PSLE English Learning Guide: Comprehension Cloze Cohesion and Reference — Make the Missing Word Connect Back and Forward

PSLE English Learning Guide · Guide 75 · Comprehension Cloze workshop
Return to the PSLE Learning Guide · Comprehension Cloze owner · Previous: Collocation and Phrase Fit

A Comprehension Cloze blank often depends on a sentence that has already finished.

Example:

“The school opened a second entrance for book donations. This ___ helped separate donors from pupils returning library books.”

The word after This must name or classify the earlier action.

Possible candidates include:

change, arrangement, system, move.

The blank is not solved from the second sentence alone. It is solved by the bridge between the two sentences.

The current 2026 PSLE English Language format includes Comprehension Cloze in Paper 2 Booklet B. This guide owns one narrow job under the broad Comprehension Cloze owner: use reference, lexical repetition, substitution and sentence-to-sentence relationships to make the missing word connect backwards and forwards.

Choose the cohesion difficulty you actually have

If you solve every blank from one sentence, begin with two-sentence window. If pronouns are unclear, use reference. If this/these/such control the blank, use demonstratives. If a key idea is repeated using different words, use lexical chains. If a connector is missing, use cohesive connectors. If the next sentence reveals the answer, use look forward.

Two-sentence window · Pronouns · Demonstratives · Lexical chains · Connectors · Forward clues · Main passage

Read at least one sentence before and after when needed

Blank sentence:

“This ___ made the queue shorter.”

Previous sentence:

“The organiser moved the registration desk closer to the entrance.”

Next sentence:

“Visitors no longer had to cross the hall before joining the line.”

The passage supports:

change/move/arrangement.

The next sentence confirms the result and helps reject unrelated nouns.

Do not read three sentences mechanically for every blank

Some blanks are controlled locally.

Others require a wider window.

Use a wider window when the sentence contains:

• pronouns;
• demonstratives;
• connectors;
• summary nouns;
• repeated topic words;
• old/new states;
• cause/result links.

Pronouns preserve people and things across sentences

“Mira found a wallet near the gate. She took it to the office.”

she → Mira.

it → wallet.

If the cloze blank is:

“She took ___ to the office.”

the earlier noun supplies the referent.

Guide 2 develops pronoun reference in comprehension.

Number helps resolve reference

“The teacher placed two boxes beside the table. They were labelled clearly.”

They refers to the two boxes, not the singular table.

A cloze word may need to preserve that plural reference.

Gendered pronouns require textual evidence

If the passage names Mira and Ben, she and he may be clear.

Do not assign gender where the passage uses neutral roles such as the volunteer without identifying details.

This, that, these and those can point to whole ideas

“The trial lasted only two days. This ___ meant the organisers needed more evidence.”

Possible:

limitation/fact/situation.

The demonstrative points to the short trial duration, not merely to the noun days.

Summary nouns after “this” are powerful cohesion clues

this change

this decision

this problem

this result

this behaviour

this difference

The noun classifies the previous sentence.

Plural demonstratives can collect several earlier actions

“The librarians moved the printer queue and added a quiet-zone sign. These ___ reduced interruptions.”

Answer:

changes/measures/actions.

The plural word must represent both earlier actions.

Such links to a previously described type

“Some visitors ignored the arrows and entered through the exit lane. Such ___ made crowd control harder.”

Likely:

behaviour/actions.

Such means “of the type just described”.

Ordered reference can create cohesion

“The group considered the hall and the library. The former was larger, but the latter was quieter.”

Former = hall.

Latter = library.

Guide 53 develops these reference words. In Cloze, a missing adjective or noun may depend on which option is being referenced.

Lexical chains repeat an idea without repeating one word

Example chain:

donate → collection → books → boxes → sort → shelf.

Another:

rain → wet floor → slippery → safety → close staircase → alternative route.

Words in the chain create cohesion across the paragraph.

Synonyms and near-synonyms can carry the same idea forward

problem → difficulty → issue.

change → adjustment → modification.

help → support → assistance.

Do not assume a new word means a new topic.

General category words can summarise specific details

Specific:

chairs, tables, shelves.

General:

furniture.

Specific:

signs, arrows, maps.

General:

directions/guidance.

A cloze blank may ask for the summary category.

Strategic repetition can be correct

Writers do not avoid every repeated word.

If trial is the central concept, repeating trial may be clearer than replacing it with a vague pronoun.

Do not reject an answer merely because the same word appears nearby.

Connectors create logical cohesion

however → contrast.

therefore → result.

meanwhile → simultaneous/parallel event.

instead → replacement.

also → addition.

for example → illustration.

otherwise → alternative consequence.

A missing connector depends on the relationship between complete sentences.

However and therefore move in opposite logical directions

“The trial reduced waiting time. However, the sign remained difficult to see.”

Contrast.

“The sign remained difficult to see. Therefore, the organisers moved it.”

Cause → result.

Do not choose by sentence tone alone.

Instead signals replacement

“The class did not use the hall. Instead, they met in the library.”

If the blank follows a rejected plan, instead may be strongly predicted.

Also adds, not contrasts

“The new sign was larger. It was also placed closer to the entrance.”

Both details support the same direction.

The next sentence can reveal what the blank must mean

Blank:

“The organisers were ___ with the first result.”

Next sentence:

“They decided to continue the system permanently.”

This makes a strongly negative adjective unlikely.

Possible:

satisfied/pleased/encouraged.

The next sentence can reveal a limitation

Blank:

“The first trial seemed ___.”

Next:

“However, it lasted only one day.”

Likely blank is positive:

successful/promising/effective.

The contrast needs something to contrast with.

The next sentence can reveal a cause

Blank:

“The volunteers moved the sign because it was too ___.”

Next:

“Several visitors had walked past without noticing it.”

Likely:

small/hidden/unclear.

Forward evidence narrows the cause.

Topic sentences establish cohesion expectations

Paragraph begins:

“The new route created two unexpected problems.”

The next sentences should likely describe:

problem 1 + problem 2.

A blank should fit that promised structure.

Enumeration words signal structure

first

second

another

finally

one reason

another reason

If the paragraph says “Another ___”, the blank often names the same category as the earlier item.

Parallel grammar can create cohesion

“One volunteer checked names; another ___ passes.”

The parallel verb frame predicts a past-tense action.

Passage meaning narrows it to:

gave/handed out/distributed.

Common cohesion errors

Nearest noun chosen instead of whole idea.

Singular word used for plural earlier actions.

Connector chosen from mood rather than logic.

New synonym mistaken for topic change.

Blank solved without reading next sentence.

Summary noun too broad or too narrow.

Main original Comprehension Cloze: The New Return Trolley

Fill each blank with one suitable word. This passage is original eduKate teaching material.

The library placed a second return trolley beside the side entrance. This (1) ___ allowed pupils using that entrance to return books without joining the main queue.

During the first two days, however, some pupils confused the trolley with the nearby donation box. To solve this (2) ___, the librarians changed the trolley label from blue to orange.

They also moved the donation box two metres away. These (3) ___ made the two collection points easier to distinguish.

By Friday, fewer books were left in the wrong place. The librarians were encouraged by this (4) ___ and decided to continue the trial for another week. (5) ___, they did not yet make the arrangement permanent because the test period was still short.

Worked answers

1. change/arrangement. Summarises placing the second trolley.

2. problem/confusion. Points back to pupils confusing the two collection points.

3. changes/actions/measures. Plural summary of label change + moving donation box.

4. improvement/result. Refers to fewer misplaced books.

5. However. Contrast between encouragement and not making the system permanent.

Cohesion map

Earlier information	Cohesive form	Role
second trolley added	this change	summary
pupils confuse containers	this problem	reference
label change + box moved	these changes	plural summary
fewer errors	this improvement	result reference
positive result vs caution	however	contrast

Twelve cohesion micro-items

1. The hall was closed. ___, the group used the library.
2. The route was shorter. ___, it was less sheltered.
3. The school added signs and arrows. These ___ helped visitors.
4. Three pupils missed the deadline. This ___ worried the organiser.
5. The class rejected the first plan. ___, they used a smaller room.
6. Mira checked the list. She then handed ___ to Ben.
7. The new system reduced errors. This ___ encouraged the teachers.
8. One problem was noise. Another ___ was lack of space.
9. The trial was promising. ___, it lasted only one day.
10. The labels were clearer. They were ___ larger.
11. The organiser collected feedback. This information helped ___ decide.
12. The pupils sorted books, labelled boxes and moved tables. These ___ took most of the morning.

Possible answers

1. Therefore/So/As a result, depending on punctuation and structure.

2. However.

3. changes/measures.

4. result/situation/fact.

5. Instead.

6. it, if list is intended referent.

7. improvement/result.

8. problem/difficulty.

9. However.

10. also.

11. them/the organiser, according to antecedent structure.

12. tasks/actions.

Independent original Comprehension Cloze: The Sports Basket Trial

The PE department introduced two labelled baskets for equipment returns. This (1) ___ meant pupils no longer had to enter the storeroom one at a time.

At first, some balls were placed in the wrong basket because the labels were small. The department replaced them with larger signs. This (2) ___ reduced sorting mistakes.

The baskets themselves then created a different issue: they became heavy when several classes returned equipment together. To deal with this (3) ___, the department tested smaller baskets the next week.

The clearer labels were kept. (4) ___, the basket size continued to be adjusted because that part of the system had not yet been solved.

Independent cohesion guide

1. arrangement/system/change.

2. change/improvement.

3. problem/issue.

4. However/Meanwhile depending on intended contrast; however better expresses one part fixed while another remains unresolved.

Cohesion and reference error ledger

One-sentence solving. Expand window.

Reference word linked to nearest noun only. Rebuild whole earlier idea.

Plural summary word used for one action or vice versa. Count antecedents.

Connector selected from vocabulary memory. Name logical relationship.

Forward sentence ignored. Check result/contrast clue.

Lexical chain broken by unrelated word. Return to paragraph topic.

Parent and tutor guide: draw arrows between sentences

Underline:

this / these / they / it / such / however / therefore / instead.

Draw an arrow to the earlier idea or relationship each one depends on.

Then hide the missing word and ask what category the bridge requires:

change, problem, result, person, object, contrast, addition, replacement.

The Cohesion and Reference card

What earlier noun, action or idea does this sentence depend on? Is the reference singular or plural? Does a summary noun classify the previous sentence? What logical connector joins the two statements? Does the next sentence confirm the candidate? Which lexical chain keeps the paragraph together?

Comprehension Cloze becomes passage reading when each blank is treated as part of a bridge, not a hole.

Continue through Batch 19

Next: Guide 76: State Change and Cause Logic.

Return to the PSLE Learning Guide

Sources and boundaries

Assessment boundary: SEAB: PSLE formats examined in 2026 and the linked English Language syllabus. Comprehension Cloze appears in Paper 2 Booklet B.

Teaching boundary: All passages, cohesion maps and answer discussions are original eduKate teaching material. Cohesion labels are teaching tools, not official marking categories.