how to complete comprehension cloze

1. •COMPREHENSION
CLOZE

3. What Do we Want Our Students to
Learn?
OBJECTIVE:
• To use contextual clues to complete
the g_a_p_sg_a_p_s in a cloze passage.

4. Filling a word to a blank in a cloze
exercise is like solving a mystery. You
have to look for clues that can help
you find the missing word.

5. Comprehension ClozeComprehension Cloze
5 different kinds of clues can be used to
help us find the missing word:
1. Clues that show likeness.
2. Clues that show difference.
3. Clues that show cause or effect.
4. Clues that show parts or wholes.
5. Clues that tell what is most likely.

6. Clues Signaling Likeness
• One of the 5 contextual clues
Clues that show:
• likenesslikeness
• difference
• cause or effect
• parts or wholes
• what is most likely
• Look out for clues before or after the blanks

7. Clues that show likeness
A. Look for nearby words that mean the same or
almost the same as the missing words.
E.g. Lionel indeed had a heart of a lion, he
__________ dashed into the burning house to
save the trapped occupants.

8. Clues that show likeness
A. Look for nearby words that mean the
same or almost the same as the missing
words.
E.g. Most people do not like snakes.
Many are terrified of them. Hence it is
puzzling why anyone would want to keep
_______ as pets.

9. Clues that show likeness
C. Look for nearby words that explain or tell
the meaning of the missing word.
E.g. The villain in the movie had a
__________. He planned to use the weapon
to shoot the only witness to his crime.

10. Clues that show likeness
C. Look for nearby words that explain or tell the
meaning of the missing word.
E.g. Indonesia has many active ____________.
These mountains often unleash hot rocks and ash
into the air from inside the earth, endangering the
lives of people who live near them.

11. Clues that show likeness
D. The missing word may describe what a nearby
word is like. Look for nearby words that offer clues
to the missing word.
E.g. Mother Theresa devoted her life to caring for the
sick and unfortunate. She gave them food, clothes,
lodging and above all, love. She was a
_______________ woman.

12. Clues Signaling Differences
• One of the 5 contextual clues
Clues that show:
• likeness
• differencedifference
• cause or effect
• parts or wholes
• what is most likely
• Look out for clues before or after the blanks

13. Clues That Show Differences
A. Look for nearby words that mean the opposite
(are antonyms) of the missing word.
E.g. Tim is talkative, but his twin is nothing like
him. His twin is _____________.
E.g. One brother is quiet. However, his twin is
very _____________.

14. Clues That Show Differences
A. Look for nearby words that mean the opposite
(are antonyms) of the missing word.
E.g. John drove into the city and noticed everyone
lived in buildings that were very big. As he
drove out of the city, he came across a village
where unlike the city, the houses were very
__________.

15. Clues Signaling Cause or Effect
• One of the 5 contextual clues
Clues that show:
• likeness
• difference
• cause or effectcause or effect
• parts or wholes
• what is most likely
• Look out for clues before or after the blanks

16. Clues That Show Cause or Effect
A. Look for nearby words signaling a cause, reason,
or purpose. They tell why something has happened
or why someone has done something.
E.g. Lynn did not want to be ______________ for her
doctor’s appointment. So she left home early.

17. More Examples…
• Sam was sick. Therefore, he went to the _________
to see the doctor.
• Sarah missed the bus to work. As a result, she was
________ for the meeting.
• Eve had forgotten to do her homework again. Her
teacher was very ________ with her.
• Amy is very ________ because her pet dog had
died.

18. Clues Signaling Parts or Wholes
• One of the 5 contextual clues
Clues that show:
• likeness
• difference
• cause or effect
• parts or wholesparts or wholes
• what is most likely
• Look out for clues before or after the blanks

19. Clues That Show Parts or Whole
(A) Look for nearby words that name parts of
the whole group or object.
E.g. The rice cooker, microwave oven and toaster
are very common today. But 50 years ago,
people did not use any of these kitchen
__________.

20. Clues That Show Parts or Whole
B. Look for nearby words that name a whole thing
or group. The missing word may be part of that
whole.
E.g. Our parents brought us to a restaurant for a
meal. After we had eaten, my brother
suggested buying some ________ so we
ordered an apple pie and a chocolate cake.

21. Clues Signaling What is Most Likely
• One of the 5 contextual clues
Clues that show:
• likeness
• difference
• cause or effect
• parts or wholes
• what is most likelywhat is most likely
• Look out for clues before or after the blanks

22. Clues That Tell What is Most
Likely
• You may need to draw on your
experiences and your common
sense to help you arrive at the
most likely answer.

23. • John was a slave. He had a cruel master who
whipped and starved him and kept him working
no matter how tired he was. Finally, John could not
bear it any longer and he ______________.
* What would someone who is being held captive
and treated badly try to do? He would most
likely attempt to escape.
What Would Most Likely Happen?

24. • Unknown to Lucy, her handbag was open and
someone had taken her purse. It was clear that
a ___________ had done that.
* Who would most likely perform such an act?
Pickpocket is the best choice.
Who Would Most Likely Do Something?

25. How Will We Know They Are
Learning?
i) Students would have highlighted the
contextual clues.
ii) Students would be able to tell you
which type of ‘clue’ they had used to
derive the answer.

26. Why Are They Not Learning?Why Are They Not Learning?
i) Not within context of the passage:
I was distresseddistressed to see that the dog was injureddog was injured. The dog’s
owner, a young boy, came forward and burst into
ii) Grammar
I heardheard a knock on the door. I went forward and the door.
iii) Lack of knowledge
Egypt was a magnificent civilisation. Its great
were supposedly descendantsdescendants from the Sun God, Rafrom the Sun God, Ra.
laughter.
open
kings / pharaohs

27. Why Are They Not Learning?Why Are They Not Learning?
i) Specialised vocabulary:
He came in first in the race. His running shoesrunning shoes were differentdifferent. I
think the under his shoesunder his shoes gave him an unfair advantage.
ii) Spelling
The paramedics carefully carried the injured man on a
iii) Limited vocabulary
We have been waiting for a while now. I wonder if the bus will
on time.
strecher.
reach
spikes