Cloze and Contextual Completion
Cloze and Contextual Completion tests cohesion: the ability to supply the one word that a text, not just a sentence, requires. Blanks fall into three families - lexical (a word chosen for meaning or collocation), grammatical (a function word such as a preposition, pronoun, or auxiliary), and discourse (a connective or reference word carrying the argument forward).
Read before you fill
Read the whole passage once for topic, stance, and tense. A blank that looks ambiguous in isolation is usually settled by a sentence two lines away, where the same idea is paraphrased or picked up by a pronoun.
Cohesion signals
- Lexical chains: the passage repeats a concept through synonyms (cost, expense, burden); the blank often completes such a chain.
- Reference: this, these, such, the former must point to something already named and agree in number.
- Connectives: contrast (however, nevertheless, whereas), cause (therefore, consequently, hence), addition (moreover, in addition), concession (admittedly, even so), reformulation (that is, in other words).
- Grammar cues: the verb must agree with its real subject, and prepositions must match the pattern of the verb or adjective (prevent X from doing, depend on, capable of).
Predict, then check
Cover the options and supply your own word first; this prevents an attractive distractor from rewriting your reading of the sentence. Insert your choice and reread the full sentence for grammar, then the full paragraph for logic.
Worked example
The scheme was initially dismissed as unrealistic; ___, it is now cited as a model of pragmatic reform. Options: nevertheless / therefore / moreover / otherwise. The first clause is negative (dismissed as unrealistic), the second positive (cited as a model). The relation is contrast, not consequence (therefore), addition (moreover), or alternative (otherwise). Inserting nevertheless gives: dismissed then, accepted now. Answer: nevertheless.
Traps that cost marks
- A word that fits the sentence locally but reverses the paragraph's direction.
- Near-synonyms with different valency: consist of vs comprise; result in vs result from.
- Double connectives (although … but) created by a careless choice.
- Pronouns that fit the meaning but not the number of their antecedent.
- Fixed chunks tested as idioms: take … into account, make allowance for.