Sentence Completion and Fillups

How to solve sentence completion?

Good vocabulary matters a lot while solving sentence completion. But knowing some techniques can surely help you to counter them more easily.  Here are the steps to tackle the sentence completion questions.

 

Check out the blog Vocabulary for Verbal Aptitude to learn vocabulary for verbal aptitude.

 

Get the idea of the sentence

Get the idea of the sentence by reading it carefully and trying to find the clues. Many times the sentences are made difficult by using complex structure and vocabulary. Understanding the sentence and figuring out what suits the best matters a lot to complete the sentence. You should have a mental answer in your mind to be able to complete the sentence. Every sentence has an idea to communicate. The sentence could be positive, negative, formal, or informal. Getting that right helps you to predict the answer. 

Hints

The hints may help you figure out what should go in the blank for a coherent phrase. It is like a test to see if you can find the proper tip. We can verify the tip by putting different words or phrases directly into the blank.

Structure Words

Look for words like but, rather, although, however, and, while, but, therefore, etc. while solving sentence completion. They can give you a fair idea of sentence structure and what can go into the blank.

Make up your mind

Once you are done reading and understanding the sentence, try making up your mind and guess the answer in your language. Further processes become easier once you can guess it. 

Eliminate

Eliminating the wrong choices could be the next step to reach the final answer in sentence completion. But while doing that, be careful; eliminate any option only after you understand it thoroughly. Eliminating something just because you don't understand it could prove harmful.

Be sure

Your answer needs to be correct both logically and grammatically. Your grammar should perfectly match with the sentence, and logic should satisfy the expected meaning of the sentence. Your sentence completion can't go correct until you don't meet both criteria.

 

If two blank questions are there, it becomes easier to solve them since we have two chances to eliminate them.

Examples:

Single Blank: 

Sentences have only one blank that you have to fill.

 

Q1. Rahul's talent ______ under the tutelage of Priyanka, who as a young woman had been the most accomplished pianist in her native India.

1. bantered 
2. touted 
3. flourished 
4. embellished 
5. Colluded

 

Answer 3. 

Explanation:

To flourish (v.) is (of artists) to be in a state of high productivity, excellence, or influence; to grow luxuriously, thrive; to fare well, prosper, increase in wealth, honor, comfort, or whatever is desirable; to make bold, sweeping movements.

 

Q2. The college professor was known on campus as a ______ character-bland but harmless and noble in his ideals. 

1. staid 
2. Stagnant
3. auspicious 
4. sterile  
5. dogmatic

 

Answer 1. 

Explanation:

Staid (adjective) means a steady and sober character; prudently reserved and colorless.

 

Cloze test:

In the cloze test, a whole paragraph is given with many blanks to fill. It's better to read the complete paragraph before you start solving it.

 

Q1. Fossils are the preserved (1) ___ or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms. They vary in size from microscopic, such as single cells, to gigantic, such as dinosaurs. A Fossil usually preserves only a portion of the (2) ___ organism. Usually, that portion was partially mineralized during life. Fossils may also (3) ___ of the marks left behind by the organism while it was alive.

  

1. A) remnants B) maledictions  C) escorts
2. A) incongruous  B) deceased  C) pretentious
3. A) consist     B) procrastinate     C) insist

 

Answer:

1. A) remnants

2. B) deceased 

3. A) consist

 

Q2. Salmon live in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, (1) ___  great lakes and rivers. Typically, they live in the sea mostly but (2) ___ in freshwater. They are born in freshwater; migrate to the ocean, then return to freshwater to reproduce. This means the fish return to the exact spot where they were born to (3) ___.

 

1. A) as well as   B) in addition C) just as
2. A) devour   B) segregate     C) breed
3. A) spawn     B) modify    C) reconcile

 

Answer:

1. A) as well as
2. C) breed
3. A) spawn

 

Must Read Difference between ArrayList and LinkedList

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is a cloze test?

Ans:- It is a  procedure in which a subject is asked to supply words that have been removed from a passage as a test of their ability to comprehend text.

 

Q2. What are the different steps to solve sentence completion?

Ans:- The different steps to solve sentence completion are as follows- Get the idea of the sentence, look for hints, find structure words, make up your mind, eliminate choices, and finally recheck and confirm.

 

Q3.  What are the common types of sentence completions?

Ans:- The four common types of sentence completion are Restatement, Comparison, Contrast, Cause, and effect.

 

Key Takeaways

Sentence completion is a common way to test your vocabulary and logical understanding skills. Sentence completions test your reading skills and grammar knowledge. They are used in interviews to test candidates' command in the field of language and grammar. The more you practice sentence completion questions, the better you will get at it. 
Check out this problem - First Missing Positive 

Practice them by completing these sentences. Check out questions involving multiple fillups like these. Preparing for interviews? Go through the Aptitude Preparation modules offered by Coding Ninjas.