DET Prep Course: Fill in the Blanks

Hello everyone, welcome to the Duolingo English Test Prep Hub. Today, we’ll be discussing the Fill in the Blanks question type. Let’s start with an introduction to this question format:

The format of Fill in the Blanks questions is quite simple. During the test, you will see a sentence on the screen, usually no longer than 20 words. Within this sentence, there will be one word with missing letters that you need to complete, hence the alternate name “Word Completion.” This question type appears 6 to 9 times in the actual test.

As it falls under the Comprehension section, it is relatively important. When answering these questions, remember to first understand the sentence before attempting to fill in the blank. The context provided by the sentence can help you complete the question more quickly and accurately.

Additionally, vocabulary plays a crucial role in determining the accuracy of your answers. Therefore, it’s essential to expand your vocabulary in your daily life, paying special attention to word spellings, as this can greatly assist you in completing these types of questions.

When filling in the blank, pay attention to the part of speech required, as this can help you narrow down the word choices. Also, practicing with the test question bank is an effective way to prepare for the exam.

Now, let’s look at the question interface. When encountering this question type, you will first see an introduction page explaining the frequency of Fill in the Blanks questions and the time allotted for each question.

As you can see, you only have 20 seconds to answer each question, which means you need to be able to read and solve problems quickly. Before we start, let’s discuss some problem-solving techniques.

Let’s look at the first one: understanding the context. Before answering the question, carefully read the entire sentence to ensure you understand the context before attempting to fill in the blank. Let’s look at an example question:

By translating this sentence, we can understand that it roughly means: The impact of something that undermines social cohesion is counteracted by acts of kindness. Therefore, the blank should be filled with a word that represents a negative quality, the opposite of kindness. The word “wickedness” means “evil” and fits the context well. With this, we have the answer to this question.

Let’s look at another question:

This sentence can be roughly translated as: Remember to do something with those party invitations to all the guests; we need to spread the word quickly. So, we can understand that the context of the sentence is about distributing party invitations and the need to spread the message quickly. The word “circulate” means “to distribute or pass around,” which fits the context, indicating that the invitations should be distributed to all guests. This way, we have solved this question.

Let’s look at problem-solving technique 2: paying attention to keywords. Content words in a sentence, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, are often the keywords or key phrases in the sentence. By analyzing these words, we can sometimes determine the word that needs to be filled in. Let’s look at a specific question:

This sentence means that when one candidate’s vote count does something to the other candidates’ vote counts, the election winner is determined. In this sentence, the keywords “votes” and “winner” imply that the winner has more votes. The word “outnumber” means to exceed in number, which fits the context, indicating that one candidate’s vote count exceeds the other candidates’, resulting in their victory.

Let’s look at the next problem-solving technique: logical inference. We can answer questions based on logical reasoning or common sense. Let’s look at an example question:

We can interpret this as: Despite heavy rain, a large number of something showed up to support the local soccer team. Here, we can infer that in stormy weather, a large group of people appeared to support the local soccer team. Therefore, “crowd” is the appropriate answer.

Let’s look at the next question:

This sentence means that having a hearty meal always makes me feel something for the rest of the day. From the context, we can infer that a hearty meal always makes “me” feel something that lasts all day. The word “energize” means to give energy or invigorate, which fits the logic, indicating that a hearty meal provides “me” with the energy needed for the entire day.

Let’s look at the next problem-solving technique: word class matching. We can determine the part of speech of the word to be filled in by looking at its position in the sentence. For example, if the word to be filled in is in the subject position, we usually need to fill in a noun or pronoun. If the word to be filled in is near a verb, it’s likely to be an adverb. Let’s look at the following example question:

This sentence means: I’ve been thinking about ideas regarding life’s purpose, kind of like a personal something. The word to be filled in is after the adjective “personal,” so it should be a noun to form a noun phrase. The word “philosophy” means a set of ideas about life, and it is a noun that fits the grammatical requirements of the sentence, indicating that “I” have been thinking about ideas regarding life’s purpose, forming a kind of personal philosophy.

Let’s look at another problem-solving technique: word roots and affixes. Sometimes we can infer the word to be filled in based on the meaning of its root and affixes. Let’s look at the following question:

This sentence means: She smiled at her finished painting, she was something to see her emotions coming to life on the canvas. The sentence describes “her” feelings when looking at her completed painting. Smiling implies a positive emotion. The root “plea” means “satisfaction, happiness,” and the suffix “-ed” indicates the past participle of an adjective. Therefore, “pleased,” meaning happy or satisfied, fits the context, expressing that “she” was satisfied with her painting.

Let’s look at the next question:

This sentence means: In the film, the storm was used to somehow indicate the character’s inner turmoil. Here, the prefix “symbol-” represents “symbolize,” and this word is after a verb, so it is most likely an adverb. Therefore, the word we need to fill in is “symbolically,” and with that, we have completed this question.

The Fill in the Blanks question type is a crucial component of the Duolingo English Test, appearing 6 to 9 times in the Comprehension section. To excel in this question type, test-takers should:

By mastering these techniques and expanding their vocabulary, test-takers can significantly improve their performance on Fill in the Blanks questions.

Mastering the Fill in the Blanks question type is essential for success in the Duolingo English Test. By understanding the question format, employing various problem-solving techniques, and practicing regularly, test-takers can enhance their skills and confidence.

Remember that vocabulary expansion and attention to word spelling are crucial for long-term improvement. With dedicated preparation and the strategies outlined in this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle Fill in the Blanks questions effectively and boost your overall performance on the Duolingo English Test.