4.3 Reading Part 5: Open Cloze

Cambridge A2 Key KET

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1 Introduction & Exam Overview

1.1 What Is Cambridge A2 Key (KET)? 1.2 Exam Format: Three Papers 1.3 Who Takes A2 Key and How It Is Delivered 1.4 Study Hours and Preparation Path

2 Scoring, Grades & Results

2.1 The Cambridge English Scale 2.2 Grades A, B, C and Certificates 2.3 How Your Overall Score Is Calculated

3 Reading Parts 1–3: Understanding Texts

3.1 Reading Overview (Parts 1–5) 3.2 Reading Part 1: Short Texts and Main Message 3.3 Reading Part 2: Multiple Matching 3.4 Reading Part 3: Longer Text Detail and Gist

4 Reading Parts 4–5: Vocabulary and Grammar Cloze

4.1 Reading Part 4: Multiple-Choice Cloze 4.2 Collocations and Phrasal Verbs for Part 4 4.3 Reading Part 5: Open Cloze 4.4 Grammar Words for Open Cloze

5 Writing Part 6: Guided Message

5.1 Writing Overview (Parts 6–7) 5.2 Part 6 Guided Writing Task 5.3 Model Emails and Content-Point Checklists

6 Writing Part 7 & Assessment Criteria

6.1 Part 7 Picture Story 6.2 Narrative Language and Connectors 6.3 Writing Assessment: Content, Organisation, Language

7 Listening Parts 1–3

7.1 Listening Paper Overview 7.2 Listening Part 1: Short Dialogues and Pictures 7.3 Listening Part 2: Gap Fill Notes 7.4 Listening Part 3: Conversation Multiple Choice

8 Listening Parts 4–5 & Detail Skills

8.1 Listening Part 4: Gist and Main Message 8.2 Listening Part 5: Matching 8.3 Numbers, Times, Prices and Spelling

9 Speaking Test

9.1 Speaking Test Format 9.2 Speaking Part 1: Interview 9.3 Speaking Part 2: Discussion 9.4 Speaking Assessment Criteria

10 A2 Grammar Essentials

10.1 Present and Past Tenses 10.2 Future Forms, Modals and Obligation 10.3 Comparatives, Superlatives, Adverbs and Word Order 10.4 Questions, Negatives and There Is/Are

11 A2 Vocabulary Topics

11.1 People, Home and Daily Routines 11.2 Free Time, Hobbies, Travel and Transport 11.3 Food, Shopping, Money and Health 11.4 Places in Town, Services and Simple Technology

12 Functional Language for Exam Tasks

12.1 Requests, Offers, Invitations and Suggestions 12.2 Opinions, Agreeing, Disagreeing and Preferences 12.3 Describing People, Places and Events; Simple Narration

13 Exam Day and Test Strategy

13.1 Digital vs Paper-Based and the 2026 Change 13.2 What Happens on Exam Day 13.3 Full Practice Tests and Timing Plans

14 Results and Next Steps

14.1 Interpreting Your Statement of Results 14.2 From A2 Key to B1 Preliminary

4.3 Reading Part 5: Open Cloze

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Reading Part 5 is an open cloze: a short text (often an email or similar) with 6 gaps; you write ONE word in each gap (6 marks).

Gaps mainly target grammar-function words—articles, prepositions, pronouns, auxiliaries, linkers—not rare content vocabulary.

Spelling must be correct; only one word is allowed per gap (no phrases).

Read the whole message for who is writing to whom and why, then solve gaps with structure clues.

Budget about 6–7 minutes; always attempt every gap—blank answers score zero.

Last updated: July 2026

4.3 Reading Part 5: Open Cloze

Quick Answer: Part 5 is an open cloze : one short text (commonly an email or similar message) with six gaps . You write one word in each gap. The missing words are mostly grammar-function words (articles, prepositions, pronouns, auxiliaries, linkers). Spelling counts; leave no blanks.

Part 4 gave you three options. Part 5 removes the options. You must produce the word yourself. That sounds harder, but the set of likely answers is limited: short structural words you already meet every day in A2 English.

Format Snapshot

• Feature Detail
• Text type Short cohesive text—often an email, note, or simple personal/factual message
• Gaps 6
• Answer form One word only per gap
• Marks 1 per correct word (6 total)
• Main focus Grammar and function words in context
• Suggested time About 6–7 minutes

There is no word bank . You cannot choose A/B/C. You must think of the word, spell it correctly, and write (or type) only that word.

Part 4 vs Part 5 at a Glance

• Part 4 Part 5
• Support 3 options No options
• Typical missing word Content vocabulary + collocation Grammar / function word
• Risk Near-synonym trap Wrong structure word or spelling
• Skill feel “Which word fits?” “Which little word must be here?”

Both still require reading the whole text . A preposition that fits one sentence may fail when you see the next clause.

What Kinds of Words Are Missing?

At A2 Key open cloze, expect most gaps to be from these families:

• Articles — a, an, the (or sometimes no article in teaching awareness, but gaps usually need a written word)
• Prepositions — in, on, at, to, for, with, from, about, of…

Pronouns — I, you, he, she, it, we, they, my, your, his, her, its, our, their, me, him, her, us, them, this, that, these, those…

Auxiliaries / basic verbs — am, is, are, was, were, do, does, did, have, has, had, can, will… (simple patterns)

Linkers — and, but, because, so, or, when, if…

Quantifiers / determiners — some, any, much, many, a lot (careful: “a lot” is two words—gaps need one word, so much/many/some/any are safer gap answers)

Occasional particles in high-frequency phrases — up in get up , off in turn off (less common than pure grammar, but possible in simple texts)

If you are inventing a long content noun like environment for every gap, you are probably on the wrong track.

One-Word Rule and Spelling

• Rule What it means
• Exactly one word because ✓ · because of ✗ (two words) for a single gap
• Correct spelling their not thier ; a lot cannot fill a one-word gap as two tokens
• No alternatives listed Write one best word; do not write and/or but

Contractions Follow what your course and centre materials teach; many answers are full forms like is , not , cannot patterns—prefer clear full words when unsure

Practical tip: If your answer is two words, rethink. The gap almost always wants a single structural word.

• Core Strategy for Open Cloze
• Step 1 — Read the complete text for situation

Who writes? To whom? Why? Emails often have greeting, purpose, detail, closing request. That story helps pronouns and tenses.

Step 2 — Attack easy gaps first

If a gap is clearly and or but between two equal ideas, fill it and build confidence.

Step 3 — Use left and right clues

• Clue location Example thinking
• Before gap interested ____ → need in
• After gap ____ apple → an (vowel sound)
• Both sides She ____ not like tea → does
• Whole message First mention vs second mention for a/the
• Step 4 — Name the word class you need

Ask: “Is this slot an article, preposition, subject pronoun, auxiliary, or linker?” Naming the class blocks random content words.

Step 5 — Write, then re-read the sentence aloud in your head

The sentence should sound like complete elementary English.

Step 6 — Check all six before leaving

Look for double subjects, missing to after want , article errors, and spelling.

Worked Mini-Email (Original)

Situation: Marta writes to her friend about a weekend plan.

Hi Sam,

I am writing [1] _____ you about Saturday. Would you like [2] _____ come to the new sports centre [3] _____ me? It opens at nine [4] _____ the morning. My brother can drive us [5] _____ he is free. Please text me [6] _____ you can come.

• Marta
• Gap answers and thinking

• Gap Answer Why
• [1] to write to someone
• [2] to would you like to + verb
• [3] with come with me
• [4] in in the morning
• [5] if condition: if he is free
• [6] if text me if you can come (or when in some similar items—here if matches possibility)

Teaching note: Two gaps can have the same word ( to , if ). That is normal. Do not force six different answers.

Second Worked Extract (Original Factual Note)

Last year our class visited a farm. [1] _____ farm was about twenty kilometres from school. We went [2] _____ bus and arrived at ten. The farmer showed us [3] _____ the animals eat in winter. I liked the horses [4] _____ they were very friendly. We [5] _____ not see any sheep because they were in another field. It [6] _____ a great day.

Gap Answer Word class

[1] The article (second mention / specific farm just introduced in context of the visit story—after a farm , the next reference is The farm )

• [2] by preposition ( by bus )
• [3] what connector pronoun ( showed us what the animals eat )
• [4] because linker of reason
• [5] did auxiliary for past negative
• [6] was past of be

Re-read the full note with answers inserted—every sentence should feel complete.

Common Wrong Moves

• Mistake Example Fix
• Writing two words because of in one gap Choose a one-word linker or rebuild thinking
• Content word obsession putting animals in a grammar slot Identify word class first
• Ignoring tense of the email is in a clearly past story Match time words ( last year , yesterday )
• Pronoun gender/number errors he for my sisters Check the noun referred to
• Article by first letter only a before hour Use sound : an hour
• Leaving blanks empty gap Always write your best grammar guess
• Timing and Paper Management

~1 minute per gap including final re-read.

If stuck, pencil a candidate, move on, return after gap 6 with fresh eyes.

On paper-based sittings (where still offered for your variant), write clearly; on digital, check you typed the intended word in the correct box.

Do not steal Writing time to perfect one Part 5 item.

Practice Routine for Open Cloze

Take any short email you wrote in class; delete six function words; refill after 10 minutes.

Keep a “Part 5 bank” page: columns for articles, prepositions, auxiliaries, linkers with three example sentences each.

Twice a week, do a six-gap email under 7 minutes.

Mark errors by class (preposition vs article), not only right/wrong totals.

How Part 5 Supports Your Overall Score

Six marks equal Part 1 or Part 4. Candidates who “hate grammar” often gift these marks away, then struggle more in Writing Language bands for the same missing words. Fixing open cloze is double value: Reading marks now, cleaner writing later.

• Checklist Before You Leave Part 5
• Six single words written
• Spelling double-checked
• Each sentence re-read with the word inserted
• Pronouns agree with the people in the message
• Time/tense fits the story
• You still have Writing time on the shared clock

The final section of this chapter inventories the grammar words most worth drilling for these six gaps.