By Jonathan Strange
Cloze questions ask children to complete gaps in a passage. The most useful starting point is to read the whole passage, predict the meaning of the gap, then check vocabulary, grammar and context together.
In our teaching, the difficulty is often more than an unfamiliar word. Children may know a familiar meaning but miss an unusual or non-literal use. A word that fits the nearest phrase can also conflict with the next sentence.
Follow the contrast clue
1. Initial response
Leila welcomed the proposal.
2. Change in direction
“However” signals a contrast.
3. Supported meaning
Her enthusiasm becomes weaker: wane.
Three formats to recognise
- Multiple choice: select from the supplied options.
- Word bank: choose words from a shared list, following the instructions about reuse.
- Missing letters: complete a partly written word using its letters and the passage.
These examples demonstrate the formats. They are original practice for this article, not official exam questions or a claim that every school tests all three.
Try 1: multiple choice
At first, Leila welcomed the proposal. However, when she discovered that it would close the village library, her enthusiasm began to ____.
Choose: grow / wane / sparkle / arrive.
Before reading the explanation, find the word that signals a change in her response.
Answer: wane. It means to become weaker or diminish. “However” introduces a contrast with her initial welcome, and closing the library explains why her enthusiasm decreases. “Grow” contradicts that direction. “Sparkle” suggests brightness or liveliness rather than decline; “arrive” does not describe what happens to existing enthusiasm here.
Try 2: a word bank
Tom gave the unfamiliar dog a ____ glance. When its owner explained that it was friendly, he felt ____ and stepped closer.
Word bank: cautious / relieved / furious / careless. Use each selected word once; two are unused.
Answers: cautious, relieved. The first gap describes uncertainty around an unfamiliar animal. The second follows reassuring information and leads to Tom moving closer. Check the sequence of events rather than treating each gap as a separate sentence.
Try 3: missing letters and non-literal meaning
Although the suitcase was still heavy, sharing her worry with Dad took a w _ _ g h t off Maya’s mind.
Answer: weight. The missing letters are e, i and t. The expression describes feeling less worried; it does not mean that the suitcase became lighter. The contrast between physical weight and emotional relief is the clue.
A repeatable checking routine
- Read the whole passage before filling gaps.
- Describe the likely meaning in simple words.
- Check whether the gap needs a noun, verb, adjective or another form.
- Test the available words or letter pattern.
- Reread with the answer inserted and explain which clues support it.
If two words seem possible, ask which is best supported by the whole passage. Do not add a story of your own to make a weaker option fit.
How to choose between two plausible answers
The hardest options are not always unfamiliar. Two everyday words may both fit the grammar, leaving your child to work out which one matches the situation. Try this original example:
As the last visitor left, the museum fell silent. Nisha lingered beside the painting, ____ to leave before she had discovered the tiny signature hidden in its corner.
Choose: unable / reluctant / eager / grateful.
Before choosing, put the situation into ordinary language: Nisha wants more time to look. Nothing says she is locked in or physically prevented from leaving.
Reluctant is the best answer. It describes her unwillingness to leave. “Unable” changes the meaning to not being able to leave, which the passage does not support. “Eager” points in the opposite direction, while “grateful” describes thankfulness rather than her wish to stay.
Ask your child to underline the evidence: “lingered” and “before she had discovered”. This turns a guess into a reasoned choice. It also shows why recognising a word’s definition is only part of the task.
Spot the clues that change a passage’s meaning
Contrast: the situation takes a turn
Words such as “however”, “although” and “despite” often signal a contrast. In Leila’s example above, her initial welcome changes when she understands the proposal’s consequences. Reading only the first sentence would push you towards the wrong answer.
Cause and effect: one detail explains another
In Tom’s word-bank example, the owner’s reassurance explains why Tom moves closer. The answer “relieved” connects those events. Look at what happens before and after the gap, rather than choosing a word simply because it describes an emotion.
Non-literal language: the familiar meaning is not the right one
Consider: “Her explanation shed light on the problem.” No lamp is required. The expression means that her explanation helped someone understand. Ask your child to say the sentence in a different way while preserving its meaning.
The same habit helps with Maya’s “weight off her mind”. Children need to notice the difference between the suitcase’s physical weight and the relief of sharing a worry.
A short cloze passage to practise independently
Use each selected word once. Two words in the bank are not needed.
The hall was almost empty when Sami arrived. He had expected a noisy crowd, so the silence was (1) ____. A notice on the door explained that the concert had been postponed. Although he was (2) ____, he was (3) ____ to learn that his ticket would still be valid.
Word bank: reassuring / unexpected / disappointed / relieved / crowded
Cover the answers while you work. For each gap, name the detail that supports your choice.
Answers: follow the sequence
1. Unexpected. Sami expected noise; instead he finds silence. “Reassuring” is grammatically possible, but the passage gives us a contrast with his expectation, not a reason he would feel reassured.
2. Disappointed. The concert he came to hear has been postponed. This feeling also sets up the contrast introduced by “although”.
3. Relieved. His ticket remains valid, which offers reassurance after the disappointing news. “Crowded” cannot describe Sami’s emotional response here. “Reassuring” would mean that he reassures someone else; “relieved” describes how he feels.
Find the reason for a mistake
Ask your child to explain the sentence in their own words before supplying the answer. An incorrect response can point to several different needs:
- The word is unfamiliar: explain it in a fresh sentence, then return to the passage.
- The word is known but the wrong meaning was used: compare a literal and a non-literal example.
- The first sentence was understood but the next was ignored: trace the change across the passage.
- The meaning fits but the grammar does not: read the completed sentence aloud and identify the form needed.
Keep the correction small and specific. “Read more carefully” gives a child very little to practise. “Find the word that changes the direction of the sentence” gives them a clear action.
How to make cloze practice useful at home
Choose a short passage and let your child attempt it independently. Discuss one or two uncertain answers in detail, then ask them to use the new word in a different sentence. Revisit that word later without showing the original answer.
Check meaning before adding time pressure. If a child can explain the answer but works slowly, that suggests a different next step from a child choosing quickly without understanding the passage. Follow your target exam’s format and timing when moving to timed practice.
Should children learn vocabulary lists as well?
A list can help collect unfamiliar words, but it should lead into use: a sentence, a comparison, or a short passage. Our guide to learning vocabulary in context shows how to turn a definition into something a child can apply.
What if two answers still seem possible?
Check the whole passage and the instructions again. Ask which option needs the fewest unsupported assumptions. If an unofficial practice question remains ambiguous, discuss that ambiguity rather than pretending a weak explanation is certain.
Choose focused practice
Redbridge Publishing’s Cloze Book 1 contains 18 tests: six each in multiple choice, word bank and missing-letter formats. The tests increase in length and difficulty. View the samples and choose the available format that suits your family.
For deeper work on meaning, read our vocabulary-in-context guide and explore Vocabulary Book 1. These resources were created to support understanding through the use of words. Check your target school’s current requirements before selecting exam preparation materials.
For help with your child’s next step, view classes, times and prices.