Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 2.

In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
Chatbots are computer programs (1)________________ to simulate conversations as if they (2)___________________ another human. For (3)___________________, there were more than ten million Replika users as of 2022. Replika is a chatbot billed as a companion who (4)__________________. It acts like a friend but relationships with the chatbot can become romantic.
In many chatbot applications such as this, there may be no moderation or human checks on inappropriate (5)__________________. So be aware if your child is spending a long time with AI friends.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

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

Context: The sentence is: “Chatbots are computer programs (1) ______ to simulate conversations as if they (2) ______ another human.”
The phrase “as if” is usually followed by the past subjunctive form of the verb (were), to show a hypothetical or unreal situation. Chatbots are not humans, but they simulate conversations as if they were human.

Meaning of the words:

were – past subjunctive form, used with as if to indicate an unreal/hypothetical condition; grammatically correct.
pretend – requires a structure like pretend to be human; without “to be” it is grammatically wrong.
could – incomplete and ungrammatical in this context (could another human makes no sense).
will – incorrect with as if, because it suggests a definite future action rather than a hypothetical situation.

Correct word: were

Final Sentence: Chatbots are computer programs … as if they were another human.

Hence, the chosen option is correct.

SSC GD 2025 PYQ — Question 3