What Are Cloze Questions?
Cloze questions give you a passage with blanks — you pick the best word or phrase from a dropdown to complete each sentence. They appear in Part 1 (5 blanks in the second email) and Part 4 (5 blanks in a passage summary).
Unlike comprehension questions where you search for an answer, cloze questions test grammar + vocabulary + context simultaneously. That triple demand is why most candidates lose marks here.
The good news: cloze questions follow predictable patterns, and once you learn to spot them, accuracy goes up dramatically.
The 3-Layer Check
For every blank, apply three checks in order:
Layer 1 — Grammar filter: Eliminate options that don't fit grammatically. Does the blank need a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb? Is it singular or plural? Past or present? This alone usually removes 1–2 wrong answers.
Layer 2 — Context match: Read the full sentence (not just the words around the blank). Which remaining option fits the meaning? Look for clue words earlier or later in the sentence that point to the answer.
Layer 3 — Collocation check: Some words just "go together" in English. "Make a decision" (not "do a decision"). "Strong coffee" (not "powerful coffee"). If two options seem equally valid after Layers 1–2, pick the one that sounds more natural as a phrase.
This layered approach turns guessing into a systematic process.
Common Cloze Traps
Watch out for these patterns:
The synonym trap: Two options mean almost the same thing but one fits the grammar better. "Effect" vs "affect" — one is typically a noun, the other a verb.
The tense trap: The passage shifts tense mid-paragraph. Read the surrounding sentences to match the correct tense.
The preposition trap: "Interested in" not "interested for." Prepositions are tested constantly in cloze. Memorize the 20 most common collocations.
The too-fancy trap: Sometimes the simplest word is correct. Don't pick the most impressive vocabulary word — pick the one that fits the sentence naturally.
Speed Strategy
Don't spend more than 30–40 seconds per cloze blank. If you're stuck:
1. Eliminate what you can using grammar 2. Pick the option that "sounds right" when you read the full sentence aloud in your head 3. Move on — don't let one blank eat time from the comprehension questions
Cloze blanks in Part 1 are generally easier than Part 4. Get your Part 1 blanks locked in quickly and save focus for Part 4's trickier vocabulary.