Fill in the Blanks & Contextual Vocabulary Previous Year Questions (PYQs) for XAT: 2+ Solved Questions with Step-by-Step Solutions

    Solve 2+ Fill in the Blanks & Contextual Vocabulary previous year questions for XAT with answers and detailed solutions. Free sample questions below.

    Chapter Roadmap: Fill in the Blanks & Contextual Vocabulary

    Orientation

    Chapter Roadmap: Fill in the Blanks & Contextual Vocabulary

    The chapter builds from paragraph-level meaning to sentence-level grammar and rapid cloze reading. This topic begins with the most heavily tested skill: contextual blanks.

    1. Contextual Fill in the Blanks Current focus: paragraph-level semantics, tone, and logical flow.
    2. Sentence Completion Grammar, idioms, and local collocations.
    3. Cloze Tests High-frequency missing words in dense, continuous text.
    4. Phrase Replacement Correcting awkward or grammatically incorrect contextual phrases.

    The Shadow of the Empty Space

    Concept

    The Shadow of the Empty Space

    Contextual fill-in-the-blanks is not a vocabulary test; it is a reading comprehension test in disguise.

    Look backward Look forward

    The Shadow Technique

    1. Look backward. What is the subject? What was the previous action?
    2. Look forward. What is the consequence? Where is the argument heading?
    3. Predict first. Formulate a simple word or phrase in your own mind before looking at the options.

    If you look at the options first, your brain may rationalize a beautiful but wrong word. Predict first, then match.

    Fill in the Blanks & Contextual Vocabulary: Solved Questions with Step-by-Step Explanations (2 Problems)

    Question 1 · Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) MCQ
    ___________like a fake can be a sign of___________, and clinging too tightly to what feels like one’s authentic self can________that growth.
    Fill in the blanks meaningfully, in the above statement, from the following options.
    1. A.

      acting, progress, enhance

    2. B.

      feeling, growth, hinder

    3. C.

      behaving, improvement, support

    4. D.

      performing, stupidity, change

    5. E.

      operating, smartness, increase

    Correct Answer:

    B

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Key idea: Contextual Fill in the Blanks relies on identifying contrasting or reinforcing logical relationships between clauses.

    Step 1: Analyze the second blank first, as it is the anchor of the sentence's core message. The sentence contrasts "clinging too tightly to what feels like one's authentic self" with a positive outcome. The word "growth" is explicitly mentioned at the end of the sentence ("hinder that growth"), making "growth" the most logical fit for the second blank.

    Step 2: Analyze the third blank. If clinging to authenticity is contrasted with growth, the action must negatively impact it. "Hinder" perfectly captures this negative impact, whereas "enhance", "support", or "increase" would contradict the "clinging too tightly" warning.

    Step 3: Analyze the first blank. "Feeling like a fake" is a common psychological phrase that pairs logically with the idea of personal growth and authenticity paradoxes.

    Step 4: Verify the complete sentence: "Feeling like a fake can be a sign of growth, and clinging too tightly to what feels like one's authentic self can hinder that growth." This is logically sound and grammatically correct.

    Answer: B

    Question 2 · Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) MCQ
    As_________evolved and eventually moved to cities, close proximity____________how we viewed and assessed each_________.
    Read the following statement carefully and ll up the blanks from the given options.
    1. A.

      civilization, enhanced, situation

    2. B.

      generations, changed, other

    3. C.

      culture, helped, life

    4. D.

      lives, destroyed, culture

    5. E.

      people, helped, nation

    Correct Answer:

    B

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Key idea: Contextual Fill in the Blanks requires analyzing the semantic flow and logical connections between words in a sentence.

    Step 1: Analyze the first blank. "As _________ evolved and eventually moved to cities". "Generations" or "civilization" fits well. "Lives" or "people" is too vague for historical evolution.

    Step 2: Analyze the second blank. "...close proximity ____________ how we viewed and assessed...". "Changed" is the most neutral and logical verb describing the effect of proximity on perception. "Enhanced" or "helped" implies a strictly positive outcome, which is not necessarily implied by the text.

    Step 3: Analyze the third blank. "...assessed each _________." The phrase "each other" is a standard reciprocal pronoun pair. "Each situation", "each life", or "each nation" does not fit the context of people assessing one another in close physical proximity.

    Step 4: Combine the choices. "generations, changed, other" perfectly completes the sentence logically, grammatically, and idiomatically.

    Answer: B

    chapter
    Fill in the Blanks & Contextual Vocabulary Previous Year Questions (PYQs) for XAT: 2+ Solved Questions with Step-by-Step Solutions

    Solve 2+ Fill in the Blanks & Contextual Vocabulary previous year questions for XAT with answers and detailed solutions. Free sample questions below.

    A question from this chapter

    Question 1
    ___________like a fake can be a sign of___________, and clinging too tightly to what feels like one’s authentic self can________that growth.
    Fill in the blanks meaningfully, in the above statement, from the following options.
    Question 2
    As_________evolved and eventually moved to cities, close proximity____________how we viewed and assessed each_________.
    Read the following statement carefully and ll up the blanks from the given options.
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