Fill In or Fill Out?
Explore “fill in,” “fill out,” and “fill up” in short American English messages about forms, hotels, and travel.
Preview
Questions with solutions-
1. Kies het juiste antwoord.
What does the hotel clerk want you to do?
Please fill out this guest form before you check in.
- Write the requested information on the form.
- Read the form without writing anything.
- Sign your name without answering the other questions.
The clerk needs your details, not just your signature.
Show solution
- Write the requested information on the form.
“Fill out” commonly describes completing a whole form in American English.
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2. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.
You left a letter out of your last name. Please ___ the missing letter.
- fill up
- fill in
- fill out
Only one small piece of information is missing.
Show solution
You left a letter out of your last name. Please fill in the missing letter.
“Fill in” works for adding a missing letter, word, or detail.
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3. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.
Before the hike, ___ your water bottle so it is full.
- fill out
- fill in
- fill up
Think about putting water into a container.
Show solution
Before the hike, fill up your water bottle so it is full.
“Up” adds the idea of making the bottle completely full.
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4. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.
You can ___ the hotel form on your phone.
- filled out
- fill out
- filling out
Look at the verb form that follows “can.”
Show solution
You can fill out the hotel form on your phone.
After “can,” use the basic verb form without “to”: “can fill out.”
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5. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.
The gas gauge is nearly empty. Let's stop at a gas station and ___.
- fill up
- fill in
- fill out
The car needs fuel.
Show solution
The gas gauge is nearly empty. Let's stop at a gas station and fill up.
At a gas station, “fill up” can mean get gas without mentioning the tank.
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6. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.
Yesterday, I ___ a lost-bag report at the airport.
- filling out
- fill out
- filled out
“Yesterday” places the action in the past.
Show solution
Yesterday, I filled out a lost-bag report at the airport.
The past form is “filled out.” Only “fill” changes; “out” stays the same.
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7. Kies het juiste antwoord.
What is happening to the shuttle?
The airport shuttle is filling up fast. Only two seats are still empty.
- The driver is adding gas to its tank.
- More passengers are taking the seats.
- Passengers are leaving their seats.
The second sentence tells you what is becoming full.
Show solution
- More passengers are taking the seats.
A bus, train, or room can “fill up” with people, not just with liquid.
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8. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.
I'm ___ the missing dates on our travel calendar right now.
- fill in
- fills in
- filling in
“I'm” means “I am,” and the action is happening now.
Show solution
I'm filling in the missing dates on our travel calendar right now.
Use “am,” “is,” or “are” with the “-ing” form for an action happening now.
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9. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.
The hotel clerk is sick, so another worker will ___ for her today.
- fill in
- fill out
- fill up
Someone will temporarily do the clerk's job.
Show solution
The hotel clerk is sick, so another worker will fill in for her today.
“Fill in for someone” means do that person's work while they are away.
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10. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.
I missed the travel meeting. Could you fill me ___ on the new plan?
- up
- out
- in
The speaker wants an update.
Show solution
I missed the travel meeting. Could you fill me in on the new plan?
“Fill someone in” means give them information they missed.
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11. Kies het juiste antwoord.
Which reply puts “it” in the right position?
Clerk: Can you fill out this form?
- Yes, I'll fill out it now.
- Yes, I'll fill it out now.
- Yes, I'll it fill out now.
A short object like “it” has a fixed position.
Show solution
- Yes, I'll fill it out now.
With “fill out,” an object pronoun goes between the two words: “fill it out.”
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12. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.
Would you mind ___ for me at the front desk during my break?
- fill in
- filling in
- filled in
Notice the verb form needed after “mind.”
Show solution
Would you mind filling in for me at the front desk during my break?
“Would you mind” is followed by an “-ing” form. It makes a polite request.
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13. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.
Please fill me in ___ what the airline said about our bags.
- for
- to
- on
The missing word introduces the subject of the update.
Show solution
Please fill me in on what the airline said about our bags.
Use “fill someone in on something” to name the topic they need information about.
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14. Kies het juiste antwoord.
Which step is already complete?
The guest form has been filled out, but it hasn't been sent.
- Adding the requested information.
- Sending the form to the hotel.
- Getting a reply from the hotel.
One action is finished; the other has not happened.
Show solution
- Adding the requested information.
“Has been filled out” focuses on the completed form, not on who completed it.
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15. Kies het juiste antwoord.
What was happening when the announcement began?
I was filling out the form when the boarding announcement began.
- The traveler had already finished the form.
- The traveler had not started the form yet.
- The traveler was still working on the form.
Focus on the action at that exact moment.
Show solution
- The traveler was still working on the form.
“Was filling out” shows an action in progress. It does not tell us whether the form was finished later.