Eleven Plus — Codes and Logic

Cloze and missing words

Select the word that fits both the MEANING and the GRAMMAR of a sentence, and use the rest of the sentence as evidence to rule out options that satisfy only one of the two.

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💡Understand

A cloze question tests TWO things at once: does the word make sense (meaning), and does it fit grammatically (word class, tense, agreement)? A trap option often satisfies only ONE of these — sounding right but being the wrong word class, or being the right word class but the wrong meaning.

“"The dog ___ loudly at the stranger." A) bark B) barked C) barking D) barks (with a singular subject 'the dog').”

All four options relate to the correct MEANING (barking), but only D) 'barks' correctly fits the GRAMMAR — matching the singular subject 'the dog' in the present tense. This is exactly the kind of question where checking grammar as well as meaning is essential.

🔍Spot it

Which option fits BOTH meaning and grammar?

Question 1

"Yesterday, the children ___ to the park." A) walk B) walks C) walked D) walking

💡 'Yesterday' signals the past tense is required, ruling out A, B and D despite all being related to the right meaning.

Question 2

"She felt ___ after running the marathon." A) exhaust B) exhausted C) exhausting D) exhaustion

💡 After 'felt', an adjective describing a feeling is grammatically required — only 'exhausted' fits that role.

Question 3

"Neither of the twins ___ ready for the exam." A) were B) was C) are D) is

💡 'Neither' is grammatically singular, and no past-tense signal contradicts 'was' here, making it the correct choice over the plural options.

🧠Think about it

✍️Try it

Choose the word that fits both meaning and grammar.

"By next week, she ___ finished the project."

Question 1

Which option correctly completes the sentence?

💡 'By next week' signals a future point in time by which something will be complete — think about which tense expresses a future completed action.

📝Practise

Choose the option that fits both meaning and grammar.

Question 1

"The team ___ practising hard all season." A) has been B) have C) is

Question 2

"Each of the students ___ their own notebook." A) have B) has C) having

Question 3

"She spoke so ___ that everyone understood immediately." A) clear B) clearly C) clearness

Question 4

In one word, what two things must a cloze answer satisfy at once — meaning and __?

💡 It's named directly in the lesson title's underlying skill.

Question 5

"If it ___ tomorrow, the match will be cancelled." A) rain B) rains C) rained

Question 6

Why is it not enough for an option to simply be 'thematically related' to the sentence?

🎯Apply

Read the passage, then answer the questions below.

Exam question: "Although the weather forecast predicted rain, the sky ___ remarkably clear all afternoon." A) remain B) remained C) remaining D) remains

Question 1

What clue in the sentence tells you which tense is needed?

💡 Look at the verb tense already used earlier in the sentence.

Question 2

Which option correctly completes the sentence?

💡 Match the past tense established by 'predicted'.

Question 3

Why is C) 'remaining' incorrect here, even though it relates to the right meaning?

🏆Challenge

🔄Review

A quick mastery check — 3 questions.

Question 1

"By the time we arrived, the film ___ already started." A) has B) have C) had

Question 2

"The committee ___ meeting every Tuesday this term." A) is B) are C) am

Question 3

A cloze answer that fits meaning but not grammar is still...