Cloze and Sentence Completion Set 2
Cloze and Sentence Completion Set 2 covers two related 11+ question types: a cloze passage, where several words are removed from a short passage and supplied from a word bank or memory, and sentence completion, where a gapped sentence is filled from a multiple-choice list. Both test whether a pupil can use grammar and meaning together, and sentence completion questions often include distractors that are grammatically possible but change or spoil the meaning.
Method
- For a cloze passage, read the whole passage first with the gaps skipped over, to get the overall sense before choosing any word.
- Check what type of word each gap needs (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, connective) by looking at the words immediately around it.
- For a word-bank cloze, try each remaining word from the bank in the gap and eliminate any that do not fit grammatically before checking meaning.
- For sentence completion, read the whole sentence with each option in turn rather than judging options in isolation, since a word can look right until it is placed in context.
- Watch for distractors that are grammatically correct but wrong in meaning, tone or strength (for example, 'annoyed' where the sentence needs a much stronger word like 'furious').
- Once you have chosen an answer, re-read the full sentence or passage with it in place to check it sounds natural and makes complete sense.
- If two options both seem to fit, choose the one that best matches the tone and formality of the rest of the passage, not just its dictionary meaning.
Worked example
Sentence completion: Choose the best word to complete the sentence: 'Despite the coach's warning, the young athlete remained ___ about her chances in the final.' A) worried B) confident C) uncertain D) forgetful
- Read the whole sentence and note the connective 'Despite', which signals a contrast with the coach's warning.
- Consider what kind of contrast makes sense: if the coach warned her, a positive or strong feeling (rather than a matching worry) creates the contrast the sentence sets up.
- Check each option: A) worried does not contrast with a warning, it matches it. C) uncertain is close to worried, so it does not create a strong contrast either. D) forgetful does not fit the sense of the sentence at all.
- B) confident creates a clear contrast with the coach's warning, showing the athlete's determined or self-assured attitude despite being warned.
- Final answer: B) confident - 'Despite the coach's warning, the young athlete remained confident about her chances in the final.'
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1Cloze: Complete the gap using a word from this bank (although, because, however, before): 'The match was cancelled ___ the pitch was flooded.'Show answer
Answer: because
Q2Sentence completion: 'The old bridge looked ___ , but engineers confirmed it was perfectly safe.' Choose the best word: sturdy, precarious, colourful, distant.Show answer
Answer: precarious (it creates the contrast the sentence needs with 'but... perfectly safe')
Q3Cloze: Complete the gap using a word from this bank (quietly, loudly, slowly, quickly): 'She tiptoed ___ past the sleeping baby so as not to wake him.'Show answer
Answer: quietly
Q4Sentence completion: 'The committee's decision was met with ___ approval from every member.' Choose the best word: partial, unanimous, doubtful, delayed.Show answer
Answer: unanimous (meaning agreed by everyone, matching 'every member')
Q5What type of word (noun, verb, adjective or adverb) is missing in the sentence 'The children played ___ in the garden all afternoon'?Show answer
Answer: An adverb (describing how they played, e.g. happily, energetically).
Q6Sentence completion: 'The witness gave a ___ account of the accident, recalling every small detail.' Choose the best word: vague, detailed, brief, confusing.Show answer
Answer: detailed (matching 'recalling every small detail')
Q7Cloze: Complete the gap using a word from this bank (since, unless, while, until): 'You will not pass the test ___ you revise properly.'Show answer
Answer: unless
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Complete the following passage using the word bank provided, using each word exactly once: (bank: reluctant, gradually, however, discovered) 'At first, Sam was ___ to try the climbing wall, worried he might fall. ___ , after watching his friends succeed, he decided to give it a go. He climbed ___ , testing each foothold carefully, and by the top he had ___ that he enjoyed the challenge far more than he expected.' (4 marks)
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'The manager's explanation for the delay was frankly ___ , leaving several customers openly sceptical.' Choose the best word from: convincing, unsatisfactory, brief, technical. Explain why your chosen word fits better than two of the other options. (3 marks)
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the cloze and sentence completion set 2 worksheet pack - 12 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 22 of 11+ English Workbook 3, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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