PART 1: MULTIPLE CHOICE CLOZE
In general, you should focus on learning 'chunks' of vocabulary or set expressions, rather than
simply individual words.
Phrasal verbs are an example of a 'chunk' - a verb and a preposition.
Here's an example phrasal verb - to 'settle down' as in 'to get married and settle down'. Phrasal
verbs are sometimes tested and you'll find either the verb or the preposition of a phrasal verb
gapped.
She decided to settle down and start a family
Up down in down back
She decided to settle down and start a family
Settle fall climb calm
Other common idiomatic phrases might appear in the text with one of the words gapped, such
as 'under the weather', with either 'under' or 'weather' gapped.
He felt under the weather so he did not go to work
On behind under around
He felt under the weather so he did not go to work
Clouds weather fog rain
Collocations, or words that go together regularly appear in the Multiple Choice Cloze. Phrases
like 'to reach a decision' are fixed - we don't say to 'achieve' or 'attain' a decision. - We do say
'arrive at a decision' - that's another collocation - but there's no 'at' after the gap so the only
correct answer is 'reach'.
They couldn`t reach a decisin and agreed to meet again next day.
Arrive achieve reach attain
In addition to chunks' you need to be aware of common synonyms and how words work in one
context but not in another. For example, 'fee', 'price', 'cost' and 'charge' have a similar meaning
but only one fits here correctly.
Occasionally a linking word or what is sometimes called a discourse marker will be the gapped
Word.
Exam Tips
You should always read the complete text before attempting to answer any questions. Having a
'big picture' or global understanding of the text will help you make decisions later.
A key tactic in this exercise is to look for clues around each gap. We've already noted the
importance of learning set expressions and the word before or sometimes after the gap will
often be part of a set phrase and will help you decide which of the choice of 4 words is the
correct one.
If you find it difficult to make a choice eliminate those you know are wrong and if necessary
make a guess as to the correct answer - you might be lucky!
PART 2: OPEN CLOZE
Language Skills
The main focus in the Open Cloze is grammar and certain parts of speech are often tested.
Pronouns will often be gapped. In particular look out for reflexive pronouns such as 'ourselves',
'yourself' etc. and relative pronouns - 'who', 'where' 'when' etc. Which pronouns are missing in
these two sentences?
I set myself the challenge of learning Spanish as i was visiting the country on Business
I met the man whose car we bought last week
Articles and quantifiers like 'much', 'more' , 'some' , 'many' etc. will sometimes be required.
Which words are missing in these two sentences?
In the long run it is the best to ask an expert
There were a few people in class but not as many as usual
Modal verbs, like 'will', 'would', 'must', 'can' etc. and the auxiliary verbs 'be', 'do', and 'have' are
often tested. Which verbs are missing in these sentences?
I would have called if id known you were at home.
He had never been to the restaurant before and was not sure what to order
Conjunctions like 'although', 'yet', 'still' or 'because' will sometimes be gapped. Which
conjunction is missing here?
She took the day off work because of a heavy cold.
Prepositions, especially those in set expressions like 'on the contrary' or 'in the meantime' will
sometimes be gapped. Which preposition is missing here?
The delayed legal action on condition that he paid the debt as soon as possible.
Exam Tips
Make sure you read the complete text first before attempting to answer any questions. Having
an overview of the content will sometimes help you to identify missing words.
Pay attention to the clauses and words around each gap as these will usually help you identify
which part of speech is missing - a verb, a conjunction, a pronoun for example.
PART 3: WORD FORMATION
Language Skills
Part 3 tests your knowledge of the way words are formed in English, including the use of
prefixes and suffixes, and spelling rules associated with these changes. Let's try some
examples.
Verbs to nouns
The stem - given- word could be a verb and the required word to fill the gap might be a noun.
Nouns are often formed with a suffix such as 'ment', 'ion', 'ness', 'ence' ect. What are the noun
forms of these verbs.
enjoy/promote/depend/weaken
Enjoymnet/promotion/dependence/weakness
Adjectives from nouns
The required word will often be an adjective and you'll need to identify the correct suffix, for
example, 'like', 'ous', 'ful'. What are the adjective forms of these nouns?
romance/wonder/child/poison
Romantic/wonderful/childlike/poisonous
Forming opposites
We often use prefixes to create the opposite form of adjectives. Some common prefixes include
'im', 'in', 'un' , 'dis'. What are the opposites of these adjectives?
possible/sensitive/necessary/honest
Impossible/insensitive/unnecessary/dishonet
Exam Tips
Read the complete text first to get a global understanding of the content.
Examine the sentence structure to identify the part of speech required, such as a noun, verb,
adjective or adverb.
Use your understanding of the context to decide if the missing word is positive or negative.
PART 4: KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION
Identificacin de variantes
1. Magnitude/ intensity
The time was too short for him to finish the test
LONG
The time__was not LONG enough__for him to finish the test
The North and the South are exactly the same
DIFFERENCE
There is __not any DIFFERENCE _______between the North and the South
2. Comparative/Superlative
Knowledge of structures like 'so'/'such', '...er'/'...est' and 'too'/'enough' are often tested in
This film is better than his last one
GOOD
His last film was not as good as his last one
3. Passive
You will sometimes be required to 6roblem active sentence into the passive in the Key
Word Transformation task. Heres an example:
A very friendly taxi driver drove us into town
DRIVEN
We were driven into town by a very friendly taxi driver.
4. Direct/Indirect Speech
You will sometimes have to turn direct into indirect speech or the other way around. For
example:
I`m not working late said Tom
REFUSED
Tom refused to work late
5. Reported Speech transformations
How far is Madrid from here pepe asked Mili
FAR
Pepe asked Mili how FAR Madrid was from there
6. Conditionals
Your ability to use conditional forms will often be tested in this task, such as in this
example:
You should see a doctor about that cough
WERE
If I were you I would see a doctor about that cough
Exam Tips
Be sure to follow the instructions: use the key word given, dont change the form of this Word
and use between 2 and 5 words no more. Remember that contractions count as two words.
Mosst common questions
MODAL VERBS
It was bad of you to use my mobile without asking
OUGHT
You ought to have asked before using my mobile
PHRASAL VERBS, MULTI-WORDS VERBS
They discussed the problem but nobody had a plan
CAME
They discussed the problema but nobody came up a plan
The coach had the respect of the whole team
UP
The whole team looked up to the coach
VERB+PREPOSITION+ING
Dan, you have eaten my chocolate mousse said Larry
ACCUSED
Larry ACCUSED Dan of eating his chocolate mousse
Occasional question involving: common idioms linking words, the third conditional,look like and
seem, do and make, regret and wish.
