PTE Reading Fill in the Blanks: 10 Practice Passages with Answers

1. conducted — The completed survey is a past action, so the sentence needs the past-tense verb conducted. The other forms do not fit this clause.
2. on — The fixed combination is based on. Match the verb phrase with its required preposition.
3. efficiently — Efficiently is an adverb modifying study. Efficient is an adjective; efficiency and efficiencies are nouns.

Read the completed passage: Before changing its opening hours, a university library conducted a survey of students. The decision to stay open later was based on their responses, rather than on staff assumptions. Many respondents said that a quiet evening workspace helped them study more efficiently. The library therefore trialled the new hours for one term before deciding whether to retain them.

1. prove — After does not, use the base verb prove. Proves would incorrectly mark the main verb as well as the auxiliary.
2. on — Depends on is the required combination here; it identifies the evidence needed for the conclusion.
3. reliable — More reliable describes comparisons after make. The gap requires an adjective, not the noun reliability or the adverb reliably.

Read the completed passage: A research team compared two courtyards, one shaded by trees and another without shade. The shaded courtyard was cooler on the afternoon measured. However, a single observation does not prove that the same difference occurs in every season. A stronger conclusion depends on repeated measurements. Recording wind, cloud cover and the time of day would also make comparisons more reliable.

1. sensitive — Sensitive to light expresses susceptibility to damage from light and fits the reason for dimming the lamps.
2. instead — Instead introduces the alternative action: screens rather than brighter lighting. It is not simply an additional or similar action.
3. preservation — The long-term preservation of the objects requires a noun naming the process. Preservation fits this noun phrase.

Read the completed passage: A museum reduced the brightness of the lamps above several fragile textiles because their colours were sensitive to light. Visitors initially found the displays difficult to see. The staff did not increase the light level; instead, they installed magnifying screens beside the cases. The new arrangement made small details visible while giving priority to the long-term preservation of the objects.

1. revealed — Comments is the subject of a clause about a completed trial. Revealed supplies the past-tense verb.
2. ambiguity — The passage identifies one source of uncertainty in one question. The singular noun ambiguity fits remove the ambiguity; the adjective and adverb cannot name it.
3. whether — Check whether introduces the question being investigated: was the wording clear? Despite and during take different structures, and unless changes the meaning.

Read the completed passage: A student asked a small group to complete a trial questionnaire before distributing it widely. Their comments revealed that one question could be interpreted in two different ways. She rewrote it to remove the ambiguity, but kept the response options unchanged. Testing the revised version with a second group allowed her to check whether the wording was now clear.

1. affect — Could takes a base verb. Affect means change or influence the average; affection is a noun and the other choices have the wrong form.
2. influence — The influence of changes is a noun phrase. Influence names the effect that the method reduced.
3. eliminate — Did not requires the base verb eliminate. The other options cannot complete that verb phrase.

Read the completed passage: A transport report noted that average ticket prices had risen, but it did not explain whether passengers were buying the same kinds of tickets as before. A change in the mix of journeys could affect the average. To make a fair comparison, the analyst grouped tickets by route and class. This approach reduced the influence of changes in purchasing patterns, although it did not eliminate every possible source of bias.

1. borrowed — Had combines with the past participle borrowed to describe the earlier situation.
2. predictable — Made availability more predictable requires an adjective describing availability.
3. procedure — A clear procedure is a noun phrase describing an agreed process. The alternatives are a verb, adjective and adverb.

Read the completed passage: A workshop introduced a booking system for tools that several departments needed. Previously, staff had often borrowed equipment without telling colleagues when it would be returned. The new calendar made availability more predictable, so teams could plan their work. It did not guarantee that every request would be met, but it reduced disputes by establishing a clear procedure for allocating limited resources.

1. problem — Describe the problem with an object is the natural meaning and structure. The other nouns do not identify what needs repair.
2. possible — Was possible requires an adjective expressing feasibility. Possibility is a noun and does not fit this structure.
3. responsible — Responsible modifies the noun disposal. Responsibility is a noun, while safely is an adverb.

Read the completed passage: Volunteers organised a repair day to help residents fix small household items. Each visitor first described the problem with an object. A volunteer then decided whether a repair was possible with the available tools. Items that could not be repaired were returned with advice about responsible disposal.

1. confusion — Avoid confusion needs the noun naming the problem the notices prevent. Confuse is a verb.
2. effect — Take effect is the fixed expression meaning begin to apply. Effective does not fit after take.
3. information — Further information is a natural noun phrase. Informative is an adjective and cannot stand alone here.

Read the completed passage: A college moved an evening class to a different room because the original room was being renovated. To avoid confusion, staff placed notices at both entrances. The message included the new room number and the date when the change would take effect. Students were also asked to check their email for further information.

1. compared — Could be compared is a passive verb construction. Comparing would not complete it.
2. discarding — Instead of is followed here by the -ing form discarding. Discarded has the wrong form.
3. genuine — Genuine is an adjective describing result. Genuinely is an adverb.

Read the completed passage: During a field exercise, students recorded the time and location of each observation. They used the same format so that their notes could be compared easily. When a measurement seemed unusual, they repeated it instead of immediately discarding it. This helped them distinguish a recording mistake from a genuine result.

1. accurate — Records are accurate uses an adjective describing the correctness of the information. Accuracy is a noun.
2. available — Marking books as available indicates that readers can obtain them. Availability is a noun and does not fit here.
3. unnecessary — An unnecessary journey requires an adjective. Unnecessarily is an adverb and cannot directly modify journey.

Read the completed passage: A library catalogue tells readers whether a book is on loan and where it belongs on the shelves. However, the catalogue is useful only if its records are accurate. Staff therefore check returned books before marking them as available. If a book cannot be found, its record is updated to prevent readers from making an unnecessary journey.