Fill in the Blanks
🔒 Log in to trackOne sentence, one or two blanks, four options — decided almost always by a collocation, a phrasal unit, a tense anchor or a confusable pair, not by dictionary size. Every blank has a governor (a word beside it) that dictates the answer; finding that governor first is the whole technique.
One page per subtopic: detailed notes, every question type, formulas, tricks and practice sets.
Every formula on one printable page, grouped by subtopic.
3 exam-level questions worked step by step.
72 questions — untimed practice or a timed test with analysis.
Track record in the exam
Questions per shift in recent SSC CGL papers.
Test difficulty mix (72 questions)
Question patterns exams keep repeating
Taken from previous-year papers. If a pattern is marked "very common", expect to see it in your exam.
Verb + noun phrase
very commonThe blank is a verb before a noun like attention, place, mistake; options are do / make / take / give.
Look at the noun and recall its usual verb: pay attention, take place, make a mistake.
Say the whole phrase in your head.
The annual sports meet will ___ place in the second week of December. Options: give / make / take / hold
The fixed phrase is 'take place'
It means 'happen'
The other verbs do not go with 'place' in this sense
Answer: take
Adjective + noun phrase
commonThe blank is an adjective before a noun like rain, escape, traffic; the options mean nearly the same.
Recall the usual partner: heavy rain, narrow escape, fast asleep.
Similar words like thin or tight are traps.
The bus driver had a ___ escape when the truck swerved into his lane. Options: narrow / thin / slim / tight
We say 'narrow escape' for a close call
The other words are similar in meaning but not used with 'escape'
Answer: narrow
Look-alike words
very commonThe options look alike: advice / advise, affect / effect, principal / principle.
Decide if the blank needs a noun or a verb.
Then pick by meaning.
Lack of sleep can seriously ___ a student's concentration. Options: affect / effect
After 'can' we need a verb
'affect' is the verb and means 'influence'
'effect' is mostly a noun
Answer: affect
Phrasal verb blank
very commonA verb like put, look, turn or give is shown and the missing word is a small word such as off, up, out.
Say the meaning you need in plain words (postpone, cancel, tolerate).
Then pick the small word that gives it.
Because of the cyclone warning, the fair was put ___ till next month. Options: off / on / up / down
The fair was delayed until next month
'put off' means 'postpone'
The words 'till next month' confirm this
Answer: off
Verb form and tense
very commonWords like since, for, had, if, when are near the blank and the options are one verb in different forms.
Circle the clue word, then choose the tense it needs.
Had + subject + V3 in the if-part needs 'would have + V3' in the main part.
Had she left home earlier, she ___ the flight. Options: would catch / would have caught / will catch / caught
'Had she left' is a past condition that did not happen
The main part needs 'would have + V3'
V3 of catch is 'caught'
Answer: would have caught
Joining word or relative pronoun
very commonThe blank joins two parts, using words like although, because, who, whom, whose.
Name the link between the parts (contrast, reason, result).
who = subject, whom = object or after a preposition, whose = belonging.
The scientist to ___ the award was given belongs to Kerala. Options: who / whom / whose / which
The blank comes right after 'to', a preposition
After a preposition we need the object form
The person is a scientist, so not 'which'
Answer: whom
Two blanks together
commonThere are two blanks, and each option is a pair like 'neither, nor' or 'both, and'.
Try each pair in the sentence.
Discard pairs that do not go together, then check the verb.
___ the teachers ___ the principal was informed about the inspection. Options: Both, and / Neither, nor / Either, and / Not only, or
'Both ... and' would need 'were' (plural)
The verb is 'was', and 'neither ... nor' agrees with the nearer noun 'principal'
The other pairs are not matched
Answer: Neither, nor
Hardly / No sooner
commonThe sentence starts with 'No sooner had' or 'Hardly had', and the blank is the second part.
No sooner goes with 'than'.
Hardly and scarcely go with 'when'.
No sooner had the rain stopped ___ the children ran out to play. Options: when / than / then / as
The first part begins 'No sooner'
'No sooner' always pairs with 'than'
'when' pairs with 'hardly' or 'scarcely'
Answer: than