Cloze Test and Fill in the Blanks MCQs

Solved cloze-style MCQs for SSC and banking English: choose the word that fits the blank by grammar, connectors, phrasal verbs and meaning, with reasons.

1. 1

   Cloze: "Regular exercise keeps the heart healthy. Doctors ___ at least thirty minutes of brisk walking a day."

   ArecommendBrecommendingCrecommendsDrecommendation

   Correct answer: A. recommend

   The subject "Doctors" is plural, so the simple present verb takes no -s: "Doctors recommend".

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2. 2

   Cloze: "The train was delayed by three hours, ___ the passengers waited patiently."

   AyetBsoCunlessDbecause

   Correct answer: A. yet

   Waiting patiently despite a long delay is a contrast, so "yet" fits.

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3. 3

   Cloze: "She was so tired after the journey that she fell asleep ___ she lay down."

   AuntilBalthoughCunlessDas soon as

   Correct answer: D. as soon as

   "As soon as" shows that one action followed the other immediately.

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4. 4

   Cloze: "The new bridge will ___ the travel time between the two towns by half."

   AreduceBraiseCdelayDextend

   Correct answer: A. reduce

   A bridge shortens a journey, and "by half" signals a decrease, so "reduce" fits.

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5. 5

   Cloze: "Water is ___ resource, and we must not waste it."

   Aprecious aBthe most precious aCan preciousDa precious

   Correct answer: D. a precious

   A singular countable noun needs an article; "a" is used before a consonant sound ("precious").

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6. 6

   Cloze: "My uncle moved here after retiring. He has lived in this city ___ 2015."

   AatBforCfromDsince

   Correct answer: D. since

   "Since" is used with a point in time (2015) in the present perfect; "for" is used with a period (ten years).

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7. 7

   Cloze: "The farmer was worried because the rains had ___ again this year, and the wells were dry."

   AfilledBfailedCfallenDfainted

   Correct answer: B. failed

   When the rains "fail", they do not come as expected, which explains the dry wells.

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8. 8

   Cloze: "Clear communication is the ___ to a successful team."

   AgateBkeyChandleDlock

   Correct answer: B. key

   "The key to" something means the most important factor in achieving it.

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9. 9

   Cloze: "The doctor warned him about his lungs and advised him to ___ smoking immediately."

   Agive inBgive awayCgive upDgive off

   Correct answer: C. give up

   "Give up" means to stop doing a habit; "give in" means to surrender and "give off" means to release (smoke, smell).

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10. 10

    Cloze: "Despite ___ hard for months, he could not clear the exam."

    AworkBworkingCworkedDto work

    Correct answer: B. working

    "Despite" is a preposition, so it is followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form).

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12. 11

    Cloze: "The museum is open to the public every day ___ Monday, when it is closed for cleaning."

    AbesidesBbesideCexpectDexcept

    Correct answer: D. except

    "Except" means "not including". "Besides" means "in addition to", and "expect" is a different word.

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13. 12

    Cloze: "If you had left home ten minutes earlier, you ___ the bus."

    Awill catchBwould catchChad caughtDwould have caught

    Correct answer: D. would have caught

    A third conditional ("If you had left") about the past takes "would have + past participle" in the main clause.

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14. 13

    Cloze: "Every year the village fair brings people of all communities ___."

    AawayBapartCtogetherDaside

    Correct answer: C. together

    A fair unites people, and "bring together" means to gather or unite.

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15. 14

    Cloze: "Having lived abroad for years, she speaks English ___ than her brother."

    Amore fluentBmost fluentlyCmore fluentlyDfluent

    Correct answer: C. more fluently

    An adverb is needed to describe "speaks", and "than" calls for the comparative form: "more fluently".

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16. 15

    Cloze: "The thief jumped over the wall and ran away ___ the police could arrive."

    AsinceBbeforeCwhileDafter

    Correct answer: B. before

    He escaped earlier than the police's arrival, so "before" fits the sequence.

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17. 16

    Cloze: "Many old buildings in the town were badly ___ in the earthquake."

    AdamagingBdamagesCdamagedDdamage

    Correct answer: C. damaged

    The passive voice ("were ___") needs the past participle: "were damaged".

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18. 17

    Cloze: "For her work on low-cost vaccines, the scientist was ___ with a national award."

    AhonouredBhonoursChonouringDhonour

    Correct answer: A. honoured

    "Was honoured" is the passive form: she received the award.

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19. 18

    Cloze: "Neither the manager nor the clerks ___ present at the meeting yesterday."

    AhasBwereCisDwas

    Correct answer: B. were

    With "neither … nor", the verb agrees with the nearer subject; "clerks" is plural and the time is past, so "were".

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20. 19

    Cloze: "Saving a little every month can ___ into a large amount over the years."

    AgrowBgrewCgrowingDgrown

    Correct answer: A. grow

    After a modal verb ("can") we use the base form: "can grow".

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21. 20

    Cloze: "The village had no doctor, ___ people had to travel twenty kilometres for treatment."

    AbutBorCsoDalthough

    Correct answer: C. so

    The second clause is a result of the first (no doctor, therefore long travel), so "so" fits.

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