Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 4.

Comprehension:
In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and
select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
Naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car
ferry Estonia (1) ____ the Baltic surely (2) ______ never have happened. It was well designed
and (3) ______ maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (4)______ thoroughly
inspected on the day of its fatal voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and (5)
_______ in a cold and stormy night.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D

Explanation

The correct answer is option 4 i.e. was.

Context: The sentence is in past tense because it is describing the incident of the Estonia ship’s last voyage. So, we need a past tense verb form.

Meaning of the words:

Has been: Present perfect tense, shows action continuing till now.
Was beenv: Incorrect form, grammatically wrong.
Have been: Present perfect tense, plural subject, not suitable here.
Was: Simple past tense of “is,” correct for past events.

Correct word: Was

Reason: The sentence is describing what happened on the day of the fatal voyage (past event). So, the correct past tense verb is was.

Final Sentence: It was thoroughly inspected on the day of its fatal voyage.

Hence the chosen option is correct.

SSC GD 2025 PYQ — Question 2