CDS English · Teaching notes
Cloze Test — CDS English
Cloze Test has 174 past-year questions in CDS English: a passage with ten blanks, sometimes two passages, in 14 of the 20 sittings from 2017 to 2025. It did not appear in either 2024 or 2026 paper, so treat it as likely but not certain. More than half of the blanks are decided by grammar alone, before meaning comes in: the word class the blank needs, the verb form, or the preposition its neighbour demands. Learn to name the blank's slot first; meaning and the passage's logic settle the rest.
Every subtopic, worked example, formula and trap in one printable document — answers shown, ready to share.
Subtopic notes
Read the Blank's Slot First: Word Class, Articles and Determiners
31 PYQsA cloze passage has many blanks. Read the whole passage once, then name the kind of word each blank needs before you think about meaning.
The Verb Slot: Tense, Agreement and Form
38 PYQsWhen the four options are forms of one verb, find the subject and the time of the passage, then look at the word just before the blank.
Prepositions: Time, Place and Fixed Partners
28 PYQsA preposition is chosen by the words next to it: in for a month, on for a date, between for two, and many words that always take the same partner.
Collocations, Fixed Phrases and the Precise Word
25 PYQsSome blanks have several options with the right grammar. The answer is the word its neighbour naturally goes with, or the one with the exact meaning.
Linkers and Clause Openers: What Joins the Two Halves
20 PYQsA linker joins two ideas and shows how they relate. Read both halves, name the relation, then check the grammar that follows the blank.
Meaning from the Passage: Tone, Echoes and Elimination
32 PYQsWhen two or more options fit the grammar, the passage decides: its tone, a word it repeats or sets against another, and what makes sense.
Formula & revision sheet
0 formulas · 4 reference tables · 58 gotchas across all subtopics — the exam-eve cheat-sheet
Formula & revision sheet
0 formulas · 4 reference tables · 58 gotchas across all subtopics — the exam-eve cheat-sheet
Read the Blank's Slot First: Word Class, Articles and Determiners
Watch out for (10)
- Choosing on meaning before checking the slot→ Read the whole sentence, then name the slot
- Stopping at the blank→ Read the whole sentence, then name the slot
- A look-alike from another class→ Read the whole sentence, then name the slot
- Going by the letter, not the sound→ a, an or the: sound, count and known-or-new
- Matching the article to the noun, not the next word→ a, an or the: sound, count and known-or-new
- Using some for one countable thing→ a, an or the: sound, count and known-or-new
- this before a plural noun→ this, these, those, any, no and pronouns agree with the noun they point to
- any where the meaning is 'not one'→ this, these, those, any, no and pronouns agree with the noun they point to
- them where the subject acts on itself→ this, these, those, any, no and pronouns agree with the noun they point to
- its for a plural noun→ this, these, those, any, no and pronouns agree with the noun they point to
The Verb Slot: Tense, Agreement and Form
Watch out for (12)
- Agreeing with the nearest noun→ Find the subject and the passage's time frame
- will after till or until→ Find the subject and the passage's time frame
- Ignoring the time of the sentence→ Find the subject and the passage's time frame
- Adding -s or -ed after does or did→ The word before the blank fixes the verb's form
- Active where the person receives the action→ The word before the blank fixes the verb's form
- make + to→ The word before the blank fixes the verb's form
- Choosing a full verb when the sentence already has one→ -ing or -ed: does the noun act or is it acted on?
- -ing for a thing that is acted on→ -ing or -ed: does the noun act or is it acted on?
- Feeling words: -ing causes, -ed feels→ -ing or -ed: does the noun act or is it acted on?
- should for a guess→ Modals and mood: how sure is the writer?
- A firm modal in a careful sentence→ Modals and mood: how sure is the writer?
- was after 'If only'→ Modals and mood: how sure is the writer?
Prepositions: Time, Place and Fixed Partners
Reference tables (1)
Words that carry their own preposition15 rows
| Word and partner | In the passage | Wrong options offered | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| force itself upon | has been forcing itself upon the attention of all thoughtful men | at, over | 2019 (I) |
| a course on | The idea of a course on 'peace education' | to, for | 2021 (I) |
| fight against | One should fight against the force of habit. | from, for | 2022 (I) |
| conscious of | conscious of his bad habits | about, with regard to | 2022 (I) |
| in excess | harmful when done in excess | to, with | 2022 (I) |
| the sight of | the sight of him simply terrifies me | at, by | 2017 (II) |
| different from | Giving up cigarettes is different from curbing overeating | since, into | 2020 (II) |
| predicated on | Modern lifestyles are predicated on debt. | with, for | 2022 (II) |
| a range of | access to a range of modern financial products | to, with | 2022 (II) |
| contribute to | say 'No' to plastic bags and contribute to society | by, into | 2021 (II) |
| smile at | You are listening to me and smiling at each other | smiling for, smiling to | 2018 (II) |
| diversity in | regional diversity in expenditure or political engagement | on, for | 2025 (II) |
| the relations of X to Y | the relations of living creatures to other organisms | for, within | 2019 (II) |
| along with | eating waste food along with these polythene bags | besides, beside | 2021 (II) |
| in regard to | It is necessary, in regard to any war, to consider ... | connecting, linking | 2023 (I) |
Learn the word and its partner together. The wrong options are all real prepositions; only the pair decides.
Watch out for (9)
- Counting people instead of groups→ Time, place and between: the preposition the noun needs
- on with a month→ Time, place and between: the preposition the noun needs
- with for 'from the start'→ Time, place and between: the preposition the noun needs
- smile to, smile with→ Words that carry their own preposition
- Choosing the preposition that 'makes sense'→ Words that carry their own preposition
- beside and besides→ Words that carry their own preposition
- with for the doer→ by for the means or agent, for the purpose
- by for a purpose→ by for the means or agent, for the purpose
- Missing the match later in the line→ by for the means or agent, for the purpose
Collocations, Fixed Phrases and the Precise Word
Reference tables (2)
Collocations tested: the word its neighbour accepts9 rows
| Collocation | In the passage | Wrong options offered | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| do business | when I try to do any business there (at a bank) | service, deed, act | 2017 (II) |
| undergo change | Ideology also undergoes change. | went, proceeds | 2023 (II) |
| combat diseases | evolved antibodies to combat autoimmune diseases | support, observe, invite | 2019 (I) |
| ethical questions | as in all ethical questions | answers, statements, experiences | 2019 (I) |
| numeracy skills | the distribution of numeracy skills among adults | number, proficiency, calculation | 2025 (II) |
| the amount of light | the temperatures and the amount of light which suit them | focus, share, quality | 2019 (II) |
| the first instance | when the first instance for this art form was seen | incident, accident, events | 2018 (II) |
| an agricultural breakthrough | an early industrial and agricultural breakthrough | breakout, breaking, investment | 2019 (II) |
| driven by cravings | each person's habits are driven by different cravings | broken, given, prescribed | 2020 (II) |
Every wrong option has the right word class. Only the partner word decides.
Fixed phrases and phrasal verbs tested8 rows
| Phrase | Meaning | In the passage | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| see to it that | make sure that | the duty of each individual to see to it that we don't use polythene bags | 2021 (II) |
| have no alternative but to | have no other choice than to | The Government had no alternative but to ban these polythene bags. | 2021 (II) |
| keep (someone) away from | stop someone from reaching something | keep low-income customers away from formal finance | 2022 (II) |
| get bogged down with | get stuck on something and stop moving forward | may in the process get bogged down with one or two particular issues | 2023 (II) |
| from person to person | changing with each person | differ from person to person and behaviour to behaviour | 2020 (II) |
| of some kind | of one type or another | you are a superman of some kind | 2018 (II) |
| from a ... standpoint | from a point of view | from a juridical or quasi-juridical standpoint | 2019 (I) |
| considered from (a standpoint) | judged from a point of view | is generally considered from a juridical or quasi-juridical standpoint | 2019 (I) |
Complete the phrase exactly. One changed word breaks it.
Watch out for (9)
- Close in meaning, wrong partner→ Collocations tested: the word its neighbour accepts
- number for something you cannot count→ Collocations tested: the word its neighbour accepts
- A general word where an exact one exists→ Collocations tested: the word its neighbour accepts
- Breaking 'from X to X'→ Fixed phrases and phrasal verbs tested
- Swapping the small word→ Fixed phrases and phrasal verbs tested
- some and same→ Fixed phrases and phrasal verbs tested
- The general word over the exact one→ Near-synonyms and look-alikes: test each against the context
- Picking by sound→ Near-synonyms and look-alikes: test each against the context
- Cause and reason→ Near-synonyms and look-alikes: test each against the context
Linkers and Clause Openers: What Joins the Two Halves
Reference tables (1)
Linkers and what they signal9 rows
| Relation | Linker | In the passage | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addition | and | on peace and living together | 2021 (I) |
| Addition | and | I lose my head and when I try to do any business there, I behave like an idiot | 2017 (II) |
| Addition, inside a clause | also | those with more equal learning outcomes also have better average learning outcomes | 2025 (II) |
| Alternative | or | life grows across it like grass or trees | 2021 (I) |
| Concession, before a noun | despite | repeated alcohol consumption despite related legal and health issues | 2022 (I) |
| Concession, before a clause | though | Though the term 'ecology' was first coined and used by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel in 1869, ... | 2019 (II) |
| Emphasis: even this case | even | he feels that even the happiest man feels elated | 2025 (I) |
| Reason, before a clause | because | started dying because their internal system was getting blocked | 2021 (II) |
| First step in time | initially | Initially when English translations were made, they flipped the pictures | 2018 (II) |
Name the relation first, then check what follows: a clause or a noun.
Watch out for (9)
- The right relation in the wrong grammar→ Linkers and what they signal
- A linker that signals the opposite→ Linkers and what they signal
- In spite of where the sentence needs a clause→ Linkers and what they signal
- Mixing the partners→ A paired linker is decided by its partner
- Missing a partner far away→ A paired linker is decided by its partner
- both with more than two→ A paired linker is decided by its partner
- which before a complete clause→ Clause openers: that, whether, which, where, when, how
- that where the idea is open→ Clause openers: that, whether, which, where, when, how
- what after a noun→ Clause openers: that, whether, which, where, when, how
Meaning from the Passage: Tone, Echoes and Elimination
Watch out for (9)
- Right charge, wrong shade→ Follow the passage's tone
- Missing a turn→ Follow the passage's tone
- Two options with the right charge→ Follow the passage's tone
- An echo in the wrong word class→ Find the echo or the opposite elsewhere in the passage
- Missing the opposite frame→ Find the echo or the opposite elsewhere in the passage
- Taking a look-alike for the echo→ Find the echo or the opposite elsewhere in the passage
- Too strong a word→ Eliminate options that fit the slot but not the passage's logic
- The opposite of the subject's aim→ Eliminate options that fit the slot but not the passage's logic
- Striking without a reason→ Eliminate options that fit the slot but not the passage's logic
PYQ weightage by concept
19 concepts · 174 PYQs — where the marks actually sit, so you know what to drill first
PYQ weightage by concept
19 concepts · 174 PYQs — where the marks actually sit, so you know what to drill first
Read the Blank's Slot First: Word Class, Articles and Determiners31 PYQs · 18%
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Read the whole sentence, then name the slot | 11 | 6% |
| this, these, those, any, no and pronouns agree with the noun they point to | 11 | 6% |
| a, an or the: sound, count and known-or-new | 9 | 5% |
The Verb Slot: Tense, Agreement and Form38 PYQs · 22%
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Find the subject and the passage's time frame | 16 | 9% |
| The word before the blank fixes the verb's form | 11 | 6% |
| -ing or -ed: does the noun act or is it acted on? | 7 | 4% |
| Modals and mood: how sure is the writer? | 4 | 2% |
Prepositions: Time, Place and Fixed Partners28 PYQs · 16%
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Words that carry their own preposition | 15 | 9% |
| Time, place and between: the preposition the noun needs | 8 | 5% |
| by for the means or agent, for the purpose | 5 | 3% |
Collocations, Fixed Phrases and the Precise Word25 PYQs · 14%
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collocations tested: the word its neighbour accepts | 9 | 5% |
| Fixed phrases and phrasal verbs tested | 8 | 5% |
| Near-synonyms and look-alikes: test each against the context | 8 | 5% |
Linkers and Clause Openers: What Joins the Two Halves20 PYQs · 11%
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Linkers and what they signal | 9 | 5% |
| Clause openers: that, whether, which, where, when, how | 8 | 5% |
| A paired linker is decided by its partner | 3 | 2% |
Meaning from the Passage: Tone, Echoes and Elimination32 PYQs · 18%
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Eliminate options that fit the slot but not the passage's logic | 14 | 8% |
| Follow the passage's tone | 9 | 5% |
| Find the echo or the opposite elsewhere in the passage | 9 | 5% |
Test yourself on Cloze Test
20 past CDS questions from this chapter, timed at 20 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.