FCE / B2 – Part 2 – Use of English – Open cloze
In the Open Cloze task, you read a short text with eight gaps and complete each gap with one word only. There are no answer options, so you must use your knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary.
The missing words are often:
- Articles (a, an, the)
- Prepositions (in, on, at)
- Auxiliary verbs (be, do, have)
- Pronouns and linkers (it, which, although)
- Parts of phrasal verbs (up, out, off)
- Words that complete common collocations
Tips
- Read the whole text first.
- Look carefully at the words before and after each gap.
- Check grammar, phrasal verbs, and fixed expressions.
- Remember: each gap requires only one word.
Success in Open Cloze depends on a strong understanding of grammar, vocabulary, collocations, and common language patterns.
Common missing words:
FCE Open Cloze Practice: Common Missing Words
Articles
a → I saw ___ strange man outside the station.
an → She bought ___ umbrella because it was raining.
the → We visited ___ oldest building in the city.
Prepositions
at → I’ll meet you ___ six o’clock.
by → The project must be finished ___ Friday.
for → I’ve lived here ___ three years.
from → This train goes ___ Madrid to Seville.
in → She was born ___ 2008.
into → He walked ___ the room quietly.
of → The roof ___ the house needs repairing.
on → The book is ___ the table.
out of → We ran ___ milk this morning.
to → We are going ___ the airport.
under → The cat is hiding ___ the bed.
with → I agree ___ your opinion.
Auxiliary Verbs
be → She will ___ late if she misses the bus.
been → I have ___ to London twice.
being → He dislikes ___ told what to do.
do → Why ___ you think that?
does → How often ___ she visit her grandparents?
did → What ___ you do yesterday?
have → They ___ already left.
has → She ___ finished her homework.
had → We ___ never seen snow before.
Pronouns
it → I found a wallet and returned ___ to its owner.
they → ___ say the weather will improve tomorrow.
them → I invited my friends and all of ___ came.
which → This is the book ___ I told you about.
who → The woman ___ called you is my aunt.
whose → I met a writer ___ novels are very popular.
Relative and Linking Words
that → The film ___ we watched was excellent.
than → This exercise is harder ___ the last one.
as → She works ___ a teacher.
such → It was ___ a difficult test that many students failed.
so → I was tired, ___ I went to bed early.
because → We stayed inside ___ it was raining.
although → ___ it was cold, we went for a walk.
unless → You won’t pass ___ you study.
if → Call me ___ you need help.
while → I listened to music ___ I was studying.
Common Phrasal Verb Particles
up → Please look ___ this word in the dictionary.
out → The fire broke ___ during the night.
off → The meeting was called ___ at the last minute.
down → Write ___ the address before you forget it.
away → Put ___ your phone during the lesson.
back → When are you coming ___ from holiday?
over → Let’s go ___ the plan once more.
through → We got ___ the exam successfully.
Common Collocation Words
take → Don’t ___ any notice of his comments.
make → We need to ___ a decision soon.
give → Can you ___ me some advice?
get → I hope you ___ the chance to travel.
keep → Please ___ in touch.
pay → You should ___ attention to the instructions.
put → We need to ___ an end to the problem.
come → How did this situation ___ about?
go → The meeting didn’t ___ as planned.
set → They have ___ a new record.
Example exercise:
Ellie Kildunne: England’s Star Rugby Player
Ellie Kildunne, (0) who was born on 8 September 1999 in Keighley, West Yorkshire, has established herself as one of the brightest talents in women’s rugby union. At 1.76 metres tall and weighing 68 kg, she usually plays (1) ________ fullback or centre and is widely admired for her incredible speed, powerful running, and ability to score tries from almost anywhere on the pitch. She first took (2) ________ rugby at the age of six. Although she also played football and rugby league when she was younger, she eventually decided to concentrate (3) ________ rugby union. Kildunne made her senior international debut for England in 2017 at the age of 18, coming on as a substitute (4) __ Canada and scoring a try in a big victory. Since her debut, her international career has developed rapidly. She has won several Six Nations titles with England, including Grand Slams, and was a key player in the team’s 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup success, where she scored the opening try in the final. In 2024, she was named World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year after an exceptional season (5) ________ which she scored 14 tries in only nine international matches.(6) ________ representing England, Kildunne plays club rugby for Harlequins Women in the Premiership. She has also competed at the highest level in rugby sevens for both England and Great Britain, proving her versatility (7) ________ the 15s and 7s formats of the game. Away from rugby, Kildunne is respected (8) ________ her humble personality and her efforts to promote and grow the women’s game. She has spoken about the difficulties she faced playing in boys’ teams as a child and now aims to inspire more young girls to take up the sport. With 57 caps and more than 235 points for England (9) ________ far, many people consider Ellie Kildunne to be the best female rugby player in the world right now.
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Answers (for teachers / self-study)
1.so
2. as
3. up
4. on
5. against
in
While / Besides / Apart
across / between / in
for
up