PSLE English Cloze & Fill-in Tips — Zero Mistakes Strategy
Cloze passages in the PSLE English paper can be deceptively tricky. Whether it’s grammar-based or vocabulary-based, a single careless mistake can throw off the flow of the entire passage — and the marks with it. For many students, the challenge isn’t a lack of knowledge, but a lack of strategy. That’s why we’ve created this guide to the “Zero Mistakes” strategy — a simple, proven method we teach our students at The Exam Coach to tackle every cloze passage with confidence.
What Are PSLE Cloze Passages?
Cloze passages are short texts with words missing. Students must choose the correct word for each blank based on context, grammar, and meaning. There are usually two types:
Grammar Cloze: Tests your child’s grasp of tenses, connectors, pronouns, prepositions, articles, and sentence structure.
Vocabulary Cloze: Focuses on word choice — selecting words that best match the meaning and tone of the passage.
Cloze questions are typically worth 10–15 marks and appear in both Booklet A and Booklet B of the PSLE English paper.
Grammar Cloze vs Vocabulary Cloze
Understanding the type of cloze is essential because it changes how your child should approach it.
Grammar Cloze tests structure, tenses, connectors and understanding of the rules of English.
Vocabulary Cloze tests word choice, collocations and word meanings.
Many students lose marks by applying a vocabulary-based approach to a grammar cloze (or vice versa). The clue is usually in the instructions or in the first line of the passage.
The “Zero Mistakes” Strategy
We’ve helped hundreds of students improve their cloze scores using this consistent, repeatable method.
1. Read the Whole Passage First 📖
Before filling in a single blank, read the entire passage once without stopping. This helps your child understand the flow, the topic, and the tone — all of which influence the correct word choice.
2. Identify Grammar Clues 🕵️♀️
In grammar cloze, clues are everywhere:
Tense indicators: e.g. “Yesterday”, “will”, “has already”
Conjunction hints: e.g. “but”, “because”, “although”
Prepositions: look at the verb + object combination
Encourage your child to underline these as they read — especially near the blanks.
3. Predict Before You Look 👀
If it’s a vocabulary cloze with options provided, teach your child to cover the options and predict the answer first. Why? It forces them to think in context, rather than being distracted by similar-sounding words.
4. Eliminate Wrong Options ❎
When options are provided, one or two are usually obviously wrong. Help your child practise spotting:
❌ Words that don’t fit grammatically
❌ Words that repeat something already mentioned
❌ Overly technical or off-topic words
Often, it comes down to two similar options. That’s when context is everything.
Common Mistakes to Avoid 🛑
🚫 Guessing too quickly especially under time pressure
🚫 Ignoring subject-verb agreement
🚫 Using general knowledge instead of reading the passage
🚫 Assuming it’s always a vocabulary based question
🚫 Not checking the full sentence after filling in a blank
The biggest issue we see? Students writing answers that sound right on their own, but don’t make sense when read in full. Always check the sentence after filling in a blank!
Practice Makes Perfect
Cloze passages require two things: a strong foundation in grammar and vocab, and exam-style practice.
Here’s what we recommend:
Practise under timed conditions (10 mins per cloze).
Review mistakes — not just the what, but the why.
Create a “mistake bank” of commonly missed grammar rules.
Join a PSLE English tuition class focused on grammar, vocabulary and comprehension.
