✍️ Fill in the Blanks - Complete Theory

Master blank filling - vocabulary meets grammar in single sentences!

🎯 What is Fill in the Blanks?

Fill in the Blanks tests your ability to:

• Choose grammatically correct words
• Select contextually appropriate words
• Complete sentences logically
• Apply vocabulary and grammar together

Format:

Single sentence with 1 or 2 blanks
Choose the most appropriate word(s) from options

Example:
"The committee _____ decided to postpone the meeting."
A) has  B) have  C) had  D) having

Answer: A (has - committee is singular)

Importance in IBPS:

• Prelims: 5 questions (mix of single and double blanks)
• Mains: 5-10 questions
• Scoring: High accuracy possible (30-40 seconds per question)

📐 Types of Fill in the Blanks

Type 1: Single Blank (Grammar-Based)

Focus: Grammatical correctness

Example:

"He _____ been working here for five years."

Options: A) is  B) has  C) have  D) had

Answer: B (has - present perfect with "for")

Type 2: Single Blank (Vocabulary-Based)

Focus: Word meaning and context

Example:

"The government's _____ measures helped reduce poverty."

Options: A) ineffective  B) harsh  C) effective  D) random

Answer: C (effective - positive outcome indicated)

Type 3: Double Blank (Same Part of Speech)

Focus: Parallel structure and meaning

Example:

"The manager was both _____ and _____ in his approach."

Options:
A) strict, lenient
B) firm, fair
C) harsh, cruel
D) angry, upset

Answer: B (firm, fair - contrasting but balanced qualities)

Type 4: Double Blank (Different Parts of Speech)

Focus: Grammar + Vocabulary combined

Example:

"He _____ completed the task _____ before the deadline."

Options:
A) has, much
B) have, very
C) had, well
D) was, good

Answer: C (had - past perfect; well - adverb modifying completed)

Type 5: Phrasal Verb Blanks

Focus: Knowledge of phrasal verbs

Example:

"The meeting was _____ due to the manager's illness."

Options:
A) called off
B) called on
C) called at
D) called for

Answer: A (called off = cancelled)

⚡ Solving Strategy

For Single Blank Questions

Step 1: Read the Sentence Completely (5 seconds)

Understand the context and meaning
Identify what type of word is needed (noun, verb, adjective, etc.)

Step 2: Eliminate Wrong Options (10 seconds)

Remove options that:
- Don't fit grammatically
- Change meaning negatively
- Don't match tense/number

Step 3: Choose Best Option (5 seconds)

Among remaining options, choose the most appropriate
Consider formality, context, and natural flow

Total Time: 20-25 seconds

For Double Blank Questions

Step 1: Read Sentence (5 seconds)

Understand overall meaning
Note relationship between the two blanks

Step 2: Check Each Blank Separately (10 seconds)

First, check if first word fits
Then check if second word fits
Both must be correct for answer to be right

Step 3: Check Combined Meaning (5 seconds)

Read sentence with both words
Ensure it makes complete sense
Check if words complement each other logically

Total Time: 30-35 seconds

📊 Grammar Rules for Fill in the Blanks

Rule 1: Subject-Verb Agreement

Singular subject → Singular verb
Plural subject → Plural verb

"The committee _____ decided."
Answer: has (committee is singular)

"The students _____ completed their work."
Answer: have (students is plural)

Rule 2: Tense Markers

Since, For → Present Perfect/Present Perfect Continuous
"He has been working here since 2010." ✓

Yesterday, Last week → Past Tense
"He completed the task yesterday." ✓

Tomorrow, Next week → Future Tense
"He will complete the task tomorrow." ✓

Always, Usually → Simple Present
"He always comes on time." ✓

Rule 3: Articles (a/an/the)

"a/an" → First mention, non-specific, countable singular
"The bank introduced _____ new policy."
Answer: a

"the" → Specific, already mentioned, unique
"_____ policy was well received."
Answer: The (mentioned before)

No article → Uncountable, plural, general statement
"_____ honesty is the best policy."
Answer: (no article needed)

Rule 4: Prepositions

Fixed preposition combinations:
- Good at (not in/on)
- Interested in (not at/on)
- Depend on (not in/at)
- Different from (not than)
- Consist of (not from)

"She is good _____ mathematics."
Answer: at

Rule 5: Modals

Can, Could, May, Might, Shall, Should, Will, Would, Must

Followed by base form of verb (not -ing or -ed)

Wrong: "He should went." ✗
Right: "He should go." ✓

Wrong: "She can swimming." ✗
Right: "She can swim." ✓

🎯 Contextual Word Choice

Strategy 1: Positive vs Negative Context

Positive context → Choose positive word
Negative context → Choose negative word

Positive: "The reform was _____ for the economy."
Options: beneficial ✓, harmful ✗

Negative: "The crisis _____ the economy."
Options: damaged ✓, strengthened ✗

Strategy 2: Formal vs Informal

Banking/Official passages → Formal words

Formal: implement, execute, facilitate, commence
Informal: start, do, help, begin

"The RBI _____ new monetary policies."
Better: implemented ✓
Okay but less formal: started

Strategy 3: Intensity Matching

Choose word that matches the intensity of context

Mild: satisfactory, adequate, fair
Moderate: good, effective, successful
Strong: excellent, outstanding, remarkable
Extreme: extraordinary, phenomenal, exceptional

Match with sentence tone!

Strategy 4: Collocations

Some words naturally go together:

Make a decision (not do/take a decision)
Take a break (not make/do a break)
Do homework (not make/take homework)
Pay attention (not give/make attention)

"Please _____ attention to the instructions."
Answer: pay

💡 Solved Examples

Example 1: Grammar-Based Single Blank

Question:

"The number of applicants _____ increased significantly this year."

A) has
B) have
C) are
D) were

Solution:

Subject: "The number" (singular)
Not "applicants" (that's in prepositional phrase)

Singular subject needs singular verb
Time: "this year" → present perfect

Answer: A) has

Example 2: Vocabulary-Based Single Blank

Question:

"The government's _____ approach to the crisis prevented major damage."

A) reckless
B) careless
C) proactive
D) negligent

Solution:

Context: "prevented major damage" → positive outcome
Need positive word

A) reckless → negative ✗
B) careless → negative ✗
C) proactive → positive (taking action beforehand) ✓
D) negligent → negative ✗

Answer: C) proactive

Example 3: Double Blank (Same POS)

Question:

"The policy was both _____ in design and _____ in execution."

A) simple, complex
B) innovative, effective
C) poor, weak
D) costly, expensive

Solution:

Structure: "both X and Y" → should be parallel

Check options:
A) simple, complex → contrasting (contradictory) ✗
B) innovative, effective → both positive, complementary ✓
C) poor, weak → both negative, similar meaning ✗
D) costly, expensive → redundant (same meaning) ✗

Answer: B) innovative, effective

Example 4: Double Blank (Different POS)

Question:

"She _____ completed her assignment _____ before the deadline."

A) have, good
B) has, well
C) had, much
D) was, better

Solution:

First blank: Subject "She" (singular) + verb
Time: "completed" suggests past
"has completed" or "had completed" possible

Second blank: Modifies "completed" → needs adverb
"well" is adverb ✓
"good" is adjective ✗

Check: "has completed...well before" ✓

Answer: B) has, well

Example 5: Phrasal Verb

Question:

"The project was _____ due to budget constraints."

A) called off
B) called on
C) called at
D) called for

Solution:

Context: Project + budget constraints → likely cancelled

A) called off = cancelled ✓
B) called on = visited / asked to do ✗
C) called at = visited (a place) ✗
D) called for = demanded / required ✗

Answer: A) called off

Example 6: Preposition

Question:

"The success of the program depends _____ the cooperation of all stakeholders."

A) in
B) on
C) at
D) with

Solution:

Fixed usage: "depend on" (not in/at/with)

Answer: B) on

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Mistake 1: Not Reading Full Sentence

Wrong: Filling blank without reading complete sentence ✗
Right: Read full sentence to understand context ✓

Context matters! A word correct grammatically may be wrong contextually.

❌ Mistake 2: Confusing Similar Words

Affect (verb) vs Effect (noun)
"The policy will affect the economy." ✓
"The policy will have an effect on the economy." ✓

Accept (receive) vs Except (excluding)
"I accept your offer." ✓
"Everyone except him attended." ✓

Advice (noun) vs Advise (verb)
"Thank you for your advice." ✓
"I advise you to study hard." ✓

❌ Mistake 3: Ignoring Tense Markers

Wrong: "He is working here since 2010." ✗
Right: "He has been working here since 2010." ✓

"Since" requires present perfect!

❌ Mistake 4: Wrong Preposition

Wrong: "She is good in mathematics." ✗
Right: "She is good at mathematics." ✓

Learn fixed preposition pairs!

❌ Mistake 5: Choosing Complex Words Unnecessarily

Don't choose difficult words just because they seem impressive
Choose the most natural, fitting word

Simple and correct > Complex and awkward

📝 Common Phrasal Verbs for IBPS

Must-Know Phrasal Verbs

Break down → Stop functioning
"The machine broke down yesterday."

Call off → Cancel
"The meeting was called off."

Carry out → Execute, perform
"They carried out the plan successfully."

Come across → Find by chance
"I came across an old friend."

Look into → Investigate
"The committee will look into the matter."

Put off → Postpone
"The exam has been put off."

Turn down → Reject
"He turned down the offer."

Give up → Quit, surrender
"Don't give up on your dreams."

Bring about → Cause
"The reform brought about significant changes."

Set up → Establish
"They set up a new company."

🎯 Exam Strategy

Time Management

IBPS Prelims:
- Single blank: 20-25 seconds
- Double blank: 30-35 seconds
- Total for 5 questions: 2-3 minutes

IBPS Mains: Similar timing

Priority Order

1. Grammar-based questions (easiest) → 20 sec
2. Phrasal verb questions (if you know) → 25 sec
3. Vocabulary-based (need context) → 30 sec
4. Double blank (most complex) → 35 sec

If unsure after 40 seconds, eliminate 2 options and guess from remaining 2

Elimination Strategy

Step 1: Remove grammatically wrong options
Step 2: Remove contextually wrong options
Step 3: Choose most natural-sounding option from remaining

📚 Must-Know Vocabulary Categories

Banking & Finance Terms

Implement, Execute, Facilitate, Regulate, Monitor, Ensure
Sustainable, Viable, Feasible, Profitable, Lucrative
Decline, Surge, Fluctuate, Stabilize, Accelerate

Positive Words

Beneficial, Effective, Efficient, Productive, Successful
Innovative, Progressive, Dynamic, Proactive, Constructive
Enhance, Improve, Strengthen, Boost, Promote

Negative Words

Detrimental, Harmful, Adverse, Negative, Damaging
Ineffective, Inefficient, Unproductive, Unsuccessful
Decline, Deteriorate, Weaken, Diminish, Hamper

Neutral/Descriptive Words

Significant, Substantial, Considerable, Notable, Remarkable
Various, Numerous, Several, Multiple, Diverse
Primarily, Mainly, Chiefly, Largely, Predominantly

🔗 Related Topics

Uses Concepts From:

• English Grammar (tenses, articles, prepositions, subject-verb agreement)
• Vocabulary - Word meanings
• Error Spotting - Grammar rules

Related English Topics:

• Cloze Test - Multiple blanks in passage
• Sentence Improvement - Grammar application

Practice:

• Fill in the Blanks Questions

Master Fill in the Blanks - Grammar + Context = Success! ✍️