjoy the film, enjoy a meal. 'We enjoyed at the party' leaves the object out.

When what was enjoyed is the occasion itself, the object is a reflexive pronoun that points back to the subject: myself, ourselves, themselves.

The other fix is to name what was enjoyed: They enjoyed the holidays.

Only during the holidays is highlighted, so enjoyed stays in every version. Read each option in place: (b) gives They enjoyed enjoyed in the holidays, and (c) gives They enjoyed themselves during the holidays.

Key facts

Enjoy takes an object: enjoy the film, enjoy a meal.
With no other object, enjoy takes a reflexive pronoun: enjoy myself, enjoy ourselves, enjoy themselves.
A time phrase such as during the holidays says when, and cannot serve as the object.

Study next

Verbs used with a reflexive pronoun: avail oneself of, pride oneself on, absent oneself fromTransitive and intransitive verbsArticles in time phrases: in the holidays, during the holidays

Common traps

Reading the highlighted part as enjoyed during the holidays: only during the holidays is replaced, so enjoyed stays
Choosing (d) for themselves without checking the rest: in holidays drops the article

The same missing object is keyed at 16 Sep 2025, 09:00, English Q.20: We enjoyed very much at the party → enjoyed ourselves very much.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

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