English - Cloze Test and Word Form
Cloze Test and Word Form tests language in connected text. The cloze passage has numbered gaps that may require a grammar word (article, preposition, pronoun, conjunction), a lexical item, or a cohesive link. Word-form items give a root and ask for the correct derivative in a sentence.
Cloze strategy
First read the whole passage for gist without filling gaps. Then classify each gap: does it need a structural word or a content word? Use the sentence grammar and the surrounding logic. Linking words signal relationships: however (contrast), therefore (result), moreover (addition), whereas (comparison). Check tense sequence and subject-verb agreement after choosing.
Word-form strategy
Identify the part of speech the slot requires before adding a suffix. A subject or object slot needs a noun; a pre-modifier slot needs an adjective; a verb modifier needs an adverb. Common noun suffixes: -tion, -ment, -ness, -ity. Adjective suffixes: -ive, -ous, -able, -ful, -al. Adverb suffix: -ly. Negative prefixes: un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, dis-. Watch spelling changes and irregular forms.
Worked example
'Her ___ (decide) to study abroad surprised everyone.' The slot is the subject of 'surprised', so a noun is needed. The verb decide gives the noun decision, with a spelling change from -de to -sion. 'Decisive' would be an adjective and cannot be the subject; 'decidedly' is an adverb.
Traps
Adding -ly to a word that is already an adjective (friendly, costly); choosing a negative prefix that changes meaning unintentionally; filling a cloze gap by word matching without checking the whole sentence; forgetting plural or comparative forms.