Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank No. 3.

In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and
select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
I was brought up in a village. Those days there (1) ______ no televisions, music systems or
VCDs at (2) ______. Our only luxury was books. I was fortunate (3) ______ grandparents. My
grandfather was a retired school (4) ______ and an avid reader. He knew a large (5) ______
of Sanskrit texts by heart and every night, under the dark sky with the twinkling stars, he
would tell me many stories.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. to have.

Context: The sentence expresses a feeling of being fortunate. The phrase “was fortunate” is usually followed by the infinitive form of a verb to explain what the person was fortunate about.

Meaning of the words:

To have is the infinitive form of the verb “have”, used to express purpose or result.

Had is the past tense of “have”, used to describe possession or action in the past.

Having is the present participle or gerund form, usually used to show continuous action or as a noun.

Have is the base form of the verb, used with plural subjects or with modals.

Correct word: To have

Reason: The verb phrase “was fortunate” is commonly followed by an infinitive to explain the reason for the fortune.
“Had” would be grammatically incorrect in this context.
“Having” would turn the phrase into an awkward construction.
“Have” does not fit after “was fortunate”.
Only “to have” makes the sentence grammatically and contextually complete.

Final Sentence: I was fortunate to have grandparents.

Hence, the chosen option will be correct.

SSC Selection Post 2022 PYQ — Question 8