GAPPED TEXT
What do you have to do?
In this part, you have a text with six missing paragraphs and you have seven paragraphs, which you have to place in the correct gap. There is one extra paragraph.
Approach
- Quickly read through the main text, ignoring the gaps. What is the theme of each paragraph before and after the gaps?
- Then read the paragraphs A-G. Are there any that you can locate immediately? Always do the easiest ones first.
- With the paragraphs you have left, look at the language before and after the gaps. Look for key themes, pronouns, linking words, time phrases; anything that refers to something else.
- Look for similar ideas in the paragraphs A-G.
- Finally, if you have time, read through the complete text to see if it makes sense.
- Remember! You should stick to your time limit!
The gapped text questions require careful attention. The first thing to do is to read the entire passage from start to finish. Afterwards, read the paragraphs that have been pulled from the passage.
Then, go back to the passage and read the sentences that come before and after the missing paragraphs. These sentences will help you figure out what ideas come before and after. Pay special attention to pronouns and subject-verb agreement when choosing a paragraph for the missing section. For example, if the sentence before a gap has the word ”he” in it, then you know that the next paragraph shouldn’t refer to an ”it” or a ”they”.
Here are some other tips to keep in mind when working through a gapped text passage question:
- In the missing paragraphs, identify contrasting statements. Go back to the passage and find sentences that indicate a transition is coming.
- After you’ve placed all of the paragraphs into the gaps, go back and read the passage to see if it sounds right. If not, locate which paragraphs sound out of place.
- You don’t have to start with the first gap. Start with the easiest gap first and work your way up to the hardest one.