Module 4 · RBI Grade B English Language

Fillers & Cloze Test

Fill in the blanks, cloze tests.

Fillers · Cloze Test

🎯 Take Mock Test

Learning Objectives

Understand the fundamental concepts of Fillers & Cloze Test
Apply key formulas and techniques to solve problems
Practice with exam-level questions to build speed and accuracy

Key Concepts

What are Fillers & Cloze Test?

Fillers and Cloze Test questions evaluate your vocabulary, grammar, and contextual understanding. In fillers, a sentence with one or two blanks is given and you choose the correct word(s) from options. In cloze tests, a passage with multiple blanks is given and you fill each blank by selecting the most appropriate word. These appear in IBPS PO, SBI Clerk, and RBI Grade B exams.

Types of Fillers

1. Single Fillers: One blank in a sentence. You choose the word that best fits the meaning and grammar of the sentence. Tests vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, collocations) and grammar (parts of speech, tense consistency).

2. Double Fillers: Two blanks in a sentence. You select a pair of words that fill both blanks appropriately. Both words must fit grammatically and contextually.

3. Phrase Fillers: A phrase or idiom is missing from the sentence. You choose the correct phrase that completes the sentence meaningfully.

Cloze Test Strategy

1. Read the Entire Passage: Before attempting any blank, read the whole passage to understand the context, tone, and main idea.

2. Identify the Part of Speech: Determine what type of word fits in each blank — noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction.

3. Check Collocations: Certain words naturally go together (e.g., 'heavy rain', 'strong coffee', 'make a decision', 'take a break'). Recognizing collocations helps narrow choices.

4. Use Elimination: If the context is positive, eliminate negative words. If it's formal, eliminate informal/colloquial words.

5. Read After Filling: Once you've filled all blanks, read the entire passage to ensure it is coherent and grammatically correct.

Solved Examples

Example 1 (Single Filler)

The new government is taking several measures to _______ the economy from the current slowdown.

a) revive b) collapse c) ignore d) accelerate

Solution: a) revive. The sentence talks about measures against a 'slowdown', so the government wants to 'revive' (bring back to good condition) the economy.

Example 2 (Double Fillers)

The company's _______ in innovation has _______ it to stay ahead of competitors.

a) investment, enabled b) failure, forced c) lack, helped d) disinterest, allowed

Solution: a) investment, enabled. To 'stay ahead of competitors', the company would need a positive quality — 'investment' in innovation, and this 'enabled' them to lead.

Example 3 (Cloze Test)

Read the passage and fill the blank: 'The banking sector has undergone significant _______ in recent years. The introduction of digital technologies has made banking more _______.'

Blank 1: a) stagnation b) transformation c) decline d) confusion
Blank 2: a) complex b) expensive c) accessible d) restrictive

Solution: Blank 1: b) transformation (significant change). Blank 2: c) accessible (digital tech makes banking easy to use). The passage has a positive tone about digital technologies improving banking.

Shortcut Techniques

For single fillers, first identify the tone (positive/negative) and eliminate opposite-toned words.
For double fillers, check each word in the pair independently — both must fit.
For cloze tests, pay attention to transition words (however, therefore, moreover) as they indicate the direction of the passage.
Read the sentence after the blank — it often contains clues about what the blank should contain.

Pro Tip

In IBPS PO mains, cloze tests are often from financial or economic contexts. Build a strong vocabulary related to banking, economics, and business. Words like 'acquisition', 'deregulation', 'insolvency', 'liquidity', 'collateral' appear frequently.

Advanced Grammar

Conditional sentences, subject-verb agreement rules, and advanced vocabulary building techniques.

Key S-V Agreement Rules

Each/every/either/neither take singular verbs
With either-or/neither-nor, verb agrees with the nearer subject
Collective nouns can be singular or plural based on context
Mathematics, news, physics are singular despite ending in s

Pro Tip

For RC, read questions FIRST then scan passage. For error detection, read sentence from right to left.

Advanced Grammar

Conditional sentences, subject-verb agreement rules, and advanced vocabulary building techniques.

Key S-V Agreement Rules

Each/every/either/neither take singular verbs
With either-or/neither-nor, verb agrees with the nearer subject
Collective nouns can be singular or plural based on context
Mathematics, news, physics are singular despite ending in s

Pro Tip

For RC, read questions FIRST then scan passage. For error detection, read sentence from right to left.

Advanced Grammar

Conditional sentences, subject-verb agreement rules, and advanced vocabulary building techniques.

Key S-V Agreement Rules

Each/every/either/neither take singular verbs
With either-or/neither-nor, verb agrees with the nearer subject
Collective nouns can be singular or plural based on context
Mathematics, news, physics are singular despite ending in s

Pro Tip

For RC, read questions FIRST then scan passage. For error detection, read sentence from right to left.

Advanced Grammar

Conditional sentences, subject-verb agreement rules, and advanced vocabulary building techniques.

Key S-V Agreement Rules

Each/every/either/neither take singular verbs
With either-or/neither-nor, verb agrees with the nearer subject
Collective nouns can be singular or plural based on context
Mathematics, news, physics are singular despite ending in s

Pro Tip

For RC, read questions FIRST then scan passage. For error detection, read sentence from right to left.

Practice Questions

← Sentence Correction ← Course Home