FCE open cloze (Part 2): strategy, traps and examples
The FCE open cloze is Part 2 of Reading and Use of English: a short text with 8 gaps where you write one word in each gap, with no options to choose from. Most answers are grammar words such as prepositions, pronouns, auxiliaries, articles and linkers. It is part of our Reading and Use of English guide.
By Eleanor BennettLast updated:
What the open cloze tests
In Part 2 there are no options. You read a short text with 8 gaps and write one word in each. Each correct answer is worth 1 mark, and the part counts towards your Use of English score. Spelling must be correct.
The missing words are mostly grammar words. These are the groups that appear most often:
- Prepositions: in, on, at, for, of, by, especially in fixed phrases (by accident, in spite of, on average).
- Auxiliary and modal verbs: have, been, did, will, would, could, must. Think about tense and the passive.
- Pronouns and determiners: it, there, which, who, whose, what, each, every, few, little, any, own.
- Articles: a, an, the.
- Linkers: although, unless, whether, despite, however, since, as, so, such, even.
- Comparatives and quantifiers: than, more, most, as ... as, too, enough, much, many.
- Words in phrasal verbs and fixed phrases: carry out*, look forward to, as well as, in order to*.
Linkers come up in almost every open cloze, so it is worth reviewing our linking words guide. Many gaps are also part of phrasal verbs, which you can study on our phrasal verbs page. If you find the grammar side hard, the key word transformation guide practises the same structures in a different way.
Strategy, step by step
- 1
Read the whole text without writing
Get the topic, the tense of the text and the writer's attitude. Many gaps depend on whether the text is about the past, a general truth or a plan.
- 2
Identify the type of word missing
For each gap, ask: is it a verb, a preposition, a pronoun, an article, a linker? Look at what comes before and after. A gap before a noun is often an article, determiner or preposition; a gap before a past participle is often an auxiliary.
- 3
Check the whole sentence, not just the gap
Linkers like although or whereas depend on the logic of two clauses. Read to the full stop before deciding.
- 4
Watch for fixed phrases
If you see in ___ of, as long ___, on the ___ hand, think of the phrase you know. These are quick marks.
- 5
Write one word, spelled correctly
No contractions, no two-word answers. Check spelling carefully: their / there, which / witch, whether / weather.
- 6
Reread with your answers
Read the completed text once more. If a sentence still sounds wrong, check the tense and subject–verb agreement around the gap.
Common traps
Trap: Writing a content word when a grammar word is needed: The festival was so popular ___ tickets sold out in an hour. Answer written: quickly.
Fix: The pattern is so + adjective + that. The answer is that. Look for structures before choosing a word that "sounds right".
Trap: Missing the passive: The bridge has ___ closed for repairs since March.
Fix: Has + been + past participle. The answer is been. When a past participle follows the gap, think about passive forms.
Trap: Confusing which, who and what: She showed me ___ she had bought.
Fix: What means "the thing that". Which needs a noun before it to refer back to. Answer: what.
Trap: Writing despite of: ___ spite of the rain, the match went ahead.
Fix: The phrase is in spite of or despite (without of). Here spite is already given, so the answer is In.
Trap: Adding a word that is not needed. Some gaps are a short word like it or there that you might not use in your own language: ___ is no point in complaining.
Fix: Many languages drop the dummy subject. English needs There is / It is. Answer: There.
Worked example: an original open cloze text
The task
Write one word in each gap.
The oldest sweetener
Most people think of honey (1) ___ a simple sweetener, but it has been used for far more (2) ___ that for thousands of years. Ancient cooks relied (3) ___ it to preserve fruit, and (4) ___ honey rarely goes off, jars found in old tombs are said to have been still edible. It is no wonder, (5) ___, that keeping bees is becoming popular again.
- 1.
Gap 1: The pattern is think of something as something. The answer is as. If you know the pattern regard / see / think of X as Y, this is an easy mark.
- 2.
Gap 2: More is followed by than in a comparison. The answer is than.
- 3.
Gap 3: The verb rely always takes on. This is a dependent preposition, the kind listed on our collocations page. Answer: on.
- 4.
Gap 4: We need a linker that gives a reason: "honey rarely goes off, so the jars were still edible". Because, since or as all work. In Part 2 more than one answer is sometimes accepted, but you only write one.
- 5.
Gap 5: The gap sits between two commas in the middle of a clause, which suggests an adverb linker. The sentence is a conclusion, so then or therefore fits. Answer: then (or therefore).
Answer
1 as · 2 than · 3 on · 4 because / since / as · 5 then / therefore
How to improve your open cloze score
Keep a page in your notebook for each word type: prepositions, auxiliaries, relative pronouns, linkers. Every time you get a gap wrong in practice, write the full sentence on the right page. After a few weeks you will see your own patterns: perhaps you always miss passive auxiliaries, or you confuse so and such.
It also helps to read short news articles and cover small words with your finger, then guess them. This trains the same skill as the exam. For the most common errors in this part, see our Use of English common mistakes page.
Then test yourself with our free open cloze practice.
Practice · Reading & Use of English Part 2
Practise the FCE open cloze
FCE open cloze: FAQ
How many words can I write in each open cloze gap?
Only one word. Contractions like can't or won't are not accepted as one word, and two-word answers are marked wrong.
Does spelling count in Part 2?
Yes. Your answer must be spelled correctly to get the mark, so check common pairs like their / there and whether / weather.
Can there be more than one correct answer?
Sometimes. A gap may accept a few words that fit the meaning and grammar (for example because, since or as). Write only one of them.
Is the open cloze part of Reading or Use of English?
It is part of Use of English, together with Parts 3 and 4. Use of English is scored out of 28 marks.
What words come up most often in the open cloze?
Prepositions, auxiliaries, relative pronouns, articles, linkers and the small words inside fixed phrases and phrasal verbs.