Fill in the Gaps with Words – Basic 4 English Lesson Note (First Term)

Filling the gaps means completing a passage by choosing the correct word for each blank space from a given list.

Behavioural objectives

1. Explain what a gap-filling (cloze) passage is.
2. Name structural and lexical words and give examples of each.
3. Use clues in a passage to choose the correct word for each gap.
4. Choose the correct tense of a verb to fill a gap.
5. Complete a short passage correctly from a given list of words.

What is a gap-filling passage?

A gap-filling passage is a short text with blank spaces that you fill with the right words.

• Blank space: a line (__________) with a number, showing where a word is missing.
• Word list: the choices in brackets after each blank, for example (tries/tried).
• Aim: to test grammar, vocabulary and understanding of the passage.
• Also called: a cloze passage.

What are the two kinds of words used to fill gaps?

There are two kinds of words used to fill gaps: structural words and lexical words.

Structural words

Structural words are small grammar words that join a sentence together.

• Articles: a, an, the.
• Prepositions: in, on, at, under, to.
• Conjunctions: and, but, because.
• Pronouns: he, she, they, him, them.
• Helping verbs: is, are, was, were.

Lexical words

Lexical words are content words that carry the main meaning of a sentence.

• Nouns: names of people, places and things, such as teacher, chair, market.
• Verbs: action words, such as tried, pulled, fell.
• Adjectives: describing words, such as angry, good, tall.
• Adverbs: words that tell how an action is done, such as roughly, quickly.

How do you fill the gaps in a passage?

You fill the gaps by reading carefully and testing each choice in the sentence.

1. Read the whole passage first to understand the story.
2. Find out when the story happens: now (present) or before (past).
3. Read the sentence with the blank.
4. Look at the two or more words in brackets.
5. Try each word in the blank.
6. Choose the word that sounds right and makes sense.
7. Read the full passage again to check your answers.

What clues help you choose the right word?

Clues in the passage show which word fits the gap.

• Tense clue: if the story is about something that already happened, use the past form.
• Time words: yesterday, last week and one day point to the past.
• Subject clue: the verb must agree with the subject, for example “Seun was”, “they were”.
• Meaning clue: the word must make sense with the sentences around it.
• Neighbouring verbs: verbs in nearby sentences often show the tense to use.

What are examples of present and past verb forms?

A verb changes its form to show whether an action is happening now or has already happened.

What is a worked example?

Read the passage and the choices, then see why each answer is correct.

Seun and Michael are good friends.

They often play roughly. Seun __________1. (tries/tried) to sit on a chair. Michael __________2. (pull/pulled) the chair.

Seun __________3. (falls/fell) on the floor. Michael __________4. (laughed/laughs) at him.

Their teacher __________5. (was/is) angry with Michael. He beat him.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Mixing tenses: do not use “falls” in a story told in the past.
• Skipping the reading: always read the whole passage before you choose.
• Wrong spelling: copy the chosen word exactly as it appears in the list.
• Leaving a gap empty: try every word and pick the best one.
• No final check: read the finished passage once more.

Weekly assessment (test)

Choose the correct word from the brackets to fill each gap.

Seun and Michael are good friends.

They often play roughly. Seun __________1. (tries/tried) to sit on a chair. Michael __________2. (pull/pulled) the chair.

Seun __________3. (falls/fell) on the floor. Michael __________4. (laughed/laughs) at him.

Their teacher __________5. (was/is) angry with Michael. He beat him.

Evaluation

1. What is a gap-filling passage?
2. Name two structural words and two lexical words.
3. Fill the gap: The boys __________ (walk/walked) to school yesterday.
4. Fill the gap: Ada __________ (is/was) happy last week.
5. Why should you read the whole passage before you fill the gaps?

Assignment

Copy and complete the passage by choosing the correct word from the brackets.

Chidi __________1. (go/went) to the market with his mother. She __________2. (buy/bought) some rice. Chidi __________3. (carries/carried) the bag home. His mother __________4. (is/was) happy with him.