Cloze Procedure Samples

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Instructions -- Choose a passage of about 100-150 words from the text you commonly use for Beginners in your classroom. Choose another passage of the same length from the text you commonly use for an Intermediate. Leave the first sentence of the passage intact, but eliminate every seventh word in the rest of the passage. Replace the omitted word with a standard length blank. Put numbers in each blank.

A short example of a Beginner cloze test is as follows:

Beginner

Mrs. Lee lives in the city. She does not live in the ____1____. Every day she goes to the ____2____.

She buys milk and fresh bread ____3____ for the children. She does not go ____4____ the but.

She drives a car. Her ____5____ is a teacher. The school is ____6____ their house. He can walk

to ____7____. The Lees have three children. Their ____8____ is seven. He likes school.

He ____9____ with his father every morning. Their ____10________11____ is very small. She

stays home ____12____ her mother.

A short example of an Intermediate cloze test is as follows:

Intermediate

I have a friend who doesn't like advice. He's such an independent person ____1____ he is difficult to

help. A ____2____ months ago, he felt sick for ____3____ days. I knew it because when

____4____ stopped by to see him, he ____5____ in bed. It was two o'clock ____6____ the

afternoon, and my friend never ____7____ down during the day. So I ____8____ something was

really wrong. I tried ____9____ get him to check his temperature ____10____ he refused. He

agreed, however, to ____11____ aspirin and drink several glasses of ____12____, but he wouldn't

listen to my ____13____ about calling a doctor.