Cloze and Sentence Completion
Cloze and sentence completion on the UEE English exam tests cohesion and coherence: can you choose the word or phrase that fits the sentence locally and the passage globally? Items often target discourse markers, pronouns, collocations, prepositions, and semantic contrast.
Core rules and concepts
- Read the whole passage once before filling blanks. A blank that fits the sentence may break the paragraph's logic.
- Identify the relationship between clauses: addition, contrast, cause, result, concession, example, or sequence.
- Track lexical chains: repeated or related words signal the topic and often the answer.
- Test grammar fit: a connector may be logical but grammatically wrong, as when "despite" is followed by a clause instead of a noun phrase.
- Prefer the simplest word that preserves meaning; exam distractors often add unnecessary intensity.
Worked example
Sentence: "The experiment failed twice; ___, the team revised its method." Options: nevertheless, therefore, similarly, otherwise. Reasoning: The first clause reports failure; the second reports a response. The relationship is cause and result, not contrast. "Nevertheless" signals contrast, "similarly" signals comparison, and "otherwise" signals an alternative outcome. "Therefore" correctly marks the result: failure led to revision.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing a connector by sound rather than by logical relationship.
- Ignoring pronoun agreement across sentences.
- Missing a negative or concessive meaning in the surrounding text.
- Selecting a word that collocates with the blank but not with the passage's tone.
- Filling every blank before reading the final sentence, which often resolves the passage's main point.