CAE Use of English Part 2 Open Cloze Tips and Tricks
Try our practice exercise at the bottom of this article.
What is CAE Use of English Part 2?
CAE Use of English Part 2 is the Open Cloze task in the C1 Advanced Reading and Use of English paper.
You read a short text with eight gaps. For each gap, you must write one missing word. There are no multiple-choice options, so you need to decide the answer from the grammar, meaning and structure of the text.
At CAE level, this exercise tests how well you control English at C1 level. The missing words are usually small words, but the structures around them are more complex than at FCE.
The answer may be a preposition, pronoun, auxiliary verb, linker, quantifier, negative word or part of a fixed expression.
What makes CAE Open Cloze different from FCE?
At FCE level, the gaps often test common grammar patterns. At CAE level, the same categories still appear, but the sentences are usually denser and more abstract.
You may need to understand longer noun phrases, contrastive clauses, formal linkers, more idiomatic prepositional phrases and less obvious reference words.
FCE-style focus
common prepositions
basic relative pronouns
simple linkers
common auxiliary verbs
familiar fixed phrases
straightforward comparisons
CAE-style focus
more precise linkers
advanced dependent prepositions
multi-word expressions
abstract reference words
concessive structures
more complex clause patterns
The individual answer may still be a simple word such as as, to, which or whether. The difficulty is recognising why that word is needed in a more sophisticated sentence.
Typical C1-level answer areas
CAE Open Cloze rewards students who notice patterns across the whole sentence, not just the words immediately before the gap.
Linking and contrast
although
whereas
while
despite
unless
whether
however
therefore
Reference and clauses
which
whose
where
what
whoever
whatever
such
it
Prepositional patterns
with regard to
in terms of
as opposed to
on account of
in response to
by means of
in relation to
in spite of
Fixed structures
no sooner … than
not only … but
so … as to
such … that
rather than
as far as
by no means
under no circumstances
You do not need to memorise endless lists, but you do need to build a strong bank of C1 grammar patterns and fixed expressions.
Examples of CAE-level thinking
Look at this sentence:
The proposal was rejected, not because it was unrealistic, but ___ it failed to address the central issue.
Answer: because
This is a two-part structure: not because … but because. The answer is simple, but the sentence structure is more complex than a typical B2 example.
Another example:
The policy, ___ effects are still being debated, was introduced five years ago.
Answer: whose
This tests a relative clause with possession: whose effects.
Another example:
The results were not nearly as convincing ___ the researchers had expected.
Answer: as
This is a comparison pattern: not nearly as … as.
How to approach CAE Open Cloze
Do not treat the task as a word-by-word guessing exercise. At C1 level, the answer often depends on the wider grammar of the sentence or even the paragraph.
Before filling the gaps
Read the title.
Read the whole text quickly.
Identify the topic and tone.
Notice contrast, cause and reference.
For each gap
Read the full sentence.
Check the words after the gap.
Identify the structure.
Write one word only.
Check spelling carefully.
The words after the gap are often decisive. For example:
She objected ___ being treated as though she had caused the problem.
Answer: to
The structure is object to + -ing.
Common CAE Open Cloze mistakes
Mistake
choosing a B2-level linker when a more precise one is needed
missing fixed two-part structures
ignoring abstract reference
writing two words instead of one
overlooking dependent prepositions
Better habit
study linkers by function
learn full expressions
check what pronouns refer to
avoid contractions
record adjective/verb + preposition patterns
For example, do not only learn the word regard. Learn the full structure:
with regard to something
Do not only learn opposed. Learn:
as opposed to something
opposed to doing something
This is the kind of lexico-grammar that appears frequently at C1 level.
CAE Use of English Part 2 Open Cloze Tips and Tricks; final advice for students
CAE Open Cloze is not mainly about rare vocabulary. It is about precise control of advanced sentence structure.
To improve, focus on:
Grammar control
relative clauses
passive structures
comparison patterns
inversion triggers
modal perfect forms
negative structures
Lexico-grammar
dependent prepositions
phrasal verbs
fixed phrases
formal linkers
discourse markers
quantifier patterns
When you get an answer wrong, do not simply write down the missing word. Write down the whole structure.
For example:
object to doing somethingnot nearly as … aswith regard tono sooner … thanthe extent to which
This is the most efficient way to prepare. CAE Open Cloze tests whether you can see the hidden structure of a sentence. Once you train yourself to recognise those patterns, the task becomes much more manageable.
CAE Use of English Part 2 Open Cloze Tips and Tricks:
Test yourself with our C1 Exercise
Do the exercise, check the answers and if an answer comes out in red, try again. If it comes out green, then well done. When you are finished, click on the answer sheet below and check your answers, using the answer sheet as a revision tool.
C1 Test Practice:
Open Choice Gapfill
Complete each sentence with one word only.
1. In recent years, urban noise has increasingly come to be regarded a public health issue rather than a minor inconvenience.
2. The funding will be released only condition that the organisation publishes a full account of how the money is spent.
3. The minister’s explanation may have satisfied some supporters, but it did little to address the concerns raised by independent experts.
4. The programme was designed not so much to replace classroom teaching rather to support students who needed extra practice outside school.
5. the limited amount of data available, the researchers were careful not to make exaggerated claims about the results.
6. The novelist, early work was largely ignored, is now considered one of the most original voices of her generation.
7. The new system is by means perfect, but it has made the application process considerably more transparent.
8. The real question might not be or not technology can change the way we learn, but how responsibly it can be introduced into schools.
Answer Key: Open Choice Gapfill
Tip: try the exercise first, check your score, then use this answer key to review the grammar, linking words and fixed expressions.
This is not official exam material, and is simply to help students in practice for various exams and general English.