Grammar Cloze - Revision

In this article, we will be revising the Grammar Cloze component. This practice exercise will help you with your PSLE as well.

Grammar Cloze

While doing ‘Grammar Cloze’ questions, it is important to follow some guidelines.

• Read everything
• Cross out what you have used

Practice Questions - Grammar Cloze

Question 1:

Learn to think positively, because it helps to turn your thoughts away from your usual worries __________ the beauty of the present.

1. towards
2. into
3. against
4. on

Solution:

(1) towards

Explanation:

Usual worries indicate a sad situation. The beauty indicates a good situation. Therefore, we need to turn away from the sad situation and look towards the good situation.

Look into means to delve deeper into that matter or to do research.

Question 2:

These two scientists led __________ study which found that black holes exist in more than four dimensions.

1. an
2. the
3. about
4. any

Solution:

(2) the

Explanation:

Option 1 is wrong. The article ‘an’ is used only when the word starts with the vowel sound. Here, study starts with ‘s’ which is not a vowel.

Option 2 is correct. The study: It refers to a specific study about the black holes.

Option 3 is wrong. The study is about a subject. However, in the current sentence structure, it is a wrong usage of the word.

Option 4 is wrong. It is not just any study but a specific study.

Question 3:

For my birthday I received __________ unicycle. How unexpected.

1. a
2. an
3. the
4. these

Solution:

(1) a

Explanation:

Option 1 is the correct answer. Even though the word ‘unicycle’ starts with the vowel ‘u’, the sound is not a vowel sound.

Option 2 is not correct as the sound is not of the vowel in ‘unicycle’.

Option 3 and Option 4 are wrong.

Question 4:

We are worried that abandoning this line of inquiry may be a bad idea __________ the lack of promise in studies thus far.

1. because
2. but
3. yet
4. despite

Solution:

(4) despite

Explanation:

• ‘Abandoning’ - leaving or giving up.
• ‘Line of inquiry’ - a particular set of questions that you are trying to answer through writing or research. They are questions that you already might have partial answers to but would like to pursue further.
• ‘Lack of promise’ - something with bad or no results.
• ‘Despite’ - even though.

We are worried that abandoning this line of inquiry may be a bad idea __________ the lack of promise in studies thus far.
It means: We are worried that leaving this research may be a bad idea even though the study has not shown any results so far.

Question 5:

Gokun went through years of tough training to __________ the Ultimate Super Sayer.

1. became
2. become
3. has
4. because

Solution:

(2) become

Question 6:

What, man! You __________ to be ashamed of yourself!

1. ought
2. should
3. must
4. could

Solution:

(1) ought

Explanation:

• ‘Ought to be’ is the correct phrase.
• ‘Should be’ is correct and NOT should to be.

Option 1 is the correct answer.

Question 7: 

A few of us were sceptical __________ their bold claims.

1. with
2. towards
3. to
4. of

Solution:

(4) of

Explanation:

‘Sceptical of’ - doubtful of something

Question 8:

Located __________ the west coast, the island is home to more than fifty species of alien plant life.

1. about
2. on
3. off
4. around

Solution:

(3) off

Explanation:

• ‘Off the west coast’ - It means that once you reach the west coast, you need to go out into the sea to reach the island.
• ‘Around the west coast’ - area in and around that coastal region, but on the coast and not in the sea.
• ‘On the west coast’ - some place situated on the west coast.

Question 9:

He is someone __________ spends a lot of time meditating. His silence is thoughtful.

1. who
2. whom
3. that
4. which

Solution:

(1) who

Explanation:

‘Who’ is used with he / she.
‘Whom’ is used with him / her.

Question 10: 

The Queen won the battle. But while her story __________ a happy ending, the kingdom eventually fell under the rule of a greedy king.

1. is
2. had
3. has
4. is having

Solution:

(3) has

Conclusion

In this article, we have done questions related to the Grammar Cloze component. 
We hope this article has helped you to quickly revise the concepts related to this topic.