Fill in the Blanks is one of the highest-scoring topics in competitive English examinations.
Questions based on Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Confusing Words frequently appear in SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, NDA, CDS, and IBPS PO.
This practice set contains 20 challenging questions with detailed explanations to strengthen your grammar and vocabulary concepts.
Fill in the Blanks (Prepositions & Conjunctions)
Question 1
The committee could not arrive _____ a unanimous decision despite several rounds of discussion.
A) on
B) at
C) with
D) for
Question 2
No sooner had the meeting begun _____ the electricity went off.
A) when
B) than
C) then
D) as
Question 3
The minister refrained _____ commenting on the sensitive issue.
A) with
B) for
C) from
D) by
Question 4
Hardly had the train left the station _____ it started raining heavily.
A) than
B) when
C) while
D) since
Question 5
The company will continue its expansion plans _____ the economic slowdown persists.
A) although
B) unless
C) despite
D) because
Fill in the Blanks for SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, NDA, CDS & IBPS PO
Question 6
He succeeded _____ convincing the board members to approve the proposal.
A) in
B) at
C) for
D) with
Question 7
The witness persisted _____ denying every allegation made against him.
A) with
B) in
C) on
D) at
Question 8
_____ he apologized repeatedly, the manager refused to reconsider the decision.
A) Since
B) Although
C) Because
D) Unless
Question 9
The new policy will come into effect _____ the approval of the finance ministry.
A) on
B) in
C) at
D) with
Question 10
She cannot be selected _____ she improves her communication skills.
A) because
B) unless
C) since
D) if
Part B: Fill in the Blanks (Confusing Words)
Fill in the Blanks for SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, NDA, CDS & IBPS PO
Question 11
The principal asked the students to _____ complete silence during the inspection.
A) maintain
B) sustain
C) retain
D) preserve
Question 12
The scientist’s discovery had a profound _____ on modern medicine.
A) affect
B) effect
C) impression
D) reaction
Question 13
The officer refused to _____ the confidential documents.
A) except
B) accept
C) access
D) assess
Question 14
The lawyer requested the judge to _____ the hearing until next Monday.
A) defer
B) differ
C) delay
D) hesitate
Question 15
The teacher advised the students to _____ every answer before submitting the paper.
A) revise
B) review
C) rehearse
D) repeat
Fill in the Blanks for SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, NDA, CDS & IBPS PO
Question 16
The chairman’s speech had little _____ on the dissatisfied employees.
A) affect
B) effect
C) influence
D) impression
Question 17
The police could not _____ whether the signature was genuine.
A) ensure
B) insure
C) assure
D) verify
Question 18
The manager asked the staff to _____ all unnecessary expenditure.
A) avoid
B) prevent
C) prohibit
D) resist
Question 19
The judge’s decision was completely _____ and based solely on legal evidence.
A) impartial
B) partial
C) biased
D) emotional
Question 20
Despite repeated warnings, the company continued to _____ environmental regulations.
A) violate
B) breach
C) break
D) damage
Answer Key with Detailed Reasoning
1. B) at ✅
Rule: We always use the collocation arrive at a decision, arrive at a conclusion, or arrive at an agreement.
Incorrect Options:
on ❌
with ❌
for ❌
2. B) than ✅
Rule: The fixed pair is No sooner…than.
Examples:
No sooner had he arrived than it started raining.
No sooner did the exam begin than the bell rang.
3. C) from ✅
Rule: The correct expression is refrain from + verb-ing.
Example:
Refrain from smoking.
Refrain from commenting.
4. B) when ✅
Rule: The fixed expression is Hardly…when.
Remember:
No sooner…than
Hardly…when
Scarcely…when
5. B) unless ✅
Meaning:
The company will continue expanding except if the slowdown continues.
“Unless” means if not, making it the most suitable conjunction.
6. A) in ✅
Rule:
Succeed in + verb-ing
Examples:
succeed in solving
succeed in convincing
7. B) in ✅
Rule:
Persist in + verb-ing
Examples:
persist in working
persist in denying
8. B) Although ✅
The sentence shows contrast.
He apologized repeatedly.
Still,
the manager refused.
Therefore,
Although is correct.
9. A) on ✅
Rule:
come into effect on approval
This is a standard official expression.
10. B) unless ✅
Meaning:
She will not be selected if she does not improve her communication skills.
11. A) maintain ✅
Maintain silence is the correct collocation.
Incorrect:
sustain silence ❌
retain silence ❌
12. B) effect ✅
Difference:
Effect = result (noun)
Affect = influence (verb)
The sentence requires a noun.
13. B) accept ✅
Difference:
accept = receive
except = excluding
The officer refused to accept the documents.
14. A) defer ✅
Difference:
defer = postpone officially
differ = be different
Legal hearings are deferred.
15. B) review ✅
Students should review their answers before submission.
“Revise” usually means studying again before an examination, whereas “review” means checking completed work.
16. B) effect ✅
The expression is:
have little effect on
Remember:
effect = result
affect = verb
17. D) verify ✅
Difference:
assure = remove doubt
ensure = make certain
insure = provide insurance
verify = confirm authenticity
The police verify signatures.
18. A) avoid ✅
The natural expression is:
avoid expenditure
The other options do not fit naturally with “expenditure.”
19. A) impartial ✅
Meaning:
The decision was fair and unbiased.
impartial = fair
partial = biased
20. A) violate ✅
The standard legal expression is:
violate regulations, violate laws, or violate rules.
Although “breach regulations” is sometimes used, violate is the most natural and commonly tested choice in competitive exams.
Conclusion
Practicing high-level Fill in the Blanks questions on Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Confusing Words is essential for success in SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, NDA, CDS, and IBPS PO.
Focus on learning common collocations, fixed preposition patterns, conjunction pairs, and confusing word differences.
Regular practice of such advanced questions will improve your grammar accuracy, vocabulary, and overall performance in competitive English sections.