Content updated on 25 April 2026
How do you finish a sentence so that it is grammatically flawless and logically sound? Sentence completion questions test exactly that — your ability to supply the missing piece that makes a sentence whole. This lesson, crafted for Class 9, 10, 11, and 12 students, covers the full spectrum of sentence completion: choosing the correct clause, filling in with the right verb form, picking the appropriate conjunction, and completing sentences based on contextual clues. With five deeply explained solved examples and five challenging practice sets, you will develop the precision and confidence required to ace sentence completion questions in board exams and competitive tests.
✅ Recommended for: Class 9–12 (Grammar & Exam Precision) | CBSE & UP Board
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1. What is Sentence Completion?
Sentence completion is an exercise where a part of a sentence is given, and you must supply the missing portion — often a clause, a phrase, a verb form, or a logical conclusion — to make the sentence grammatically correct and meaningful. In exams, these questions may appear as multiple‑choice or as fill‑in‑the‑blanks. They are sophisticated because they test not just your knowledge of rules, but your ability to apply them in context, often under time pressure.
2. Types of Sentence Completion
- Clause Completion: You are given an independent clause and must choose the correct dependent clause to complete the sentence. Example: "She passed the exam because ___." → "she worked hard."
- Verb Form Completion: The blank requires the correct tense or voice of a verb. Example: "By the time he arrived, the train ___." → "had left."
- Conjunction Completion: The blank requires a logical connector. Example: "He was tired, ___ he continued working." → "yet" or "but".
- Conditional Completion: The sentence uses an "if" clause. Example: "If I were rich, I ___." → "would travel the world."
- Idiomatic / Collocational Completion: The blank completes a fixed phrase or common expression. Example: "It's no use ___ over spilt milk." → "crying".
3. Solved Examples (5 Complete Sets)
(a) She couldn't attend the meeting because ___ .
(b) The students were happy ___ .
(c) This is the house ___ .
(d) ___ , you will succeed.
(e) I don't know ___ .
Show Solutions
(a) She couldn't attend the meeting because she was unwell. (Reason clause)
(b) The students were happy when the results were announced. (Time clause)
(c) This is the house where I was born. (Relative clause with "where")
(d) If you work hard, you will succeed. (Conditional clause)
(e) I don't know where he lives. (Noun clause)
(a) By the time the doctor arrived, the patient ___ (already / die).
(b) She ___ (read) a novel when I entered her room.
(c) If it rains tomorrow, the match ___ (cancel).
(d) He wishes he ___ (be) a bird.
(e) I ___ (not / see) my best friend since last month.
Show Solutions
(a) By the time the doctor arrived, the patient had already died. (Past perfect for action before another past action.)
(b) She was reading a novel when I entered her room. (Past continuous for an ongoing past action.)
(c) If it rains tomorrow, the match will be cancelled. (First conditional; passive voice.)
(d) He wishes he were a bird. (Subjunctive mood after "wish": "were" for all persons.)
(e) I have not seen my best friend since last month. (Present perfect with "since".)
(a) He is poor, ___ he is honest.
(b) Work hard ___ you will fail.
(c) I hate the people ___ are cruel to animals.
(d) Make haste ___ you will be late.
(e) The teacher asked ___ had broken the window.
Show Solutions
(a) He is poor, yet (or but) he is honest. (Contrast.)
(b) Work hard or you will fail. (Alternative consequence.)
(c) I hate the people who are cruel to animals. (Relative pronoun for persons.)
(d) Make haste or else / otherwise you will be late. (Warning of consequence.)
(e) The teacher asked who had broken the window. (Interrogative pronoun in reported speech.)
(a) He is addicted ___ video games.
(b) The plane took ___ at exactly 6 AM.
(c) I am looking ___ my lost wallet.
(d) She is good ___ playing the guitar.
(e) The car broke ___ in the middle of the road.
Show Solutions
(a) He is addicted to video games. (Fixed preposition: addicted to.)
(b) The plane took off at exactly 6 AM. (Phrasal verb: take off = depart.)
(c) I am looking for my lost wallet. (Phrasal verb: look for = search.)
(d) She is good at playing the guitar. (Fixed preposition: good at.)
(e) The car broke down in the middle of the road. (Phrasal verb: break down = stop functioning.)
(a) No sooner did the bell ring ___ the students left the class.
(A) when (B) than (C) then (D) after
(b) She is not only intelligent ___ wise.
(A) but (B) also (C) but also (D) and
(c) ___ you work hard, you will not pass.
(A) If (B) Unless (C) When (D) After
(d) The bridge, ___ was built in 1950, needs repair.
(A) that (B) who (C) which (D) whom
(e) Sita as well as her friends ___ present.
(A) are (B) were (C) is (D) have been
Show Solutions
(a) (B) than — "No sooner... than" is the correct correlative pair.
(b) (C) but also — "not only... but also".
(c) (B) Unless — negative condition: "Unless you work hard, you will not pass."
(d) (C) which — non‑restrictive relative clause for a thing.
(e) (C) is — "Sita as well as her friends" takes a singular verb (subject = Sita only).
4. Practice Questions (5 Sets for You to Solve)
(b) I am used to ___ (work) hard.
(c) He is too weak ___ (carry) the box.
(d) She asked me ___ I wanted.
(e) Let us go for a walk, ___ we?
Show Answers
(b) working — "used to" + gerund.
(c) to carry — "too... to" structure.
(d) what — noun clause.
(e) shall — tag question for "Let us".
(b) Hardly had I entered the room ___ the phone rang.
(c) Mohan is not the boy ___ stole your book.
(d) They will not reach on time ___ they hurry.
(e) Scarcely had she left ___ the baby started crying.
Show Answers
(b) when — "Hardly... when".
(c) who — relative for person.
(d) unless — negative condition.
(e) when — "Scarcely... when".
(b) She ___ (live) in this city for ten years.
(c) The train ___ (leave) before I reached the station.
(d) I ___ (write) the letter before he arrived.
(e) The sun ___ (set) by the time we reached home.
Show Answers
(b) has lived — present perfect.
(c) had left — past perfect.
(d) had written — past perfect.
(e) had set — past perfect.
(b) The mother prevented her child ___ going out.
(c) I congratulated him ___ his success.
(d) She is very fond ___ chocolates.
(e) He quarrelled with his friend ___ a trifle.
Show Answers
(b) from — "prevented from".
(c) on — "congratulated on".
(d) of — "fond of".
(e) over — "quarrelled over a trifle".
(A) May (B) Can (C) Would (D) Will
(b) The jury ___ divided in their opinion.
(A) was (B) were (C) is (D) has
(c) Either he or his friends ___ mistaken.
(A) is (B) are (C) has (D) was
(d) The man, along with his wife and children, ___ present.
(A) are (B) were (C) is (D) have
(e) It is high time we ___ a decision.
(A) make (B) made (C) have made (D) will make
Show Answers
(b) (B) were — "Jury" as individuals means plural verb.
(c) (B) are — verb agrees with the nearest subject "friends".
(d) (C) is — subject is "The man" only.
(e) (B) made — "It is high time" takes past simple.
Why Sentence Completion Hones Your Grammatical Instinct
Every time you correctly complete a sentence, you perform a tiny but powerful act of synthesis — combining grammar, logic, vocabulary, and context into a single seamless whole. This skill is directly tested in exams under various names: sentence completion, gap filling, cloze tests, and more. Beyond exams, it sharpens your ability to express complex ideas with clarity and precision. The secret is to read like a writer and write like a reader. Notice the sentences in the books and articles you consume; ask yourself why a particular word or phrase was chosen. Over time, the right completion will feel as natural as breathing.
- Rearranging Jumbled Sentences — The next skill in this series.
- Sentence Improvement & Rewriting — Upgrade your sentence construction.
- Hindi Grammar Hub — เคตाเค्เคฏ เคชूเคฐ्เคคि เคเคฐ เคต्เคฏाเคเคฐเคฃ।
- Worksheets Master Hub — Every practice sheet you need.
๐ Sentence Completion Worksheet – Class 9–12
This worksheet covers all types of sentence completion — clauses, verb forms, connectors, prepositions, and idiomatic expressions. It includes multiple‑choice and open‑ended questions. Includes 50 questions.
Sentence Completion Worksheet »Answer key included • Aligned with CBSE & UP Board curriculum
