A cloze passage is a piece of text with words or sentences removed. The reader fills each gap with the word or sentence that makes the most sense. The name comes from closure, meaning the mind's habit of completing something that's unfinished.
Cloze tasks test whether a child truly understands what they read. To fill a gap correctly, they have to follow grammar, meaning and the flow of ideas all at once. That's why cloze appears in classroom English, reading assessments and selective and scholarship tests.
The four types of cloze
| Type | What's removed | How you answer | Where you'll see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open cloze | Single words | Write your own word | Classroom tests, worksheets |
| Word bank cloze | Single words | Choose from a list, often with extras | Years 2 to 6 worksheets and reading tests |
| Multiple-choice cloze | Single words or phrases | Choose A, B, C or D for each gap | Reading and verbal reasoning sections |
| Sentence cloze (gapped text) | Whole sentences | Match sentences to gaps, usually with one extra | NSW selective reading and other upper-primary reading tests |
Sentence cloze is the hardest. Your child has to follow the logic of a whole paragraph, not just one sentence.
A five-step method
- Read the whole passage first, ignoring the gaps. Get the topic and the direction of ideas before filling anything in.
- Read the sentences either side of each gap. The clue is often in the next sentence, not the one before.
- Ask what kind of word fits. A noun, verb, adjective or joining word? "The dog ___ across the yard" needs a verb.
- Check the joining words. But, however and although signal a contrast. So, therefore and as a result signal a consequence. Also, and and furthermore add more of the same.
- Reread the finished sentence aloud (or in your head). If it sounds wrong, it probably is.
For word banks: cross out words as you use them, and do the easy gaps first so there are fewer options for the hard ones.
Practice 1: Word bank cloze (Years 4 to 5)
Fill each gap with a word from the bank. There are three extra words.
Koalas spend most of their day (1) ______. They sleep for up to 20 hours, (2) ______ their diet of eucalyptus leaves gives them very little energy. The leaves are also (3) ______ to most other animals, but a koala's long gut can break down the toxins. Because koalas eat (4) ______ certain types of eucalyptus, losing those trees can (5) ______ a local population.
Word bank: asleep · because · poisonous · only · threaten · although · quickly · never
Practice 2: Multiple-choice cloze (Years 5 to 6)
6. The bridge was closed, ______ we had to take the long way home. A. because B. so C. although D. unless
7. ______ it was pouring with rain, the match went ahead. A. Although B. Because C. So D. Then
8. The explorer's notes were ______; nobody could read a single word. A. legible B. illegible C. eligible D. legendary
9. Mia trained every morning. ______, she won the race by ten metres. A. However B. Instead C. As a result D. Meanwhile
Practice 3: Sentence cloze (Years 5 to 7)
Choose the sentence (A to D) that best fills each gap. There's one extra sentence.
The first lighthouse keepers lived lonely lives. [10] Supplies arrived by boat only every few weeks, and bad weather could delay them for months. [11] Today, almost every lighthouse in Australia is automatic. [12]
A. Many were posted to islands far from the nearest town. B. Keepers grew vegetables and kept goats to get through the long gaps. C. The light now switches on by itself, and no one needs to live there at all. D. Lighthouses are painted in bright colours so ships can see them in daylight.
Answers and explanations
| Q | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | asleep | The next sentence says they sleep for up to 20 hours. |
| 2 | because | The diet explains the sleep, so it needs a cause word. Although would signal a contrast. |
| 3 | poisonous | "Break down the toxins" tells you the leaves are poisonous. |
| 4 | only | Losing those trees is a problem because they eat nothing else. |
| 5 | threaten | A verb is needed after "can". Threaten fits the meaning. |
| 6 | B | The closed bridge caused the long way home: so. |
| 7 | A | Rain would normally stop a match, so it's a contrast: although. |
| 8 | B | "Nobody could read" means illegible. Legible means readable, and eligible means qualified. |
| 9 | C | Training led to winning. However would signal the opposite. |
| 10 | A | It explains why the lives were lonely. |
| 11 | B | It follows on from supplies being delayed: how keepers coped. |
| 12 | C | It explains what "automatic" means today. |
| Extra | D | It's true, but it doesn't connect to loneliness or supplies. It's a distractor. |
Common mistakes
- Filling the gap from the sentence before only. In question 1, the clue comes after the gap.
- Ignoring joining words. Questions 2, 6, 7 and 9 all depend on whether the idea is a cause, a contrast or a result.
- Choosing the true sentence instead of the connected one. In sentence cloze, the distractor (D) is often a true fact that doesn't link to the sentences around it.
- Confusing similar words. Legible, eligible and illegible look alike. Vocabulary matters. See our vocabulary list for selective tests.
How to practise at home
- Make your own. Photocopy a page from a book your child is reading and white out every seventh word. Then compare their choices with the original.
- Discuss near-misses. If your child writes big where the book has enormous, both may work. Talk about why the author chose one.
- Time sentence cloze. In tests, gapped-text questions take longer than most. Practise one a week under a timer.
Where cloze helps in tests
- NSW selective reading includes a gapped-text question with sentences removed. See our NSW selective sample questions.
- NAPLAN conventions of language tests grammar and word choice in ways cloze practice builds. See our NAPLAN language conventions guide.
- Verbal reasoning sections often use words-in-context questions. See our verbal reasoning test guide.
For reading skills more broadly, see context clues in reading comprehension and cause and effect.
More practice
- NSW Selective practice tests: full reading sections, including gapped texts
- OC practice tests and NAPLAN practice for younger students
- Free sample test
Frequently asked questions
What does cloze mean? It comes from "closure", the mind's habit of completing something unfinished. A cloze passage asks the reader to complete a text with missing words or sentences.
What year level are cloze passages for? All levels. Word bank cloze suits Years 2 to 4. Multiple-choice and sentence cloze suit Years 5 to 8 and selective test preparation.
How do you solve a cloze passage? Read the whole passage first, check the sentences either side of each gap, decide what type of word fits, watch the joining words, then reread the finished sentence.
Practice passages written by Practice Tests & Exams.