FCE Reading Part 6: gapped text
In FCE Reading Part 6, six sentences have been taken out of a text and you must put each one back in the right place. There are seven sentences to choose from, so one is not needed, and each correct answer is worth two marks.
- Questions
- 6 (Q37–42)
- Options
- 7 sentences, 1 extra
- Marks
- 2 each
- Counts towards
- Reading
What the FCE gapped text tests
Part 6 is a single long text with six numbered gaps (questions 37–42). The sentences that were removed are printed separately in a jumbled order, labelled A–G. There are seven sentences for six gaps, so one sentence does not fit anywhere. Each sentence can only be used once.
This part tests how well you understand the structure of a text: how ideas develop from one sentence to the next and how paragraphs hold together. To do it well you have to notice:
- reference words such as this, these, it, they, such and the latter, and what they point back to;
- linkers such as however, even so, as a result and what's more, which show the logic between ideas;
- lexical links: the same thing described with different words (the instrument, the piano, it);
- time and sequence: at first, later, by then, eventually.
How it is marked: two marks for each correct answer, 12 marks in total, counted towards your Reading score. One wrong placement can lead to another, because a sentence you put in the wrong gap is no longer available for the right one, so it pays to check the whole text at the end.
An FCE gapped text extract to try
This shortened extract has three gaps and four sentences, one of which you do not need. In the exam there are six gaps and seven sentences (A–G).
Giving old pianos a second life
When Hannah Ward finished her music degree, she assumed she would become a teacher. Instead, she spends her days in a cold workshop on the edge of town, surrounded by instruments that most people would have thrown away. (37) Her record so far is a piano that had spent twenty years in a garage.
Restoring a piano is slow work. Each of the eighty-eight keys has to be removed, cleaned and checked, and the felt hammers that strike the strings often need replacing. (38) That is partly because no two instruments age in the same way.
Hannah admits that the business side does not come naturally to her. She charges by the hour, but customers rarely understand how many hours are involved. (39) Most, she says, are happy to wait once they hear the piano played again.
A This alone can take a fortnight, and there is no fixed timetable for the rest.
B Even so, she has never had a complaint about the final bill.
C Some of them arrive in such poor condition that they cannot be played at all.
D Some are shocked when she says a restoration may take six months.
Show the answer and explanation
37 C. Some of them refers back to the instruments "most people would have thrown away", and "such poor condition" prepares the next sentence: her record is the worst case of all.
38 A. This alone refers to removing and cleaning the keys and replacing the hammers. "No fixed timetable" is then explained by the next sentence: "That is partly because no two instruments age in the same way."
39 D. Some are shocked contrasts with "Most … are happy to wait", and "six months" links to wait.
B is the extra sentence. It is a strong trap for gap 39 because it follows the idea of charging, but it says nothing about time, so "happy to wait" would have nothing to refer to.
How to do FCE Reading Part 6
- 01
Read the main text all the way through first, ignoring the gaps. Note what each paragraph is about and how the text develops.
- 02
Look at the text both before and after each gap. A correct sentence must connect in both directions, not just follow on from the previous sentence.
- 03
Read sentences A–G and underline every reference word, linker and time expression. For each one, ask what it must refer to or follow.
- 04
Place the sentences you are sure of first. Then work on the remaining gaps with fewer options left.
- 05
Check the sentence you have left over. Make sure it really does not fit anywhere; if it seems to fit well, one of your other answers is probably wrong.
- 06
Read the whole text once more with your sentences in place. It should read naturally, with no pronoun pointing to nothing.
Gapped text mistakes to avoid
Matching on topic alone. A sentence about money is not automatically right for a paragraph about money. Grammar and reference links decide the answer.
Checking only the sentence before the gap. Many wrong answers fit the previous sentence but leave the next one making no sense.
Ignoring singular and plural. If the option says they or these, it must follow a plural noun. She and he must match the right person.
Using a sentence twice or forgetting the extra one. If you find yourself needing a sentence twice, recheck both gaps; one of them is wrong.
Clues that link a missing sentence to the text
| Clue | Examples | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Pronouns and reference | it, they, this, these, such, the latter, one | Is there a noun just before the gap they can refer to? |
| Contrast linkers | however, even so, yet, on the other hand | Does the sentence before say the opposite? |
| Addition and result | what's more, also, as a result, so | Does the sentence continue or follow from the idea before? |
| Time | at first, by then, later, eventually, since then | Does the order of events still make sense? |
| Pairs | some … most, at first … now, one … the other | Is the second half of the pair before or after the gap? |
| Repeated ideas | the work → this process → the restoration | Is the same thing being described with new words? |
Practise Part 6 in full FCE Reading and Use of English tests
Each FCE Reading and Use of English test on this site has its own Part 6, timed with the whole paper and marked as soon as you submit, with an explanation for every answer.
FCE Reading Part 6 questions
How many options are there in FCE Reading Part 6?
Seven sentences, labelled A to G, for six gaps. One sentence is extra and does not fit anywhere.
How many marks is the FCE gapped text worth?
Twelve: two marks for each of the six gaps. The marks count towards your Reading score.
Is FCE Reading Part 6 harder than Part 5?
It can feel harder at first because it tests text structure rather than meaning alone. Once you learn to follow reference words and linkers, it often becomes the most reliable part.
How long should I spend on the gapped text?
About 12 minutes. Spend the first few reading the main text properly; it saves time when you place the sentences.
Sources
- B2 First Handbook for Teachers (Cambridge University Press & Assessment), pages 7, 15
- B2 First exam format (cambridgeenglish.org)
- B2 First preparation materials: Cambridge's own sample tests
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