完形填空設空以實詞為主、虛詞為輔，單詞為主、短語為輔。動詞、名詞、形容詞、副詞、代詞等實詞通常要占全部小題數的80%以上。而介詞、連詞、冠詞等虛詞則相對考得較少。
完形填空解題步驟
通覽------試填-----復核
1 通覽----速度全文，把握大意
快速閱讀一下全文，通過通覽全文、領會大意，概略地了解文章的體裁、背景、內容、結構層次、情節、寫作風格等等。
2 試填----緊扣文意，瞻前顧后
先易后難，逐層深入。緊扣全文內容，聯系上下文和語境，展開邏輯推理，注意從上下文中尋找線索，注意詞匯的意義、搭配，慣用法，語法，常識等多個角度進行綜合考慮。
3 復核----全面檢查，確保語意連貫，用詞準確
試填后，要把全文再通讀一遍 ，注意看所選答案填入空白處后能否做到文章意思通順、前后連貫、邏輯嚴謹、結構完整、首尾呼應。
解題技巧
1. 充分利用文章的上下文和前后句，找到對選擇有提示作用的詞或句。（同義詞或反義詞）
2. 注意固定搭配3. 注意同義詞的辨義4.根據動作的發出者確定所選的詞5.根據上下文的邏輯關系確定選項6. 根據生活常識以及相關知識確定選項7. 利用語法知識選出正確選項
解題技巧
1 充分利用文章的上下文和前后句，找到對選擇有提示作用的詞或句。這些詞有可能是同義詞或反義詞。
1) Many old people don’t have good ____. They can’t watch TV, but they can listen to music or news over the radio .
A hearing B health C eyesight D time
2) Some parts of the water are very shallow. But in some places it is very, very______.
A. deep B.high C. cold D. dangerous
根據轉折連詞but的提示，所選的詞應與shallow相反，因此選A
3) I climbed the stairs slowly, carrying a big suitcase,my father following with two more.By the time I got to the third floor ,I was___ and at the same time feeling lonely.( NMET2000 第26小題)
A helpless B lazy C anxious D tired
4) … and then both ended up from
the same high school, just three weeks before_____, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.(2003北京春季卷第45小題)
A graduation B movement C separation D vacation
2 注意固定搭配，包括動詞與介詞的搭配、動詞與名詞的搭配以及形容詞與名詞的搭配等，同時要根據內容選擇正確的短語。
1）The city(Washington) was named___George Washington, the first president of the United States.
A. by B. for C. as D. after
2) It was 4 o’clock when the front doorbell rang. Mrs Clarke was ____
tea at the time.
A. cooking B. making C.burning D. serving
3) Mark____ down and helped the boy pick up these articles.(2003 北京 春 50小題)
A.fell B. sat C.lay D. knelt
4) … Ed’s been the least physically fit member in the family, and_____ proud of himself.(NMET2003第42題)
A. strangely B. personally C. reasonably D. eagerly
5）… , but they are _____ damage to our houses and shops of historical interest,’’ Said John Norris,one of the protesters.（NMET1999第30題)
A doing B raising C putting D producing
3 注意同義詞的辨義
1）Soon I heard a ___ like that of a door burst in , and then a climb of
feet.
A. sound B. cry C. voice D.shout
2）The boy was ___ ① ____ the water and his canoe was _②___ away.
A.on B.within C.in D.under ② A running B floating C flowing D pulling
3).‘‘ Give me a hand,’’ he shouted_____ he got near the boat.
A. while B. till C. for D. as
四個選項都可以表示時間。while強調一段時間內進行的動作，常與進行時連用；till表示的是動作持續到某時或到某時才開始；for表示的是動作持續了一段時間；as連接的是一個與謂語動作幾乎同時發生的動詞。答案應選D，表示他一邊向船靠近一邊大聲喊。
4.根據動作的發出者確定所選的詞
1). And video cameras can be used
to ___people’s actions at home.
A. keep B. make C. record D. watch
2). When the papers were____ she discovered that twelve boys had made exactly the same mistakes throughout the test.
A. collected B. completed C. marked D. answered
3). Japan is an island country and its_①__ go all over the Pacific looking for fish to _②__.
① A. fishing boats B. lifeboats C. planes D. trains
② A.buy B. catch C.hold D.weigh
只有fishing boats能夠到太平洋捕魚，因此第一個空答案A為。捕魚用動詞catch，第二個空答案為B。
上下文5 根據的邏輯關系確定選項
有時，選項中所給的四個詞為表示上下文邏輯關系的連接性詞語，它涉及到文章的起承轉合、上下連貫。這類題主要考查考生對上下文邏輯關系的理解，如轉折關系、讓步關系、因果關系、遞進關系、增補關系、比較關系以及對比關系等。
常見的承接語有and,but,however,so,therefore,等。其中for one thing…for another…等連接詞表示列舉；First…and then,First…Next…Then…Finally…用來按次序描述時間發生的過程；anyhow,still,though,although…表示讓步關系；therefore,so表結果；because,since,due to,owing to…表原因，等等。
1). A transistor radio is sometimes
very small.It is very easy to carry…___,radio broadcasts are better for
blind people.
A. Besides B. However C. Yet D. Sometimes
2). At first nothing happened,____
suddenly a large rat rushed out of
the… A.and B. or C. so D.then
3). My main responsibility(職責） were clearing tables and washing dishes,____sometimes I helped cook.（2003 北京 第40題）
A. or B. so C. but D. even
6 根據生活常識以及相關知識確定選項
1）The space is left to let the rail
expand（膨脹） when it gets ___.
A. wet B. cold C. hot D. dry
2)…,you __①__the international dateline.By agreement, this is the point where a new day__②__.
① A. see B. cross C. are D. are stopped by
_②A.is coming B is discovered C.is invented D. begins
the international dateline是‘‘國際日期變更線’’，是人們所規定的，看不見，摸不著，但是可以越過。它是新的一天開始的地方。答案分別為B 和D
7 利用語法知識選出正確選項
1）When Ed first phoned and ___
we play, I laughed quietly,figuring
on an easy victory.(NMET2003 , 37題)
A.declared B. mentioned C.persuaded D. suggested
2). I realized that____ I had done that I would have lost a new friend and missed all the fun we would have together.(2003 北京 春季 53題)
A.before B.if C. while D. as
3). As my father,____ worked three jobs, once told me, …（2003 北京 54題）
A .he B. that C. who D .whoever