Cloze Test in English Grammar - Complete Guide for SSC Exams

What is Cloze Test in English Grammar?

Cloze Test is a passage with 5 to 10 blanks. You have to fill correct word in each blank. Example: Once there was a king who was very kind. He helped poor people daily. In SSC CGL, CHSL, CPO, Railway, Banking, CTET, 5 questions come from one passage. Each blank tests different topic. Grammar-Based Cloze Test tests grammar rules like tense, subject verb agreement, article, preposition, modal, conjunction. Vocabulary-Based Cloze Test tests word meaning like kind, cruel, honest, boring, interesting. Tense-Based Cloze Test tests past, present, future. Article and Preposition Based Cloze Test tests a, an, the, in, on, at, by, with, for, of, since, for. Conjunction-Based Cloze Test tests and, but, or, although, because, unless, until, so that, too to. Contextual Vocabulary tests full passage meaning. Logical Word Selection tests logical correct word. Single Blank Cloze Test means one blank in one sentence. Multiple Blank Cloze Test means many blanks in one passage.

Important Exam Tip: 5 golden rules for Cloze Test. Rule 1: Read full passage first before filling any blank, understand story, tone, tense. If passage about past story, past tense needed in all blanks. Rule 2: Check tense clue words - yesterday past tense went, tomorrow future will go, daily present goes, for two hours present perfect continuous has been waiting, since morning present perfect continuous. Rule 3: Subject-Verb Agreement - singular subject singular verb, plural subject plural verb. The boy is, The boys are, Each boy is, Each of the boys is, Neither is. Rule 4: Preposition fixed phrases - good at, interested in, afraid of, proud of, depend on, keen on, fond of, addicted to, junior to, senior to. Rule 5: For vocabulary, check positive negative tone, positive passage needs positive word like kind, honest, interesting, negative passage needs negative word like boring, cruel, poor.

Types of Cloze Test for Competitive Exams

Cloze Test Basics, Grammar-Based, Vocabulary-Based, Tense-Based

Cloze Test Basics is passage with blanks. Example: Once ___ a king, answer was, once there was a king. Grammar-Based tests grammar. Example: Each of the boys ___ present, Each singular so is present. Example: Neither of them ___ coming, Neither singular so is coming. Example: One of the boys ___ selected, One singular so was selected. Vocabulary-Based tests meaning. Example: The movie was very ___, audience felt sleepy, answer boring. Example: He is very ___ person, always helps poor, answer kind, generous, honest. Tense-Based tests tense. Example: Yesterday she ___ to market, yesterday past clue so went. Example: She ___ for two hours, for two hours perfect continuous clue so has been waiting. Example: Tomorrow he ___ come, tomorrow future so will come. In cloze test, tense consistency is very important. If first sentence past, all blanks mostly past.

Article and Preposition Based, Conjunction-Based, Contextual Vocabulary

Article and Preposition Based tests articles and prepositions. Example: She is ___ honest woman, an honest because honest starts with vowel sound h silent, honest pronounced onest. Example: He is ___ university student, a university because university starts with consonant sound yoo. Example: He is good ___ English, good at English, fixed phrase good at. Example: She is interested ___ music, interested in music. Example: He depends ___ parents, depends on parents. Conjunction-Based tests joining words. Example: He is poor ___ honest, poor but honest, contrast so but. Example: ___ he is poor, he is honest, Although he is poor, he is honest. Example: I will wait ___ you return, until you return, time. Example: ___ you work hard, you will fail, Unless you work hard, condition. Contextual Vocabulary tests full passage meaning. Example: The thief ran away ___ police arrived, before police arrived, time sequence. Example: Despite ___ hard, he failed, Despite working hard, contrast.

Logical Word Selection, Single Blank, Multiple Blank Cloze Test

Logical Word Selection tests logical pair. Example: He is ___ poor ___ he cannot buy books, so poor that he cannot buy, so that logical result pair. Example: He is ___ poor to buy books, too poor to buy, too to negative result pair. Example: He is ___ honest ___ hardworking, not only honest but also hardworking, or both honest and hardworking. Single Blank Cloze Test is one blank in one sentence, like fill in the blanks chapter. Example: The boy ___ playing football, answer is. Multiple Blank Cloze Test is 5 blanks in one passage, all blanks related to same story. Example passage: Once there ___ a king who ___ very kind, he ___ poor people daily, he ___ known for honesty, people ___ him. Answers: was, was, helped, was, loved. All past tense consistent, same story about king.

Rule / Type	Example
Grammar-Based and Article Preposition	Each of the boys is present - Each singular. He is an honest man - an because honest vowel sound onest. Good at English, Interested in music, Depends on parents, Fond of cricket
Tense-Based and Conjunction-Based	Yesterday he went - yesterday past. He has been waiting for two hours - for two hours perfect continuous. He is poor but honest - but contrast. Although he is poor he is honest - although contrast. Unless you work hard you will fail - unless condition
Vocabulary-Based and Contextual	Movie boring audience sleepy - boring. Kind person helps poor - kind. Thief ran before police came - before time. Despite working hard he failed - despite contrast. Passage about honesty needs honest word
Logical Selection and Single Multiple Blank	So poor that he cannot buy - so that result. Too poor to buy - too to negative result. Both honest and hardworking - both and. Single blank: Boy is playing. Multiple blank: Once there was a king who was kind - 5 blanks same passage past tense

Tips for Cloze Test in SSC CGL CHSL

Always read full passage first, understand story, tone, tense, positive or negative. Look for clue words for tense - yesterday past, tomorrow future, daily present, for two hours perfect, since Monday point of time. For subject verb agreement, find subject singular plural - Each, Every, Neither, Either, One of take singular verb. For preposition, remember fixed phrases - good at, bad at, weak at, interested in, keen on, afraid of, proud of, ashamed of, accused of, fond of, addicted to, junior to, senior to, inferior to, superior to, prefer to, charged with. For conjunction, although and but for contrast, because for reason, until for time, unless for condition, so that for result, too to for negative result, not only but also, both and, either or, neither nor. For article, vowel sound rule - an honest, an hour, an heir, a university, a one-eyed, a European, a one-rupee note. For vocabulary, positive passage positive word, negative passage negative word. Logical pair - so that, too to, although yet, not only but also, both and, either or, neither nor. Practice daily 5 passages, improve speed and accuracy.

Exam Tip: SSC most asked cloze test patterns: Tense consistency if passage starts in past all blanks past. Subject verb agreement Each boy is. Preposition fixed good at, interested in, afraid of. Article an honest, an hour, a university, a one-eyed. Conjunction although but contrast, because reason, until time, unless condition, so that result, too to. Vocabulary positive passage positive word. Logical pair not only but also, both and, either or, neither nor, so that, too to, although yet, whether or. Read passage fully first, do not fill first blank immediately, understand full story, then fill blanks one by one.

Cloze Test in English Grammar - Complete Guide for SSC Exams