Gap Fills Exercise

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word or phrase.

1. He died two months ………………………

before
ago
back
We use ago to count back from a present moment.

2. She was clever ……………………………….. to solve the puzzle.

enough
too
so
Enough shows sufficiency. It goes after the adjective or adverb it modifies.

3. I wish you …………………………….. behave like this.

wouldn't
won't
hadn't
Would is used after wish to talk about people’s insistence.

4. You ………………………….. be in trouble if she fails to recognize you.

will
would
would have
In the first conditional, we use a simple present tense in the if-clause and will + infinitive in
the main clause.

5. We ought to invest in health and education ……………………………..

infrastructure.
than

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 Gap Fills Exercise

would rather
rather than

6. I would rather be a writer ………………………… a doctor.

to
than
We use than after rather.

7. Tired ………………………….. she was she went shopping.

though
as
Either could be used here
As and though can be used after an adjective or adverb. In this case, they both mean
although.

8. …………………………………… she was tired, she went shopping.

As
Though
Either could be used here
We use though to connect two contrasting ideas.

9. Such was her beauty ………………………. men from far and near came to
woo her.
as
that
Either could be used here

10. Strange ……………………….. it may seem, I don’t like music of any kind.
as
though

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 Gap Fills Exercise

Either could be used here

As and though can be used after an adjective or adverb. In this case, they both mean
although.

11. If you marry me, I will give you ……………………….. freedom as you
want.
as
as much
more

12. She is as …………………………. nails.

hard as
harder as
harder than
We use a positive adjective in the expression ‘as…as’.

PLAY AGAIN !
Answers
1. He died two months ago.
2. She was clever enough to solve the puzzle.
3. I wish you wouldn’t behave like this.
4. You will be in trouble if she fails to recognize you.
5. We ought to invest in health and education rather than infrastructure.
6. I would rather be a writer than a doctor.
7. Tired as / though she was she went shopping.
8. Though she was tired, she went shopping.
9. Such was her beauty that men from far and near came to woo her.
10. Strange as / though it may seem, I don’t like music of any kind.
11. If you marry me, I will give you as much freedom as you want.
12. She is as hard as nails.

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