Skip to content
Pick TwoActivity

Open cloze: how to write one

B1–C1Updated Live examples

An open cloze is one continuous text with several numbered gaps, each taking exactly one word. Unlike a run of separate gap-fills, the text around the gap is the clue, so it tests whether a student can read a whole paragraph and hear what is missing. It is Reading and Use of English Part 2 at B2 First, and the single best test of grammatical instinct there is.

Also called

The same task goes by several names: gapped text, cloze test, banked cloze, multiple-choice cloze, reading and use of english part 2. They all describe the exercise below, and this page uses open cloze throughout.

What one item is made of

The text
80 to 150 words on one topic, with a clear first sentence left ungapped so students can get their bearings.
The gaps
Numbered, one word each. Almost always grammar words: articles, prepositions, auxiliaries, pronouns, linkers.
The accepted answers
Several gaps take more than one correct word. List them all, or students who are right will be told they are wrong.
The word bank
Optional. Give one and the task becomes a banked cloze, which is much easier and good at A2 and B1.

When to use it

Works well at B1–C1. Reach for it when:

  • You want to test grammar in context rather than in isolated sentences.
  • Your class is preparing for B2 First or C1 Advanced, where this is a fixed part of the paper.
  • The target is the small words students skip: prepositions, articles, auxiliaries.

Choose something else when:

  • The class is below B1. A text with six holes in it is discouraging before it is useful.
  • You want to test one specific form. Separate gap-fills give you cleaner information.

How to write a open cloze exercise

  1. Step 1:

    Start from a real paragraph

    A text from your coursebook, a news summary, a short description. Written-to-be-gapped texts read strangely and the strangeness is a clue.

  2. Step 2:

    Leave the first sentence whole

    Students need the topic before the first gap. An opening gap loses weaker students immediately.

  3. Step 3:

    Gap the grammar words

    in, the, been, which, although. Content words have too many possible answers and turn the task into vocabulary guessing.

  4. Step 4:

    Space the gaps out

    Six to eight gaps in 120 words, never two in the same clause. Adjacent gaps make each other unanswerable.

  5. Step 5:

    Read it back as a student

    Cover the answers and do it yourself. Every gap you hesitate on needs another accepted answer or a rewrite.

Mistakes teachers make

  • Not this____ ____ the morning we left early.

    Better____ the morning we left early.

    Two gaps in one phrase remove the context each one depends on.

  • Not thisShe has lived in ____ since 2019.

    BetterShe ____ lived in Madrid since 2019.

    Gapping a place name tests knowledge of the text, not of English. Gap the grammar.

  • Not thisAnswer: although

    BetterAnswer: although (also accept though, while)

    Linkers almost always have alternatives. One accepted answer marks correct English as wrong.

Try it: open cloze examples

Real items, not screenshots. Answers are checked in your browser and never sent to us, so you can share this page with a class exactly as it is.

Two clozes: an open one at B1 and a banked one at A2. One word per gap.

1Write one word in each gap.

My grandmother has lived in the same village more than fifty years. She says nothing changed, but that is not quite true: the old bakery closed year, and the bus now runs only twice a day. she still knows everyone by name.
4 to go

2Complete the text with the words in the box. There is one word you do not need.

  • went
  • was
  • were
  • bought
  • ate
  • rained
On Saturday we to the market. It very busy. We some cheese and then we lunch in the square.
4 to go

Variations worth knowing

Banked cloze
Give one word list for all the gaps, with one or two spare words. The coursebook standard at A2 and B1, and much less intimidating.
Multiple-choice cloze
Attach three or four options to each gap. This is B2 First Part 1, and it shifts the focus from grammar to vocabulary and collocation.
First letter given
Show the first letter of each answer. A quick way to make an open cloze workable one level lower.

Grammar topics that suit this task

Where it appears in the Cambridge levels

Pick Two Activity is independent and not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. These pages describe the level you are teaching towards; always check the official site for the current format.

Exam practice in this format

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an open cloze and a gap-fill?

A gap-fill is one gap in one standalone sentence. An open cloze is several numbered gaps in one continuous text, so the sentences around a gap are part of the clue. The cloze tests reading as well as grammar.

How many gaps should a cloze have?

Six to eight in 100 to 150 words, and never two in the same clause. Cambridge B2 First Part 2 uses eight, which is a sensible ceiling for class use too.

Which words should I gap?

Grammar words: prepositions, articles, auxiliaries, pronouns, relative pronouns and linkers. Content words usually have several possible answers and test vocabulary recall instead.

Can one gap have more than one answer?

Often, especially with linkers and time words. List every acceptable word when you write the key — a student who supplies good English should never be marked wrong.