What gap-fill is: In a gap-fill you complete a sentence or a short summary with the right word or words. The missing words come from the text — or from a given word list.
It is a Reading task, so the answer is always in front of you: your job is to find the word in the text and copy it correctly.
The exam instruction you'll see: In the real English Paper 2 exam, this question type is introduced by an instruction like:
“Choose the appropriate word from the list that completes each gap in the following text.”
What you have to do: Read the passage, then choose the list word that fits each gap both grammatically and in meaning. There are MORE words than gaps — some are distractors. Write the letter in the box.
- gap-fill
- a task where you complete a sentence with a missing word
- the gap / blank
- the empty space you have to fill
- to complete
- to fill in the missing word(s)
- word list / word bank
- a set of words you may choose from (often with extra ones)
- according to the text
- as the text says — your answer must come from the text
- distractor
- a word in the list that looks possible but is wrong
The word comes from the text: Almost always the word you need is already in the text (or in a given list). You don't invent it — you locate it and copy it across, spelled exactly as it appears.
What a good gap-fill answer needs: A gap-fill answer is usually one word or just a few words. To earn the mark it has to do two things at once: come from the text (or the list), and be copied correctly so it fits the sentence.
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| How long is it? | usually one word, or just a few words |
| Where does it come from? | from the text (or a given list), never from your imagination |
| Does it have to fit? | yes — it must make sense and fit the grammar of the sentence |
| Does spelling matter? | yes — copy the word exactly as the text writes it |
| One word or several? | use only what the gap needs — no extra, irrelevant words |
Copy, don't paraphrase: Gap-fill is marked objectively. A word in your own words scores zero even if the meaning is right. Find the exact word in the text and copy it into the gap.
Learn what examiners really want
See exactly what to write to score full marks. Our AI shows you model answers and the key phrases examiners look for.
Try AI Feedback Free7-day free trial • No card required
A reliable gap-fill routine: Don't just drop in the first word that sounds right. Read the gapped sentence, predict what kind of word fits, find it in the text, copy it correctly, and check it fits. Five quick steps.
Fill the gap — 5 steps
1
Read the gapped sentence
Read the whole sentence with the gap. What is it telling you, and what is missing?
2
Predict the word type
Decide what kind of word fits: a noun? a verb? a number? an adjective?
3
Find it in the text
Scan the text (or the given list) for a word of that type that makes the sentence true.
4
Copy it correctly
Write the word exactly as the text spells it — objective marking is strict.
5
Check it fits
Re-read the completed sentence. Does it fit the grammar and make sense?
Read → Predict type → Find → Copy → Check fit
Predict the word type first: Before you hunt, ask what kind of word the gap needs. After "a" or "the" it's a noun; after a name it's probably a verb. Predicting the type means you scan for the right word, not just any word.
A gap-fill in action: Here is a short text — the kind Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. The text stays in front of you, so you find the missing word, you don't recall it. Read it once for the general idea, then we'll fill one gap together.
A new study space: The Greenwood library has opened a new study space on its top floor. It is free for everyone, and it stays open until ten o'clock every evening. There are quiet desks, fast internet and a small machine that sells hot drinks.
Local students say the space has changed the way they revise. "At home there were too many distractions," explains Aisha, a sixth-form student. "Here I can concentrate for hours." The library asks only one thing of its visitors: please leave each desk tidy for the next person.
- study space
- a quiet area set aside for working or revising
- distraction
- something that stops you concentrating
- to revise
- to study again before a test or exam
- to concentrate
- to focus your attention on one thing
- tidy
- neat and in order
Filling one gap
One gap, step by step
- Read the gapped sentence — "The new study space stays open until __________ o'clock every evening."
- Predict the word type. Before "o'clock" we need a time / number — what closing time does the text give?
- Find it in the text. Scan for "stays open until": "it stays open until ten o'clock every evening." The word is right there.
- Copy & check — the answer is ten. Copy it exactly, then re-read the sentence: "…stays open until ten o'clock" — it fits, and it comes straight from the text, so no outside knowledge is needed.
Copy it exactly: Once you've found the word, copy it letter for letter from the text. In objective gap-fill marking, a word in your own words — or padded with extra words — can lose a mark the exact word would have earned.
Never wonder what to study next
Get a personalized daily plan based on your exam date, progress, and weak areas. We'll tell you exactly what to review each day.
Try Free Study Plan7-day free trial • No card required
The golden rule: copy the exact words: Most Paper 2 Reading answers must be copied exactly from the text. When the question says "answer using the words as they appear in the text", paraphrasing scores ZERO.
So your job is simple: find the exact word or phrase in the text and copy it across. Don't put it in your own words.
The four scoring rules
- Copy the exact words — find the word/phrase in the text and write it as it appears; your own words score nothing.
- Keep it complete, add nothing extra — give the whole answer, but no extra or irrelevant words; wrong extra info can lose the mark.
- True/False = tick AND quote — a True/False question earns its 1 mark only if you give the tick AND a justification quoted word-for-word from the text.
- One answer per box — in multiple choice, put exactly ONE answer in the box; two answers score zero.
DO this (scores the mark)
- Copy the exact word from the text: "distractions".
- Give just the words the question asks for — no padding.
- For True/False, tick the box AND quote the proof line.
- Put one clear answer in each box.
DON'T do this (loses the mark)
- Paraphrase in your own words: "things that bother you" → 0.
- Add extra, irrelevant words that contradict the text.
- Write "True" with no justification quoted from the text.
- Write two answers in one multiple-choice box.
Spelling slips are usually OK: A small spelling slip is fine if the meaning is still clear — you won't lose the mark for one wrong letter. What loses marks is paraphrasing, extra wrong words, or a True/False with no quoted justification.