SSC CPO Paper II 2021, 2025 PYQs

Concept: A passive of the form should have been + V3 becomes should have + V3 in the active voice; the modal and the perfect sense must stay.

1. The agent is not given, so the doer is understood as you.
2. should have been placed → should have placed.
3. (A) and (C) lose the perfect sense (a past duty that was not done); (B) changes the modal to will.

Yaad rakhein: should have been + V3 ↔ should have + V3 – only been is dropped.

Answer: (D) You should have placed the books on their proper shelves.

Concept: Link sentences through pronouns and connectives (his own, However, His picture) to form a logical story.

1. A says Kondiba saved a life; D continues with his own (life) – so A→D.
2. D says he had to go begging; C shows him back on the streets with his gunny sack – D→C.
3. B (However, word began to spread) contrasts with his ordinary life; E (picture in newspapers) develops B and leads to F (he became a hero).

Yaad rakhein: his own needs a noun before it – find that noun (a life) to fix the first link.

Answer: (B) ADCBEF

Concept: Converting reported speech to direct: past tense moves one step back to present, third person becomes first person, and a question takes interrogative order with a question mark.

1. she had to pay → I have to pay (had → have, she → I).
2. As a direct question, the auxiliary comes before the subject: How much have I to pay …?
3. (B) keeps statement order; (C) keeps she; (D) keeps the past had.

Yaad rakhein: Indirect → direct: tense one step back (had → have), pronoun to first person, add question order.

Answer: (A) The customer said to the shopkeeper, “How much have I to pay for the little glass table?”

Concept: An action that began in the past and is still going on now, with a duration (for the last half an hour), takes the present perfect continuous: has/have been + V-ing.

1. The first sentence is in the present (I don’t think … is enjoying), so the time frame is now.
2. She started looking at her watch half an hour ago and is still doing it → has been looking.
3. had forms (B, C) belong to a past frame; has looked (A) does not show the continuing action.

Yaad rakhein: for/since + action still going on in the present → has/have been + V-ing.

Answer: (D) has been looking

Concept: In converting to direct speech, he (the speaker himself) becomes I, and past tenses go back to present: was → am, couldn’t → cannot.

1. he was totally exhausted → I am totally exhausted.
2. couldn’t walk → cannot walk.
3. (A) and (C) keep he; (D) keeps the past tenses.

Yaad rakhein: Both verbs must change: was → am, could → can.

Answer: (B) A worker said to his companion, “I am totally exhausted and cannot walk anymore.”

Concept: arrive at is used for a particular point/place or event (station, exhibition, meeting); in full swing is a fixed phrase meaning ‘at its most active’.

1. arrived at the exhibition – an event/specific place, so at.
2. in full swing – the idiom always takes in.
3. arrive in is for large areas like cities or countries (arrive in Delhi).

Yaad rakhein: arrive in a city/country, arrive at a place/event; always in full swing.

Answer: (A) at, in

Concept: Passive has/have been + V3 (present perfect) becomes has/have + V3 in the active voice; the agent after by becomes the subject.

1. Agent the government → subject.
2. have been cancelled → has cancelled (singular subject government).
3. (A) is past perfect, (B) present perfect continuous, (C) present continuous – tense changed.

Yaad rakhein: Voice change never changes the tense: present perfect stays present perfect.

Answer: (D) The government has cancelled all international and domestic flights due to the Corona crisis.

Concept: Build the scene step by step: the setting first, then the entry of a character, then reactions, and finally the action that leads to the last sentence.

1. A (Qazi holding court) → E describes the room packed with people – the setting.
2. B: the Sultan enters → D: everybody stood up except the Qazi.
3. C: He remained seated as before – He is the Qazi from D; F: he called the widow.

Yaad rakhein: except the Qazi (D) must come just before He remained seated (C).

Answer: (C) AEBDCF

Concept: No sooner is always paired with than, not when. (Hardly/Scarcely take when.)

1. The correct sentence: No sooner did the ship touch the shore than the sailor jumped into the water.
2. The inversion did the ship touch after No sooner is correct.
3. So the error lies in when the sailor.

Yaad rakhein: No sooner … than; Hardly/Scarcely … when.

Answer: (D) when the sailor

Concept: Adjectives formed from virtue drop the final e and keep the u: virtue → virtuous.

1. Correct spelling: virtuous (v-i-r-t-u-o-u-s), meaning morally good.
2. glorious, anxious and precious are spelt correctly.
3. Hence virtious is wrong.

Yaad rakhein: virtue → virtuous, like continue → continuous.

Answer: (B) virtious

Concept: A singular subject takes a singular verb; for a general truth we use the simple present; comparison of two takes the comparative degree.

1. Subject An educated lady is singular → makes is correct.
2. It is a general truth, so the simple present (not is making) fits.
3. better … than compares two – correct; best (D) is wrong with than.

Yaad rakhein: Universal truths → simple present; than → comparative, never superlative.

Answer: (A) No substitution required

Concept: An imperative (order) sentence becomes passive with the pattern Let + object + be + V3.

1. Object: some apples and grapes; verb buy → bought.
2. Let some apples and grapes be bought for the family.
3. (A) and (C) are still active; (D) changes the meaning to a need/obligation statement.

Yaad rakhein: Imperative → passive: Let + object + be + V3.

Answer: (B) Let some apples and grapes be bought for the family.

Concept: Reported → direct: the reporter’s third person (he) becomes I, and each past verb returns to its present form.

1. he didn’t have time → I don’t have time.
2. he was getting late → I am getting late.
3. (A) keeps He; (C) keeps was getting; (D) uses couldn’t and he.

Yaad rakhein: Change every clause: both didn’t have and was getting must go to present.

Answer: (B) Rahul said to me, “I don’t have time to go to the dispensary as I am getting late for the office.”

Concept: All the with a countable noun requires the plural form of the noun; the verb have is also plural.

1. All the school → All the schools.
2. have been closed then agrees with the plural subject.
3. Other parts are correct.

Yaad rakhein: All the / Many / Several + plural countable noun.

Answer: (A) All the school

Concept: Present continuous active is/are + V-ing becomes is/are + being + V3 in the passive.

1. Object a new online course in Entrepreneurship → subject.
2. is offering → is being offered.
3. (C) drops being (simple present); (D) is present perfect; (B) has no by and wrong meaning.

Yaad rakhein: Continuous tense in passive always needs being.

Answer: (A) A new online course in Entrepreneurship is being offered by this institute.

Concept: demanded shows an angry question, so the direct form uses said … angrily with a question; past perfect goes back to present perfect.

1. he had taken → you have taken; her paints → my paints.
2. Question order: Why have you taken …?
3. (A) uses simple present do you take; (B) adds have to; (D) keeps indirect pronouns and tense.

Yaad rakhein: Past perfect (indirect) ← present perfect (direct).

Answer: (C) She said to her younger brother angrily, “Why have you taken my paints without my permission?”

Concept: The idiom hue and cry means a loud public outcry or protest.

1. Example: There was a hue and cry over the rise in fuel prices.
2. It expresses anger or protest loudly – option (D).
3. An idea, a request or a bargain has nothing to do with the idiom.

Yaad rakhein: hue and cry = शोर-शराबा / हो-हल्ला.

Answer: (D) A noisy expression of anger

Concept: regarding (= about) is a preposition used without as or to; the phrase the movement of workers is correct.

1. callous regarding the movement of workers during the lockdown – grammatical and clear.
2. (A) as regarding and (C) as regards to are wrong forms (correct: as regards).
3. (D) movement inworkers along makes no sense.

Yaad rakhein: Use regarding / as regards / with regard to – never as regards to.

Answer: (B) No substitution required

Concept: Begin with the independent statement, then follow the pronoun chain: They needs a plural noun before it, She needs a female noun before it.

1. B introduces my father or mother.
2. C: They died – They = father and mother → B→C.
3. A: brought up by my sister; D: She married – She = sister → A→D.

Yaad rakhein: Pronoun links (They, She) decide the pairs: BC and AD.

Answer: (C) BCAD

Concept: The idiom give and take means mutual adjustment or compromise, each side giving something to the other.

1. Example: A happy marriage needs a lot of give and take.
2. It is two-way, so (A) obliging each other mutually fits.
3. (B) and (C) are one-way actions; (D) is only about manners.

Yaad rakhein: give and take = आपसी लेन-देन / समझौता.

Answer: (A) Obliging each other mutually