Grammar Class 11 English: Gap Filling (Tenses, Clauses) and Reordering or Transformation

What Grammar: Gap Filling and Sentence Reordering or Transformation is about

Weightage: Section B (Grammar and Creative Writing, 23 of the 80 theory marks) has 7 marks of grammar: Q4-5, gap filling (tenses, clauses) and re-ordering or transformation of sentences, seven of eight 1-mark questions.Source: CBSE English Core (301) syllabus 2026-27, Class XI question paper design

Key concepts

Tenses: time and aspect

NCERT section CBSE syllabus: gap filling (tenses)

Each tense combines time (past, present, future) and aspect:

Aspect	Present	Past	Future
Simple	writes	wrote	will write
Continuous	is writing	was writing	will be writing
Perfect	has written	had written	will have written
Perfect continuous	has been writing	had been writing	will have been writing

Clues in the sentence decide the tense:

• habits, facts, timetables → simple present ('The train leaves at 6.')
• action at this moment, temporary situation → present continuous
• past action with a time word (yesterday, in 2020, ago) → simple past; never present perfect with a finished time
• past action with a result now, or with since/for/already/yet/just → present perfect
• the earlier of two past actions → past perfect ('The bus had left when we reached.')
• action continuing up to now with since/for → present perfect continuous

Worked example

Fill in the blanks with the correct form: 'Meera (a) ____ (learn) the sitar for three years now. Last month she (b) ____ (perform) at the school festival. Before that, she (c) ____ (never sing) on a stage.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (a) 'for three years now' → action continuing up to now: has been learning.
2. (b) 'Last month' → finished past time: performed.
3. (c) earlier than the past performance: had never sung.

Answer: (a) has been learning (b) performed (c) had never sung

Subject-verb agreement and sequence of tenses

NCERT section CBSE syllabus: gap filling (tenses)

Two rules decide many gaps:

• Agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb ('The list of names is ready'); words such as each, every, either, neither, everyone take singular verbs; two subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb; with 'either ... or' and 'neither ... nor' the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
• Sequence of tenses: when the main verb is in the past, the verb in the dependent clause usually moves to a past form ('She said that she was tired'). A universal truth stays in the present ('The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun').
• After 'if' in the first conditional use the present, not 'will': 'If it rains, we will stay in.'
• 'It's time', 'I wish' and 'as if' are followed by a past form for present meaning: 'It's time we left.'

Worked example

Choose the correct option: (a) Neither the coach nor the players ____ happy with the result. (is/are) (b) If he ____ early, he will catch the bus. (leaves/will leave) (c) It's time we ____ the project. (start/started)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (a) Verb agrees with the nearer subject 'players': are.
2. (b) Present tense after 'if' in the first conditional: leaves.
3. (c) 'It's time' takes a past form: started.

Answer: (a) are (b) leaves (c) started

Clauses and their linking words

NCERT section CBSE syllabus: gap filling (clauses)

A clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb. A dependent clause cannot stand alone and joins a main clause with a linking word:

• Noun clause (does the work of a noun): that, what, whether, if, who, why, how. 'I don't know why he left.'
• Adjective (relative) clause (describes a noun): who (people, subject), whom (people, object), whose (possession), which (things), that (people or things, defining), where, when. 'The girl whose bag was lost has found it.'
• Adverb clause (tells when, why, how, on what condition, in spite of what): when, while, after, before, until, because, since, as, if, unless, although, though, so that. 'We waited until the rain stopped.'

Pick the linking word by asking what the gap must express: time, reason, condition, contrast, purpose, or which person or thing.

Worked example

Fill in with a suitable linking word: (a) This is the village ____ my grandfather was born. (b) ____ he was ill, he attended the match. (c) She asked ____ the shop was open on Sundays. (d) The scientist ____ discovery saved millions was honoured.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (a) Place → where (adjective clause).
2. (b) Contrast → Although (adverb clause of concession).
3. (c) Yes/no question reported → whether or if (noun clause).
4. (d) Possession → whose (adjective clause).

Answer: (a) where (b) Although (c) whether/if (d) whose

Re-ordering jumbled words

NCERT section CBSE syllabus: re-ordering of sentences

You are given words or phrases separated by slashes and must arrange them into a meaningful, grammatical sentence using every part once. A method:
1. Find the verb and its subject; the subject usually starts a statement.
2. Attach the object or complement after the verb.
3. Place phrases of place, then time (usually at the end or the start).
4. A part with a capital letter usually begins the sentence; the part with the full stop or question mark ends it.
5. Questions begin with a question word or an auxiliary (Do, Is, Can ...).
Read the final sentence aloud in your head to check that it sounds natural.

Worked example

Re-arrange: in / have been / the forests / of Assam / one-horned rhinos / protected / for decades

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Subject: one-horned rhinos; verb: have been protected.
2. Place: in the forests of Assam; time: for decades.

Answer: One-horned rhinos have been protected in the forests of Assam for decades.

Transformation: active and passive voice

NCERT section CBSE syllabus: transformation of sentences

In the passive, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, and the verb becomes be + past participle, with 'be' in the tense of the active verb:

• simple present: write → is/are written; simple past: wrote → was/were written
• continuous: is writing → is being written; was writing → was being written
• perfect: has written → has been written; had written → had been written
• future: will write → will be written; modals: can write → can be written

The doer goes into a 'by' phrase only when it matters ('by the students'); 'by people', 'by someone' are usually dropped. Pronouns change case: they → them, he → him. Verbs without an object (arrive, sleep) have no passive.

Worked example

Change into the passive: (a) The municipality is repairing the road. (b) Someone had stolen her phone before the show. (c) You must submit the form by Friday.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (a) Present continuous → is being + participle.
2. (b) Past perfect → had been + participle; drop 'by someone'.
3. (c) Modal must → must be + participle; 'by you' is unnecessary.

Answer: (a) The road is being repaired by the municipality. (b) Her phone had been stolen before the show. (c) The form must be submitted by Friday.

Transformation: direct and reported speech

NCERT section CBSE syllabus: transformation of sentences

When the reporting verb is in the past ('said', 'asked'), change:

• tense one step back: is → was, am writing → was writing, will → would, can → could, has done → had done, did → had done
• pronouns to fit the reporter: 'I' → he/she, 'my' → his/her
• time and place words: now → then, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the day before, here → there, this → that
• questions: yes/no → asked if/whether + statement order; wh- questions → asked + question word + statement order ('She asked where I lived', not 'where did I live')
• commands and requests: told/asked/ordered + (not) to + verb

Unchanged: universal truths and, usually, reports with a present reporting verb ('He says he is busy').

Worked example

Report: (a) Ravi said, 'I will finish the model tomorrow.' (b) The teacher asked us, 'Have you read the chapter?' (c) Mother said to me, 'Don't touch the hot pan.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (a) will → would; I → he; tomorrow → the next day.
2. (b) Yes/no question: asked if + we had read.
3. (c) Negative command: told me not to touch.

Answer: (a) Ravi said that he would finish the model the next day. (b) The teacher asked us if we had read the chapter. (c) Mother told me not to touch the hot pan.

Transformation: combining and rewriting sentences

NCERT section CBSE syllabus: transformation of sentences

Other common transformations keep the meaning but change the structure:

• combining with a relative clause: 'I met a girl. She plays chess for India.' → 'I met a girl who plays chess for India.'
• combining with an adverb clause: 'It was raining. The match continued.' → 'Although it was raining, the match continued.'
• too ... to ↔ so ... that ... not: 'The box is too heavy to lift.' → 'The box is so heavy that I cannot lift it.'
• degrees of comparison: 'No other river in India is as long as the Ganga.' → 'The Ganga is the longest river in India.'
• unless ↔ if ... not: 'Unless you hurry, you will miss the bus.' → 'If you do not hurry, you will miss the bus.'

After rewriting, check that no information has been added or lost.

Worked example

Rewrite as directed: (a) The tea is too hot to drink. (Use so ... that) (b) Asha is the tallest girl in the class. (Begin: No other girl ...) (c) He worked hard. He wanted to win a scholarship. (Combine using so that)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (a) so hot that + subject + cannot + verb + it.
2. (b) Superlative → positive with 'as ... as'.
3. (c) Purpose clause: so that he could.

Answer: (a) The tea is so hot that I cannot drink it. (b) No other girl in the class is as tall as Asha. (c) He worked hard so that he could win a scholarship.

Grammar: Gap Filling and Sentence Reordering or Transformation in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• Gap Filling: Tenses and Clauses with Worked Examples

Grammar: Gap Filling and Sentence Reordering or Transformation: key facts

Perfect tenses

has/have + V3 (present perfect); had + V3 (past perfect); will have + V3

Never 'has + V2' (has went ✗).

Passive

object → subject; be (in the active tense) + V3; (by + doer)

Continuous: being + V3; perfect: been + V3.

Reported speech shift

1. 1.is
2. 2.was; will
3. 3.would; can
4. 4.could; has
5. 5.had; did
6. 6.had done; now
7. 7.then; today
8. 8.that day

Questions take statement word order.

Relative words

who (subject), whom (object), whose (possession), which (things), where (place), when (time)

'That' only in defining clauses.

Conditionals

First	If + present, will + V1
Second	If + past, would + V1
Third	If + had + V3, would have + V3

No 'will' in the if-clause.

How the school exam asks Grammar: Gap Filling and Sentence Reordering or Transformation

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Grammar: Gap Filling and Sentence Reordering or Transformation

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• Finished time, simple past

  Yesterday, last year, ago, in 2020 → simple past; since, for, just, already, yet → present perfect.

  Use it when: Choosing between past and present perfect.

• Passive = be + V3

  Keep the tense in 'be' and always use the third form of the verb.

  Use it when: Voice change.

• One step back

  In reported speech every verb steps back one tense when the reporting verb is past.

  Use it when: Direct to reported speech.

• Who-whom-whose

  Who does, whom receives, whose owns.

  Use it when: Relative pronouns.

• S-V-O-P-T

  Subject, Verb, Object, Place, Time.

  Use it when: Re-ordering jumbled sentences.

Grammar: Gap Filling and Sentence Reordering or Transformation: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.

Where students lose marks in Grammar: Gap Filling and Sentence Reordering or Transformation

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Present perfect with a finished past time

  A definite past time needs the simple past.

  Wrong working

  I have seen the film yesterday.

  Right working

  I saw the film yesterday.

  ✓Do this: Check for words like yesterday, ago, last, in + year.

  Usually costs: 1 mark

• ✗Mistake: Keeping question order in reported questions

  Reported questions use statement order and no question mark.

  Wrong working

  She asked where did I live?

  Right working

  She asked where I lived.

  ✓Do this: Subject before verb after the question word.

  Usually costs: 1 mark

• ✗Mistake: Wrong 'be' form or V2 in the passive

  The passive needs be + V3 in the right tense.

  Wrong working

  The letters were wrote by her.

  Right working

  The letters were written by her.

  ✓Do this: Learn the third forms of irregular verbs.

  Usually costs: 1 mark

• ✗Mistake: 'Which' for people or 'who' for things

  Relative pronouns depend on the noun they describe.

  Wrong working

  The doctor which treated me is kind.

  Right working

  The doctor who treated me is kind.

  ✓Do this: People → who/whom/whose; things → which/that.

  Usually costs: 1 mark

• ✗Mistake: Dropping or adding words when re-ordering

  Every given part must be used once, and nothing new added.

  Wrong working

  Leaving out 'of Assam' or adding 'very'

  Right working

  Use all the parts exactly once

  ✓Do this: Tick off each part as you place it.

  Usually costs: 1 mark

Practice questions on Grammar: Gap Filling and Sentence Reordering or Transformation

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   Choose the correct option: By the time the ambulance arrived, the crowd ____. (a) dispersed (b) has dispersed (c) had dispersed (d) disperses

   Hint

   The earlier of two past actions.

   Answer

   (c) had dispersed

2. Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Fill in the blank: Each of the players ____ (be) given a medal.

   Hint

   'Each' is singular.

   Answer

   was (or is)

3. Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Combine using a relative pronoun: The museum is closed on Mondays. We wanted to visit it.

   Hint

   The museum which ...

   Answer

   The museum which (that) we wanted to visit is closed on Mondays.

4. Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level

   Re-arrange: the / of / pollution / during / rises / Diwali / level / sharply / in cities

   Hint

   Subject: the level of pollution.

   Answer

   The level of pollution in cities rises sharply during Diwali. (Also: During Diwali, the level of pollution rises sharply in cities.)

5. Q5 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level

   Change into the passive: The committee will have announced the results by noon.

   Hint

   will have been + V3.

   Answer

   The results will have been announced by the committee by noon.

6. Q6 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level

   Report: The guide said, 'This fort was built four hundred years ago.'

   Hint

   A historical fact may keep its tense.

   Answer

   The guide said that that fort had been built four hundred years before. (Keeping 'was built' is also accepted for a historical fact.)

7. Q7 · 1 mark · Very short answerHOTS / competency

   Find and correct the error in tense: 'When I reached the station, the train already left.'

   Hint

   Which happened first?

   Answer

   When I reached the station, the train had already left.

8. Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   Fill in the blanks with suitable clause linkers: The scientists ____ (a) studied the glacier warned ____ (b) it might melt faster ____ (c) emissions were cut.

   Hint

   Person, reported statement, condition (negative).

   Answer

   (a) who (b) that (c) unless

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.How many grammar questions must be answered, and out of how many?Show answer

   Seven out of eight, 1 mark each.

2. 2.Which tense shows the earlier of two past actions?Show answer

   The past perfect.

3. 3.Passive of 'They are building a bridge.'Show answer

   A bridge is being built (by them).

4. 4.Which relative word shows possession?Show answer

   Whose.

5. 5.In reported speech, what does 'tomorrow' usually become?Show answer

   The next day (or the following day).

6. 6.Which verb form follows 'if' in a first conditional?Show answer

   The simple present.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐7 of 8 questions, 1 mark each: gap filling (tenses, clauses) and re-ordering/transformation.
• ☐Finished time → simple past; since/for/just/already → present perfect.
• ☐Earlier past action → past perfect; 'if' clause → present (first conditional).
• ☐who/whom/whose/which/that/where/when for adjective clauses; although/unless/so that for adverb clauses.
• ☐Passive: be (right tense) + V3.
• ☐Reported speech: tense back, pronouns and time words change, statement order.
• ☐Re-order: subject + verb + object + place + time.

Grammar: Gap Filling and Sentence Reordering or Transformation: frequently asked questions