Free Duolingo “Fill in the Blanks” Practice

Answer Key & Explanations

• at – Preposition of time; clue: specific clock time “7 a.m.” requires “at” (we use “at” for exact times, “on” for days, “in” for months/years).
• drinks – Present simple verb; clue: “every morning” signals habitual action, subject “She” needs third-person singular “-s”.
• to – Preposition of direction; clue: “going ___ the park” shows movement toward a place, “to” is the standard preposition for destinations.
• got (or became) – Past simple verb; clue: “last year” signals past time, and we need a verb showing change in state.
• some – Quantifier; clue: “milk” is uncountable, and in positive statements we often use “some” for indefinite quantity.

Common Mistakes to Avoid: Mixing up “at/in/on” for time expressions. Also, don’t forget the “-s” on present simple verbs with he/she/it! See why “drink” doesn’t work in #2? Subject-verb agreement is a silent point-killer.

How did you do? Review the explanations for any you missed. These foundational clues show up everywhere – mastering them now saves time later.

Answer Key & Explanations

• down – Phrasal verb particle; clue: “turn ___ the music” + context “too loud” suggests reducing volume → “turn down”.
• might (or could) – Modal verb of possibility; clue: “If it rains” is a conditional, so we need a modal showing uncertain future outcome.
• in – Preposition after adjective; clue: “interested” is almost always followed by “in” + gerund/noun.
• because – Conjunction of reason; clue: The second clause explains why she didn’t go – we need a word showing cause.
• in – Preposition for sizes/variants; clue: We ask for items “in” a specific size, color, or style.

Common Mistakes to Avoid: Choosing “if” instead of “because” in #4 – both show connection, but only “because” gives a reason. Also, remember: “interested on” is a classic error; it’s always “interested in”.

Solid work if you nailed these! These situational clues appear constantly in the duolingo sentence completion test. Keep training that pattern recognition.

Answer Key & Explanations

• on – Preposition with “weekend”; clue: We say “on the weekend” (American English) for specific weekends.
• The – Definite article; clue: Referring back to specific ingredients just mentioned (“pasta from scratch”) → needs “The”.
• than – Comparative conjunction; clue: “longer” is a comparative adjective, which requires “than” to introduce the comparison.
• In – Prepositional phrase; clue: “In the end” is a fixed expression meaning “finally” or “after everything”.

Common Mistakes to Avoid: Using “then” instead of “than” in #3 – they sound similar but “than” is for comparisons. Also, forgetting capitalization in #2 if it starts a sentence (though here it doesn’t).

Paragraphs add a layer of complexity because blanks rely on surrounding sentences. See how #2 refers back to “ingredients”? That’s contextual meaning in action. Great progress.

Answer Key & Explanations

• show (or indicate/reveal) – Academic verb; clue: “findings” (plural subject) need a present-tense verb that means “demonstrate”.
• fill – Phrasal verb collocation; clue: “fill out a questionnaire” is a standard academic/administrative phrase.
• accepted – Past participle adjective; clue: “is widely ___” suggests a passive construction; theory is received by scholars → “accepted”.
• over – Preposition of duration; clue: “a period of six months” indicates time span → “over” is the natural preposition.
• limitation – Academic noun; clue: “One major ___” + negative context (“small sample size”) → needs a word meaning “weakness” or “drawback”.

Common Mistakes to Avoid: Using “do” instead of “fill” in #2 – “do out” isn’t a phrase. Also, confusing “affect” (verb) and “effect” (noun) – a frequent trap in academic contexts. Students often miss the preposition in #4; “during” could work, but “over” better emphasizes the span of time.

These words appear constantly in higher-level free det fill in the blank exercises. Don’t worry if some felt tough – recognizing the type of word needed is half the battle.

Answer Key & Explanations

• had – Past perfect in third conditional; clue: “If…would have left” signals a past unreal condition → requires “had + past participle”.
• submitted – Past participle in reduced passive relative clause; clue: “The report ___ by the committee” describes the report → passive meaning needs past participle.
• whose – Relative pronoun showing possession; clue: “The student ___ project” → the project belongs to the student → “whose”.
• follows (or follow in subjunctive) – Subjunctive mood; clue: “It’s essential that…” often triggers base verb form (subjunctive), though “follows” is also accepted in modern usage.
• were – Past subjunctive for hypothetical; clue: “as if she ___ an expert” describes an unreal present situation → “were” is traditional (though “was” is common informally).

Common Mistakes to Avoid: Using “have” instead of “had” in #1 – the conditional structure is very specific. Also, choosing “who” instead of “whose” in #3 – “who” refers to the person, “whose” shows possession. The subjunctive in #4 trips up many; remember formal contexts often prefer the base verb.

These structures are challenging because they require parsing the entire sentence framework. Breathe. Spot the trigger word. You’ve got this.

Answer Key & Explanations

• insincere (or hollow/forced) – Adjective matching skeptical tone; clue: “I’m not sure he truly meant it” implies doubt → needs a word meaning “not genuine”.
• immediately (or entirely) – Adverb modifying “obvious”; clue: “requires careful analysis” suggests it’s not instantly clear → needs an adverb of degree/time.
• resilient (or determined) – Adjective pairing with “optimistic”; clue: “Despite challenges” suggests perseverance → needs a word showing mental strength.
• ambiguous (or subtle) – Adjective describing tone; clue: “read between the lines” implies meaning isn’t direct → needs a word meaning “open to interpretation”.
• entirely (or completely) – Adverb softening “without criticism”; clue: “while innovative” acknowledges value, so criticism isn’t total → needs an adverb of degree.

Common Mistakes to Avoid: Choosing a word that fits grammatically but clashes with tone (e.g., “sincere” in #1). Also, overcomplicating – sometimes the simplest word that fits the nuance is correct. In #5, “free” could work (“not free without criticism” is awkward), but “entirely” flows naturally.

This is where contextual meaning truly shines. You’re not just filling blanks; you’re thinking like a careful reader. That’s the skill the DET rewards.