11+ cloze: how the questions work
A cloze question is a sentence with a word missing. Here is how the question works, three worked examples and how to practise.
Free beta · for children aged 8–11 · works on iPad and computer
What is a cloze question in the 11+?
A cloze question is a sentence or short passage with a word missing. Your child has to choose the word that fits the gap, using the meaning of the rest of the sentence as a clue. Cloze is also called gap-fill. It tests whether a child knows a word well enough to use it, not only to recognise it.
A child can recognise a word from a list and still not know how to use it. That is why cloze is a good test of whether a word has really stuck.
How do cloze questions work, with examples?
Your child reads the whole sentence first, then looks for clues about the missing word: what happens before and after the gap, and whether the word needs a good or a bad feeling. They try each option in the gap and read the sentence back. Here are three worked examples using example words.
Example 1
The ______ student checked every answer twice before handing in the paper.
- meticulous
- abundant
- tranquil
- reluctant
Answer: meticulous. The clue is "checked every answer twice". The word meticulous means very careful to get every small detail right, so it fits.
Example 2
Water was ______ in the desert, so the travellers saved every drop.
- scarce
- abundant
- diligent
- tranquil
Answer: scarce. The clue is "saved every drop". The word scarce means hard to find because there is very little of it. Abundant would mean the opposite, and the sentence would stop making sense.
Example 3
After losing the first game, the ______ team recovered quickly and won the next.
- resilient
- cautious
- scarce
- tranquil
Answer: resilient. The clue is "recovered quickly". The word resilient means able to recover quickly when something goes wrong, so it fits.
What makes cloze questions tricky?
More than one option can look as if it fits, so the child has to use every clue in the sentence. Grammar can help, because the missing word has to be the right kind of word, such as an adjective or a verb. Cloze also needs a child to know a word well enough to use it, and that takes more than one meeting.
- Read the whole sentence before you choose.
- Look for the clue words around the gap.
- Read the sentence back with your answer in it. Does it sound right?
How can my child practise cloze?
Cloze practice works best with words your child is still learning, because the sentence shows how each word is used. VocabGecko writes cloze questions for each word, so your child meets it in a sentence as well as in a definition, and the word comes back just before it would be forgotten.
Our 11+ vocabulary guide explains why meeting a word in context helps it stay learned.
What should my child practise next?
Synonym, antonym, cloze and verbal reasoning questions all rest on the same thing: knowing what words mean and how they relate to each other. The vocabulary guide explains how to help a child learn those words so they stay learned, and the pages below explain the other question types one at a time.
Ready to try it with your child's own words?
Join the free beta waitlist. Once you have a place, you type in the words from your next practice test and check the first cards. Joining takes about a minute. VocabGecko is free during the beta, needs no card, and works alongside the prep platform or tutor you already use.
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