Sample of Gap Filling Exercises

FILL-IN THE GAPS

For questions 1-10, complete the following article. Use only one word for each space. The exercise begins with an example (0).

A DNA fingerprint __of___ (0) every active criminal in Britain will be taken __AS________ (1) part of government plans ____FOR________ (2) a wide-ranging overhaul of the criminal justice system, the Prime Minister said yesterday.

In his first public announcement ___SINCE_________ (3) returning from holiday, Tony Blair promised to deliver a courts system fit for the 21st century. Addressing police officers in Kent, in southern England, he accused the courts of being run for ___THEIR_______ (4) own convenience and promised to ensure that victims, witnesses and police giving evidence would receive more respect.

Mr Blair declared the justice system archaic, saying it hindered police efforts to keep up ___WITH_________ (5) organised crime, and announced a 107 million package to expand the DNA database. According to a government spokesman, the database should hold more than three million samples­ equivalent __TO_______ (6) almost the whole criminal class of the UK.

'I think we __HAVE_____(7) effectively got a 19th century justice system in a 21st century world,' the Prime Minister said.

'We have totally failed to keep __UP__________ (8) to date with the fact that we have got major organised crime operating in a completely different way to 50 or 60 years ago,' he said.

Mr Blair stressed that he was ___IN_____ (9) favour of so-called zero tolerance and wanted a law-abiding society based on courtesy _TOWARDS/TO________ (10) others.

Choose a word from the table below to fill each space. Some words may be used more than once.

1. How  children do you and Tony have?
2. I don't have  patience and I find jigsaw puzzles boring.
3. We only have  carrots. We should go and buy some more.
4. "Do we need any mushrooms?" "No, we have . Look, three bags!"
5. There was an explosion at the factory and  people were injured. We don't know how many yet.
6. When you make the pie, put  wine in too. But not too much! It makes it really tasty.
7. When you go out, buy me  apple and a bottle of Coke.
8. I don't need  advice from you. You don't understand the problem!
9. "Do you like this programme?" "Not . You can change the channel if you want."
10. Lots of people in Spain like to take  siesta during the hottest part of the day.
11. I have been to America  times. Twice in 1996 and again last year.
12. Can you give me  information about the buses in the city centre please?
13.  people think he is stupid, but he's actually quite intelligent.

How to Construct Gap Filling Questions

Gap-filling items are a good way to improve your knowledge of grammar (tenses, prepositions). Their biggest disadvantage is that they are difficult to create correctly, especially when you are a beginner. You can add a sentence from a dictionary or a book (e.g. He’s an expert in pollution), but it is always possible that there are other correct answers (e.g. expert on).

Usually, we use gap-filling items to learn grammar. The question field contains an English sentence with a gap (which looks like this: ____). The answer field contains the full sentence. There is no gap — it is filled with the missing word or phrase.

You can also use gap-filling items to learn words: The sentence in the question field can have a gap in place of the word which you want to memorize. The answer field can contain the full sentence, a definition of the missing word, and its pronunciation.

Examples
Q- His card preceded him ______ a few seconds and then he entered himself.
A- His card preceded him by a few seconds and then he entered himself.
Q- Don't try to shift the blame ____ me!
A- Don't try to shift the blame onto me!
Q- We are indebted ___ you for your help.
A- We are indebted to you for your help.

How to repeat

1. Read the sentence in the question field.
2. Say or think the word which fits in the gap.
3. Read the full sentence in the answer field carefully.
4. Choose a grade.

The other testing technique is known as “banked gap-filling”, because you have to choose the appropriate word from a bank of alternatives. In a banked gap-filling task, similarly to the open gap-filling tasks we explained in the previous chapter, you are asked to read a text from which some words are missing. However, while in an open gap task you are not given any words to choose from, in this type of test, the words that were taken out from the text are printed after the text, and you ‘only’ need to decide which word in the list of words after the text is suitable for which gap in the text.

It may be helpful for you to note that the possible answers are listed in alphabetical order. You should also remember that this list of choices always includes at least one, but more typically, two extra words that will not be suitable for any of the gaps, and which you will not need to use in your answers. Since you may only use each word once, it is a good idea to put a line through a word in the bank, once you have decided where it fits in the text, so that you do not use it again. This will also make it easier to search through the remaining words in the bank for other items. Also, at the end, you can check to see whether one or two words have not been crossed out since, depending on what the instructions say, there will always be one or two words you do not need.

The tasks in this chapter were designed to test your ability to use vocabulary rather more than grammatical structure, which, however, does not mean that none of them contain any items requiring grammar words. As with other gap-filling tasks which are based on texts, in order to do this type of test successfully, it is a good idea to read through the whole text before even attempting to fill in any gaps in the text. You can then go back to the beginning and try to select the correct option to fit in the first space. Remember that you need not only to pay attention to the meaning, but you also need to be aware of the part of speech that appears to be missing from the text, and then identify an appropriate part of speech from the bank.

The example (0) in the Sample Task (“Far from shore”) (with which you are advised to start practising this task type) is a good instance of this: an adjective is required to fill the gap between a possessive noun(“ocean’s”) and the head noun (“layer”), and the meaning of the adjective must relate to the meaning of the text: the sunlight layer must be higher than the other two, darker, layers, and so “top” is the best choice. As with open gap-filling, it is essential to read the text after the gap as well as before it, to be sure that the word you choose fits completely into the context. A very common mistake is to find a word that fits the text before the gap but not after the gap. Always look beyond the gap.

Now you should attempt to do the Sample Task for this task type (“Far from shore”).
INTO EUROPE Reading and Use of English
You are going to read a text about the ocean. Some words are missing from it.
Choose the most appropriate word from the list (A-P) for each gap (1-13) in the text. There are two extra words that you do not need to use. Write your answers in the boxes after the text. There is one example at the beginning (0).

Far from Shore
Scientists divide the open ocean far from land into three layers according to how much sunlight the water gets: the sunlight zone, the twilight zone, and the midnight zone.

Sunlight Zone
The sunlight zone is the ocean’s (0) _____ layer. It goes down about 300 feet, and the temperature is a pleasant 70°F. Even (1) _____ it is the smallest zone, it has about 90 (2) _____ of ocean life. Sunlight brightens the water near the surface (3) _____ plankton float. Bigger  creatures also live in the sunny water. Some swimming animals cruise (4) _____ below the surface. Some dive deep. Others break the water’s surface (5) _____ reach the air above.

Twilight Zone
The twilight zone (6) _____ from the bottom of the sunlight zone down about 3,000 feet. The water (7) _____ darker and colder – about 50°F. The fish that live here can’t see very well, and there isn’t enough light for plant plankton or seaweed to stay (8) _____. Most food comes from dead plankton and animals that drift down from the surface waters.

Midnight Zone
The midnight zone goes from the bottom of the twilight zone to the floor of the ocean. This zone is dark and (9) _____. The temperature is really cold – about 43°F. The weight of the water from above presses very hard on the small, (10) _____ blind animals that live here. Many deep-ocean fish have parts that glow from chemicals in (11) _____ bodies. Their lights confuse enemies, lure prey, and (12) _____ mates. At some places on the ocean floor, water (13) _____ hot as 750°F shoots out of openings, or vents. Minerals collect around the vents to form underwater chimneys. The hot water rising from the chimneys looks like black smoke.

Item 1: A conjunction is needed in the gap to connect the meaning of the two clauses of the sentence. The word “even” in the sentence is the first part of a two-word conjunction which could do this, but the second part of this conjunction is missing. The word “though” given among the choices is suitable.
Item 2: The author is contrasting a small area with a large quantity of ocean life. “percent” would complete the meaning.
Item 3: Since the two words after the gap are a noun (“plankton”) and a verb (“float”), what is needed here is a subordinating conjunction of location: “where” is ideal.
Item 4: Since, at first sight, the sentence containing this item seems complete both in terms of meaning and syntax, there are not many types of words one can think of when trying to fill the gap. However, the short sentence right after the gap, “Some [animals] dive deep [in the water.]”, suggests that other animals must cruise “very near” the surface (not simply “below the surface”). So the missing word must be an intensifier/ qualifier of some sort. The word “just”fits the meaning.
Item 5: The words surrounding the gap suggest that the meaning of the sentence requires an infinitive of purpose. The missing word can only be the infinitive particle “to”.
Item 6: There is a main verb missing in this sentence, and the meaning has to do with a range, hence “extends”.
Item 7: A verb is needed, and the adjectives after the gap are comparatives, so something that indicates a change of state would make sense, hence “gets” or “becomes” – but “becomes” is not in the bank.
Item 8: The meaning of the sentence is that the plankton and seaweed will die because of the lack of light, hence stay “alive” is appropriate.
Item 9: What is needed here is another adjective that indicates what deep water will be like. “still” is the only suitable choice given in the bank.
Item 10: Again, what is missing is either an adjective or an adverb qualifying the adjective “blind”. As there are no other adjectives left in the bank, the adverb “nearly” is the best choice.
Item 11: Either an adjective or a determiner is needed, but the possessive adjective “their”, referring back to the “fish”, is the best.
Item 12: The three clauses of the gapped sentence are parallel: a verb followed by a noun, so the missing word must be a verb. What one often does with “mates” is to “attract” them.
Item 13: If you read beyond the gap you will see that there is a comparison (“hot as 750 F”), so the first part of the comparison is what is missing: “as”.

Disadvantages of MCQ

Disadvantages

• Often difficult to write questions that have only one correct answer
• Sometimes the word(s) omitted make it difficult to understand the meaning of the sentence

Hints

• Omit only a relevant key wordUse straight forward sentences
• Check that learners can infer the meaning even without the deleted word
• Do not use a or an to provide a clue
• Give credit for all potential answers that make sense

Advantages of Gap Filling

Little scope for the learner to guess the correct answer 

•     Useful for assessing recall
•     Scoring can be perfectly reliable, rapid and economical
•     Guessing will (or should) contribute less to test scores
•     The technique is not restricted by the need for distractors
•     Cheating is likely to be more difficult

General Guidelines in Gap Filling

1. Read through the sentence carefully to make sure you understand it.
2. Carefully read the sentence with the first gap and think about what form will fit i.e. should it be an adjective, noun, infinitive, present participle etc? And what type of word is needed i.e. is it an amount, a change, an action?
3. You should have worked out that for questions that you are looking for a noun because 'an' comes before it.
4. Then look at the other words in the sentence - which ones have the right form to fit and the right type?
5. Use this information to help you choose the correct word for the reading gap filling.

Definition of Gap Filling

Gap-fill test is an exercise in which words are removed from a text and replaced with spaces. The learner has to fill each space with the missing word or a suitable word. Usually, we use gap-filling items to learn grammar. The question field contains an English sentence with a gap (which looks like this: ____). The answer field contains the full sentence. There is no gap — it is filled with the missing word or phrase. You can also use gap-filling items to learn words: The sentence in the question field can have a gap in place of the word which you want to memorize. The answer field can contain the full sentence, a definition of the missing word, and its pronunciation.

 Gap-filling items are a good way to improve your knowledge of grammar (tenses, prepositions). Their biggest disadvantage is that they are difficult to create correctly, especially when you are a beginner. You can add a sentence from a dictionary or a book (e.g. He’s an expert in pollution), but it is always possible that there are other correct answers (e.g. expert on).

Example of Short Answer Questions

There are six basic types of short-answer question:

• Definition questions.  

For these questions, you simply need to define a concept. 

• Example:  “What is a demand curve?”  
• Answer:  “It is a curve that shows the quantity demanded of a particular good or service at many different prices.”

• Explanation questions.

For these questions, you need to explain why something is true or how something works. 

• Example:  “Why is the demand curve downward-sloping for most goods?”  
• Answer:  “Because as the price of a good falls, people tend to buy more of it. When the price is lower, buying the good involves a smaller sacrifice in terms of other goods.”

• Example questions.  

For these questions, you need to state one or more specific, real-world instances of some concept.

• Example:  “Give two examples of pairs of goods that are complements.”  
• Answer:  “Cameras and camera film.  Peanut butter and jelly.”

• Relationship questions.  

For these questions, you need to state how two or more things relate to each other.  Are they opposites?  Are they the same thing?  Is one an example of the other?  How do they differ?  Etc.  These are usually the most difficult questions.

• Example:  “In a competitive market economy, what is the relationship between prices and scarcity?” 
• Answer:  “Prices usually reflect scarcity directly.  More scarce commodities have higher prices, while less scarce commodities have lower prices.”

• Example:  “What is the difference between demand and quantity demanded?”
• Answer:  “Quantity demanded is the amount of a good consumers will buy at a specific price, whereas demand shows the quantities demanded for many different prices.”

• Calculation questions.  

For these questions, you need to calculate a numerical answer or answers. 

• Example:  “If the demand for boxes of cereal is given by P = 100 – 0.1Q_d, and the supply is given by P = 20 + 0.1Q_s, what is the market equilibrium price and quantity?”  
• Answer:  “Q* = 400, P* = 60.”

• Graphing questions.  

For these questions, you need to respond with a simple graph.  Make sure you clearly label your axes and curves.  Unless the question specifically asks for an explanation, no explanation is necessary! 

• Example:  “Draw a diagram of a market with an effective price ceiling below the market price.  Mark the resulting shortage.”

Make sure you know what kind of question you’re answering!  Many students lose points by giving the wrong kind of answer.

• If it’s a definition question, don’t give an example instead. 
• Example:  “What is meant by economies of scale?”  
• Bad answer:  “Economies of scale is like when Ford Motors came up with the idea of assembly-line production of automobiles.”  
• Good answer:  “Economies of scale is when the long-run average cost of production falls as output rises.”
• If it’s an example question, don’t give a definition instead.
• Example:  “Give an example of substitute goods.”  
• Bad answer:  “A substitute good is one that you’ll buy more of when the price of a similar good goes up.”  
• Good answer:  “Butter and margarine.”
• If it’s an explanation question, don’t give a definition or an example.
• Example:  “Why do economies of scale occur?”  
• Bad answer:  “Economies of scale occur when the average cost of production goes down as output goes up.”  [This is a correct description of economies of scale, but it doesn’t say why the average cost goes down as output goes up.]  Another bad answer:  “Economies of scale happens because you can make more cars for cheaper by having an assembly line.”  [This answer is too specific, because economies of scale are a concept that applies to more than just cars.]  
• Good answer:  “Economies of scale usually occur because firms can make use of mass production techniques that involve greater specialization of both labor and capital.”
• If it’s relationship question, don’t just give two definitions (unless the wording of the definitions makes the relationship obvious).
• Example:  “For most goods, what is the relationship between price and quantity demanded?”  
• Bad answer:  “Price is the amount of money you have to pay for the good.  Quantity demanded is how much you buy.”  
• Good answer:  “As the price of a good rises, quantity demanded tends to fall.”

The point is, it’s not enough to say something correct.  You also have to say something that directly answers the question asked.