SSC Stenographer 2026 PYQ — Question 111

Correct Answer: All of the cities in California can to be affected by the rain yesterday.
Explanation
• Modal auxiliary verbs like can, could, may, and must are always followed by a bare infinitive (base form of the verb without 'to'). Using to be after can is grammatically incorrect.
• Additionally, the time expression yesterday indicates past time, which conflicts with the present modal can.
• The correct past passive structure should be: "All of the cities in California could have been affected by the rain yesterday" or "...were affected by the rain yesterday."
Quick Tip: Never place 'to' directly after modal auxiliary verbs (e.g., say can be, not can to be).