Hello, My name's Peter Travis from Flo-Joe and this is the latest in our series of videos looking at the updated Cambridge English First or FCE exam which launches in 2015. Today we're looking at Part 2 of the Reading and Use of English Paper - the Open Cloze task.
If we a turn to the FCE handbook you can see the Open Cloze consists of a short text with 8 gaps - 9 gaps including the example at the beginning. Each gap equals one word and the candidate has to complete each gap by identifying the missing word. If we look at the example we can see a gap marked (0) and above the text we can see the correct answer for (0) is marked 'as' AS - I work as a motorbike stunt rider.
Language Skills
The main focus in the Open Cloze is grammar and certain parts of speech are often tested. Let's have a look at some of them.
Pronouns will often be gapped. In particular look out for reflexive pronouns such as 'ourselves', 'yourself' etc. and relative pronouns - 'who', 'where' 'when' etc. Which pronouns are missing in these two sentences? The answers will appear in a couple of seconds.
Articles and quantifiers like 'much', 'more' , 'some' , 'many' etc. will sometimes be required. Which words are missing in these two sentences?
Modal verbs, like 'will', 'would', 'must', 'can' etc. and the auxiliary verbs 'be', 'do', and 'have' are often tested. Which verbs are missing in these sentences?
Conjunctions like 'although', 'yet', 'still' or 'because' will sometimes be gapped. Which conjunction is missing here?
Prepositions, especially those in set expressions like 'on the contrary' or 'in the meantime' will sometimes be gapped. Which preposition is missing here?
Exam Tips
Make sure you read the complete text first before attempting to answer any questions. Having an overview of the content will sometimes help you to identify missing words.
Pay attention to the clauses and words around each gap as these will usually help you identify which part of speech is missing - a verb, a conjunction, a pronoun for example.
That's the end of this video. If you'd like further practice in the new FCE exam visit the Flo-Joe website at www.flo-joe.co.uk.
