Introduction
Fill in the Blanks questions test a single sentence (sometimes with two blanks) rather than a full passage. The
challenge is narrower than Cloze Test but demands sharper precision — the right word must fit both grammar and
meaning exactly.
Solving Approach
- Read the full sentence first to understand its overall logic before considering any option.
- Identify keywords that hint at the required tone — words like "however," "despite," "because" strongly constrain what can fill the blank.
- For double-blank questions, test both blanks together as a pair — an option might fit one blank perfectly but fail the second.
- Eliminate options that are synonyms of each other; typically only one will fit the exact grammatical slot (noun vs verb form, singular vs plural).
Q. "Although the new branch was ___ to open on time, unexpected delays in ___ pushed the launch back by two weeks." Options for both blanks: (a) scheduled / permits (b) scheduled / permit (c) schedule / permits (d) scheduling / permit
First blank needs the past-participle form after "was" → "scheduled." Second blank needs a plural noun as the
object of "delays in" → "permits" (plural, matching "unexpected delays," implying multiple permit-related
issues).
Answer: (a) scheduled / permits.
⚠️ Key Insight: In double-blank questions, don't lock in an answer after checking only the
first blank — a tempting option can fail entirely on the second blank, so always verify both together.
✅ Practice Focus: Reading full-sentence logic before selecting · Using connector/keyword clues
· Verifying both blanks together in double-blank questions.