What you'll see
Get familiar with the task.
This is a reading task. You see a paragraph with 4–5 blanks and a word bank below containing the correct words PLUS extra distractors. Drag each word into the right blank. You score 1 mark per correct placement; wrong placements score 0 (no negative marking).
In the text below some words are missing. Drag words from the box below to the appropriate place in the text.
In the text below some words are missing. Drag words from the box below to the appropriate place in the text. To undo an answer choice, drag the word back to the box below the text.
3 strategies that work
The mindset before the click.
- 1Strategy 1
Read first, drag second
Read the whole paragraph once for meaning before touching a single word.
- 2Strategy 2
Match by part of speech + collocation
Decide what type of word each blank needs, then pick the bank word that collocates naturally.
- 3Strategy 3
Place the easy ones first, eliminate the rest
Lock obvious matches first; the leftover words narrow the choices for the trickier blanks.
Try each strategy
Guided practice you can do alone or with a partner.
1Read first, drag second
If you start dragging without reading, you'll lock yourself into bad guesses. The first 20 seconds of reading the whole paragraph give you the topic and tone — that context is what makes the word choices feel obvious.
- Read the whole passage once at normal pace. Don't stop at the blanks; just absorb the topic.
- Identify the topic in one phrase ('bees and pollination', 'climate change effects', etc.) before going back.
- Now re-read sentence-by-sentence, predicting each blank in your head BEFORE looking at the word bank.
- Pair drill: cover the word bank; predict each blank; then compare with the bank. Score yourself.
2Match by part of speech + collocation
Each blank needs a specific word TYPE (verb / noun / adjective) AND a word that fits the surrounding words (collocation). Distractors usually fail one of these tests.
- Decide the part of speech: 'they ___ flowers' needs a verb (3rd person plural); 'the ___ of food systems' needs a noun.
- Look at the words BEFORE and AFTER the blank — collocations are decisive (e.g. 'decline sharply', 'shrinking populations').
- Watch for verb forms: -ing, -ed, base form, 3rd person -s. The bank often includes a wrong-form distractor.
- Pair drill: with a partner, take 1 blank and list (a) the part of speech needed, (b) one word before, (c) one word after. Then choose.
3Place the easy ones first, eliminate the rest
Don't try to solve blanks in order. Pick off the 1–2 obvious matches first; that shrinks the word bank and makes the trickier blanks much easier.
- Scan all 4 blanks once. Mark the EASIEST one (the one where you're 100% sure) and place it.
- Cross out that word in the bank (mentally). Repeat with the next-easiest blank.
- For the last 1–2 hard blanks, you should now only have 2–3 distractors left — use meaning to pick the best fit.
- Final check: read the WHOLE paragraph top-to-bottom with your words in place. If a sentence sounds 'off', swap.
Drag the correct words from the bank into the blanks. Reveal the answer key to check your reasoning.
Reveal answers + reasoning
(1) pollinate — verb that bees do to flowers; 'release' doesn't fit the meaning. (2) decline — collocates with 'sharply'; 'expanding' is the opposite direction. (3) shrinking — describes a downward trend in populations; 'expanding' is the opposite. (4) stability — noun after 'maintain the ___'; 'weakness' is the wrong meaning (you maintain strength, not weakness).
Do it under time
Simulate the real test.
Aim for under 2 minutes. Drag the words into place, then reveal the answer key.
Reveal answers + reasoning (Q2)
(1) renewable — adjective before 'sources' (solar / wind are renewable, not 'finite'). (2) emissions — noun after 'greenhouse gas ___'; common collocation. (3) generate — verb (3rd person plural) — solar panels 'generate' electricity; 'consume' is the opposite. (4) sustainable — adjective; 'sustainable future' is a standard collocation; 'temporary' contradicts the meaning.
In the text below some words are missing. Drag words from the box below to the appropriate place in the text. To undo an answer choice, drag the word back to the box below the text.
Tick each box only when you can do it without looking back. This unlocks your next chapter.