SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 23 September 2025, Shift 1 · English Comprehension · Question 19 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.

Convert the sentence provided below from its passive voice structure to an active voice structure: The agreement was found to have been violated despite multiple warnings.

(a)It was found that someone violated the agreement.
(b)Authorities found that the agreement was being violated.
(c)Authorities found the agreement had been violated.
(d)It had been found that the agreement was violated.

Answer

Why

Correct — C. The main verb is the passive was found, and it names no finder. Making it active means giving found a subject, and (c) supplies one: Authorities found.

The infinitive to have been violated is perfect, so the violation came before the finding. After past-tense found, that earlier action goes into the past perfect: had been violated → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
It was found that someone violated the agreement. — Violated, simple past, loses what to have been violated marks: the breach came before the finding. It was found also leaves the main verb passive, where (c) gives found a doer.
(b)
Authorities found that the agreement was being violated. — Was being violated is past continuous: the breach still in progress when it was found. The perfect infinitive to have been violated says the breach was already complete by then.
(d)
It had been found that the agreement was violated. — It had been found pushes the finding back to the past perfect, but the stem's was found is simple past and a change of voice keeps the tense. The main verb also stays passive.

Concept

The stem packs two verbs. Was found is the main verb: passive, simple past. To have been violated is a perfect passive infinitive, and the perfect marks an action finished before the finding.

The active form needs a doer for found. The passive names none, so the key supplies Authorities.

Found then takes a clause, and the earlier action lands in the past perfect. That clause stays passive (had been violated) because the sentence never says who broke the agreement.

All four options drop despite multiple warnings, so that phrase cannot separate them. Decide on the voice of the main verb and the tense of the violation.

Key facts

A perfect infinitive (to have + past participle) marks an action earlier than the main verb.
After a past-tense verb such as found, that earlier action is written in the past perfect: found (that) it had been violated.
A change of voice keeps the tense: was found (passive, simple past) becomes found (active, simple past).
When the passive names no agent, the active form needs a supplied subject such as someone or authorities.

Study next

Passive infinitives: to be done against to have been doneReporting-verb passives: it is believed that, he is said to haveSequence of tenses after a past main verb

Common traps

Choosing (a) because someone violated looks active, and missing that the earlier-time perfect has gone
Reading to have been violated as ongoing and picking was being violated

A perfect passive infinitive also heads the stem at 21 Sep 2025, 09:00, English Q.20 (was presumed to have been fabricated). Its key writes the earlier action in the past perfect too: someone had fabricated the evidence.

At 14 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.14 the stem names its agent (by the company), and the key makes the company the doer: The company is believed to have acquired the land illegally.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Active and passive voice — all 132 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.