A two-blank sentence gives you choices like (A) word1 … word2. The secret: you do not solve both at once. You knock out whole answer pairs using whichever blank is easier.
The method: easier blank first
- Find the blank with the clearer clue — ignore the other for now.
- Predict and eliminate: cross out every pair whose word for that blank is wrong.
- Among survivors, solve the second blank the same way.
A pair dies if either of its words fails. You rarely need to evaluate all eight words.
The two blanks relate
The relationship between the blanks is usually set by a signal word:
| Connector between blanks | Blanks should be... |
|---|---|
| and, moreover, because | the same direction |
| but, although, however | opposite directions |
So if the connector is "but", expect one positive and one negative word; a pair with two positives is probably wrong.
Solve the easy blank, kill the bad pairs, then finish. Half-solving beats trying to hold both blanks in your head.
Worked frame
"The review was neither ___ nor ___; it was a balanced look at the film's strengths and faults."
- "neither…nor" "balanced" both blanks must be extreme/one-sided words (e.g. gushing … scathing), the opposite of balanced. A pair with a neutral word fails.