SSC Selection Post 2022 PYQ — Question 10

SSC Selection Post - Higher Secondary Level 2022 - 2 Aug 2022 - Shift 2 • English • Q10

In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and
select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

My worries were increasing. The boy at the shop was becoming more clamorous. My sales
were poor, as the railways (1)_________ more peddlers on the platforms. My cash receipts
were going down and my credit sales alone (2) _________. The wholesale merchants who
supplied me with goods stopped credit to me. The boy’s method of account-keeping was so
chaotic that I did not know whether I was moving forward or backward. He produced cash
from the counter in a haphazard manner, and there (3) __________ on the shelves all over
the shop. The boy was probably pocketing money and eating off the stuff. With my credit at
the wholesalers’ gone, the public complained that nothing one wanted was ever available.
Suddenly, the railways gave me notice to quit. I (4) __________ the old stationmaster and
porter, but they could do nothing; the order had come from (5) __________. The shop was
given to a new contractor.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 1.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The correct answer is option 3 i.e. were admitting.

 

Grammar Concept: The sentence is in past continuous context, referring to an ongoing action in the past
Explanation:

Subject: the railways

Verb: were admitting (past continuous of admit)

The sentence refers to a progressive action in the past affecting the narrator’s business
Option Analysis:
had been admitted – passive past perfect, incorrect here
has been admitted – present perfect, tense mismatch
were admitted – passive past, incorrect voice
Correct Choice: were admitting – active past continuous, grammatically correct and contextually suitable
Final Sentence: My sales were poor, as the railways were admitting more peddlers on the platforms
Conclusion: were admitting is the most appropriate option for blank 1