SarkariPYQ

SSC Selection Post 2022 PYQ — Question 10

SSC Selection Post - Matriculation Level 2022 - 7 Feb 2022 - Shift 1 • English • Q10

Back to paper

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.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank No. 1.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. were.

Context: The sentence is written in the past tense, describing a time in the past when televisions and other devices were not available. The verb must agree with the plural subject “televisions, music systems or VCDs”.

Meaning of the words:

Were is the past tense of “are”, used with plural subjects.

Are is the present tense form used with plural nouns.

Is is the present tense form used with singular nouns.

Was is the past tense form used with singular nouns.

Correct word: Were

Reason: The subject “televisions, music systems or VCDs” is plural in sense, and the context is clearly in the past tense as indicated by “Those days”.
“Are” and “is” are present tense, which do not match the timeline.
“Was” is singular, but the sentence refers to multiple items.
“Were” correctly agrees with the plural subject and past time frame.

Final Sentence: Those days there were no televisions, music systems or VCDs at home.

Hence, the chosen option will be correct.