The word "blank" is similar to the words "empty" and "nothing." If something is blank, nothing is there. You can use "blank" as a noun, a verb, or as an adjective:
His mind is blank. (adjective)
He blanked on the question. (verb)
He’s pulling up blanks. (noun)
These sentences use "blank" as an adjective:
Nguyen needs a blank piece of paper for her assignment.
There’s something wrong with my computer. The screen is completely blank.
Newspapers don’t have a lot of blank space on their pages.
The sign is blank.
These sentences use "blank" as a verb:
The teacher felt a little embarrassed when he blanked on her name.
Tina blanked on the test. She couldn’t remember anything.
I’m sorry, I’m blanking.
These sentences use "blank" as a noun:
You need to fill in the blanks on this form.
My mind is a blank.
The man on stage pulled a blank when asked a simple question. (oops!)
Note: The word "blank" is related to "blanco," which means "white" in Spanish.
(This page was originally published on LearnAmerican EnglishOnline.com on November 12, 2011)
