Fill in the Blanks
~12 min read
- What: Fill in the Blanks gives a sentence with one (sometimes two) blank(s) and four options. Pick the option that completes the sentence grammatically and meaningfully.
- Why it matters: NDA carries Fill-in blocks across many papers, often 5 items per paper. The block usually tests prepositions, articles, vocabulary, and tense — many of the same skills as Spotting Errors but in a more positive frame.
- Key habit: First identify what kind of blank you face (preposition, article, vocabulary, etc.). The blank type tells you which rule to apply. Match the blank to its type before reading options.
Fill in the Blanks is one of the most flexible blocks in NDA — the same format can test almost any grammar or vocabulary skill. A "fill" block can be five preposition items in one paper and five vocabulary items in another. The first move is always to identify what type of blank you have, then apply the matching rule.
This page lays out the five blank types, the identify-then-fill method, and worked examples. Pair it with Prepositions (for preposition blanks), Cloze (for passage-level fills), and Sentence Completion (for logic-based fills).
What This Topic Covers
NDA Fill in the Blanks — Question Format
- Item type: One sentence with one or two blanks. Four options labelled (a)–(d).
- Number: Typically 5 items per paper when dedicated.
- Topics tested: Preposition (most common), article, tense / verb-form, vocabulary, discourse marker.
- Difficulty: Mixed — preposition blanks tend to be the easiest if you know fixed pairings; vocabulary blanks are the hardest.
Five Blank Types NDA Tests
Type 1 — Preposition Blank
Form: "He is suffering _____ a fever." Options: from / with / of / by.
Solve by: The fixed verb+preposition pairing. "Suffer + from" is the standard.
Answer: from. See Prepositions and Phrasal Verbs for the full pairings list.
Type 2 — Article Blank
Form: "He is _____ honest man." Options: a / an / the / (no article).
Solve by: Sound of the next word. "Honest" begins with a vowel sound (silent h) → "an".
Answer: an.
Type 3 — Tense / Verb-Form Blank
Form: "By the time he arrived, the show _____." Options: started / had started / has started / starts.
Solve by: Tense sequence. "By the time + past simple" requires past perfect for the prior event.
Answer: had started.
Type 4 — Vocabulary Blank
Form: "His behaviour was _____ of his upbringing." Options: characteristic / characterising / characterised / character.
Solve by: Slot needs an adjective + "of" (= "indicative of"). "Characteristic of" is the fixed adjectival construction.
Answer: characteristic.
Type 5 — Discourse Marker / Connector Blank
Form: "He worked hard, _____ he failed the exam." Options: therefore / however / moreover / hence.
Solve by: Relationship between the two clauses. Hard work + failure = contrast.
Answer: however. See Discourse Markers.
The Identify-Then-Fill Method
- Identify the blank type. Glance at the options first — preposition options give one type, article options give another, vocabulary options give yet another. Type determines rule.
- Apply the matching rule. Each type has its own decision rule (see the five types above).
- Predict before reading all options. Predict the answer in plain English; then match. Avoids being swayed by traps.
- Plug back in and read. Even simple blanks need a final read-aloud check.
Worked Examples
Worked Example 1 — Preposition (NDA 2020-I style)
Stem: "The professor _____ of the department resigned yesterday."
Options: (a) on (b) in (c) of (d) at
Trap: "of" appears twice in the sentence. The blank's "of" follows from "professor of the department" (the head of department).
Answer: (c) of.
Worked Example 2 — Tense
Stem: "He _____ for two hours when the rain finally stopped."
Options: (a) is walking (b) has been walking (c) had been walking (d) walked
Reasoning: "When the rain finally stopped" (past simple) + ongoing action before it = past perfect continuous.
Answer: (c) had been walking.
Worked Example 3 — Vocabulary (Adjective + Preposition)
Stem: "She was _____ of his abilities."
Options: (a) conscious (b) consciousness (c) consciously (d) consciencious
Reasoning: Slot needs an adjective + "of". "Conscious of" is the adjective + preposition construction.
Answer: (a) conscious.
Worked Example 4 — Article
Stem: "_____ honesty is the best policy."
Options: (a) A (b) An (c) The (d) (no article)
Reasoning: Abstract noun "honesty" used in a general statement → no article.
Answer: (d) no article.
Worked Example 5 — Connector
Stem: "She studied hard for the exam; _____, she could not clear it."
Options: (a) hence (b) therefore (c) however (d) consequently
Reasoning: Effort + failure = contrast.
Answer: (c) however.
Worked Example 6 — Phrasal Verb
Stem: "The meeting was _____ till next Friday."
Options: (a) put on (b) put off (c) put down (d) put up
Reasoning: "Put off" = postpone. Others don't fit.
Answer: (b) put off.
Three Traps NDA Exploits
- The "right-class-wrong-word" trap. All four options are the same part of speech, but only one means the right thing. conscious / consciously / consciousness — three forms; only one is the adjective the slot needs.
- The "right-preposition-wrong-verb" trap. One option pairs with a different verb than the one in the sentence. Always confirm the pairing matches the surrounding verb.
- The "double-blank-mismatch" trap. In two-blank items, three options correctly fit one blank; only one fits both. Always check both blanks.
Preparation Strategy
3-Week Fill in the Blanks Plan
- Week 1: Preposition + Article blanks (Types 1 and 2). 10 items / day.
- Week 2: Tense + Vocabulary blanks (Types 3 and 4). Begin mixed daily quizzes.
- Week 3: Connector blanks + full mixed practice at exam pace.
Drill Fill in the Blanks by Type
NDA-pattern fill items with blank-type identification and rule-based explanations.
Start Free Mock TestFrequently Asked Questions
How many Fill in the Blanks items per NDA paper?
Typically 5 when present as a dedicated block. Some papers fold fill items into other blocks (Cloze, Sentence Completion).
How is this block different from Cloze and Sentence Completion?
Cloze tests blanks inside a passage with paragraph-level cues. Sentence Completion tests logical-flow blanks. Fill in the Blanks tests sentence-level grammar and vocabulary in self-contained slots.
What is the single most useful preparation?
The verb+preposition pairings list. Roughly 40% of NDA Fill-in items are preposition tests, and the rules are deterministic once you know the pairings.
Which NDA English topics connect to Fill in the Blanks?
Prepositions, Cloze Test, Sentence Completion, Discourse Markers, Synonyms, Paired Words.