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Cloze passages in the 11+: how to fill the gaps

Updated 2026-11-14

A cloze passage is a piece of text with words, or parts of words, missing. Many 11+ English and verbal reasoning papers use them, because they test reading, vocabulary, grammar and spelling all at once.

The main types

Choose a word: pick the best word for each gap from a list of options.
Missing letters: some letters of a word are given and the child fills in the rest.
Word bank: choose words for several gaps from a shared list, using each word once.

Look at a sample paper for your child's test to see which kind it uses, as the format varies between tests.

A method that works

Read the whole passage quickly first, to understand what it is about.
For each gap, read the full sentence, and the sentence after it if needed.
Ask what kind of word fits: a noun, a verb, an adjective? Singular or plural? Past or present?
Try your choice in the sentence and read it again in your head. Does it sound right and make sense?
With a word bank, cross off words as you use them and leave the hardest gaps until last.

A short example

“The explorers were exhausted, ______ they kept walking until they reached the river.” Options: because, but, so, when.

The second half of the sentence goes against what we would expect from tired people, so the joining word must show contrast. The answer is “but”.

A sentence with a gap and four options: because, but, so, when. “But” is highlighted because the sentence needs a contrast. — Read the whole sentence, then ask what kind of word the gap needs.

Building the skills behind it

Cloze questions reward wide reading more than any trick. Children who read often have a feel for how sentences flow and which words go together. Talking about new words, playing word games and reading a mix of stories and non-fiction all help.

For missing-letter questions, spelling patterns and prefixes and suffixes matter, so short spelling practice pays off here too.

Questions parents ask

Is cloze English or verbal reasoning?

It can be either. Some tests put cloze passages in the English section and others in verbal reasoning. Check a sample paper for your child's test.

What if two words seem to fit?

Read the sentences either side. The wider meaning, tense or grammar usually rules one out.

How can we practise at home?

Cover a few words in a newspaper article or a page of a book and guess them together, then compare with the original.

Want to see what a paper set out like your child's test looks like? Every pack and handbook has a free sample. Find your test area or try the free flash cards.