PTE Reading Fill in the Blanks: Grammar First, Then Meaning

PTE Reading has two Fill in the Blanks formats. In Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks, you choose from a dropdown for each gap in a text of up to 300 words. In Reading: Fill in the Blanks, you drag words from a box into gaps in a text of up to 80 words. Pearson awards credit for each correct blank.

The three-check method

1. Grammar: what part of speech fits? Singular or plural? What tense?
2. Meaning: does the word fit the logic of the sentence and paragraph?
3. Collocation: does it naturally combine with nearby words? (“conduct research”, “a process known as”, “play a role in”)

Worked example

“…corals expel the algae in their tissues, a process ___ as bleaching.” Options: known / called / named / said. Only “known” forms the fixed phrase “a process known as”.

Build vocabulary the smart way

• Keep a collocation notebook, not a word list.
• Record every wrong answer with the full phrase it belonged to.
• Review the notebook for 10 minutes before each practice session.