SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 23 September 2025, Shift 3 · English Comprehension · Question 16 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.

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: Had he not deferred the proposal for weeks, (1)/ the board would have had a better chance (2)/ to evaluating the project’s long-term viability (3)/ before the deadline lapsed. (4)

(a)(1)
(b)(2)
(c)(3)
(d)(4)

Answer

Why

Correct — C. Segment (3) reads to evaluating.

Here to is the infinitive marker that follows chance, so it needs the base verb: a better chance to evaluate.

Chance also takes of + -ing (a chance of winning), but to + -ing matches neither pattern. The fix lies wholly in segment (3) → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
(1) — Had he not deferred is an inverted third conditional, the formal version of 'If he had not deferred'. It needs no if and is correct.
(b)
(2) — Would have had is the regular result clause of a third conditional: would have + had, the past participle of have. The double have is correct.
(d)
(4) — Before the deadline lapsed uses the simple past for a completed past event, which fits the conditional's past time frame.

Concept

To does two jobs, and each takes a different verb form.

As the infinitive marker it takes the base verb: a chance to evaluate, able to evaluate. As a preposition it takes a noun or an -ing form: look forward to evaluating, committed to evaluating.

The test: if a noun could stand after to (look forward to the review), to is a preposition. 'A better chance to the review' fails, so here to is the infinitive marker.

Key facts

chance to + base verb, for an opportunity: a better chance to evaluate.
chance of + -ing, for a likelihood: a better chance of winning.
Had he not deferred = If he had not deferred, an inverted third conditional.
Preposition to takes -ing: look forward to meeting, committed to evaluating.

Study next

Gerund after the preposition to: look forward to, object to, with a view toInverted conditionals: Had he known, Were I you, Should you needNoun + to-infinitive versus noun + of + -ing: chance, opportunity, possibility

Common traps

Suspecting segment (1) because it has no if. Had he not deferred is a correct inverted conditional.
Suspecting segment (2) for its double have. Would have had is the standard third-conditional result.
Treating every to as a preposition that takes -ing, as in look forward to.

The reverse case is 13 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.20: after the preposition in 'looking forward to', the keyed fix is 'to meeting you soon', an -ing form.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Error spotting — all 121 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.