The “Fill in the Blanks – Drop-Down” activity is part of the PTE Reading module. It examines your grammar, vocabulary, collocations, and grasp of how sentences are put together. There will be a text with a lot of blanks, and each blank will have a list of choices that you can choose from. You need to pick the right word based on the rules of grammar and the situation.
This exercise seems easy, yet one false word can change the whole idea. Let’s figure out how to do it right and with confidence!
1. Read the whole sentence first, not just the blank.
Don’t pick the first option that “sounds right.”
To get the meaning and context, read the complete sentence or even the sentence before and after it. The right answer will always suit the meaning of the whole statement, not just the blank.
2. Pay attention to grammar clues
Look at the structure around the blank. Here are some grammar tips to look for:
Verb tense (is, was, has been)
Agreement between the subject and the verb (student is, students are)
Prepositions (interested in, depend on)
A, an, and the are articles.
Nouns in the singular and plural
Knowing grammar helps you swiftly get rid of wrong choices.
3. Use collocations
Collocations are words that naturally go together. For example:
“Make a decision,” NOT “do a decision”
“Strong coffee,” NOT “powerful coffee”
Many of the PTE drop-down options test frequent phrases. If you know a lot about collocations, you’ll get a lot of answers right away!
4. Look at the meaning very carefully
Even if two words are correct in grammar, only one will fit the meaning.
For example:
“affect” versus “effect”
“historic” versus “historical”
“economic” vs. “economical”
Always ask yourself: Does this word fit in with the rest of the sentence?
5. Read with a Natural Flow
After you choose an option, read the sentence in your head.
Choose another choice if it sounds awkward or unnatural. A good sign of correctness is natural flow.
6. Don’t make random guesses
If you’re not sure, try this:
Take out words that are obviously improper
Look at the other two choices.
Pick the one that fits best with the context or collocation.
It’s preferable to get rid of things in a smart way than to speculate.
7. Build a Strong Vocabulary
A lot of mistakes occurs because people don’t know enough words. Every day, read something in English:
Articles
Essays
PTE practice texts
Make a list of new synonyms, collocations, and phrases. These typically show up in PTE!
8. Work on real PTE questions
The BEST method to get better is to do real PTE-style tasks and get feedback on them. You will start to see patterns in grammar and vocabulary over time, which will help you get faster and more accurate.
Conclusion: Get advice from the pros
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