PTE Reading: Fill in the Blanks
A passage with gaps and a bank of words to drag in — with more words than gaps. Unlike the Reading & Writing version there are no drop-downs, so every gap competes with every word.
Grammar first, meaning second
- Read the whole passage once for sense.
- Mark what each gap needs — noun, verb, adjective, adverb.
- Sort the word bank by class; this usually pairs most words to most gaps immediately.
- Place the confident ones, then use what is left on the hard gaps.
- Read the passage back with the words in.
Extra words are included deliberately, so finishing with words unused is expected and is not a sign of error.
What decides the close calls
- Collocation — which word habitually follows the preposition or precedes the noun.
- The logic of the sentence — contrast or continuation, signalled as it is everywhere else.
- Singular and plural agreement with the verb nearby.
No negative marking, so every gap must be filled. A gap left empty is a guaranteed zero on a point you had a free guess at.
Reading: Fill in the Blanks — FAQs
2 questions
Yes, always. Unused words are expected.
No. Each word goes in at most one gap.
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Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.