Cloze Test

At a glance 9 rules

1. 1Read to the endSkim the whole passage before the options. The clue for a blank often sits one or two sentences after it, not beside it.
2. 2Link words mark turnsAs a result follows a cause, by contrast sets two things side by side, however turns against what came before, for instance gives a case.
3. 3Name what came beforeAfter 'this' or 'such', the blank names what the passage has just described. Pick the word that sums it up.
4. 4Concession before yet'It sounds X... Yet' or 'at first X... but' grants a point before rejecting it. The blank holds the point granted, not the writer's verdict.
5. 5Keep tone and stanceThe blank must match the passage's tone and the speaker's attitude: a modest speaker plays a win down, a calm crowd is not angry.
6. 6Cause sets directionWhen the passage gives a cause (less supply, a new rule, a failed plan), the blank must move the way that cause pushes, and as far as the effects show.
7. 7Fixed partnersCloze blanks love set pairs: take measures, raise awareness, bridge a gap. A word with the right meaning but the wrong partner is out.
8. 8Former and latter'The former' is the first of two things just named, 'the latter' the second. Name both, then let the reason given pick one.
9. 9Test every sentencePlug your word in and check it against each later sentence. A word that fits its own sentence but clashes with one fact after it is out.