You read the sentence. You understand it perfectly.
But there is a gap.
And unlike Multiple-Choice Cloze, there are no A, B, C or D options to help you.
So how are you supposed to know which word is missing?
This is exactly what makes B2 First Open Cloze difficult for many learners. The good news is that the missing words are not random. In most cases, there are grammatical clues around the gap which tell you what kind of word you need.
Compare:
The course was more difficult ___ I had expected.
If you recognise the comparative structure more difficult than, the answer becomes much easier:
than
In this lesson, you will learn how to spot these clues and approach B2 First Open Cloze more systematically.
If you are preparing for the exam, you can also explore my complete B2 First Use of English guide for grammar, vocabulary and exam practice.
What is B2 First Open Cloze?
Open Cloze is Part 2 of the B2 First Reading and Use of English paper.
You read a short text containing eight gaps. For each gap, you have to think of one word that completes the sentence correctly. Unlike B2 First Multiple-Choice Cloze, there are no A, B, C or D options to help you.
There are no options to choose from. The missing words are often small grammatical words such as articles, prepositions, auxiliary verbs, pronouns, relative words, linking words or quantifiers.
You may also need words that form part of fixed expressions, phrasal verbs, comparative structures or common grammatical patterns.
The important thing is this:
Do not try to guess the word immediately. First ask yourself what grammar the sentence needs.
Three Questions to Ask Before You Fill a Gap
Whenever you see a gap, ask yourself these three questions.
1. What comes before the gap?
Look for a word or structure that normally requires something after it.
For example:
She is interested ___ learning Spanish.
The adjective interested is normally followed by in.
Answer: in
2. What comes after the gap?
Sometimes the word after the gap gives you the strongest clue.
He has ___ working here since January.
After has, and before the -ing form working, we need:
been
The structure is:
has been working
3. Is there a fixed structure around the gap?
Look at the whole phrase rather than individual words.
The hotel wasn’t as expensive ___ we expected.
The structure is:
as + adjective + as
So the missing word is:
as
This is one of the most useful habits you can develop for Open Cloze: look at both sides of the gap.
Common Clues in B2 First Open Cloze
Let’s look at the kinds of words you should be watching for.
1. Articles: a, an and the
Articles are easy to overlook because they are so small.
Look at this sentence:
It was ___ first time I had travelled abroad alone.
We normally say:
the first time
So the answer is:
the
Look out for expressions such as:
- the first time
- the same
- the best
- the most important
- a few
- a little
- a number of
2. Prepositions
Prepositions are extremely common in Open Cloze.
The missing preposition may depend on an adjective, noun, verb or fixed expression.
He is responsible ___ organising the event.
We say:
responsible for
Therefore:
Answer: for
Learn vocabulary in chunks rather than as individual words
3. Auxiliary verbs
Sometimes the missing word is part of a verb tense or grammatical construction.
Look at the words around the gap:
Scientists have ___ studying the problem for several years.
We have:
have + ___ + studying
That tells us we need the present perfect continuous:
have been studying
Answer: been
If this structure causes you problems, revise Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous.
4. Pronouns and words such as it, one and them
Sometimes the sentence needs a small word referring back to something already mentioned.
I find ___ difficult to concentrate when people are talking.
The structure is:
find it difficult to do something
Answer: it
5. Relative words
Relative clauses are another useful area to check.
For example:
We visited the village ___ my grandfather was born.
The missing word refers to a place.
Answer: where
6. Comparisons
Comparison structures are very common and often easy to identify once you know what to look for.
as … as
The second exam wasn’t as difficult ___ the first.
Answer: as
comparative + than
The journey took much longer ___ we had expected.
Answer: than
the more …, the more …
The more you practise, ___ easier the task becomes.
Answer: the
Do not read only the gap. Look for the other half of the structure.
7. Quantifiers
Words showing quantity are another possibility.
For example:
There weren’t ___ people at the meeting because of the bad weather.
Answer: many
8. Fixed Expressions
Sometimes you need to recognise a phrase rather than apply a grammar rule.
They decided to continue with the match in ___ of the rain.
The expression is:
in spite of
Therefore:
Answer: spite
Fixed expressions and collocations also appear frequently across B2 First Use of English. See Collocations for B2 First Writing and Speaking for more examples.
9. Phrasal Verbs
Sometimes the missing word completes a phrasal verb.
Emma had to look ___ her younger brother while her parents were away.
The phrasal verb is:
look after = take care of
Answer: after
You can practise more useful exam vocabulary in 20 Common Phrasal Verbs for B2 First.
B2 First Open Cloze Strategy: 6 Steps to Follow
When you do an Open Cloze task, don’t simply start filling gaps from number 1.
Try this method instead.
Step 1: Read the whole text
Do not worry about the gaps yet.
Ask yourself:
What is the text about?
Understanding the general meaning will help you make better choices later.
Step 2: Read the sentence containing the gap
Look carefully at the words immediately before and after it.
Step 3: Decide what kind of word is missing
Ask yourself:
- Do I need an article?
- A preposition?
- Part of a verb tense?
- A pronoun?
- A relative word?
- A linker?
- Part of a fixed expression?
Step 4: Complete the whole phrase in your head
For example:
It depends ___ how much time we have.
Don’t think:
depends…what word?
Think:
depend on something
Then the answer becomes obvious.
Step 5: Read the complete sentence again
Does it sound natural?
Does it make grammatical sense?
Does it fit the meaning of the text?
Step 6: Check that you have written only one word
This sounds simple, but it is worth checking.
And don’t forget your spelling.
B2 First Open Cloze Quiz
Open Cloze is only one part of the paper. You can also practise Word Formation for B2 First and Key Word Transformations for B2 First.
Final Tip: Look for Grammar Before Vocabulary
When learners see an empty gap, they often start searching their vocabulary for a clever word.
But in B2 First Open Cloze, the missing word is very often something much simpler:
the, of, for, been, it, which, than, as…
So instead of asking:
“What word could go here?”
ask:
“What structure is this?”
That small change in thinking can make Open Cloze much easier.
Look at the grammar around the gap, think about fixed expressions and collocations, and always read the complete sentence again after adding your answer.
With practice, you will start recognising the patterns much more quickly.
For a broader study plan, see How to Prepare for B2 First.
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