SSC CGL 2025 Tier-II · Paper-I, 19 January 2026 · English Language and Comprehension · Question 29 of 150

We transcribed this text from the pictures of a candidate's response sheet for this paper; the answer is the key SSC marked with a green tick on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 11 September 2026.

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions based on the passage:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a classic known for its humor and complex characters. The famous first sentence of the book, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," begins to set up all of the major themes of money, status, and marrying well that are prevalent in 19th-century England. The Bennet family, particularly Elizabeth Bennet, a smart and strong-willed heroine, is the subject of Austen’s commentary on the societal imperative for women to marry well and thereby have a stable income.
The title itself is quite meaningful, as it first indicates the character flaws that drive much of the conflict in this novel, namely Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice. In fact, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, being a rich and high-ranking person, first of all shows a haughty character, thereby being very superior by virtue of his class. Elizabeth, having been offended by his initial lack of warmth, as well as having been misled by the deceiving Mr. Wickham, very quickly showed prejudice against him.
Traces the story of each as they navigate these weaknesses. Darcy needs to lower his pride to appreciate the value of Elizabeth’s inferior standing, though she must see the strength of his superior qualities.
Austen employs irony and satire liberally to point out the absurdities of the class structure. Personages like the obsequious Mr. Collins and the imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh symbolize the hard and silly aspects of class consciousness. The sojourn at Darcy’s grand estate, Pemberley, is an important defining instance in which the splendor of the property and the favorable reports of his servants compel Elizabeth to revise her earlier opinion and realize the truth of Darcy’s goodness.
In the final analysis, the novel promotes love marriages, couples like Jane and Bingley, and Elizabeth and Darcy, who have successful marriages because of love, in contrast to couples who marry for convenience (Charlotte Collins and Mr. Collins) or those who are full of passion but irresponsible (Lydia and Wickham).

What is the key event that marks a turning point in making Elizabeth change her view of Darcy?

(a)Her visit to Pemberley and her reception of Darcy's letter
(b)Rejection of Mr. Collins’s Proposal
(c)The Netherfield Ball
(d)Lydia's elopement with Wickham

Answer

Why

Correct — A. The passage names the turning point in one sentence:

'The sojourn at Darcy’s grand estate, Pemberley, is an important defining instance in which the splendor of the property and the favorable reports of his servants compel Elizabeth to revise her earlier opinion and realize the truth of Darcy’s goodness.'

Pemberley is named in option (a) and in no other option → option (a).

Why the others are wrong

(b)
Rejection of Mr. Collins’s Proposal — Mr. Collins's proposal is not mentioned in the passage, and refusing Collins concerns Collins, not her view of Darcy.
(c)
The Netherfield Ball — The Netherfield Ball is never mentioned in the passage. It names Pemberley as the 'important defining instance', and a passage question is settled there.
(d)
Lydia's elopement with Wickham — Lydia's elopement is never mentioned: the passage names Lydia and Wickham only as a couple 'full of passion but irresponsible', with no link to Elizabeth's view of Darcy.

Concept

A turning-point question asks where the passage says a view changes. Look for change words: this passage has 'compel Elizabeth to revise her earlier opinion'.

The sentence carrying them names the place, Pemberley, Darcy's estate, where 'the splendor of the property and the favorable reports of his servants' do the persuading.

The passage never mentions Darcy's letter; option (a) pairs Pemberley with it. In the novel, Darcy gives Elizabeth the letter after she refuses his first proposal, and it answers her charges against him. The passage's own evidence is Pemberley, and that is what fixes the answer.

Key facts

The passage calls the sojourn at Pemberley 'an important defining instance'.
It says the property's splendor and his servants' favorable reports 'compel Elizabeth to revise her earlier opinion'.
In the novel, Darcy's letter reaches Elizabeth after she refuses his first proposal.

Study next

Turning-point questions: find the passage's change words (revise, realize, compel)Options that pair a detail the passage states with one it does notPride and Prejudice: the first proposal, Darcy's letter and the Pemberley visit

Common traps

Rejecting option (a) because the passage never mentions the letter — Pemberley is in the passage, and no other option has any support there
Choosing Lydia's elopement from memory of the novel rather than the passage's own 'defining instance'

The same passage carries English Q.26 to Q.30 at 19 Jan 2026, 11:00 AM. English Q.27 turns on the prejudice Elizabeth starts with, the opinion this question asks her to revise.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions based on the passage:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a classic known for its humor and complex characters. The famous first sentence of the book, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," begins to set up all of the major themes of money, status, and marrying well that are prevalent in 19th-century England. The Bennet family, particularly Elizabeth Bennet, a smart and strong-willed heroine, is the subject of Austen’s commentary on the societal imperative for women to marry well and thereby have a stable income.
The title itself is quite meaningful, as it first indicates the character flaws that drive much of the conflict in this novel, namely Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice. In fact, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, being a rich and high-ranking person, first of all shows a haughty character, thereby being very superior by virtue of his class. Elizabeth, having been offended by his initial lack of warmth, as well as having been misled by the deceiving Mr. Wickham, very quickly showed prejudice against him.
Traces the story of each as they navigate these weaknesses. Darcy needs to lower his pride to appreciate the value of Elizabeth’s inferior standing, though she must see the strength of his superior qualities.
Austen employs irony and satire liberally to point out the absurdities of the class structure. Personages like the obsequious Mr. Collins and the imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh symbolize the hard and silly aspects of class consciousness. The sojourn at Darcy’s grand estate, Pemberley, is an important defining instance in which the splendor of the property and the favorable reports of his servants compel Elizabeth to revise her earlier opinion and realize the truth of Darcy’s goodness.
In the final analysis, the novel promotes love marriages, couples like Jane and Bingley, and Elizabeth and Darcy, who have successful marriages because of love, in contrast to couples who marry for convenience (Charlotte Collins and Mr. Collins) or those who are full of passion but irresponsible (Lydia and Wickham).