Fill in the Blanks
🔒 Log in to trackVerb-form and tense blanks
🔒 Log in to trackWhen the blank is a verb, two things decide the answer. First, the time words in the sentence (since, yesterday, by the time) pick the tense. Second, the word just before the blank can fix the form: -ing, to + verb, or the plain verb.
Read the time words first
Circle the time words before you look at the options. They pick the tense for you.
Example: He ___ in this office since 2019. "Since 2019" means the action started then and is still going. Answer: has been working.
Useful time words: since, for, by the time, already, yet, yesterday, before, after, when, if, until. The wrong options are real verb forms, just from the wrong tense.
Time word to tense
| Time words | Tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| since 2015 / for ten years (still going) | present perfect (continuous) | has worked / has been working |
| yesterday / last week / in 2010 | simple past | went |
| two past events, one earlier | earlier one: had + V3 | the train had left before we reached |
| by + past time | had + V3 | by 2020 he had retired |
| by + future time | will have + V3 | by next March we will have completed it |
V3 means the past participle (gone, taken, written).
Two past events
The earlier event takes had + V3. The later event takes the simple past.
- By the time the fire brigade arrived, the shed had burnt down.
- If the subject receives the action, use had been + V3: the building had been evacuated.
- Hardly / Scarcely had ... when and No sooner had ... than follow the same order.
Watch: No sooner goes with than. Hardly and scarcely go with when. Never mix them.
If-sentences
- Type 1 (real future): If + simple present, then will + V1. If it rains, we will stay in. "Will" never goes in the if-part.
- Type 3 (past that did not happen): Had I known, then would have + V3. Had I known, I would have helped.
-ing, to + verb, or the plain verb
The word before the blank often fixes the form.
| Word before the blank | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| enjoy, avoid, deny, mind, finish, suggest | V-ing | he denied taking the file |
| want, decide, agree, refuse, hope, plan | to + V1 | she refused to sign |
| any preposition (in, on, of, without) | V-ing | insisted on paying |
| had better, would rather, let, make | V1 | you had better leave |
| look forward to, be used to, object to | V-ing | I look forward to hearing from you |
- used to + V1 is a past habit: He used to swim.
- be used to + V-ing means "accustomed to": He is used to swimming.
- Negative forms: not to + V1 and not + V-ing.
Tip: Ask who owns the "to". If a phrase like look forward to or object to owns it, use -ing. If a verb like decide or hope owns it, use the base verb.
Agreement blanks
Sometimes the blank is just is / are or has / have. Then agreement decides, not tense.
- Each of / every one of / either of / neither of + plural noun → singular verb. Each of the players has a kit.
- A number of + plural → plural verb. The number of + plural → singular verb.
- A collective noun acting as one unit takes a singular verb: The jury has reached its verdict.
Remove wrong options in order
- Remove forms that clash with the time word (a present form next to "yesterday").
- Remove forms that break a fixed pattern ("will" in an if-part, "to" after deny).
- Remove agreement errors ("have" after "each of").
- From what is left, choose ongoing (has been working) or finished (has worked) to suit the sentence.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
since / for with perfect tenses
The sentence has since 2019, for a decade or all morning. The options mix simple present, present perfect and past perfect.
Spot 'since' or 'for'.
If the action is still going, use has / have been + V-ing.
If only the completed amount matters, use has / have + V3.
If the whole frame is in the past, move back to had + V3.
Since and for mark the perfect tenses, and the options differ only in tense.
He ___ in this office since 2019.
Show solutionHide solution
'Since 2019' shows the action began then.
He is still working there, so the action is ongoing.
Use the present perfect continuous.
has been working
Past perfect + simple past
The sentence has Hardly had ... when, or two past events joined by before / when. The blank is the second verb.
Find the had + V3 event; it is the earlier one.
Give the later event the simple past.
Reject had + V3 for the later event.
The past perfect only marks the earlier of two past events, so it cannot be used for both.
The guests had hardly settled when the lights ___ out.
Show solutionHide solution
'Had settled' is the earlier event.
The lights going out came later.
Later event = simple past: went.
went
If-sentences
The sentence starts with 'If' or with an inverted 'Had I ...'. Options put 'will' in the if-part or mix would / would have.
Identify the type: real future (type 1) or a past that did not happen (type 3).
Type 1: If + simple present, main part will + V1.
Type 3: Had + subject + V3, main part would have + V3.
Each type is a fixed two-part pattern, and the wrong options come from another type.
Had I known about the schedule change, I ___ accordingly.
Show solutionHide solution
'Had I known' means 'If I had known', a past that did not happen.
That is type 3.
The main part takes would have + V3.
would have planned
-ing or to + verb after a fixed verb
The blank follows a verb like deny, enjoy, avoid, suggest, or want, decide, refuse, hope. The options are 'to + V1' and 'V-ing'.
Read the verb just before the blank.
-ing group: enjoy, avoid, deny, suggest, mind, finish, and every preposition.
to + verb group: want, decide, agree, refuse, hope, plan.
The first verb decides the form of the second, so no meaning test is needed.
He denied ___ the confidential file.
Show solutionHide solution
The verb before the blank is 'denied'.
Deny takes the -ing form.
'Denied to take' is the planted wrong option.
taking
Agreement blanks (each of, the number of)
The subject is each of / either of / the number of + a plural noun, and the options are has / have or is / are.
Find the main word of the subject: each, either, the number.
These are singular, so pick has / is / was.
Remember: a number of + plural noun takes a plural verb.
The plural noun is a distraction; the verb agrees with the main word.
Each of the shortlisted candidates ___ to bring the original certificates.
Show solutionHide solution
The main word is 'each', which is singular.
'Candidates' is only part of the phrase 'of the candidates'.
Singular verb: has.
has
used to / be used to / had better
The blank follows used to, is used to, had better or would rather. The options mix V1, V-ing and to + V1.
used to (past habit) → V1.
be used to (accustomed) → V-ing.
had better / would rather → V1 without 'to'.
Each of these phrases takes one fixed form, so spotting the phrase gives the answer.
After ten years in Shimla, she is used to ___ in the cold.
Show solutionHide solution
The phrase is 'is used to', meaning 'accustomed to'.
Here 'to' is a preposition.
So the -ing form follows.
working
by + future time
The sentence has 'by next month', 'by 2030' or 'by the time you arrive'. The options mix will + V1 and will have + V3.
Spot 'by' + a future time.
The action will be complete before that time.
Use will have + V3.
'By' a future point means finished before it, which is the future perfect.
By next March, the workers ___ the new flyover.
Show solutionHide solution
'By next March' is a future deadline.
The work will be complete before then.
Use the future perfect.
will have completed
Shortcuts that save time
If 'to' belongs to a phrase like look forward to or object to, it is a preposition, so use -ing. If it belongs to a verb like decide or hope, use the base verb.
I look forward to ___ from you soon.
Show solutionHide solution
'Look forward to' owns the 'to'.
You can say 'look forward to it', so 'to' is a preposition.
A preposition takes the -ing form.
hearing
With 'by the time' and two past events, the earlier event takes had + V3 and the later one takes simple past. Put the blank on its step of the ladder.
Learn three lists. -ing after: avoid, enjoy, mind, suggest, finish. to + verb after: decide, hope, refuse, plan. Plain verb after: had better, would rather, let, make.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Writing 'to hear' after 'look forward to'.
That 'to' is a preposition: look forward to hearing.
Using the present perfect with a finished time (has gone yesterday).
With yesterday, last week or in 2010, use the simple past: went.
Writing 'used to + -ing' for a past habit.
Past habit = used to + V1 (used to swim). Be used to + -ing means 'accustomed'.
Putting 'will' in the if-part of a type 1 sentence.
If + simple present, will + V1: If it rains, we will stay.
Making the verb agree with the nearest plural noun after 'each of'.
Each of / neither of + plural noun still takes a singular verb.
Using an active form when the subject receives the action.
Use the passive: the building had been evacuated.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
Circle the time words first; they pick the tense.
since / for (still going) → has + V3 or has been + V-ing.
Two past events → earlier had + V3, later simple past.
No sooner ... than; hardly / scarcely ... when.
If + present, will + V1. Had I known → would have + V3.
deny / enjoy / avoid + V-ing; decide / refuse / hope + to + V1; preposition + V-ing.
had better / would rather / let / make + V1.
each of / neither of → singular verb; a number of → plural; the number of → singular.
Practice: 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 7 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.