Types of Sentence Completion | IBPS PO Prelims & Mains Preparation - Bank Exams PDF Download

Understanding the principles of sentence completion is vital because it involves assessing one's capacity to interpret incomplete phrases and choose suitable words or sentences to complete them. This process serves to gauge both a student's vocabulary and their ability to reason within a given context. Typically, the domains of sentence completion and word completion are intertwined within the broader subject of grammar. Before delving into the fundamental rules of this exercise, let's explore the various categories of sentence completions. There exist approximately four distinct types of sentence and word completions, outlined as follows:

Restatement: These are the words that we use to emphasise how important the first clause is or to provide additional information in addition to the facts that have already been revealed.
Example: To put it another way, in point of fact, the thing is, etc.

Comparison: The comparison between two topics in the two clauses is reflected in the choice of words that we make for this type of sentence.
Example: likewise, and, just as, as same as, similarly etc.

Contrast: Words of this kind express a sharp and distinct contrast between two or more sentences. This category encompasses the words that reflect this contrast.
Example: despite the fact that, despite the fact that, despite the fact that, despite the fact that, despite the fact that, despite the fact that, etc.

The chain of causation: Words that belong to the Cause and Effect category are those that either provide evidence of some past action or cause, or depict a situation that has become significantly different as a result of that action.
Example: hence, consequently, as a result of, due to, as a consequence of, etc.

Guidelines for Finishing Sentences

The useful varieties of the terms used in sentence completion when we finish discussing the theoretical ones:

Type 1: Quantity-based

• The quantity of blanks in a sentence is the subject of a quantity-based question.
• After being separated into:
• one blank two blanks or more

Type 2: Based on length

• A length-based question is one that is as long as the one we are given. It is broken into two sections:
• The question is only 20–35 words long and is sentence-based.
• The sentence that was supplied to us was combined into a longer passage that had various holes to be filled in.

Type 3: Element-Based 

An End of Sentence A question that is element-based refers to the kind of answer we must provide to finish the clause or section.

Word-based: We must use just one word to complete each blank.

This type is phrase-based, requiring us to select a phrase to finish the sentence that has been given to us.

Sentence-based: We must fill in the blanks with a complete sentence. Most passage-based questions use this kind.

Note: Any combination of the aforementioned kinds, as well as questions with two or more types of each, are possible.

For instance:

• a single blank, phrase-based and sentence-based question
• two open-ended questions based on passages of text

These are only two of the numerous question combinations that may be used.

Strategies for Sentence Completion

1. Read the sentence.
Read carefully for sentence clues. Words and sentence structure make questions tough. If you can’t analyse a sentence to find the best fit, you CANNOT answer the question even if you know the words. We must dissect sentences and expand our vocabulary.

2. Tips
The hints show what should go in the blanks. Change the clue, and the blank choice MUST change. Put the clue word or phrase in the blank.

3. Possibilities
Once you uncover word hints, mark them with a + (positive meaning) or – (negative meaning). These symbols signify synonyms and antonyms.

4. Grammar
But, rather, although, nonetheless, and, while, but, therefore
They show sentence structure and hint-blank relationships. They tell you which words affect the sentence’s cognitive process.

5. Visualize
Before looking at the alternatives, brainstorm fill-ins. It prevents mistakes. Eliminating words is easy if you know their KIND. A general notion is fine as a visual word.