SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 21 September 2025, Shift 1 · English Comprehension · Question 2 of 99

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.

Read the passage and answer the questions:
The metamorphosis of a butterfly epitomizes one of nature’s most intricate and captivating transformations. The life cycle initiates with the deposition of fragile eggs, often hidden on the underside of leaves, ensuring immediate access to nourishment upon hatching.
Once emerged, the larva — or caterpillar — enters a phase of relentless consumption, devouring foliage to fuel its rapid growth. During this stage, it undergoes multiple molts, shedding its rigid exoskeleton to accommodate its expanding form. This insatiable feeding period is essential for amassing the energy required for the subsequent, dramatic metamorphosis.
The transition into the pupal stage, encapsulated within a chrysalis, marks an extraordinary biological phenomenon. Inside, the caterpillar’s structures are enzymatically dismantled and reconstructed into entirely new forms — wings, antennae, and compound eyes emerge through a sophisticated process known as histogenesis.
Upon completing this hidden transformation, the adult butterfly struggles free, its crumpled wings needing to be inflated with hemolymph and dried before flight is possible. Once airborne, the butterfly’s existence centres on reproduction, perpetuating the species before its ephemeral life concludes.
Though often romanticized, the butterfly’s life cycle underscores a rigorous narrative of survival, adaptation, and evolutionary precision, offering profound insights into the fragile balance of ecosystems.

Which sentence contains a relative clause?

(a)"Its crumpled wings need to be inflated."
(b)“Eggs are often hidden on the underside of leaves."
(c)"A caterpillar devours foliage to fuel its growth."
(d)"The larva, which undergoes multiple molts, grows rapidly."

Answer

Why

Correct — D. A relative clause opens with a relative word such as who, which, whose or that, and describes the noun just before it.

Here which undergoes multiple molts follows the noun larva and describes it. It is a full clause: which is its subject and undergoes its verb.

The commas make it non-defining: it adds a fact about the larva, and "The larva grows rapidly" still stands without it → option (d).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
"Its crumpled wings need to be inflated." — to be inflated is a passive infinitive, part of the verb phrase need to be inflated. No relative word ties a clause to wings.
(b)
“Eggs are often hidden on the underside of leaves." — Eggs are often hidden is one passive clause, and on the underside of leaves is a prepositional phrase saying where. No who, which or that appears.
(c)
"A caterpillar devours foliage to fuel its growth." — to fuel its growth is an infinitive of purpose: it says why the caterpillar eats. No relative word introduces it, and it describes no noun.

Concept

A relative clause, also called an adjective clause, describes a noun. It begins with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that) or a relative adverb (where, when, why) and has its own verb.

A defining clause picks out which one: The book that I lent you is overdue. A non-defining clause, set off by commas, adds a fact about something already identified: The larva, which undergoes multiple molts, grows rapidly.

Infinitives (to fuel, to be inflated) and prepositional phrases (on the underside of leaves) are not relative clauses: no relative word introduces them.

Option (d) is not in the passage as written. The passage says "During this stage, it undergoes multiple molts", and the option recasts that as a relative clause. The stem asks which sentence contains one, not which is quoted.

Key facts

Relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that. Relative adverbs: where, when, why.
A non-defining relative clause sits between commas and takes which or who, not that.
An infinitive of purpose, such as to fuel its growth, says why something is done and is not a relative clause.

Study next

Defining and non-defining relative clauses, and the commas that separate themChoosing who, whom, whose, which or where to join a clause to its nounInfinitive and participle phrases, told apart from relative clauses by the missing relative word

Common traps

Picking a passive sentence because it looks complex, when voice has nothing to do with relative clauses
Reading to fuel its growth as a clause describing foliage, when it says why the caterpillar eats

Here the grammar item is set on rewordings of the passage. A non-defining which-clause between commas is the keyed blank at 15 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.11 ("The discovery, ___ was unexpected, altered the trajectory of the entire study", keyed which).

21 Sep 2025, 16:00, English Q.1 asks the role of a whose-clause and keys Adjective clause modifying "figures".

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Reading comprehension — all 128 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.

Read the passage and answer the questions:
The metamorphosis of a butterfly epitomizes one of nature’s most intricate and captivating transformations. The life cycle initiates with the deposition of fragile eggs, often hidden on the underside of leaves, ensuring immediate access to nourishment upon hatching.
Once emerged, the larva — or caterpillar — enters a phase of relentless consumption, devouring foliage to fuel its rapid growth. During this stage, it undergoes multiple molts, shedding its rigid exoskeleton to accommodate its expanding form. This insatiable feeding period is essential for amassing the energy required for the subsequent, dramatic metamorphosis.
The transition into the pupal stage, encapsulated within a chrysalis, marks an extraordinary biological phenomenon. Inside, the caterpillar’s structures are enzymatically dismantled and reconstructed into entirely new forms — wings, antennae, and compound eyes emerge through a sophisticated process known as histogenesis.
Upon completing this hidden transformation, the adult butterfly struggles free, its crumpled wings needing to be inflated with hemolymph and dried before flight is possible. Once airborne, the butterfly’s existence centres on reproduction, perpetuating the species before its ephemeral life concludes.
Though often romanticized, the butterfly’s life cycle underscores a rigorous narrative of survival, adaptation, and evolutionary precision, offering profound insights into the fragile balance of ecosystems.