Practice the most repeated and important Fill in the Blanks questions in English, specially selected for competitive exams like SSC, Banking, HSSC CET, NDA, CDS, and UPSC. These grammar-based questions cover prepositions, tenses, articles, conjunctions, and vocabulary — all with correct answers and detailed explanations. Ideal for improving accuracy in English language sections.
He ___ to the market every Sunday.
- a) go
- b) goes
- c) gone
- d) going
Answer: b) goes
Explanation: ‘He’ is singular, so we use ‘goes’ in the simple present tense.
She has been living here ___ 2010.
- a) for
- b) from
- c) since
- d) by
Answer: c) since
Explanation: ‘Since’ is used with a point of time (e.g. 2010).
Neither the teacher nor the students ___ present.
- a) was
- b) is
- c) are
- d) being
Answer: c) are
Explanation: In ‘Neither…nor’, the verb agrees with the nearer subject ‘students’.
The Taj Mahal is ___ historical monument.
- a) a
- b) an
- c) the
- d) no article
Answer: b) an
Explanation: ‘An’ is used before words beginning with a vowel sound like ‘historical’.
He is afraid ___ dogs.
- a) from
- b) of
- c) to
- d) by
Answer: b) of
Explanation: The correct preposition used with ‘afraid’ is ‘of’.
If I ___ you, I would not go there.
- a) am
- b) were
- c) was
- d) be
Answer: b) were
Explanation: This is a subjunctive mood sentence; ‘were’ is used instead of ‘was’.
The train had left before we ___ the station.
- a) reached
- b) reach
- c) had reached
- d) reaches
Answer: a) reached
Explanation: ‘Had left’ is past perfect, so the second clause takes simple past.
She prefers tea ___ coffee.
- a) from
- b) over
- c) than
- d) to
Answer: d) to
Explanation: ‘Prefer’ is followed by ‘to’ when comparing two things.
The child is looking forward to ___ the zoo.
- a) visit
- b) visiting
- c) visited
- d) visits
Answer: b) visiting
Explanation: ‘Looking forward to’ is followed by a gerund (verb+ing).
He ___ his homework when I met him.
- a) is doing
- b) has done
- c) was doing
- d) had done
Answer: c) was doing
Explanation: The past continuous is used to describe an action in progress in the past.
There isn’t ___ milk left in the bottle.
- a) some
- b) any
- c) many
- d) few
Answer: b) any
Explanation: ‘Any’ is used in negative sentences with uncountable nouns like milk.
A number of students ___ absent today.
- a) is
- b) was
- c) are
- d) being
Answer: c) are
Explanation: ‘A number of’ is treated as plural, so the verb is ‘are’.
The book was written ___ a famous author.
- a) by
- b) with
- c) to
- d) from
Answer: a) by
Explanation: ‘By’ is used in passive voice to show the doer of the action.
We must submit the form ___ Friday.
- a) on
- b) in
- c) by
- d) for
Answer: c) by
Explanation: ‘By’ indicates the deadline or latest time.
The old man walks ___ a stick.
- a) in
- b) with
- c) on
- d) to
Answer: b) with
Explanation: ‘With a stick’ means he uses a stick for support.
He has been working here ___ three years.
- a) since
- b) from
- c) for
- d) by
Answer: c) for
Explanation: ‘For’ is used with a duration of time (three years).
One of the boys ___ stolen my pen.
- a) have
- b) has
- c) is
- d) are
Answer: b) has
Explanation: ‘One of’ is singular, so we use ‘has’.
The news ___ very disturbing.
- a) are
- b) were
- c) is
- d) be
Answer: c) is
Explanation: ‘News’ is uncountable and takes singular verb.
Neither Ram nor Shyam ___ guilty.
- a) is
- b) are
- c) have
- d) were
Answer: a) is
Explanation: With ‘Neither…nor’, verb agrees with the closer subject (Shyam – singular).
He is not strong ___ to lift the box.
- a) so
- b) too
- c) enough
- d) much
Answer: c) enough
Explanation: ‘Enough’ comes after adjective – ‘strong enough’.
She is married ___ a doctor.
- a) with
- b) to
- c) by
- d) for
Answer: b) to
Explanation: ‘Married to’ is the correct phrase in English.
The teacher asked the student ___ he was ready.
- a) whether
- b) that
- c) if
- d) both a & c
Answer: d) both a & c
Explanation: Both ‘whether’ and ‘if’ are acceptable in indirect questions.
The manager, along with his assistants, ___ present.
- a) are
- b) is
- c) were
- d) have
Answer: b) is
Explanation: The subject is ‘The manager’, which is singular.
Let’s go out, ___?
- a) shall we
- b) do we
- c) didn’t we
- d) won’t we
Answer: a) shall we
Explanation: After suggestions using “Let’s”, the tag is “shall we”.
The book is ___ the table.
- a) in
- b) on
- c) at
- d) over
Answer: b) on
Explanation: ‘On’ is used when something is resting over a surface.
Everyone ___ reached the venue.
- a) have
- b) has
- c) is
- d) are
Answer: b) has
Explanation: ‘Everyone’ is singular and takes singular verb ‘has’.
She ___ not come tomorrow.
- a) can
- b) should
- c) may
- d) might
Answer: c) may
Explanation: ‘May’ is used to express possibility.
The sun ___ in the east.
- a) rise
- b) rose
- c) rises
- d) rising
Answer: c) rises
Explanation: This is a universal truth and uses simple present tense.
___ honesty is the best policy.
- a) A
- b) An
- c) The
- d) —
Answer: d) —
Explanation: Abstract nouns like ‘honesty’ take no article when used generally.
He was punished ___ his mistake.
- a) because
- b) for
- c) due to
- d) by
Answer: b) for
Explanation: ‘Punished for’ is the correct prepositional usage.
I ___ watching this movie for two hours.
- a) am
- b) have been
- c) was
- d) had
Answer: b) have been
Explanation: Present perfect continuous tense is used here.
The boys ___ playing when it started raining.
- a) were
- b) was
- c) are
- d) had
Answer: a) were
Explanation: Plural subject ‘boys’ takes plural past continuous verb ‘were playing’.
You must abide ___ the rules.
- a) in
- b) for
- c) by
- d) with
Answer: c) by
Explanation: The correct prepositional phrase is ‘abide by the rules’.
This pen is superior ___ that.
- a) than
- b) from
- c) to
- d) over
Answer: c) to
Explanation: ‘Superior to’ is the correct collocation.
She is the ___ dancer in the group.
- a) most good
- b) best
- c) better
- d) well
Answer: b) best
Explanation: Superlative form of ‘good’ is ‘best’.
He worked hard ___ he could pass.
- a) but
- b) and
- c) so that
- d) although
Answer: c) so that
Explanation: ‘So that’ shows purpose.
I will wait here ___ you return.
- a) until
- b) unless
- c) while
- d) since
Answer: a) until
Explanation: ‘Until’ means up to the time of your return.
The earth ___ round the sun.
- a) moves
- b) move
- c) moved
- d) is moved
Answer: a) moves
Explanation: General truths are in simple present tense.
She is good ___ mathematics.
- a) at
- b) in
- c) with
- d) by
Answer: a) at
Explanation: The correct preposition is ‘good at’.
He did it ___ mistake.
- a) with
- b) on
- c) by
- d) in
Answer: b) on
Explanation: The phrase is ‘on mistake’ or ‘by mistake’. However, commonly: ‘by mistake’ is used.
The patient died ___ cancer.
- a) of
- b) from
- c) for
- d) due
Answer: a) of
Explanation: ‘Die of’ is used with diseases.
He is confident ___ his success.
- a) in
- b) of
- c) to
- d) on
Answer: b) of
Explanation: ‘Confident of’ is the correct phrase.
We discussed the matter ___ them.
- a) with
- b) to
- c) among
- d) at
Answer: a) with
Explanation: ‘Discuss with’ is the correct form.
He is capable ___ doing this work.
- a) to
- b) with
- c) for
- d) of
Answer: d) of
Explanation: ‘Capable of’ is the correct expression.
Please wait ___ I come.
- a) until
- b) unless
- c) since
- d) before
Answer: a) until
Explanation: ‘Until’ indicates waiting up to a certain time.
She is interested ___ music.
- a) in
- b) with
- c) by
- d) for
Answer: a) in
Explanation: The phrase is ‘interested in’ something.
The baby was born ___ 5 p.m.
- a) on
- b) in
- c) at
- d) by
Answer: c) at
Explanation: We use ‘at’ for specific time.
They have been friends ___ childhood.
- a) from
- b) since
- c) for
- d) in
Answer: b) since
Explanation: ‘Since’ is used with a specific starting point (childhood).
I saw a man ___ a red turban.
- a) in
- b) on
- c) with
- d) by
Answer: a) in
Explanation: ‘In’ is used for clothes and outfits.
She is junior ___ me.
- a) than
- b) to
- c) from
- d) with
Answer: b) to
Explanation: ‘Junior to’ is grammatically correct phrase.
