Pre-A1 Starters Reading & Writing Part 4 — Fill the Gaps

    Reading & Writing Part 4 is a short, simple text with five missing words. Below the text sits a box of words, each shown with its picture. Your child picks the right word for each gap and copies it in. It tests reading a whole text and choosing the nouns that fit.

    5
    Questions
    Fill five gaps in a short text using a word/picture box
    Task type
    Reading in context & accurate copying
    Skill tested
    Free to start on FlyersEnglish
    Practice here

    How Reading & Writing Part 4 works

    1. Your child reads a short, simple text with five words missing.

    2. Below the text is a box of words, each shown with its picture — more words than gaps.

    3. For each gap, they choose the word that makes the sentence true and sensible.

    4. They copy the chosen word into the gap, exactly as it is spelt in the box.

    Tips for the gap-fill text

    • Read the whole text once before filling any gap — knowing the topic makes wrong options obvious.

    • The word box shows a picture with every word, so the reading load is low; the real test is which noun fits each sentence.

    • Copy carefully, letter by letter: the word is printed right there, so any spelling slip is a thrown-away mark.

    • Expect leftovers — not every word in the box is used, so teach your child not to force the extras in.

    Games that train Part 4

    Cloze Test

    Gap-fill texts with answer choices — the same read-the-text, pick-the-word task as Part 4, free to start.

    Sentence Builder

    Trains slotting the right word into a sentence, sharpening the 'which word fits this gap?' instinct Part 4 rewards.

    Frequently asked questions

    Does my child have to think of the missing words in Part 4?

    No — every missing word is provided. Below the gapped text there is a box showing each word next to its picture, and your child chooses the one that fits each of the five gaps and copies it into the text. The box holds more words than gaps, so some are never used.

    What is the text in Part 4 usually about?

    It is a short, simple text at Pre-A1 level, typically describing something familiar such as an animal, a place or an everyday object. The missing words are mostly concrete nouns from the Starters wordlist, and the surrounding sentence always gives enough clues for a child who reads the whole line.

    Do copying mistakes lose marks in Part 4?

    Yes. Because the correct word is printed in the box, spelling must be exact — a miscopied letter costs the mark even when the child chose the right word. Teach your child to copy letter by letter and then compare their answer against the box before moving to the next gap.

    Last updated: 2026-07-02

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    Last updated: 2026-07-02