Cloze passages — SSC CGL English Notes

Concepts and rules

A cloze test is a short passage with several blanks (often 5), each with 4 options. Some blanks test meaning; the ones in this unit test the glue of the passage: connectors, pronouns, articles, relative words, prepositions and verb forms.

Connectors by job. Addition: moreover, furthermore, besides, also, in addition. Contrast: however, nevertheless, yet, still, on the other hand. Result: therefore, thus, hence, consequently, as a result. Time: then, meanwhile, afterwards, finally. Example: for instance, for example.

Grammar of connectors: 'although, though, because, since, unless, while, whereas' + a full clause (subject + verb). 'Despite, in spite of, because of, due to, owing to' + a noun phrase or verb + ing. 'Despite' never takes 'of'.

Sentence adverbs (however, therefore, moreover, nevertheless, consequently) do not join 2 clauses by themselves. They start a new sentence or follow a semicolon, and are usually followed by a comma: 'He was tired; however, he finished the work.'

Pronoun reference: a pronoun must match the noun it points back to in number and gender: 'The farmers… they', 'the company… it', 'the girl… her'. 'This' or 'these' points to an idea just mentioned and must match it in number.

Article reference: a thing mentioned for the first time takes 'a/an'; the same thing mentioned again takes 'the': 'She found a purse. The purse was empty.'

Relative words: 'who' for people as subject, 'whom' as object, 'whose' for possession, 'which' for things and for a whole preceding idea after a comma, 'where' for places, 'when' for times. After a comma (non-defining clause) use 'which' or 'who', never 'that'.

Tense consistency: a passage that narrates past events stays in the past; an earlier past action takes the past perfect. A passage of general facts stays in the simple present. Switch tense only when the time actually changes ('Today', 'In 2010', 'next year').

Conditions inside passages follow the usual pattern: 'Unless/If + present, … will + V1'. Never put 'will' in the 'unless' or 'if' clause.

Method and shortcuts

Step 1: Read the whole passage once without filling anything. Note its time (past narrative or present facts) and the main topic.

Step 2: For each blank, look at what follows it. A full clause ⇒ conjunction; a noun phrase or -ing ⇒ preposition; a full stop before and a comma after ⇒ sentence adverb (However, Therefore, Moreover).

Step 3: Decide the logical link between the 2 ideas (addition, contrast, cause, result, time). Among grammatically possible options, keep only the one with the right link.

Step 4: For pronouns and articles, go back to the noun being referred to and match number, gender and first or second mention.

Step 5: After filling all blanks, read the passage straight through once. A wrong choice usually sounds broken at that stage.

Shortcut where the shortcut fails: 'since' and 'as' can mean time or cause, and 'while' can mean time or contrast; decide from the meaning of the 2 clauses, not from the word alone.

Example 1: Result connector

Passage: The road to the village was badly damaged by the floods. ____, the relief trucks reached the villagers 2 days late.

Question: Choose the connector for the blank from: However, Therefore, Moreover.

Solution: The full stop before and comma after show a sentence adverb is needed. The damaged road is the cause and the late arrival is the result, so a result word fits. 'However' gives contrast and 'Moreover' adds a new point.

Answer: Therefore.

Example 2: Article and pronoun reference

Passage: Kavita found a purse near the bus stand. (1) ____ purse contained ₹2,000 and an Aadhaar card, so she handed (2) ____ over to the police.

Question: Fill blank (1) from 'A / The' and blank (2) from 'it / them'.

Solution: Blank (1): the purse was already mentioned, so it is now definite: 'The'. Blank (2): she handed over the purse (singular), not the money and the card separately, so 'it'.

Answer: (1) The, (2) it.

Example 3: Conjunction or preposition

Passage: ____ the heavy rain, the match started on time. The groundsmen had covered the pitch the night before.

Question: Choose from: Although, Despite, Because.

Solution: What follows the blank is a noun phrase ('the heavy rain'), not a clause, so a preposition is needed. 'Although' and 'Because' need a subject and verb after them. The rain and an on-time start are in contrast, which 'Despite' expresses.

Answer: Despite.

Example 4: Tense across sentences

Passage: When the inspector reached the godown on Monday, he found that 40 sacks of wheat ____ the previous night. The guard admitted that he had fallen asleep.

Question: (a) are stolen (b) have been stolen (c) had been stolen (d) will be stolen

Solution: The passage narrates the past ('reached', 'found', 'admitted'). The theft happened before he found it ('the previous night'), so it needs the past perfect passive. Present and future forms break the narrative, and 'have been stolen' cannot go with a finished past time.

Answer: (c) had been stolen.

Example 5: 3 cohesion blanks together

Passage: Solar pumps have changed farming in many dry districts. (1) ____ they cost more than diesel pumps at the start, they need almost no fuel. Farmers (2) ____ adopted them early now save a large part of their income, and (3) ____ savings are often spent on better seeds.

Question: (a) Despite, which, these (b) Although, who, these (c) Although, which, this (d) However, who, these

Solution: Blank (1) is followed by a full clause ('they cost more…') and shows contrast with 'need almost no fuel', so 'Although'. 'Despite' cannot take a clause, and 'However' at the start cannot join 2 clauses in this way. This leaves (b) and (c).

Blank (2) refers to 'Farmers' (people), so 'who', not 'which'. Blank (3): 'savings' is plural, so 'these', not 'this'. Only (b) passes all 3 tests.

Answer: (b) Although, who, these.

Example 6: Connector, relative and condition

Passage: The city's lakes once supplied most of its drinking water. Over the decades, (1) ____, many were filled in to make room for buildings. The few that survive are choked with sewage, (2) ____ makes them useless even for washing. Unless the civic body acts soon, the city (3) ____ on tankers for every drop.

Question: (a) moreover, what, will depend (b) therefore, which, would depend (c) however, that, depends (d) however, which, will have to depend

Solution: Blank (1): lakes once supplied water, but later they were filled in; this is a contrast, so 'however'. That leaves (c) and (d). Blank (2) comes after a comma and refers to the whole idea 'choked with sewage', so 'which'; 'that' cannot follow a comma in this way. That leaves (d).

Check blank (3): 'Unless + present' takes 'will' in the main clause, and 'will have to depend' fits. 'Depends' (c) and 'would depend' (b) break the condition pattern.

Answer: (d) however, which, will have to depend.

Common mistakes

'Despite' or 'due to' before a clause: 'Despite he was ill, he came' is wrong. Write 'Although he was ill' or 'Despite being ill'. Also never write 'despite of'.

Using 'however' to join 2 clauses with only a comma: 'The plan was good, however it failed' is wrong. Use 'but', or put a semicolon before 'however'.

Pronoun number slips: 'The committee members gave its report' should be 'their report'; 'These kind of' should be 'This kind of' or 'These kinds of'.

Switching tense mid-story without a time change: if the passage says 'reached' and 'found', a blank in the same scene will not be in the present tense.

'That' after a comma: 'The bridge, that was built in 1890, …' is wrong; a non-defining clause takes 'which'.

Practice questions

Q1. Passage: Many young people are moving to cities in search of jobs. ____, villages are left with mostly elderly residents. (a) As a result (b) Nevertheless (c) For instance (d) Similarly

Q2. Passage: Rohan's parents wanted him to become a doctor. (1) ____ he wanted to be a musician, he studied medicine to please (2) ____. (a) Despite, it (b) Although, them (c) Because, them (d) Although, him

Q3. Passage: The old bridge, (1) ____ was built in 1890, was closed last year. Engineers found that its pillars (2) ____ badly. (a) which, had cracked (b) who, had cracked (c) that, have cracked (d) that, had cracked

Answers

Q1. (a) Young people leaving is the cause; villages left with the elderly is the result. 'Nevertheless' signals contrast, 'For instance' an example and 'Similarly' a parallel case.

Q2. (b) Blank (1) is followed by a clause and contrasts his wish with what he did, so 'Although'. Blank (2) refers to 'Rohan's parents' (plural), so 'them'; 'him' would need 'himself' and changes the sense.

Q3. (a) After a comma, a thing takes 'which' ('who' is for people, 'that' cannot follow the comma). 'Found' is past, and the cracking happened earlier, so 'had cracked'.

Quick revision

Look right of the blank: clause ⇒ although/because/unless; noun or -ing ⇒ despite/because of/due to; '. ___ ,' ⇒ However/Therefore/Moreover.

Match pronouns to their noun in number and gender; first mention 'a', second mention 'the'.

Comma + which/who, never comma + that; who for people, which for things or a whole idea.

Keep the passage's tense; earlier past ⇒ had + V3; unless/if + present ⇒ will + V1.

Concepts and rules

In a meaning blank, 2 or 3 options often fit the sentence on its own. The passage around it rules out all but one. The clue may sit in the previous sentence, the next sentence or even the last line of the passage.

Theme: every passage is about one thing (a reform, a problem, a person's success). A word that drifts away from that theme is wrong even if it is grammatical.

Tone: decide whether the writer approves, criticises, warns or simply reports. A praising passage will not suddenly use a sneering word, and a warning passage will not use a cheerful one.

Restatement: writers repeat an idea in different words. If the blank is followed by an explanation ('A trip that took an hour now takes 20 minutes'), the blank word must agree with that explanation.

Cause and effect across sentences: a sentence that begins 'As a result', 'So' or 'This led to' must report a likely effect of the previous one. Less rain ⇒ lower crop output ⇒ higher prices; higher supply ⇒ lower prices.

Before-and-after frames: 'once… now', 'in the past… today', 'at first… later' set up a change. The 2 halves must describe different states.

Collocation and phrasal verbs still apply: hard work 'pays off' (not 'pays up'), a plan 'falls through' (fails), prices 'shoot up', a disease 'breaks out'.

Option traps: an antonym of the answer, a word that fits only the local sentence, a word with the right meaning but wrong tone, and a word that sounds like the answer (affect/effect).

Method and shortcuts

Step 1: Skim the whole passage first and write 2 notes in your head: the topic and the tone (positive, negative, warning, neutral).

Step 2: At each blank, read 1 sentence before and 1 sentence after. Look for an explanation, a result, a contrast or a before-and-after frame.

Step 3: Predict a simple word, then choose the option closest to it. Drop any option that contradicts a later sentence, even if it fits its own sentence.

Step 4: When you are stuck on one blank, solve the others first; their answers often reveal the direction of the passage.

Step 5: Read the completed passage once. It should tell one consistent story with one consistent tone.

Where the shortcut fails: tone can turn inside a passage at 'however' or 'today'. Judge each blank by the tone of its own part of the passage, not the opening line only.

Example 1: Restatement gives the answer

Passage: The new metro line has made travel in the city much faster. A trip that once took an hour now takes 20 minutes. Office-goers are clearly ____ with the change.

Question: Choose from: delighted, annoyed, puzzled.

Solution: Every sentence describes a clear benefit, and 'clearly' shows the reaction follows naturally from it. A benefit produces pleasure, not annoyance or confusion.

Answer: delighted.

Example 2: Clue in the next sentence

Passage: The forest officer's warning to the school was ____. Within a week, the leopard he had spotted nearby was caught on camera at the school gate.

Question: Choose from: baseless, timely, exaggerated.

Solution: The next sentence proves the warning right: the leopard really came to the gate within a week. A warning proved right and given before the danger is 'timely'. 'Baseless' and 'exaggerated' would need a sentence showing the danger was false or small.

Answer: timely.

Example 3: Cause and effect chain

Passage: Rainfall in the district was 40% below normal this year. As a result, the output of paddy (1) ____ sharply, and rice prices in local markets (2) ____.

Question: Fill each blank with 'rose' or 'fell'.

Solution: Less rain is the cause; 'As a result' asks for its effect. Less water means a smaller paddy crop, so output fell. Less rice in the market with the same demand pushes prices up, so prices rose.

Answer: (1) fell, (2) rose.

Example 4: Contrast with 'however'

Passage: Ramesh had never lost a game of chess in his village. When he entered the state tournament, however, he met players far more skilled than himself, and he was ____ in the very first round.

Question: (a) victorious (b) defeated (c) promoted (d) applauded

Solution: 'However' turns the story: unbeaten at home, but now facing 'players far more skilled'. The natural result is a loss. 'Victorious', 'promoted' and 'applauded' all ignore the turn.

Answer: (b) defeated.

Example 5: Argument passage with 2 blanks

Passage: Many people believe that working longer hours always increases output. Studies of factory workers suggest the opposite. Beyond a point, tired workers make more errors, and the extra hours are (1) ____ by the time spent correcting them. Wise managers therefore (2) ____ overtime rather than encourage it.

Question: (a) added to, restrict (b) cancelled out, promote (c) cancelled out, restrict (d) multiplied, reward

Solution: The passage argues that long hours do not raise output ('the opposite'). So the extra hours are wiped out by correction time: 'cancelled out'. 'Added to' and 'multiplied' would mean more output, which contradicts 'the opposite'.

Blank (2): 'rather than encourage it' needs the opposite of encourage, so 'restrict'. 'Promote' and 'reward' mean encourage. Only (c) fits both.

Answer: (c) cancelled out, restrict.

Example 6: Clue spread across the passage

Passage: In the 1990s, the town's handloom weavers seemed doomed. Cheap machine-made cloth had flooded the market, and young people were leaving the trade. Today the picture is very different. Designers in big cities now seek out hand-woven saris, and online sales have given the weavers buyers across the world. The craft that was once (1) ____ is now (2) ____.

Question: (a) thriving, declining (b) dying, vanishing (c) ignored, forgotten (d) dying, flourishing

Solution: The last line sums up the whole passage with a 'once… now' frame. The first half described 'doomed' weavers and young people leaving, so 'once' = dying. The second half ('Today the picture is very different', designers, world-wide buyers) shows success, so 'now' = flourishing.

(a) reverses the story, while (b) and (c) give 2 negative states and ignore 'very different'.

Answer: (d) dying, flourishing.

Common mistakes

Filling a blank from its own sentence only: always read at least 1 sentence on each side before choosing.

Missing a turn in the passage: 'however', 'but', 'today' or 'yet' can flip the tone halfway; a word that suited the first half may be wrong after the turn.

Reversing cause and effect: in 'Supply rose sharply; as a result, prices ____', the answer is 'fell', not 'rose'. Think about what the cause actually does.

Choosing a phrasal verb by its first word: 'pay off' (succeed) and 'pay up' (pay money owed) are different; check the whole phrase.

Not rereading the finished passage: a set of answers that each look fine can still tell a contradictory story.

Practice questions

Q1. Passage: Priya studied every evening for 6 months. Her hard work ____ when she topped the district in the board exam. (a) paid off (b) paid up (c) fell through (d) gave in

Q2. Passage: The river was once so clean that people drank from it. Today, after years of industrial waste, its water is ____ even for bathing. (a) ideal (b) unfit (c) suitable (d) reserved

Q3. Passage: The speaker's arguments were weak and his facts were often wrong. Not surprisingly, the audience remained ____. (a) convinced (b) inspired (c) persuaded (d) unconvinced

Answers

Q1. (a) 'Pay off' means to bring success, which topping the district shows. 'Paid up' is paying a debt, 'fell through' means failed and 'gave in' means surrendered.

Q2. (b) The 'once… today' frame and 'years of industrial waste' show the river is now polluted; 'even for bathing' needs a negative word: unfit.

Q3. (d) Weak arguments and wrong facts, plus 'Not surprisingly', point to an audience that was not persuaded. The other 3 are positive.

Quick revision

Skim first: fix the topic and the tone before filling any blank.

Read 1 sentence before and 1 after each blank; the clue is often outside the blank's own sentence.

'Once… now' and 'however/today' mark a change; 'as a result/so' asks for a logical effect.

Reread the finished passage: one story, one tone.