Fill in the Blanks for the Assam Police Constable (AB & UB) Exam
A fill in the blanks question gives a sentence with one or more words removed and four options from which the missing word or words must be chosen. The omitted word may be a verb form, an article, a preposition, a conjunction, a pronoun, or a word of vocabulary drawn from a collocation. Because the sentence is otherwise complete, the missing word is decided by the grammar of the sentence and by the sense of the sentence, and both must be satisfied at once. The setter removes a word that looks as though any of the four options could fit, and the candidate has to reject the three that break a rule or change the meaning. This page explains the kinds of blanks that appear, the clues that decide the answer, the method of elimination, and the patterns that repeat in the paper. The content is prepared from standard grammar and vocabulary references for Assam recruitment examinations and is reviewed before publication.
How This Portion Is Set
Most questions carry a single blank, whether in the middle, at the beginning, or at the end of the sentence. Some carry two blanks and ask for the pair of words that fits both, in which case both words must be tested together. A few are set as a short passage with several blanks and a list of words to be placed. In all the forms the same two questions must be answered: what does the sentence mean, and what grammar does the missing slot demand.
Grammar Blanks and Vocabulary Blanks
Grammar blanks remove a form word and can be solved by rule alone. If the blank follows the word to, a base verb is needed. If it follows has, have or had, a past participle is needed. If it precedes a plural noun, much becomes many, and if it precedes an uncountable noun, many becomes much. Vocabulary blanks remove a meaning word, and here the sentence itself supplies a clue in the form of a synonym, an antonym, an example, or a cause and effect relation. A candidate must first decide which of the two kinds of blank is before him, because grammar blanks are solved fast and vocabulary blanks need the whole sentence.
Clues That Decide the Missing Word
- A definition clue, where the sentence explains the word, as in a person who repairs shoes is a cobbler.
- A contrast clue, where a word such as but, although or however signals that the blank is the opposite of another word.
- An example clue, where a list of items shows the class to which the blank belongs.
- A cause and effect clue, where one half of the sentence explains the other.
- A collocation clue, where the blank must form a fixed pair, as in make a decision and take a risk.
- A grammar clue, where the form of the surrounding words, such as an article or an auxiliary, fixes the form of the blank.
Blanks with Articles and Determiners
When the blank stands before a singular countable noun, an article is often the answer, and the choice between a, an and the depends on sound and on whether the noun is already known. Before a vowel sound we use an, and before a consonant sound a, so the answer follows the sound and not the letter. The definite article the is needed when the noun has already been mentioned or is unique, and no article is needed before most proper nouns and uncountable nouns used in a general sense.
Blanks with Prepositions
A preposition blank is decided by the word before it and the word after it together. Verbs such as depend, insist, comply and dispose demand their own prepositions, and adjectives such as afraid, good, angry and different do the same. A preposition of time is chosen by asking whether the reference is to a point, a period, or a length of time, where at, on, in and for each have their place. A preposition of place is chosen by asking whether the object is at a point, on a surface, or inside something.
Blanks with Conjunctions and Connectives
A conjunction blank is decided by the relation between the two halves of the sentence. If the halves are in agreement, and, both and as well as are used. If they are in contrast, but, yet, although or however is used. If one half is the cause of the other, because, since or as is used, and if one half is the result, so or therefore is used. Paired conjunctions such as either or, neither nor, not only but also and no sooner than must be completed with their fixed partner.
Blanks with Verb Forms
When the blank is a verb, the time words in the sentence fix the tense before the form is chosen. The subject fixes the number, so a singular third person subject takes s or es in the simple present. A helping verb before the blank decides whether the past participle or the present participle is needed, and words such as to and can decide whether the base form is needed. Irregular verbs must be learnt by heart, because their past and past participle forms cannot be guessed by rule.
A Method of Elimination
- Read the whole sentence first and guess the meaning of the missing word before you read the options.
- Decide what part of speech the blank needs, such as a noun, a verb, an adjective or a preposition.
- Eliminate every option that is the wrong part of speech.
- Eliminate every option that breaks a rule of agreement, tense or preposition.
- Among the words that remain, choose the one that fits the meaning and the collocation.
- Read the full sentence again with your answer to confirm that it sounds and reads correctly.
High-Yield Patterns to Memorise
- He is good at mathematics, and she is afraid of darkness.
- I have been living here for five years and since 2019.
- Neither of the two answers is correct.
- Not only the boys but also the teacher was present.
- The more you read, the wiser you become.
- Hardly had I reached the station when the train left.
- She is senior to me, and this book is superior to that one.
- No sooner did the bell ring than the students came out.
Traps That Cost Marks
- Choosing a word because it sounds impressive rather than because it fits the sentence.
- Ignoring the second blank in a two-blank question after solving the first.
- Assuming that a long word is always the correct answer.
- Forgetting that an uncountable noun takes much and not many.
- Missing a paired conjunction and leaving its partner incomplete.
- Reading the options first and fitting the sentence to them, which reverses the right order.
A Revision Plan for This Block
- Collect fifty collocations such as make a decision and take a risk, and revise them weekly.
- Learn thirty fixed preposition pairs with their verbs and adjectives.
- Practise ten sentences a day, first guessing the word without options and then checking against the options.
- Maintain a list of the words you missed and read it before each test.
- Attempt one full set a week under time and review every wrong answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which comes first, the meaning or the grammar?
Both matter, but the part of speech demanded by the blank is decided by grammar and should be checked first. Once the form is settled, the meaning and the collocation choose between the remaining words.
How do I choose between much and many?
Use many with countable plural nouns, as in many books, and much with uncountable nouns, as in much water. The noun that follows the blank decides the choice.
What is a collocation clue?
A collocation clue is a fixed pairing into which the blank must fit, such as make a decision, take a risk or pay attention. Only one option completes the fixed pair naturally.
Should I read the options before the sentence?
No. Read the sentence first and form your own guess, then read the options. This prevents the wrong options from pulling you towards their wording.
How are two-blank questions solved safely?
Test both words of each option pair at the same time and keep only the pair in which both words satisfy the grammar and the meaning of their own blank.