diff --git a/client/src/templates/Challenges/fill-in-the-blank/parse-blanks.test.ts b/client/src/templates/Challenges/fill-in-the-blank/parse-blanks.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a0de29f6814
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/templates/Challenges/fill-in-the-blank/parse-blanks.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+/* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-assignment */
+import { parseBlanks } from './parse-blanks';
+
+describe('parseBlanks', () => {
+  it('handles strings without blanks', () => {
+    expect(parseBlanks('<p>hello world</p>')).toEqual([
+      [{ type: 'text', value: 'hello world' }]
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('handles strings without blanks and with multiple paragraphs', () => {
+    expect(parseBlanks('<p>hello world</p><p>dlrow olleh</p>')).toEqual([
+      [{ type: 'text', value: 'hello world' }],
+      [{ type: 'text', value: 'dlrow olleh' }]
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('handles strings with blanks', () => {
+    expect(parseBlanks('<p>hello _!</p>')).toEqual([
+      [
+        { type: 'text', value: 'hello ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 0 },
+        { type: 'text', value: '!' }
+      ]
+    ]);
+
+    expect(parseBlanks('<p>hello _! Nice _ to meet you.</p>')).toEqual([
+      [
+        { type: 'text', value: 'hello ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 0 },
+        { type: 'text', value: '! Nice ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 1 },
+        { type: 'text', value: ' to meet you.' }
+      ]
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('handles paragraphs with a leading blank', () => {
+    expect(parseBlanks('<p>_ hello</p>')).toEqual([
+      [
+        { type: 'blank', value: 0 },
+        { type: 'text', value: ' hello' }
+      ]
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('removes trailing empty strings', () => {
+    expect(parseBlanks('<p>hello _</p>')).toEqual([
+      [
+        { type: 'text', value: 'hello ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 0 }
+      ]
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('handles strings with blanks and multiple paragraphs', () => {
+    expect(parseBlanks(`<p>hello _!</p><p>dlrow _</p>`)).toEqual([
+      [
+        { type: 'text', value: 'hello ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 0 },
+        { type: 'text', value: '!' }
+      ],
+      [
+        { type: 'text', value: 'dlrow ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 1 }
+      ]
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('ignores newlines between paragraphs', () => {
+    expect(
+      parseBlanks(`<p>hello _!</p>
+
+<p>dlrow _</p>`)
+    ).toEqual([
+      [
+        { type: 'text', value: 'hello ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 0 },
+        { type: 'text', value: '!' }
+      ],
+      [
+        { type: 'text', value: 'dlrow ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 1 }
+      ]
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('ignores whitespace surrounding the input', () => {
+    expect(
+      parseBlanks(` <p>hello _!</p>
+    `)
+    ).toEqual([
+      [
+        { type: 'text', value: 'hello ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 0 },
+        { type: 'text', value: '!' }
+      ]
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('counts blanks across multiple paragraphs', () => {
+    expect(
+      parseBlanks(`<p>hello _!</p><p>dlrow _ _</p><p> even _ more _</p>`)
+    ).toEqual([
+      [
+        { type: 'text', value: 'hello ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 0 },
+        { type: 'text', value: '!' }
+      ],
+      [
+        { type: 'text', value: 'dlrow ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 1 },
+        { type: 'text', value: ' ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 2 }
+      ],
+      [
+        { type: 'text', value: ' even ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 3 },
+        { type: 'text', value: ' more ' },
+        { type: 'blank', value: 4 }
+      ]
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('throws if the string is not wrapped in p tags', () => {
+    expect(() => parseBlanks('hello _!')).toThrow();
+    expect(() => parseBlanks('<p>hello _!</p>hello _!')).toThrow();
+    expect(() => parseBlanks('hello _!<p>hello</p>')).toThrow();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/client/src/templates/Challenges/fill-in-the-blank/parse-blanks.ts b/client/src/templates/Challenges/fill-in-the-blank/parse-blanks.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..84a018df0aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/templates/Challenges/fill-in-the-blank/parse-blanks.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+type TextNode = { type: 'text'; value: string };
+type BlankNode = { type: 'blank'; value: number };
+type ParagraphElement = TextNode | BlankNode;
+
+export const parseBlanks = (text: string) => {
+  const trimmed = text.trim();
+  if (!trimmed.startsWith('<p>') || !trimmed.endsWith('</p>')) {
+    throw new Error(`Expected
+${text}
+to be wrapped in <p> tags`);
+  }
+  // We're expecting only paragraphs, so text after </p> and before <p> can be
+  // ignored.
+  const rawParagraphs = trimmed
+    .split('<p>')
+    .map(s => s.replace(/<\/p>\s*/, ''));
+  // There is always a leading empty string, so we remove it.
+  rawParagraphs.shift();
+
+  const { paragraphs } = rawParagraphs.reduce(
+    (acc, p) => {
+      const splitByBlank = p.split('_');
+
+      const parsedParagraph = splitByBlank
+        .map<ParagraphElement[]>((text, i) => [
+          { type: 'text', value: text },
+          { type: 'blank', value: acc.count + i }
+        ])
+        .flat();
+      parsedParagraph.pop(); // remove last blank
+
+      const paragraph = parsedParagraph.filter(p => {
+        // remove empty strings
+        if (p.type === 'text') {
+          return p.value;
+        } else {
+          return true;
+        }
+      });
+      return {
+        count: acc.count + splitByBlank.length - 1,
+        paragraphs: [...acc.paragraphs, paragraph]
+      };
+    },
+    { count: 0, paragraphs: [] } as {
+      count: number;
+      paragraphs: ParagraphElement[][];
+    }
+  );
+
+  return paragraphs;
+};
diff --git a/client/src/templates/Challenges/fill-in-the-blank/show.tsx b/client/src/templates/Challenges/fill-in-the-blank/show.tsx
index 2b839114d1d..de07301cc56 100644
--- a/client/src/templates/Challenges/fill-in-the-blank/show.tsx
+++ b/client/src/templates/Challenges/fill-in-the-blank/show.tsx
@@ -27,12 +27,13 @@ import {
   openModal,
   updateSolutionFormValues
 } from '../redux/actions';
+import Scene from '../components/scene/scene';
 import { isChallengeCompletedSelector } from '../redux/selectors';
+import { parseBlanks } from './parse-blanks';
 
 // Styles
 import '../video.css';
 import './show.css';
-import Scene from '../components/scene/scene';
 
 // Redux Setup
 const mapStateToProps = createSelector(
@@ -273,8 +274,8 @@ class ShowFillInTheBlank extends Component<
     )} - ${title}`;
 
     const { allBlanksFilled, feedback, showFeedback, showWrong } = this.state;
+    const paragraphs = parseBlanks(sentence);
 
-    const splitSentence = sentence.replace(/^<p>|<\/p>$/g, '').split('_');
     const blankAnswers = blanks.map(b => b.answer);
 
     return (
@@ -328,37 +329,37 @@ class ShowFillInTheBlank extends Component<
                 if it encounters a key combination, so we have to pass in the individual keys to observe */}
                 <ObserveKeys only={['ctrl', 'cmd', 'enter']}>
                   <div>
-                    <p>
-                      {splitSentence.map((s, i) => {
-                        return (
-                          <Fragment key={i}>
-                            <PrismFormatted
-                              text={this.addCodeTags(s, i, blankAnswers.length)}
-                              className={`code-tag ${this.addPrismClass(
-                                i,
-                                blankAnswers.length
-                              )}`}
-                              useSpan
-                              noAria
-                            />
-                            {blankAnswers[i] && (
-                              <input
-                                type='text'
-                                maxLength={blankAnswers[i].length + 3}
-                                className={`fill-in-the-blank-input ${this.addInputClass(
-                                  i
-                                )}`}
-                                onChange={this.handleInputChange}
-                                data-index={i}
-                                style={{
-                                  width: `${blankAnswers[i].length * 11 + 11}px`
-                                }}
-                              />
-                            )}
-                          </Fragment>
-                        );
-                      })}
-                    </p>
+                    {paragraphs.map((p, i) => {
+                      return (
+                        // both keys, i and j, are stable between renders, since
+                        // the paragraphs are static.
+                        <p key={i}>
+                          {p.map((node, j) => {
+                            if (node.type === 'text') return node.value;
+                            if (node.type === 'blank')
+                              return (
+                                <input
+                                  key={j}
+                                  type='text'
+                                  maxLength={
+                                    blankAnswers[node.value].length + 3
+                                  }
+                                  className={`fill-in-the-blank-input ${this.addInputClass(
+                                    node.value
+                                  )}`}
+                                  onChange={this.handleInputChange}
+                                  data-index={node.value}
+                                  style={{
+                                    width: `${
+                                      blankAnswers[node.value].length * 11 + 11
+                                    }px`
+                                  }}
+                                />
+                              );
+                          })}
+                        </p>
+                      );
+                    })}
                   </div>
                 </ObserveKeys>
                 <Spacer size='medium' />
diff --git a/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-bad-paragraph.json b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-bad-paragraph.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9ad13e9d4c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-bad-paragraph.json
@@ -0,0 +1,291 @@
+{
+  "type": "root",
+  "children": [
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 1,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--description--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 1, "column": 3, "offset": 2 },
+            "end": { "line": 1, "column": 18, "offset": 17 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 1, "column": 1, "offset": 0 },
+        "end": { "line": 1, "column": 18, "offset": 17 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "In English, to check or confirm something people sometimes use tag questions. For example, ",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 1, "offset": 19 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 92, "offset": 110 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "You are a programmer, right?",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 92, "offset": 110 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 122, "offset": 140 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": " Here, ",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 122, "offset": 140 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 129, "offset": 147 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "right?",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 129, "offset": 147 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 137, "offset": 155 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": " is used as a tag to check or confirm the previous statement.",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 137, "offset": 155 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 198, "offset": 216 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 3, "column": 1, "offset": 19 },
+        "end": { "line": 3, "column": 198, "offset": 216 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 1,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--fillInTheBlank--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 5, "column": 3, "offset": 220 },
+            "end": { "line": 5, "column": 21, "offset": 238 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 5, "column": 1, "offset": 218 },
+        "end": { "line": 5, "column": 21, "offset": 238 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 2,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--sentence--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 7, "column": 4, "offset": 243 },
+            "end": { "line": 7, "column": 16, "offset": 255 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 7, "column": 1, "offset": 240 },
+        "end": { "line": 7, "column": 16, "offset": 255 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "A sentence _ paragraph 1",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 9, "column": 1, "offset": 257 },
+            "end": { "line": 9, "column": 27, "offset": 283 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "\n",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 9, "column": 27, "offset": 283 },
+            "end": { "line": 10, "column": 1, "offset": 284 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "not enough newlines, so no paragraph 2",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 10, "column": 1, "offset": 284 },
+            "end": { "line": 10, "column": 41, "offset": 324 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 9, "column": 1, "offset": 257 },
+        "end": { "line": 10, "column": 41, "offset": 324 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "Sentence in _ 2",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 12, "column": 1, "offset": 326 },
+            "end": { "line": 12, "column": 16, "offset": 341 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 12, "column": 1, "offset": 326 },
+        "end": { "line": 12, "column": 16, "offset": 341 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 2,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--blanks--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 14, "column": 4, "offset": 346 },
+            "end": { "line": 14, "column": 14, "offset": 356 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 14, "column": 1, "offset": 343 },
+        "end": { "line": 14, "column": 14, "offset": 356 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "are",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 16, "column": 1, "offset": 358 },
+            "end": { "line": 16, "column": 6, "offset": 363 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 16, "column": 1, "offset": 358 },
+        "end": { "line": 16, "column": 6, "offset": 363 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 3,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--feedback--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 18, "column": 5, "offset": 369 },
+            "end": { "line": 18, "column": 17, "offset": 381 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 18, "column": 1, "offset": 365 },
+        "end": { "line": 18, "column": 17, "offset": 381 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 20, "column": 1, "offset": 383 },
+            "end": { "line": 20, "column": 43, "offset": 425 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 20, "column": 1, "offset": 383 },
+        "end": { "line": 20, "column": 43, "offset": 425 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "thematicBreak",
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 22, "column": 1, "offset": 427 },
+        "end": { "line": 22, "column": 4, "offset": 430 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "right",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 24, "column": 1, "offset": 432 },
+            "end": { "line": 24, "column": 8, "offset": 439 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 24, "column": 1, "offset": 432 },
+        "end": { "line": 24, "column": 8, "offset": 439 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 3,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--feedback--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 26, "column": 5, "offset": 445 },
+            "end": { "line": 26, "column": 17, "offset": 457 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 26, "column": 1, "offset": 441 },
+        "end": { "line": 26, "column": 17, "offset": 457 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 28, "column": 1, "offset": 459 },
+            "end": { "line": 28, "column": 43, "offset": 501 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 28, "column": 1, "offset": 459 },
+        "end": { "line": 28, "column": 43, "offset": 501 }
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  "position": {
+    "start": { "line": 1, "column": 1, "offset": 0 },
+    "end": { "line": 29, "column": 1, "offset": 502 }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-bad-sentence.json b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-bad-sentence.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..07837f4d70b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-bad-sentence.json
@@ -0,0 +1,275 @@
+{
+  "type": "root",
+  "children": [
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 1,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--description--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 1, "column": 3, "offset": 2 },
+            "end": { "line": 1, "column": 18, "offset": 17 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 1, "column": 1, "offset": 0 },
+        "end": { "line": 1, "column": 18, "offset": 17 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "In English, to check or confirm something people sometimes use tag questions. For example, ",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 1, "offset": 19 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 92, "offset": 110 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "You are a programmer, right?",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 92, "offset": 110 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 122, "offset": 140 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": " Here, ",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 122, "offset": 140 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 129, "offset": 147 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "right?",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 129, "offset": 147 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 137, "offset": 155 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": " is used as a tag to check or confirm the previous statement.",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 137, "offset": 155 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 198, "offset": 216 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 3, "column": 1, "offset": 19 },
+        "end": { "line": 3, "column": 198, "offset": 216 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 1,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--fillInTheBlank--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 5, "column": 3, "offset": 220 },
+            "end": { "line": 5, "column": 21, "offset": 238 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 5, "column": 1, "offset": 218 },
+        "end": { "line": 5, "column": 21, "offset": 238 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 2,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--sentence--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 7, "column": 4, "offset": 243 },
+            "end": { "line": 7, "column": 16, "offset": 255 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 7, "column": 1, "offset": 240 },
+        "end": { "line": 7, "column": 16, "offset": 255 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "A sentence _ paragraph 1",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 9, "column": 1, "offset": 257 },
+            "end": { "line": 9, "column": 27, "offset": 283 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 9, "column": 1, "offset": 257 },
+        "end": { "line": 9, "column": 27, "offset": 283 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "Sentence in _ 2",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 11, "column": 1, "offset": 285 },
+            "end": { "line": 11, "column": 16, "offset": 300 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 11, "column": 1, "offset": 285 },
+        "end": { "line": 11, "column": 16, "offset": 300 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 2,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--blanks--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 13, "column": 4, "offset": 305 },
+            "end": { "line": 13, "column": 14, "offset": 315 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 13, "column": 1, "offset": 302 },
+        "end": { "line": 13, "column": 14, "offset": 315 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "are",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 15, "column": 1, "offset": 317 },
+            "end": { "line": 15, "column": 6, "offset": 322 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 15, "column": 1, "offset": 317 },
+        "end": { "line": 15, "column": 6, "offset": 322 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 3,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--feedback--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 17, "column": 5, "offset": 328 },
+            "end": { "line": 17, "column": 17, "offset": 340 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 17, "column": 1, "offset": 324 },
+        "end": { "line": 17, "column": 17, "offset": 340 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 19, "column": 1, "offset": 342 },
+            "end": { "line": 19, "column": 43, "offset": 384 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 19, "column": 1, "offset": 342 },
+        "end": { "line": 19, "column": 43, "offset": 384 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "thematicBreak",
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 21, "column": 1, "offset": 386 },
+        "end": { "line": 21, "column": 4, "offset": 389 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "right",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 23, "column": 1, "offset": 391 },
+            "end": { "line": 23, "column": 8, "offset": 398 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 23, "column": 1, "offset": 391 },
+        "end": { "line": 23, "column": 8, "offset": 398 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 3,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--feedback--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 25, "column": 5, "offset": 404 },
+            "end": { "line": 25, "column": 17, "offset": 416 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 25, "column": 1, "offset": 400 },
+        "end": { "line": 25, "column": 17, "offset": 416 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 27, "column": 1, "offset": 418 },
+            "end": { "line": 27, "column": 43, "offset": 460 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 27, "column": 1, "offset": 418 },
+        "end": { "line": 27, "column": 43, "offset": 460 }
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  "position": {
+    "start": { "line": 1, "column": 1, "offset": 0 },
+    "end": { "line": 28, "column": 1, "offset": 461 }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-two-sentences.json b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-two-sentences.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..78438850820
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-two-sentences.json
@@ -0,0 +1,275 @@
+{
+  "type": "root",
+  "children": [
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 1,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--description--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 1, "column": 3, "offset": 2 },
+            "end": { "line": 1, "column": 18, "offset": 17 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 1, "column": 1, "offset": 0 },
+        "end": { "line": 1, "column": 18, "offset": 17 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "In English, to check or confirm something people sometimes use tag questions. For example, ",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 1, "offset": 19 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 92, "offset": 110 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "You are a programmer, right?",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 92, "offset": 110 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 122, "offset": 140 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": " Here, ",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 122, "offset": 140 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 129, "offset": 147 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "right?",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 129, "offset": 147 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 137, "offset": 155 }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": " is used as a tag to check or confirm the previous statement.",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 3, "column": 137, "offset": 155 },
+            "end": { "line": 3, "column": 198, "offset": 216 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 3, "column": 1, "offset": 19 },
+        "end": { "line": 3, "column": 198, "offset": 216 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 1,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--fillInTheBlank--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 5, "column": 3, "offset": 220 },
+            "end": { "line": 5, "column": 21, "offset": 238 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 5, "column": 1, "offset": 218 },
+        "end": { "line": 5, "column": 21, "offset": 238 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 2,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--sentence--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 7, "column": 4, "offset": 243 },
+            "end": { "line": 7, "column": 16, "offset": 255 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 7, "column": 1, "offset": 240 },
+        "end": { "line": 7, "column": 16, "offset": 255 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "A sentence _ paragraph 1",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 9, "column": 1, "offset": 257 },
+            "end": { "line": 9, "column": 27, "offset": 283 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 9, "column": 1, "offset": 257 },
+        "end": { "line": 9, "column": 27, "offset": 283 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "Sentence in _ 2",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 11, "column": 1, "offset": 285 },
+            "end": { "line": 11, "column": 18, "offset": 302 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 11, "column": 1, "offset": 285 },
+        "end": { "line": 11, "column": 18, "offset": 302 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 2,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--blanks--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 13, "column": 4, "offset": 307 },
+            "end": { "line": 13, "column": 14, "offset": 317 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 13, "column": 1, "offset": 304 },
+        "end": { "line": 13, "column": 14, "offset": 317 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "are",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 15, "column": 1, "offset": 319 },
+            "end": { "line": 15, "column": 6, "offset": 324 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 15, "column": 1, "offset": 319 },
+        "end": { "line": 15, "column": 6, "offset": 324 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 3,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--feedback--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 17, "column": 5, "offset": 330 },
+            "end": { "line": 17, "column": 17, "offset": 342 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 17, "column": 1, "offset": 326 },
+        "end": { "line": 17, "column": 17, "offset": 342 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 19, "column": 1, "offset": 344 },
+            "end": { "line": 19, "column": 43, "offset": 386 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 19, "column": 1, "offset": 344 },
+        "end": { "line": 19, "column": 43, "offset": 386 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "thematicBreak",
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 21, "column": 1, "offset": 388 },
+        "end": { "line": 21, "column": 4, "offset": 391 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "inlineCode",
+          "value": "right",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 23, "column": 1, "offset": 393 },
+            "end": { "line": 23, "column": 8, "offset": 400 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 23, "column": 1, "offset": 393 },
+        "end": { "line": 23, "column": 8, "offset": 400 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "heading",
+      "depth": 3,
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "--feedback--",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 25, "column": 5, "offset": 406 },
+            "end": { "line": 25, "column": 17, "offset": 418 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 25, "column": 1, "offset": 402 },
+        "end": { "line": 25, "column": 17, "offset": 418 }
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "paragraph",
+      "children": [
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.",
+          "position": {
+            "start": { "line": 27, "column": 1, "offset": 420 },
+            "end": { "line": 27, "column": 43, "offset": 462 }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "position": {
+        "start": { "line": 27, "column": 1, "offset": 420 },
+        "end": { "line": 27, "column": 43, "offset": 462 }
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  "position": {
+    "start": { "line": 1, "column": 1, "offset": 0 },
+    "end": { "line": 28, "column": 1, "offset": 463 }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/with-fill-in-the-blank-bad-paragraph.md b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/with-fill-in-the-blank-bad-paragraph.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..141878a9b61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/with-fill-in-the-blank-bad-paragraph.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# --description--
+
+In English, to check or confirm something people sometimes use tag questions. For example, `You are a programmer, right?` Here, `right?` is used as a tag to check or confirm the previous statement.
+
+# --fillInTheBlank--
+
+## --sentence--
+
+`A sentence _ paragraph 1`
+`not enough newlines, so no paragraph 2`
+
+Sentence in _ 2
+
+## --blanks--
+
+`are`
+
+### --feedback--
+
+Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.
+
+---
+
+`right`
+
+### --feedback--
+
+Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.
diff --git a/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/with-fill-in-the-blank-bad-sentence.md b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/with-fill-in-the-blank-bad-sentence.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..db12c2e27b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/with-fill-in-the-blank-bad-sentence.md
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# --description--
+
+In English, to check or confirm something people sometimes use tag questions. For example, `You are a programmer, right?` Here, `right?` is used as a tag to check or confirm the previous statement.
+
+# --fillInTheBlank--
+
+## --sentence--
+
+`A sentence _ paragraph 1`
+
+Sentence in _ 2
+
+## --blanks--
+
+`are`
+
+### --feedback--
+
+Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.
+
+---
+
+`right`
+
+### --feedback--
+
+Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.
diff --git a/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/with-fill-in-the-blank-two-sentences.md b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/with-fill-in-the-blank-two-sentences.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8732b5ab9ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/__fixtures__/with-fill-in-the-blank-two-sentences.md
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# --description--
+
+In English, to check or confirm something people sometimes use tag questions. For example, `You are a programmer, right?` Here, `right?` is used as a tag to check or confirm the previous statement.
+
+# --fillInTheBlank--
+
+## --sentence--
+
+`A sentence _ paragraph 1`
+
+`Sentence in _ 2`
+
+## --blanks--
+
+`are`
+
+### --feedback--
+
+Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.
+
+---
+
+`right`
+
+### --feedback--
+
+Pay attention to the verb in the sentence.
diff --git a/tools/challenge-parser/parser/plugins/add-fill-in-the-blank.js b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/plugins/add-fill-in-the-blank.js
index b15cdaa055a..e3be3f0e9cd 100644
--- a/tools/challenge-parser/parser/plugins/add-fill-in-the-blank.js
+++ b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/plugins/add-fill-in-the-blank.js
@@ -6,6 +6,32 @@ const mdastToHtml = require('./utils/mdast-to-html');
 
 const { splitOnThematicBreak } = require('./utils/split-on-thematic-break');
 
+const NOT_IN_PARAGRAPHS = `Each inline code block in the fillInTheBlank sentence section must in its own paragraph
+If you have more than one code block, check that they're separated by a blank line
+Example of bad formatting:
+\`too close\`
+\`to each other\`
+
+Example of good formatting:
+\`separated\`
+
+\`by a blank line\`
+
+`;
+
+const NOT_IN_CODE_BLOCK = `Each paragraph in the fillInTheBlank sentence section must be inside an inline code block
+Example of bad formatting:
+## --sentence--
+
+This is a sentence
+
+Example of good formatting:
+## --sentence--
+
+\`This is a sentence\`
+
+`;
+
 function plugin() {
   return transformer;
   function transformer(tree, file) {
@@ -24,7 +50,17 @@ function plugin() {
 }
 
 function getfillInTheBlank(sentenceNodes, blanksNodes) {
-  const sentence = mdastToHtml(sentenceNodes);
+  const sentenceWithoutCodeBlocks = sentenceNodes.map(node => {
+    node.children.forEach(child => {
+      if (child.type === 'text' && child.value.trim() === '')
+        throw Error(NOT_IN_PARAGRAPHS);
+      if (child.type !== 'inlineCode') throw Error(NOT_IN_CODE_BLOCK);
+    });
+
+    const children = node.children.map(child => ({ ...child, type: 'text' }));
+    return { ...node, children };
+  });
+  const sentence = mdastToHtml(sentenceWithoutCodeBlocks);
   const blanks = getBlanks(blanksNodes);
 
   if (!sentence) throw Error('sentence is missing from fill in the blank');
diff --git a/tools/challenge-parser/parser/plugins/add-fill-in-the-blank.test.js b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/plugins/add-fill-in-the-blank.test.js
index f7a62496015..3a362cf6a34 100644
--- a/tools/challenge-parser/parser/plugins/add-fill-in-the-blank.test.js
+++ b/tools/challenge-parser/parser/plugins/add-fill-in-the-blank.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 const mockFillInTheBlankAST = require('../__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank.json');
 const mockFillInTheBlankYouAreAST = require('../__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-one-blank.json');
+const mockFillInTheBlankTwoSentencesAST = require('../__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-two-sentences.json');
+const mockFillInTheBlankBadSentence = require('../__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-bad-sentence.json');
+const mockFillInTheBlankBadParagraph = require('../__fixtures__/ast-fill-in-the-blank-bad-paragraph.json');
 const addFillInTheBlankQuestion = require('./add-fill-in-the-blank');
 
 describe('fill-in-the-blanks plugin', () => {
@@ -66,6 +69,63 @@ describe('fill-in-the-blanks plugin', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('should extract the sentence from the surrounding inline code block', () => {
+    plugin(mockFillInTheBlankAST, file);
+    const testObject = file.data.fillInTheBlank;
+
+    expect(testObject.sentence).toBe(
+      '<p>Hello, You _ the new graphic designer, _? _ to meet you!</p>'
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should extract sentences from multiple inline code blocks', () => {
+    plugin(mockFillInTheBlankTwoSentencesAST, file);
+    const testObject = file.data.fillInTheBlank;
+
+    expect(testObject.sentence).toBe(
+      `<p>A sentence _ paragraph 1</p>
+<p>Sentence in _ 2</p>`
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should throw if a sentence is not inside an inline code block', () => {
+    expect(() => {
+      plugin(mockFillInTheBlankBadSentence, file);
+    }).toThrow(
+      `Each paragraph in the fillInTheBlank sentence section must be inside an inline code block
+Example of bad formatting:
+## --sentence--
+
+This is a sentence
+
+Example of good formatting:
+## --sentence--
+
+\`This is a sentence\`
+
+`
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should throw if there are multiple inline code blocks in the same paragraph', () => {
+    expect(() => {
+      plugin(mockFillInTheBlankBadParagraph, file);
+    }).toThrow(
+      `Each inline code block in the fillInTheBlank sentence section must in its own paragraph
+If you have more than one code block, check that they're separated by a blank line
+Example of bad formatting:
+\`too close\`
+\`to each other\`
+
+Example of good formatting:
+\`separated\`
+
+\`by a blank line\`
+
+`
+    );
+  });
+
   it('should handle one blank', () => {
     plugin(mockFillInTheBlankYouAreAST, file);
     const testObject = file.data.fillInTheBlank;