Hello once again! I understand that many of you must be busy preparing for the end-of-year examinations. That is why in my post today I have decided to focus on tackling the Grammar Cloze section found in Booklet B. Most children may find this to be the easiest section to score in Booklet B. However, I hope the steps below will help you in scoring better for this section. At first glance it may look simple, but the blanks are carefully chosen to test a range of grammar skills.
Why the Grammar Cloze Matters
You might be wondering just how important the Grammar Cloze section is when it comes to your overall English exam results. Well, with 8 marks up for grabs, this section certainly carries enough weight to influence your final grade. Losing a few marks here and there can make the difference between a band jump—so it pays to be careful!
Mastering this section not only boosts your confidence but also helps cushion your overall score, giving you a little breathing room if another part of the paper doesn’t go as planned.
Grammar Cloze section in Booklet B
Similar to the Grammar MCQ section, this section tests your knowledge of grammar items. The questions could be testing you on subject-verb agreement (is, are, was, were), pronouns (we, ours, myself), prepositions (in, at, off), connectors (and, but, or), and phrasal verbs (put up with, drop by, broke into).
Each blank requires a specific part of speech—such as a pronoun, verb, preposition, conjunction, or possessive. To tackle each question confidently, ask yourself: Do I need a subject, an action word, or a connector here?
- Pronouns (he, she, they, it) often replace a noun mentioned earlier in the text.
- Verbs must not only fit the meaning but also match the subject and the tense (past, present, or future).
- Connectors (because, although, so) are used to show cause, contrast, or result and help link ideas smoothly.
By first narrowing down the word class needed for each blank, you reduce the temptation to simply guess and instead increase your chances of choosing the correct answer.
More often than not, some questions also test how well you know your word collocations. These are two or more words that often go together e.g. ‘take a risk’, ‘a round of applause’ and ‘make a difference’. Knowing such phrases will help you look out for clues in the passage that point to the answer. To help you understand word collocations better, I have included the links to two websites below. I find that these websites explain word collocations clearly and even list down many common collocations:
The good news for the P3 and P4 children is that they are usually tested on pronouns and subject-verb agreement in two separate passages. This means that you can easily identify and target the area to work on in order to score. For the P5 and P6, all the components are tested in one passage. Therefore, you should polish up on your knowledge of all the above items.
Paying Attention to Subject-Verb Agreement
One area that often trips students up in the Grammar Cloze is subject-verb agreement. This simply means that the verb must match the subject in number—singular or plural.
- If your subject is singular (like ‘the boy’ or ‘she’), you need a singular verb (e.g. ‘walks’, ‘is’).
- If your subject is plural (such as ‘the boys’ or ‘they’), choose a plural verb (‘walk’, ‘are’).
Look out for tricky subjects such as:
- Words like ‘each’, ‘everyone’, and ‘neither’—these are usually treated as singular.
- Plural words like ‘many’, ‘few’, and ‘both’, which require plural verbs.
For example:
- “Neither of the answers is correct.” (‘Neither’ means singular.)
- “Many students are attending the workshop.” (‘Many’ means plural.)
Always check who or what the action belongs to before filling in the blank—this helps you avoid easy mistakes and pick the right verb every time.
Watch Out for Pronouns and Possessives
The Grammar Cloze section often checks if you can use pronouns and possessives correctly:
- Subject pronouns (he, she, they) perform the action in the sentence.
- Object pronouns (him, her, them) receive the action.
- Possessive pronouns (his, her, their, its, our) show ownership.
For example, in the sentence We could not believe (__) eyes, a possessive pronoun like our or their is needed, depending on the context. Paying attention to clues in the passage, such as who the subject is, can help you choose the right pronoun or possessive.
Here’s a quick illustration:
- If the passage mentions “Max,” then the answer might be he or him.
- If the sentence refers to “They/lions,” the answer would be their.
- If the subject is “We,” then our is the appropriate choice.
Which Levels Test What?
The good news for the P3 and P4 children is that they are usually tested on pronouns and subject-verb agreement in two separate passages. This means that you can easily identify and target the area to work on in order to score. For the P5 and P6, all the components are tested in one passage. Therefore, you should polish up on your knowledge of all the above items.
Practical Tips for Tackling Grammar Cloze
Before diving into the steps, here are some additional strategies to keep in mind:
- Don’t rush to fill in the first blank! Take a moment to read the entire passage first. This helps you get a sense of the topic, the time frame (past, present, or future), and who or what is involved.
- As you read, pay attention to linking words and clues for pronouns or verb tenses that may appear later. It’s helpful to underline or lightly circle key clues such as time words (yesterday, tomorrow, has already), names, and repeated nouns.
- Each blank requires a specific part of speech—pronoun, verb, preposition, conjunction, or possessive. Ask yourself: Do I need a subject, an action word, or a connector here?
- Pronouns (he, she, they, it) often stand in for a noun mentioned earlier.
- Verbs need to match both the subject and the time frame.
- Connectors (because, although, so) show cause, contrast, or result.
- By narrowing down the word class first, you can avoid wild guesses.
- Look out for subject-verb agreement:
- A singular subject takes a singular verb (He runs), while a plural subject takes a plural verb (They run).
- Signal words like each, everyone, neither are singular; many, few, both are plural.
- For example, in “The lions ___ sleeping,” the plural subject lions requires were (not was).
- Pronoun accuracy is often tested:
- Subject pronouns (he, she, they) do the action.
- Object pronouns (him, her, them) receive the action.
- Possessive pronouns (his, her, their, its, our) show ownership.
- E.g., We could not believe (___) eyes—the answer should be our or their, depending on context.
- Keep an eye on verb tense consistency. If the passage starts in the past tense, make sure all verbs remain in the past, unless there’s a clear reason to change.
Let’s now look at the 4 simple steps you can do to tackle the Grammar Cloze:
Step 1: Read the passage once through.
This helps you to understand the content of the passage as it helps you see how each sentence is connected to the next. As you read, your mind may already start to supply you with answers to some of the blanks. You can jot down these answers in pencil first as you go along.
Tip: After your first read, underline or circle important clues like time indicators (yesterday, every day, later), repeated nouns, or word pairings.
Step 2: Start filling in.
You can start filling in the answers to the questions you already know. Remember the answers you have written in pencil? If they match the options found in the box, well done! You know you are on the right track. You can also cross out the options you have already chosen so that you know you cannot use them again.
Tip: When a word box is provided, crossing out each choice as you use it prevents repeats and makes it easier to tackle tougher blanks later. If two options seem possible, leave the blank for now and revisit it after reading the rest.
Step 3: Locate the clues in the passage to help you with the answer.
How about the questions that you are not so sure of? Now is the time to use clues to help you. For instance, let’s look at the example below:
(Taken from P5 RGS SA2 2016)
You might already know the answer to Q29 because the clue is ‘neither’, which goes with ‘nor’, to show that the writer has no time or energy to read.
However, you might find Q30 harder to answer. In this sentence, the writer is trying to tell the reader that the process of her becoming a reader was a rather miraculous one. The clues are in the phrase ‘nothing short’ and the word ‘miraculous’ and the only answer that fits is (G) of because the correct phrase is ‘nothing short of’, which is used to emphasise how great or extreme something is.
Similarly, for Q31, the answer is (F) in because of ‘getting lost’ and ‘one book’, to show how the writer became interested in reading.
Q30 and Q31 are examples of questions that test your knowledge of word collocations. A student who has never seen these phrases will find it almost impossible to such questions. However, cancelling options that have already been used will be helpful in your choice of a reasonable answer.
Tip: Grammar Cloze passages often leave one half of a familiar phrase blank, such as take ___ of the trees (the answer is care). Keeping a small notebook of such collocations as you come across them in your daily reading can be very helpful.
Look Out for Time Words That Guide Your Tense
Another important step is to pay close attention to time words and phrases scattered throughout the passage. These words often act as signposts, helping you determine which tense you should use.
Some examples of these clues include:
- Words that refer to the past: yesterday, last week, ago
- Words that refer to the present: now, every day, these days
- Words pointing to the future: tomorrow, next month, soon
Let’s say the passage begins with “Last Saturday, my class visited the museum.” This tells you that most verbs in the passage should be in the past tense. On the other hand, if you spot phrases like “every morning,” then you’ll want to use the present tense throughout that section.
When you identify these time markers, make sure your verb forms match accordingly:
- For present tense: plays, goes, is
- For past tense: played, went, was
- For future tense: will play, will go, will be
Keeping an eye on these time clues will help you stay consistent with your tenses, making your answers much more accurate.
Step 4: Read the passage again after you have filled in all your answers.
This is to check whether the answers make sense and are coherent with the rest of the passage. Make sure to check the tenses (Present/ Past) and agreement (Singular/Plural) for answers that require such clues e.g. Is, are, was, were, have, etc.
Pay special attention to subject-verb agreement—a common area tested in Grammar Cloze. Remember:
- A singular subject takes a singular verb (He runs), while a plural subject takes a plural verb (They run).
- Watch out for signal words such as each, everyone, neither (which are singular) and many, few, both (which are plural).
For example, in a sentence like The lions ___ sleeping, the plural subject lions means you should choose were instead of was. Double-checking these clues can help you avoid careless mistakes and ensure your answers fit smoothly into the passage.
Final Check: Read the passage aloud in your head with your answers filled in. If anything sounds awkward, or the story doesn’t flow logically, make quick corrections. Pay special attention to verb tenses and pronouns to ensure consistency.
By following these steps and strategies, you’ll not only get better at spotting the right answers, but you’ll also become more familiar with how grammar and vocabulary work together in real passages. With regular practice and attention to detail, tackling the Grammar Cloze section can become one of your strengths!
I hope you find the tips in this post useful in tackling Grammar Cloze. I wish you all the best in your revision and if at any point you find yourself wanting to give up, remember that Helen Hayes (a famous actress who was one of 12 people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award!) once said, ‘The expert at anything was once a beginner.’ Keep on trying and good luck for the SA2s!
If you find the tips useful and you would like to find out more about attending the Lil’ but Mighty programmes, the schedule can be found here!
You never wash your toilets, _________ you?
1) do
2) did
3) don’t
4) aren’t
Think you know the answer?
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Grammar Grandma Bites
Course Features:
1. Over 30 bite-size video lessons!
2. Unique strategies to tackle a wide range of grammar topics e.g. subject-verb agreement, neither/either type questions, collective nouns etc.
3. Targeted at P5 to P6 pupils (Or just anyone who wishes to have a good grasp of grammar rules!)
