CDS English · Cloze Test
Read the Blank's Slot First: Word Class, Articles and Determiners
A cloze passage has many blanks. Read the whole passage once, then name the kind of word each blank needs before you think about meaning.
Why this matters
The cloze passage is a regular part of the CDS English paper, and each blank carries the same marks as any other question. Most blanks are settled by grammar alone: the words around the gap allow only one kind of word. Students who start with meaning fall for options that sound right but cannot stand in the gap.
Concept 1 of 3: Read the whole sentence, then name the slot
A blank is a hole with a fixed shape. The words on both sides decide the shape: a naming word, a describing word, an action word or an -ly word. Find the shape first. Then only one or two options can fit, and meaning picks between them.
Definition
The terms:
- Slot: the kind of word a blank needs, read from the words on both sides of it.
- Word class: noun (a thing or an idea), adjective (describes a noun), verb (an action or a state), adverb (describes a verb or an adjective, often ends in -ly).
- Word family: one root in different classes: difficult and difficulty; observe, observant and observation.
The method:
- Read the whole passage once, quickly, before you choose anything. Get its topic and where the writer is going.
- At each blank, read the full sentence and the next one. Never decide on the three words next to the gap.
- Name the slot before you read the options. After 'the' or 'a', a noun must follow, perhaps with an adjective first. A blank between 'the' and a noun is an adjective. After 'feels', 'is' or 'seems' an adjective often follows. A word that describes a verb is an adverb.
- Strike every option of the wrong class. When the four options are one word family, this alone often leaves one.
- If two remain, read the sentence with each and keep the one the passage means.
- Check one or many: a plural verb after the blank, or no 'a' in front, can point to a plural noun.
Worked example
The engineers were surprised by the ___ of the old bridge; it had stood for two hundred years without repair. (a) strong (b) strongly (c) strength (d) strengthen
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2018 · CDS (II) 2018 — English · Q56Moderate
Example 1 · Cloze Test · Reading the Blank's Slot
Directions: Each of the following sentences in this section has a blank space with four words or group of words given. Select whichever word or group of words you consider most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
Passage
CLOZE COMPREHENSION 2
So the ___(56)___ is that in the present social structure, discipline has become an important factor because we want large numbers of children ___(57)___ together and ___(58)___ Educated to be what ? To be bank clerks or super salesmen, capitalists or commissars. When you are a superman ___(59)___ as/or a super governor or a subtle parliamentary debater, what have you done ? You are probably very clever, full of facts. Anybody can pick up facts; but we are human beings, not factual machines, not ___(60)___ routine automatons. But again, sirs, you are not interested. You are listening to me and ___(61)___ each other, you are not going to do a thing about radically changing the education system; so it will drag on ___(62)___ a monstrous revolution, which will merely be another substitution – there will be much more control because the totalitarian government knows how to shape the minds and hearts of the people, they ___(63)___ the trick.
Blank (56): "So the ___ is that in the present social structure, discipline ..."
Choosing on meaning before checking the slot
Options from one word family share one meaning. elates, elating and elated all carry the same delight. Only the slot decides: 'the happiest man feels ___' needs an adjective, so elated. If you start with meaning, all four look right.
Stopping at the blank
The words after the gap count as much as the words before it. In 'change is a ___ that never fully concludes', the words that follow show a noun for something that goes on: process. Read to the end of the sentence, and often into the next one.
A look-alike from another class
In 'not ___ routine automatons', the blank sits before a noun, so it needs an adjective: beastly. beast is a noun, and bear and bare only look similar. Check the class of each option, not just its look.
Concept 2 of 3: a, an or the: sound, count and known-or-new
An article tells the reader two things. Is this noun one of many (a, an), or a particular one we both know (the)? The choice between a and an depends on the first sound you say, not the first letter you write.
Definition
The terms:
- Article: a, an or the, placed before a noun.
- Vowel sound: the sounds of a, e, i, o, u as you say them. 'hour' starts with a vowel sound because the h is silent; 'university' starts with a 'yu' sound, which is not a vowel sound.
The method:
- Find the noun the article goes with. If a describing word comes in between, the form of the article depends on that word: a great idea.
- One countable thing, new to the reader: a or an. Choose by the sound of the very next word: a useful tool, an honest man, an hour.
- A thing already named, the only one of its kind, or made particular by a phrase after it: the. Examples: the duty of the Government, the phrase 'education for peace'.
- 'such' and 'what' take a or an after them: such a course, what a day.
- A plural or uncountable noun used in general takes no article: Banks lend money.
- 'some' and 'any' are not articles. They go with a plural or uncountable noun: some books, some water.
Worked example
Fill each blank with a, an or the: 'He waited for ___ hour at the gate. ___ guard on duty then let him in. It was ___ unusual welcome.'
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2022 · CDS (II) 2022 — English · Q41Moderate
Example 2 · Cloze Test · Reading the Blank's Slot
Directions: Each of the following sentences in this section has a blank space with four words or group of words given. Select whichever word or group of words you consider the most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
Passage
CLOZE COMPOSITION
Banking is ___(41)___ essential building block to reach greater prosperity and help build a better system ___(42)___ financial services can create a path out of poverty. However, big traditional banks often exclude low-income populations ___(43)___ requirements or by using historically discriminatory practices that keep ___(44)___ low-income customers ___(45)___ from formal finance. Modern lifestyles are predicated ___(46)___ debt. If you have a stable and reliable income, have a bank account with access to a range ___(47)___ modern financial products, you can manage your debts efficiently. This ___(48)___ what the entire financial system is for. But debt ___(49)___ a lifetime's trap if you don't have easy access to ___(50)___ financial products.
Blank (41): "Banking is ____ essential building block to reach greater prosperity ..."
Going by the letter, not the sound
'an university' and 'a hour' are both wrong. Say the next word aloud in your head and listen to its first sound.
Matching the article to the noun, not the next word
In 'It sounds like ___ great idea', idea starts with a vowel, but the word right after the blank is great. So a, not an.
Using some for one countable thing
'such some course' and 'some course' do not work for one course. After 'such', a single countable noun takes a: such a course.
Concept 3 of 3: this, these, those, any, no and pronouns agree with the noun they point to
Words like this, these, that, those, any and no point to a noun, and they must match it: this with one thing, these with many. A pronoun must match the noun it stands for in the same way.
Definition
The terms:
- Determiner: a word before a noun that says which one or how many: this, that, these, those, any, no, all, some.
- Agreement in number: singular goes with singular, plural with plural.
- Pronoun reference: a pronoun (it, its, they, their, themselves) must match the noun it refers back to.
The method:
- Find the noun after the blank. One thing: this or that. Many: these or those.
- Near, or just mentioned: this, these. Farther, or picked out by a phrase after it ('those with more equal outcomes'): that, those.
- After not or never, or in a question: any ('could not find any difference').
- To say 'not a single one' with a positive verb: no ('no society will ever reach ...').
- For a pronoun, find the noun it refers back to. Plural people or things: they, their, themselves. One thing: it, its.
- 'commit oneself to', 'pride oneself on': the object is the same person as the subject, so a -self word is needed.
- Strike options that cannot point at a noun at all: where, which and but cannot stand before a noun in this way.
Worked example
Fill both blanks: 'The cadets polished ___ boots. ___ cadet was allowed to march in dirty ones.' First blank: its / his / their. Second blank: Any / No / Those.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2022 · CDS (II) 2022 — English · Q44Moderate
Example 3 · Cloze Test · Reading the Blank's Slot
Directions: Each of the following sentences in this section has a blank space with four words or group of words given. Select whichever word or group of words you consider the most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
Passage
CLOZE COMPOSITION
Banking is ___(41)___ essential building block to reach greater prosperity and help build a better system ___(42)___ financial services can create a path out of poverty. However, big traditional banks often exclude low-income populations ___(43)___ requirements or by using historically discriminatory practices that keep ___(44)___ low-income customers ___(45)___ from formal finance. Modern lifestyles are predicated ___(46)___ debt. If you have a stable and reliable income, have a bank account with access to a range ___(47)___ modern financial products, you can manage your debts efficiently. This ___(48)___ what the entire financial system is for. But debt ___(49)___ a lifetime's trap if you don't have easy access to ___(50)___ financial products.
Blank (44): "... practices that keep ____ low-income customers ..."
this before a plural noun
'If scientists have discovered how this patterns work' can slip past a fast reader. patterns is plural, so these. Always look at the noun after the blank.
any where the meaning is 'not one'
'Arguably, ___ society will ever reach total equality' has a positive verb, but it means not a single society. That is no. any needs a negative or a question before it.
them where the subject acts on itself
'the courage to commit ___ to two major innovations': the founders commit themselves, so themselves, not them.
its for a plural noun
'between the organisms and ___ physical environment' refers back to organisms, which is plural. So their, not its.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
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
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.