Fill in the Blanks: Grammar, Vocabulary and Solved Examples
Fill in the blanks means completing a sentence or passage with a missing word or phrase. The missing expression must fit the grammar, convey the intended meaning and combine naturally with the surrounding words. A sentence may have one blank or several blanks that must be considered together.
In “She has ___ the letter,” the options write, wrote, written and writing refer to the same action. However, only “She has written the letter” fits the verb structure. In “The meeting was ___ until Monday,” the missing word also needs to express the intended change, such as postponement.
This article explains the grammar foundations behind these decisions, then develops vocabulary, context clues, phrasal verbs and two-blank reasoning. You will learn how to justify a choice, compare alternatives and check the completed sentence. The lessons include the necessary basics, so no separate grammar article is required.
1. Check grammar, meaning and natural usage together
A word can be correct in one sentence and unsuitable in another. Decision is a noun and decide is a verb; neither is a bad word, but they perform different jobs. Similarly, two verbs can be grammatically possible while expressing different actions.
Use three checks when considering a completion:
- Grammar: Does the word have the form and position the sentence needs?
- Meaning: Does it express an idea supported by the complete sentence?
- Natural usage: Does it form an established expression with the surrounding words?
Example: Complete “The team reached a final ___ after discussing the choices.” Options: decision / decide / decisive / decisively.
The phrase a final introduces something that the team reached. It needs a noun, and decision is the noun among these choices. The expression reach a decision also means arrive at a choice after considering it. The completed sentence is “The team reached a final decision after discussing the choices.”
Decide is a verb, decisive is an adjective and decisively is an adverb. They do not complete this noun phrase. We reject them because of their roles, not because their meanings are unrelated to deciding.
Some blanks allow several answers if there are no options or additional instructions. “She bought ___ book” could take a, the, this or my in different contexts. A good multiple-choice question supplies enough context and suitable alternatives to identify the intended answer; grammar does not make an incomplete context more specific than it is.
2. Understand the sentence around the blank
Subject, verb and object
The subject is the person or thing a clause says something about. The verb expresses an action, event or state. An object is a person or thing connected to the action of a verb.
In “Riya opened the window,” Riya is the subject, opened is the verb and the window is the object. Finding these parts tells us what the blank must contribute. “Riya ___ the window” needs a verb or verb phrase, whereas “Riya opened the ___” needs a suitable noun phrase.
A sentence does not always have an object. “The child sleeps” is complete with a subject and verb. In “The child is tired,” tired describes the subject through is. This description is a complement, something completing the meaning of the verb here.
Example: Complete “The box of books ___ near the door.” Options: is / are / have / were. The sentence describes where the box is now.
The sentence is about one box, not several books. The current location calls for is: “The box of books is near the door.” The words of books describe the contents and do not make the box plural.
Singular, plural and person
Singular means one and plural means more than one: a child/children, a book/books. Nouns do not all form their plurals by adding s, so identify the meaning as well as the ending.
First person refers to the speaker: I or we. Second person refers to the listener: you. Third person refers to another person or thing: he, she, it, they, or a name such as Riya. Third-person singular subjects usually take an -s main verb in the simple present: “Riya reads.”
I is singular, but we say “I read,” not “I reads.” You can refer to one person, but it still takes “you read.” Knowing the grammatical person prevents an inaccurate rule such as “all singular subjects take an -s verb.”
Phrases and clauses
A phrase is a group of words working together, such as in the room or a useful book. A clause is built around a verb; the introductory clauses here each have a subject and verb. “Riya waited because the office was closed” contains a main clause, Riya waited, and a dependent clause, because the office was closed.
A main clause can stand as a complete sentence. A dependent clause relies on another clause to complete the message. Recognising the boundary helps us decide whether a blank needs a word, a connector or a complete verb phrase.
Example: Complete “The bus was late ___ the road was blocked.” Options: because / despite / during / unless.
The road was blocked is a complete clause giving the reason. Because introduces that reason: “The bus was late because the road was blocked.” Despite and during do not directly introduce this kind of full clause, while unless would introduce a condition rather than the stated cause.
3. Identify the required part of speech
A part of speech is a category based on the job a word performs. The words just before and after a blank often reveal that job, but inspect the entire phrase before deciding.
| Category | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Names a person, object, place or idea | The decision was fair. |
| Pronoun | Refers to a person or thing without repeating a name | Riya arrived. She sat down. |
| Verb | Expresses an action, event or state | They decided quickly. |
| Adjective | Describes a noun or pronoun | It was a careful decision. |
| Adverb | Describes an action, degree or another expression | They considered it carefully. |
| Determiner | Identifies a noun or indicates possession or quantity | The, my and several introduce nouns. |
| Preposition | Expresses a relationship | The file is on the desk. |
| Conjunction | Joins words or clauses | We waited because it rained. |
Noun forms after a determiner and description
An article such as a can be followed by an adjective and a noun: a clear explanation. The adjective supplies a quality; the noun names the thing having that quality. If the sentence stops at a clear ___, the blank may need the noun.
Example: Complete “The tutor gave a clear ___ of the rule.” Options: explain / explanation / explanatory / clearly.
The tutor gave something, and a clear describes that thing. Choose the noun explanation: “The tutor gave a clear explanation of the rule.” The verb explain cannot serve as the noun in that phrase.
Do not turn this into “a blank after an adjective always needs a noun.” In “a clear ___ explanation,” the noun is already present, and the blank may be another adjective. Read far enough to find the phrase's central noun.
Adjectives and adverbs
Use an adjective to describe a noun: a careful driver. Use an adverb to describe how an action happens: drives carefully. An adjective can also follow a linking verb such as be, seem or appear: “The driver seems careful.”
Example: Complete “She explained the process ___.” Options: clear / clarity / clearly / clearing.
The blank describes how she explained, so it needs an adverb. Choose clearly: “She explained the process clearly.” Clarity names a quality and would need a different structure, such as “Her explanation had clarity.”
An -ly ending is a useful clue, not a definition. Fast can be an adverb in “The train moves fast,” and friendly is normally an adjective. Likewise, hard means with effort in “She works hard,” while hardly means almost not in “She hardly works.”
Word families and changing forms
Related words often belong to a word family: decide, decision, decisive, decisively. Learning them together helps you separate meaning from grammatical role. Other useful families include explain/explanation, succeed/success/successful/successfully and differ/difference/different/differently.
Example: Complete “The experiment was ___.” Options: success / succeed / successful / successfully.
Was links the experiment to a description. Use the adjective successful: “The experiment was successful.” “The experiment was a success” would also be grammatical, but it requires the article a, which is not supplied by the option success.
Check the exact sentence after insertion. Do not silently add an article or change another word to make your chosen option fit.
4. Articles, countability and quantity words
Countable and uncountable nouns
A countable noun can represent separate items: one error, two errors. An uncountable noun represents an amount, substance or general idea not normally counted directly in that meaning: information, advice, water. This affects both quantity words and articles.
We can count units of uncountable things: two pieces of advice, three bottles of water. The unit becomes plural, while the uncountable noun remains unchanged. Some nouns change countability with meaning: paper can be material, while a paper can be an article or newspaper.
Example: Complete “The mentor gave me a useful piece of ___.” Options: advice / advices / advise / advised.
Piece of introduces a unit of guidance. The noun is advice, giving “The mentor gave me a useful piece of advice.” Advise is the verb meaning give guidance; spelling and grammatical role both matter.
Choose a or an by sound
Use a/an to introduce one non-specific member of a countable group. The choice between them depends on the next spoken sound: a book, an umbrella, a useful tool, an honest person.
The h in honest is silent, so its first sound is a vowel sound. Useful begins with a consonant-like “y” sound despite starting with the vowel letter u. If an adjective comes before the noun, listen to the adjective first.
Example: Choose a or an: “She carried ___ umbrella.”
Umbrella begins with a vowel sound, so choose an: “She carried an umbrella.” The restriction to a/an makes this a sound-choice exercise. Without that restriction, the umbrella could be correct if a particular umbrella were already identifiable.
A singular countable common noun normally needs a determiner in an ordinary sentence: a book, the book, my book. It does not necessarily need an article specifically, because my or this can perform the determining role instead.
Specific reference and no article
The points to something identifiable from context. “I bought a notebook. The notebook has a blue cover” first introduces the item and then refers back to it. A description can identify something without an earlier mention: “Please open the window beside you.”
General plural and uncountable nouns often have no article: “Books help us learn” and “Water is essential.” Specific versions take the: “The books on this shelf are useful” and “The water in this bottle is cold.”
Example: Complete “Riya found a key. ___ key belonged to the caretaker.” Options: The / An / A / no article. The second sentence refers to the same key.
Choose The, because the key has already been introduced. A key could introduce a different one, which conflicts with the stated same-key meaning. The full sentence is “The key belonged to the caretaker.”
Many, much, several, few and little
Use many, several and few with plural countable nouns. Use much and little with uncountable amounts. Several means more than two but not a very large number; it does not identify an exact quantity.
Example: Complete “There are ___ errors in the draft, so please review it.” Options: several / much / little / any.
Errors is plural and countable. Several fits that noun and the ordinary positive statement: “There are several errors in the draft, so please review it.” Much and little do not fit this countable meaning. Any does not naturally express the asserted quantity here.
Some often occurs in positive statements, while any often occurs in questions and negatives. These are tendencies, not absolute restrictions. “Would you like some tea?” is an offer, and “Any student may apply” expresses unrestricted choice in a positive sentence.
Few suggests not many, often fewer than wanted; a few means some. Little and a little make a similar distinction for amounts. Compare “We have little time, so hurry” with “We have a little time, so we can check one answer.” The surrounding result helps decide which meaning fits.
Each, every, either and neither
Each considers members separately, while every includes all members of a group using a singular noun: each student, every student. Either can mean one or the other of two; neither means not one and not the other.
“Neither of the laptops has its charger” considers each laptop individually and denies the statement for both. The plural laptops names the group, but neither receives singular agreement in the formal pattern used here. A separate possessive choice is discussed in the next section.
Quick check: Choose much or many: “How ___ information do we need?”
Use much, because information is uncountable. The noun's meaning, rather than the number of facts we could list, determines its grammatical behaviour here.
5. Pronouns and possessive words
Subject forms and object forms
Use I, he, she, we and they as subjects, and me, him, her, us and them as objects. You and it keep the same form in both roles. After a preposition, an object form is normally needed: for her, with them.
Example: Complete “The tutor asked Riya and ___ to stay.” Options: I / me / my / mine.
The tutor is the subject, and Riya plus the speaker form the object of asked. Choose me: “The tutor asked Riya and me to stay.” Temporarily reading “The tutor asked me to stay” makes that role clear.
Possession before and without a noun
Words such as my, your, his, her, its, our and their show possession before a noun. These are possessive determiners: its charger, their notebooks. Forms such as mine, yours, hers, ours and theirs can stand without repeating the noun: “This notebook is mine.”
Example: Complete “Neither of the two laptops has ___ own charger in the box.” Options: its / it / them / itself.
The blank needs a possessive determiner before own charger. Choose its: “Neither of the two laptops has its own charger in the box.” It and them are subject/object forms, while itself is reflexive; none marks possession in this position.
Its has no apostrophe. It's is a contraction of it is or it has: “It's working.” Expanding the contraction helps distinguish “The laptop lost its connection” from “It's lost the connection.”
Reference and reflexive forms
A pronoun should refer clearly to the intended person or thing. “The students brought their books” links their to students. “Riya spoke to Meera after she arrived” may need context to tell us which person she means; grammar alone does not settle that reference.
Singular they/their is accepted for people, including someone whose gender is unknown: “Someone left their notebook.” Therefore, do not learn “their is always plural” as a universal rule. The laptop example concerns inanimate singular reference within a particular formal structure, not a ban on singular their for people.
A reflexive form refers back to the subject: “She taught herself.” It can also add emphasis: “She herself checked the file.” It does not normally replace the subject pronoun on its own: “I completed it,” not “Myself completed it.”
Example: Complete “Riya hurt ___ while opening the box.” Options: herself / hers / she / her own.
Riya is both the person acting and the person affected. Choose herself: “Riya hurt herself while opening the box.” The other options do not express that reflexive role in the supplied structure.
6. Subject–verb agreement and basic verb forms
Match the verb to the subject of its clause
With a third-person singular subject, ordinary simple-present main verbs usually take -s/-es: “She works,” “The bus goes.” With I, you, we and they, use the base form: “They work.” The verb be has special present forms: am, is, are.
A noun inside a descriptive phrase may distract from the subject's head. “The list of names is ready” is about the singular list. Similarly, “One of the students has arrived” refers to one member from a plural group.
Example: Complete “One of the players ___ absent today.” Options: is / are / have / were. The statement describes the present situation.
The head is one, so choose the singular present verb is: “One of the players is absent today.” Keep players plural because it names the group from which that one person is considered.
Two separate subjects joined by and normally take a plural verb: “Riya and Aman are ready.” Expressions such as along with do not work in the same way: “Riya, along with Aman, is ready.” The central subject remains Riya.
With either...or and neither...nor, mixed-number subjects commonly follow nearer-subject agreement in formal usage: “Either the teacher or the students are presenting.” Do not apply this proximity pattern to every sentence containing a nearby plural noun.
Base form, past form and past participle
The base form is the dictionary form: write, go, take. A past form appears in a simple past statement: wrote, went, took. A past participle appears after helping verbs in perfect and passive structures: written, gone, taken.
Regular verbs often have the same past and participle forms: play/played/played. Irregular verbs may differ: write/wrote/written, see/saw/seen, be/was or were/been. You must know the form required by the structure, not merely choose a word that refers to the past.
Example: Complete “She has ___ the report.” Options: write / wrote / written / writing.
Has is a helping verb forming a perfect structure here. It requires the past participle written. The completed sentence is “She has written the report.” Wrote would fit “She wrote the report,” but not the position after has.
Do, does and did
An auxiliary, or helping verb, works with another verb. Do, does and did form many questions and negatives. The main verb following them stays in its base form because the auxiliary carries the required tense and agreement.
Compare “She checks the file” with “She does not check the file.” Likewise, “She checked” becomes “Did she check?” We do not mark the past twice by writing did checked.
Example: Complete “Did the courier ___ the parcel?” Options: deliver / delivered / delivers / delivering.
The auxiliary did already marks past time. Choose deliver: “Did the courier deliver the parcel?” The singular subject does not require delivers after did.
7. Tense and time relationships
Present habits, current activity and completed past events
The simple present describes habits, general facts and many states: “She reads every evening.” The present continuous, am/is/are + verb-ing, describes activity in progress or a temporary current activity: “She is reading now.” The simple past describes a completed past event: “She read the letter yesterday.”
Time expressions help, but the meaning of the event matters more than a single keyword. “The train leaves tomorrow” is a correct present form describing a timetable. The word tomorrow does not force will.
Example: Complete “Yesterday, the tutor ___ the new rule.” Options: explains / explained / explain / explaining.
The sentence presents a completed past event. Choose explained: “Yesterday, the tutor explained the new rule.” Explaining would need an appropriate auxiliary, such as was, which the option does not supply.
Perfect forms connect two time points
The present perfect, has/have + past participle, connects an earlier situation with now: “She has finished the task.” The past perfect, had + past participle, looks back from a past point to an earlier event: “The bus had left when we arrived.”
The earlier event is not automatically the first clause on the page. “We arrived after the bus had left” reverses the clause order while keeping the same sequence of events. Identify which event happened first in time.
Example: Complete “By the time the technician arrived, the machine had already ___.” Options: stop / stopped / stopping / stops.
The stopping occurred before the technician's arrival. Had already requires the participle stopped: “By the time the technician arrived, the machine had already stopped.” For this regular verb, past and participle forms look the same, but the helping verb still explains the choice.
A future perfect can show completion by a future point: “By Friday, she will have finished the work.” After will have, the main verb is again a participle. Do not force perfect forms into every sequence: “She opened the file and read it” is a correct simple sequence of past actions.
Since, for and ongoing activity
Since gives a starting point: since Monday. For gives a duration: for three days. These expressions can occur with perfect structures, but their presence alone does not determine tense.
“She has worked here for three years” connects her work with the present. “She worked here for three years before moving away” describes a finished period. In both sentences, for introduces duration.
Example: Complete “She has been waiting ___ two hours.” Options: since / for / at / by.
Two hours is a duration, so choose for. “She has been waiting for two hours” uses the present perfect continuous, has been + verb-ing, to focus on activity extending up to now.
Future time clauses after when and while
In ordinary time clauses referring to the future, English commonly uses a present form: “I will call when I arrive.” The arrival is future in meaning, but the time clause does not usually need will arrive.
Present forms include continuous forms when the meaning supports them. “Please wait while I check the file” and “Please wait while I am checking the file” can both be grammatical. The continuous version highlights the ongoing activity; while does not require the simple present in every sentence.
Example: Complete “Please wait here while I ___ the file.” Options: check / checked / will checked / checking.
Among these choices, only check supplies a suitable complete verb form: “Please wait here while I check the file.” Checking alone lacks an auxiliary, and will checked is not a valid modal structure. This choice does not imply that the unlisted am checking would be wrong.
“I do not know when she will arrive” is different: it contains an indirect question about arrival time. Recognise the clause's function before removing will merely because when appears.
8. Modals, infinitives and parallel verbs
Modals add meaning to an action
Modal verbs include can, could, may, might, will, would, should and must. They express ideas such as ability, possibility, advice or obligation. The following verb takes its base form: can read, should wait, must leave.
Do not insert to after these core modals. Ought to is a separate established pattern. A modal may also take the base form of another auxiliary: “She may be waiting” or “He must have forgotten.”
Example: Choose the option that gives advice: “You ___ back up your files before updating the system.” Options: should / can to / must to / might to.
Choose should: “You should back up your files before updating the system.” It expresses advice and directly precedes the base verb back up. The other options incorrectly attach to to core modals.
Write the verb as back up, two words. Backup is used as a noun or modifier, as in “Keep a backup” or “Use a backup copy.”
If options include several correctly formed modals, grammar alone may not decide. Can expresses ability or permission; should commonly gives advice; must can express a strong requirement. A question asking for advice provides a clearer basis for should than a bare sentence that permits several interpretations.
Infinitives and gerunds
A to-infinitive is to + base verb: to read, to reduce. A gerund is an -ing verb form used in a noun-like role: “Reading takes time.” Different preceding verbs select different patterns: decide to leave, but enjoy reading.
Example: Complete “The committee decided ___ the meeting.” Options: to postpone / postponing / postponed / to postponing.
Decide takes a to-infinitive in this construction. Choose to postpone: “The committee decided to postpone the meeting.” The choice follows the pattern of decide, rather than a rule about all verbs.
After a preposition, a directly following action normally takes an -ing form: without asking, after reading, interested in learning. The word to can be a preposition too: “I look forward to meeting you.” Therefore, “after every to, use a base verb” is too broad.
Shared to and parallel actions
Parallel structure uses matching forms for elements serving the same role. In “She plans to read and write,” the infinitive marker to is shared by read and write. Repeating it is also possible: “She plans to read and to write.”
Example: Complete “The notice was issued to prevent confusion and ___ questions.” Options: answer / answering / answered / answers.
The notice has two purposes: to prevent confusion and to answer questions. Because to is shared, choose the base verb answer: “The notice was issued to prevent confusion and answer questions.” The second verb is controlled by the shared purpose structure even though to is not immediately before the blank.
Do not copy the ending of the nearest verb. Issued belongs to the passive main clause, while prevent and answer belong to the purpose expression.
9. Passive voice and participle descriptions
Recognise the receiver of an action
In active voice, the subject normally performs the action: “The office issued the notice.” In passive voice, the subject receives the action: “The notice was issued by the office.” The basic passive structure is be + past participle.
Choose the form of be to fit tense and agreement: is issued, was issued, were issued. A modal passive takes modal + be + past participle: “The application must be submitted.” A perfect passive can use has been submitted.
Example: Complete “The letters were ___ yesterday.” Options: send / sending / sent / sends.
The letters received the action, so the passive fits. Were needs the participle sent: “The letters were sent yesterday.” Send and sends do not fit after were, and sending would describe an active ongoing action by the letters rather than their delivery.
Seeing was does not always mean the next word must be a passive participle. “The child was tired” describes a state, while “The child was playing” describes an ongoing action. Identify what the subject does or experiences before choosing the structure.
Tired and tiring, surprised and surprising
Many related adjective pairs distinguish an experience from its cause. Tired describes someone experiencing tiredness; tiring describes something causing tiredness. Surprised describes the experience of surprise; surprising describes its cause.
Example: Complete “After the long walk, Riya felt ___.” Options: tired / tiring / tires / tire.
Riya experiences the tiredness, so choose tired: “After the long walk, Riya felt tired.” We could describe the cause by saying “The walk was tiring.” The difference is the role being described, not merely the spelling ending.
People can be interesting, boring or surprising when they cause a reaction in others. “He is an interesting speaker” is correct. Also, not all feelings use -ed words: happy and sad are ordinary adjectives. Apply the experience/cause distinction to suitable related pairs, not every adjective.
Opening participle phrases
An opening phrase can describe the main subject's state: “Surprised by the announcement, the employees asked for clarification.” It means the employees were surprised and then asked for an explanation.
Example: Complete “___ by the unexpected noise, the children looked towards the door.” Options: Startled / Startling / Startle / To startle.
The children received the startling effect of the noise. Choose Startled: “Startled by the unexpected noise, the children looked towards the door.” Startling would instead suggest causing a startle and does not fit the following by phrase in this construction.
Check that the opening description logically belongs to the following subject. “Walking home, Riya found a wallet” has a walker as its subject. “Walking home, a wallet was found” wrongly leaves the wallet appearing to walk.
10. Prepositions and phrasal verbs
Time, deadlines and duration
A preposition connects an expression to another part of the sentence. Common time patterns include at six, on Monday and in July. However, the relationship matters: a day can be the time of an event, a deadline or an endpoint for continued activity.
By means no later than a specified point. Until indicates continuation up to that point. Compare “Finish the report by Friday” with “Work on the report until Friday.” The first requires completion; the second describes how long work continues.
Example: Complete the sentence to express a deadline: “The application must be submitted ___ Friday evening.” Options: by / since / at / during.
Choose by: “The application must be submitted by Friday evening.” Submitting earlier is allowed. Since would mark a starting point, and at does not fit this day-plus-evening expression in the intended way.
“Submit it on Friday evening” is grammatical but asks for submission during that period rather than no later than it. Do not call on ungrammatical simply because a different reading favours by; the deadline instruction is what decides the relationship.
Fixed preposition patterns
Many words combine naturally with particular prepositions: depend on, belong to, capable of, interested in, responsible for. The relationship is part of the expression, so learning only the first word is not enough.
Example: Complete “She is interested ___ learning a new language.” Options: in / at / for / with.
Choose in: “She is interested in learning a new language.” The -ing form learning already fits after the preposition. Both parts belong to the expression interested in doing something.
Some verbs take an object directly: discuss the problem, reach the station, enter the room. Their related nouns may have different patterns, such as a discussion about the problem. Do not add a preposition just because a related expression uses one.
Phrasal verbs carry a combined meaning
A phrasal verb combines a verb with a short word called a particle, such as off, up or out. The combined meaning may differ from the literal meanings of its parts. Put off can mean postpone; put out can mean extinguish; put up can mean erect or provide accommodation.
Example: Complete “Because the speaker is unavailable, we must ___ the seminar until Monday.” Options: put off / put out / put up / put in.
The speaker's unavailability and the later date indicate postponement. Choose put off: “Because the speaker is unavailable, we must put off the seminar until Monday.” Put out can describe extinguishing a fire, but it does not express the required postponement.
Phrasal verbs may have several meanings. “The noise put me off” means it discouraged or distracted me, not that it postponed me. Always learn an example along with the meaning.
Position of the object
Some phrasal verbs are separable. Both “Put off the meeting” and “Put the meeting off” are possible. With an object pronoun, the pronoun goes between the parts: “Put it off,” not “Put off it.”
Example: Complete “The meeting can wait. Please ___.” Options: put it off / put off it / put it out / put up it.
The intended action is postponement, and it replaces the meeting. Choose put it off. This answer satisfies both meaning and pronoun position.
Not every multiword verb separates. “Look after the child” becomes “Look after her,” not “Look her after.” Learn the object pattern as part of the expression.
11. Vocabulary and natural word combinations
A definition is only the first check
A vocabulary option must fit the sentence's exact meaning. Two words can belong to the same topic without being interchangeable. Remember, repeat, replace and reconcile might all occur near the word statement, but they describe different actions.
Example: Complete “The two accounts appeared to conflict, so the researcher tried to ___ one with the other.” Options: reconcile / recite / recollect / replace.
The conflict and the goal of considering both accounts point to making them consistent. Choose reconcile: “The two accounts appeared to conflict, so the researcher tried to reconcile one with the other.” Recite means say aloud, recollect means remember, and replace means substitute. Those actions do not address the stated goal in the same way.
The pattern is reconcile A with B. Learn both the meaning and this construction. Use the standard spellings reconcile and recollect; they are not normally written with a hyphen in these meanings.
Collocations: words that commonly occur together
A collocation is a natural word combination, such as make a decision, reach a conclusion, draw a conclusion, strong evidence or heavy rain. Its words may be individually familiar, but the combination needs to sound natural in the intended meaning.
Example: Complete “After examining the results, the researcher ___ a conclusion.” Options: drew / did / performed / manufactured.
Choose drew. Draw a conclusion means arrive at an inference from information. “After examining the results, the researcher drew a conclusion” expresses the intended reasoning, while the other verbs do not form the ordinary expression here.
There may be more than one valid collocation: reach a conclusion also works. If both appear as options with no distinguishing context, the question may not have a unique answer. Do not invent a grammar rule to reject one established expression.
Strength, scope and certainty
Some vocabulary choices differ in degree rather than basic topic. Limited evidence covers only a small amount or range of information. Inconclusive evidence does not settle the issue. Evidence can be extensive yet inconclusive, so these adjectives are related but not identical.
A sweeping conclusion is broad and general, often broader than the evidence warrants. A definitive conclusion is firm or intended to settle the issue. Cautious means careful about claiming too much. These distinctions help us match evidence to a claim.
Example: Complete “The samples gave conflicting results, so the findings remained ___.” Options: inconclusive / decisive / unanimous / final.
The conflicting results do not settle the issue. Choose inconclusive: “The samples gave conflicting results, so the findings remained inconclusive.” Decisive points towards settling an issue, unanimous describes complete agreement, and final alone does not express the uncertainty established by the sentence.
Emotional and evaluative meaning
A word may carry approval, criticism or uncertainty in addition to its basic meaning. Sincere means genuine in feeling or intention. Contrived suggests something artificial or deliberately arranged in a way that seems unnatural. Spontaneous means arising without prior planning.
Example: Complete “The apology sounded ___ because every sentence appeared rehearsed rather than heartfelt.” Options: contrived / spontaneous / sincere / accidental.
The explanation contrasts rehearsed words with genuine feeling. Contrived matches that criticism: “The apology sounded contrived because every sentence appeared rehearsed rather than heartfelt.” The clue supports an interpretation of this apology; it does not prove that every rehearsed apology must be insincere.
12. Read context clues and connectors
A context clue is information around the blank that helps establish its meaning. It may be a definition, an example, a contrast, a reason or a consequence. Read both sides of the blank before predicting the missing idea.
Definition and restatement clues
A sentence may explain the missing word directly. Expressions such as meaning, that is, in other words and rather than can make the intended sense clear.
Example: Complete “The instructions were ___: they could be understood in two different ways.” Options: ambiguous / precise / brief / complete.
The second part defines a lack of a single clear meaning. Choose ambiguous: “The instructions were ambiguous: they could be understood in two different ways.” Brief only means short and does not account for the two interpretations.
Contrast is a reversal of expectation
Words such as but, although, however and yet can introduce contrast. This does not require dictionary opposites. “Although she was tired, she finished the task” contrasts tiredness with continued completion; tired and finished are not antonyms.
Example: Complete “Although the path was steep, the children remained ___ and continued without complaint.” Options: cheerful / exhausted / unwilling / motionless.
The difficult path creates an expectation of discomfort or reluctance. Cheerful fits the contrasting positive reaction and the absence of complaints. “Although the path was steep, the children remained cheerful and continued without complaint” uses both clauses to support the answer.
Grammar also affects connector choice. Although introduces a clause: “although the road was wet.” Despite takes a noun phrase or -ing expression: “despite the wet road” or “despite feeling tired.” Do not insert despite directly before the road was wet without changing the construction.
Cause and effect
Because introduces a reason, while so can introduce its result. “The signal failed, so the train stopped” and “The train stopped because the signal failed” express the same relationship in different orders.
Example: Complete “The instructions omitted the final step, so the trainees were ___ about how to finish.” Options: uncertain / certain / indifferent / informed.
The missing step explains a lack of certainty. Choose uncertain: “The instructions omitted the final step, so the trainees were uncertain about how to finish.” The result follows from the information given, without adding a new story.
A cause need not make its effect inevitable in the real world. The task is to identify the intended relationship supported by the sentence, not to claim that every event has only one possible consequence.
Negatives change what a result requires
Words such as not, never, hardly and unable can reverse or limit a statement. In “could not reach a ___ conclusion,” the missing adjective describes the kind of conclusion that was unavailable, not the kind actually reached.
Example: Complete “The results were inconclusive, so the team could not make a ___ claim.” Options: definitive / doubtful / tentative / cautious.
The evidence does not support a firm claim. Choose definitive: “The results were inconclusive, so the team could not make a definitive claim.” Missing not would lead to the opposite interpretation of the sentence.
Standard ordinary negatives use “I did not find any errors” or “I found no errors.” Do not add no after did not when you intend a single negative statement.
13. Solve two blanks as one connected sentence
In a two-blank question, each option normally supplies an ordered pair. The first word fills the first blank and the second fills the second blank. A pair fails if either word has the wrong form or the completed relationship does not fit.
You can begin with the easier blank to eliminate options, but you must check the second blank and reread the whole sentence before selecting a pair. It is not enough to find one attractive word.
Case 1: The two blanks need different verb forms
Example: Complete “The notice was ___ to prevent rumours and ___ confusion.”
- A. issued, reducing
- B. issued, reduce
- C. issue, reduce
- D. issuing, reduced
The notice receives the issuing action, so was issued is the appropriate passive structure. That removes C and D. The purpose expression joins prevent rumours with reduce confusion, sharing the infinitive marker to. Therefore, the second word must be reduce, not reducing.
The answer is B: “The notice was issued to prevent rumours and reduce confusion.” Option A gets the first blank right but breaks the parallel purpose structure. Checking only issued would not distinguish the two remaining choices.
Case 2: The second blank explains the first
Example: Complete “The train was ___ because the signal had ___.”
- A. quick, failed
- B. delayed, improved
- C. cancel, failed
- D. delayed, failed
Start with because: the second clause gives the reason for the first. A failed signal can explain a delay. The verb structures also fit: was delayed and had failed. Choose D: “The train was delayed because the signal had failed.”
A does not give the expected relationship between speed and signal failure. B supplies improvement without explaining why it would cause delay in this sentence. C contains a plausible event idea, cancellation, but cancel is the wrong form after was. The whole pair needs both grammar and meaning.
Case 3: Contrast between evidence and a claim
Example: Complete “Although the study examined only three people, its evidence was treated as ___ and its conclusion as ___.”
- A. insufficient, tentative
- B. decisive, universally applicable
- C. uncertain, provisional
- D. limited, narrow
The opening clause stresses the tiny sample. Although signals that the treatment of the evidence and conclusion goes against the caution we would expect. B describes strong treatment of weakly scoped evidence: decisive means settling the issue, and universally applicable means applying everywhere or to everyone.
The answer is B: “Although the study examined only three people, its evidence was treated as decisive and its conclusion as universally applicable.” The sentence describes overconfidence; it does not endorse it. The other pairs express caution consistent with a small sample, so they do not supply the intended reversal of expectation as clearly.
A related expression is “limited evidence, but a sweeping conclusion.” The words fit because a broad claim extends beyond the narrow evidence. A contrast question must establish that relationship rather than assume every cautious conclusion conflicts with complete data.
Case 4: A first impression changes
Example: Complete “Her apology initially seemed ___, but the copied phrases made it appear ___ rather than heartfelt.”
- A. sincere, contrived
- B. insincere, genuine
- C. brief, spontaneous
- D. formal, honest
The second clause provides evidence of an artificial impression: copied phrases rather than heartfelt words. That points to contrived in the second blank. The earlier positive impression is then sincere. Choose A.
The completed sentence is “Her apology initially seemed sincere, but the copied phrases made it appear contrived rather than heartfelt.” B reverses the direction of the change. C and D do not explain the stated contrast as directly, even though some of their words could describe an apology in another context.
Case 5: Inconclusive evidence prevents a firm result
Example: Complete “The evidence was ___, so the committee could not reach a ___ conclusion.”
- A. decisive, firm
- B. complete, final
- C. inconclusive, definitive
- D. irrelevant, grammatical
The phrase could not matters. The first blank must explain why a firm conclusion was unavailable. C fits: inconclusive means the evidence does not settle the issue, while definitive describes a firm result that would settle it.
Choose C: “The evidence was inconclusive, so the committee could not reach a definitive conclusion.” A and B do not supply the intended obstacle to a firm result. D includes a possible problem with evidence, but grammatical conclusion does not fit this reasoning context.
14. Conditionals and hypothetical results
A conditional sentence links a condition to a result. Before choosing a verb phrase, decide whether the condition is realistic, hypothetical in the present/future, or an imagined alternative to the past. Then identify the time of the result separately.
Realistic future conditions
A common pattern is if + present form followed by will + base verb: “If it rains, we will stay indoors.” The present form rains expresses a future condition; it does not imply the rain is happening now.
Example: Complete “If she submits the form today, the office ___ it tomorrow.” Options: will process / would have processed / processing / processed.
The sentence presents a realistic future possibility. Choose will process: “If she submits the form today, the office will process it tomorrow.” The past and incomplete forms do not fit that intended time relationship.
Will can express predictions and decisions; it does not mean the event is absolutely certain. Rejecting an option because “will always means certainty” would be misleading.
Hypothetical present or future conditions
For an imagined situation, a common pattern is if + past form and would + base verb: “If I had more time, I would read another chapter.” The past form marks distance from reality, not necessarily past time.
A formal version can use were to: “If the client were to cancel, we would revise the schedule.” Omitting if and moving were before the subject gives “Were the client to cancel, we would revise the schedule.” Both describe the same hypothetical possibility.
Example: Complete “Were the client to cancel the order, we ___ the schedule.” Options: would revise / revise / revised / revising.
Read the opening as “If the client were to cancel.” The matching hypothetical result is would revise. The completed sentence is “Were the client to cancel the order, we would revise the schedule.” The word revise alone does not express the intended result structure here.
Imagined alternative pasts
The third conditional commonly uses if + had + past participle and would have + past participle. “If she had left earlier, she would have caught the train” imagines both a different past departure and its different past result.
Example: Complete “If the server had been restarted before yesterday's outage, that outage ___ shorter.” Options: will be / would have been / has been / is.
The restart and the outage both belong to the past. The result needs the imagined past form would have been: “If the server had been restarted before yesterday's outage, that outage would have been shorter.” Been is the participle of be after have.
The condition had been restarted is passive: the server receives the restart. The result would have been shorter uses be to link the outage to a description. Similar-looking auxiliaries can perform different jobs.
Mixed time relationships are possible
A past condition can have a hypothetical present result: “If I had accepted that job, I would live in Delhi now.” The acceptance is in the past; living in Delhi is an imagined present situation. This is a mixed conditional.
Do not mechanically change every result after if + had to would have. Establish whether the result belongs to the past or the present. In a source sentence about an outage with no explicit time, added context may be needed to distinguish a completed outage from one still continuing.
15. Inversion after negative or limiting openings
Inversion changes the ordinary order of subject and auxiliary. Compare “We rarely receive such praise” with “Rarely do we receive such praise.” The second begins with a limiting adverbial and uses an auxiliary before the subject.
Words such as rarely, seldom and never can trigger this formal pattern when they limit the clause from the beginning. If the ordinary verb phrase already contains an auxiliary, move it: “I have never seen this” becomes “Never have I seen this.” Otherwise, add do, does or did and use the base form of the main verb.
Example: Complete “Rarely ___ such a clear explanation.” Options: we receive / we received / did we receives / do we receive.
A and B keep ordinary subject-first order after the opening rarely. C begins with inversion, but receives is incorrect after did. D satisfies both requirements. The answer is “Rarely do we receive such a clear explanation.”
“Rarely did we receive such a clear explanation” could be grammatical in a past context. It is not offered here. The absence of a valid past option does not prove that the opening word rarely always refers to a present habit.
The scope of the opening word matters. “Little children need sleep” does not need inversion because little describes the noun children. Similarly, “Only Riya knew” limits the subject rather than placing an adverbial condition before the clause.
Closely timed events also use inversion in patterns such as “Hardly had we arrived when the bell rang” and “No sooner had we arrived than the bell rang.” Learn the whole structure, including the connector, rather than recognising only its first word.
16. Use a consistent solving process
The lessons explain the individual choices. A complete question may combine several of them, so use a process that moves from the sentence's message to its details.
- Read the whole sentence before choosing. Locate the main action, time and connection between clauses.
- Identify what each blank must do. It may need a noun, adjective, complete verb phrase, preposition or connector.
- Predict the missing idea in simple words. For example, “postpone,” “not enough evidence” or “a past result that did not happen.”
- Compare the supplied choices. Remove those with an impossible form, then compare the meaning and natural word combinations of those remaining.
- Insert the entire answer. For a pair, fill both blanks in the stated order. Do not repair other words silently.
- Reread for grammar and meaning. Confirm that the sentence says what its clues support, including any negatives or contrast.
Example: Complete “The explanation was so ___ that even first-time users understood it.” Options: clear / clearly / clarity / clearing.
The blank describes the explanation, so an adjective is needed. The result, understanding by first-time users, supports the meaning clear. Choose “The explanation was so clear that even first-time users understood it.” Both the grammatical role and the result point to the same option.
If two choices remain genuinely valid, check whether an instruction specifies meaning, formality or tense. If nothing distinguishes them, the question may be ambiguous. A useful explanation acknowledges this instead of declaring an accepted construction wrong.
17. Mixed practice
Choose the best option for each sentence. Where a question states a particular meaning, use that meaning. For two blanks, insert the pair in order. All answers and explanations appear together under Answer key.
Questions
1. Choose a or an: “He is ___ honest employee.”
A. a
B. an
2. “The panel reached a final ___ after the discussion.”
A. decide
B. decisive
C. decision
D. decisively
3. “She explained the instructions ___.”
A. clear
B. clearly
C. clarity
D. clearing
4. “There are ___ mistakes in this paragraph.”
A. much
B. little
C. several
D. a little
5. “The tutor gave me a piece of useful ___.”
A. advice
B. advise
C. advices
D. advised
6. “One of the boxes ___ missing.” Use the simple present.
A. are
B. were
C. have
D. is
7. “The teacher thanked Riya and ___.”
A. I
B. me
C. my
D. mine
8. “The laptop is working, but ___ charger is missing.”
A. it's
B. it
C. its
D. itself
9. “Did she ___ the address?”
A. checked
B. checks
C. checking
D. check
10. “He has ___ the answer on the board.”
A. written
B. wrote
C. write
D. writing
11. “She has been waiting ___ an hour.”
A. since
B. for
C. at
D. by
12. Choose the option that gives advice: “You ___ read the instructions first.”
A. can to
B. must to
C. should
D. might to
13. “Please wait while I ___ the total.”
A. checking
B. will checked
C. checked
D. check
14. “The parcel was ___ yesterday.”
A. delivered
B. deliver
C. delivers
D. delivering
15. “After the long journey, the children felt ___ and wanted to rest.”
A. tiring
B. tired
C. tire
D. tires
16. “___ by the loud noise, the baby began to cry.”
A. Frighten
B. Frightening
C. Frightened
D. To frighten
17. Express a deadline: “Please complete the report ___ noon.”
A. since
B. until
C. during
D. by
18. “She is interested ___ learning to code.”
A. in
B. at
C. for
D. with
19. “The speaker is unavailable, so we must ___ the meeting until next week.”
A. put out
B. put off
C. put up
D. put in
20. “The meeting can wait. Please ___.”
A. put off it
B. put up it
C. put it off
D. put it out
21. “The two records contradicted each other, so the researcher tried to ___ one with the other.”
A. recite
B. recollect
C. decorate
D. reconcile
22. “The instruction was ___: two readers interpreted it in different ways.”
A. ambiguous
B. precise
C. unanimous
D. decisive
23. “The notice was ___ to prevent confusion and ___ common questions.”
A. issued, answering
B. issued, answer
C. issue, answer
D. issuing, answered
24. “During the sudden storm, the road was ___ because a tree had ___ across it.”
A. clear, fallen
B. blocked, grown
C. blocked, fallen
D. block, fell
25. “The results were ___, so the researchers could not make a ___ claim.”
A. decisive, firm
B. complete, final
C. uncertain, grammatical
D. inconclusive, definitive
26. “Although the evidence covered only one small village, the report made ___ claims about the whole country.”
A. sweeping
B. local
C. narrowly limited
D. village-specific
27. “Her apology initially seemed ___, but the copied phrases made it appear ___ rather than heartfelt.”
A. insincere, genuine
B. sincere, contrived
C. formal, honest
D. brief, spontaneous
28. “If the technician had arrived before yesterday's breakdown, the interruption ___ shorter.”
A. will be
B. has been
C. would have been
D. is
29. “Were the supplier to cancel, we ___ another source.”
A. finding
B. found
C. finds
D. would find
30. “Rarely ___ such careful work.”
A. do we see
B. we see
C. did we sees
D. we seeing
Answer key
1. B: an. Honest starts with a vowel sound because its h is silent. The completed sentence is “He is an honest employee.” Choose by the next spoken sound, not the spelling alone.
2. C: decision. A final needs a noun to complete the phrase, and reach a decision is a natural expression. Write “The panel reached a final decision after the discussion.” The other forms have different grammatical jobs.
3. B: clearly. The blank describes how she explained, so it needs an adverb. “She explained the instructions clearly” is complete. Clear would fit a description such as “The instructions were clear.”
4. C: several. Mistakes is a plural countable noun. “There are several mistakes in this paragraph” fits, while much, little and a little describe uncountable amounts in these uses.
5. A: advice. Guidance is expressed by the uncountable noun advice. The unit a piece of lets us refer to one item: “The tutor gave me a piece of useful advice.” Advise is the verb.
6. D: is. One is the singular head of the subject, and the instruction asks for the simple present. “One of the boxes is missing” is correct. Boxes stays plural after one of.
7. B: me. The thanked people form the object of thanked. Write “The teacher thanked Riya and me.” Removing Riya and temporarily leaves the ordinary object pattern “thanked me.”
8. C: its. A possessive determiner is needed before charger. Write “The laptop is working, but its charger is missing.” It's would expand to it is or it has, which does not fit.
9. D: check. The auxiliary did takes a base verb. “Did she check the address?” is correct; the past marking is already carried by did.
10. A: written. The perfect helping verb has needs the past participle. Write “He has written the answer on the board.” The simple past form wrote cannot follow has in this structure.
11. B: for. An hour is a duration. “She has been waiting for an hour” is correct. Since would require a starting point such as nine o'clock.
12. C: should. Should gives advice and takes the base verb read directly. Write “You should read the instructions first.” The other options incorrectly add to after core modals.
13. D: check. “Please wait while I check the total” uses a suitable present form for the activity during the wait. Checking alone lacks an auxiliary, checked shifts to a past event, and will checked is malformed. The unlisted am checking would also be grammatical in a suitable reading.
14. A: delivered. The parcel receives the delivery action. The passive was delivered gives “The parcel was delivered yesterday.” Its participle completes the structure after was.
15. B: tired. The children experience tiredness and want rest. Write “After the long journey, the children felt tired and wanted to rest.” Tiring would describe causing tiredness.
16. C: Frightened. The noise causes the baby's fear, so the opening phrase describes an affected subject. “Frightened by the loud noise, the baby began to cry” is correct. Frightening does not fit the by phrase in this construction.
17. D: by. The instruction specifies a deadline. “Please complete the report by noon” allows completion earlier but not later. Until would describe continued activity rather than the required completion point.
18. A: in. The expression is interested in. “She is interested in learning to code” also correctly uses the -ing form after the preposition.
19. B: put off. The absent speaker and later date indicate postponement. “The speaker is unavailable, so we must put off the meeting until next week” uses the phrasal verb with that meaning.
20. C: put it off. The intended action is postponement, and the object pronoun must go between the parts of this separable phrasal verb. Write “The meeting can wait. Please put it off.”
21. D: reconcile. The records conflict, and the intended action is to make their accounts consistent. “The two records contradicted each other, so the researcher tried to reconcile one with the other” uses both the meaning and the pattern reconcile A with B.
22. A: ambiguous. The two interpretations explain the missing adjective. Write “The instruction was ambiguous: two readers interpreted it in different ways.” Precise would suggest greater exactness, while unanimous concerns agreement among people or decisions.
23. B: issued, answer. Was issued is passive. The purpose expression shares to between prevent and answer: “The notice was issued to prevent confusion and answer common questions.” Both blanks must fit their separate structures.
24. C: blocked, fallen. A fallen tree explains the blockage. “During the sudden storm, the road was blocked because a tree had fallen across it” fits the cause and the verb forms. Had fallen uses the participle of fall, not its past form fell.
25. D: inconclusive, definitive. Evidence that does not settle the issue prevents a firm claim. Write “The results were inconclusive, so the researchers could not make a definitive claim.” The negative could not is essential to the relationship.
26. A: sweeping. The claim covers the whole country despite evidence from only one village. “Although the evidence covered only one small village, the report made sweeping claims about the whole country” expresses the broad scope. The other options describe local or limited claims, conflicting with the stated nationwide scope.
27. B: sincere, contrived. The apology first seems genuine, but copied phrases create an artificial impression. Write “Her apology initially seemed sincere, but the copied phrases made it appear contrived rather than heartfelt.” Both the contrast and the explanation support the pair.
28. C: would have been. The arrival and interruption belong to an imagined alternative past. Write “If the technician had arrived before yesterday's breakdown, the interruption would have been shorter.” The result uses would have + past participle.
29. D: would find. “Were the supplier to cancel” means “If the supplier were to cancel.” The hypothetical result is “we would find another source.” The completed sentence is “Were the supplier to cancel, we would find another source.”
30. A: do we see. Opening rarely calls for inversion, and do takes the base verb see. Write “Rarely do we see such careful work.” Option C attempts inversion but incorrectly puts sees after did.
18. Common mistakes to avoid
Choosing a word before reading the complete sentence. The phrase after the blank may supply the decisive clue. Read through the result, contrast or explanation before settling on an option.
Treating every word after was as a passive participle. Was issued is passive, was reading is continuous, and was tired describes a state. The subject's role and the rest of the sentence determine the construction.
Assuming a person always takes an -ed adjective. A person can be interesting when causing interest. Decide whether the person experiences the feeling or causes it, and use this distinction only for adjective pairs that actually have it.
Forgetting that to has more than one job. Decide to leave contains an infinitive marker; look forward to leaving contains a preposition. Learn the entire expression before selecting the following verb form.
Selecting a pair because the first word fits. One blank may require a participle and another a base verb, or the two words may need a clear cause or contrast. Insert both and read them together.
Ignoring not or the direction of a contrast. “Could not reach a definitive conclusion” means a firm conclusion was unavailable. A positive-sounding second word may therefore be exactly what the sentence requires.
Rejecting an option with an invented absolute rule. On Friday can be grammatical even when a deadline reading calls for by Friday. Likewise, while I am checking is not automatically wrong. Use the stated meaning to distinguish alternatives.
Adding a story that the sentence does not supply. A distractor may become possible if you invent unusual circumstances. Prefer the completion supported directly by the wording and ordinary meaning, while acknowledging genuine ambiguity where it remains.
FAQs
Do I need a large vocabulary to begin?
No. Begin with common word forms, articles, agreement, auxiliaries and prepositions. Build vocabulary alongside these foundations by recording each new word with its meaning and a complete example. Grammar can eliminate some options even when one word is unfamiliar.
How do I know whether a blank tests grammar or vocabulary?
Related forms such as decide, decision and decisive often test grammatical role. Different verbs such as reconcile, recite and replace often test meaning and usage. Many questions combine both, so use the distinction to guide attention rather than to skip either check.
Should I predict an answer before reading the options?
A simple meaning prediction can help, such as “a word meaning postpone” or “a noun naming the result.” You do not need to guess the exact word. Compare the options against the required role and meaning, then read the completed sentence.
How should I approach two blanks?
Read the whole sentence first and identify the relationship between its parts. You may begin with the easier blank to eliminate pairs, but check both words before answering. A pair with one correct word is still an incorrect answer.
Do but and although always require opposite words?
No. They signal contrast or a result that differs from an expectation. “Although she was tired, she finished the work” contains a contrast without a pair of dictionary opposites. Explain the relationship between the ideas instead of searching only for antonyms.
Can more than one answer be grammatically correct?
Yes. Context, instructions and the supplied choices must identify the intended completion. If two options fit grammar, meaning and natural usage equally well, the item may need more context. Do not memorise a false rule merely to force a unique answer.
How should I learn phrasal verbs and collocations?
Record the complete expression, its meaning and a sentence. For a phrasal verb, also note object placement, such as put the meeting off and put it off. For a collocation, practise the whole combination, such as draw a conclusion, rather than only the verb.
What should I record after a wrong answer?
Write the completed sentence and a brief reason for the correct form or meaning. Then explain why your chosen option failed in that exact position. Add a new sentence where the rejected word would be correct, which helps separate a useful word from an unsuitable use.