Choosing the best missing word | TEF Vocabulary

Section B of TEF Lexique et Structure presents a short paragraph of four to eight sentences with several words missing. Unlike Section A, where each gap sits inside a self-contained sentence, here the gaps are embedded in running text. That means the context stretches both backward and forward across sentences. At B2 level the texts cover abstract or professional topics, the vocabulary is less common, and the four options are often near-synonyms that differ in shade of meaning, register, or grammatical behaviour. Reading the whole paragraph before filling any gap is not optional here: it is the strategy.

What you’ll learn

Use the full paragraph context to decide what meaning a gap must carry
Distinguish near-synonyms by checking their collocations and register
Eliminate options that contradict the logic or topic of the surrounding text
Apply word family knowledge to infer the meaning of unfamiliar options

Reading the whole text first

The first thing to do with a cloze text is read it from start to finish with all gaps marked. Do not stop at each blank. After one full read you should know: what is the topic, what is the author's stance or purpose, and what general vocabulary field is being used. Only then should you return to the first gap and start choosing.

1Read the entire paragraph once without filling any gap.
2Note the topic (health, urban planning, economy, environment, etc.) and the tone (neutral, critical, formal, personal).
3Go back to the first gap. Re-read the sentence it belongs to and the sentence before and after it.
4Decide what meaning the missing word must have in that context.
5Check the four options: eliminate any that are the wrong part of speech, wrong register, or wrong meaning.
6Choose the option that fits both the local sentence and the broader paragraph.

Meaning from context: working outward from the gap

Once you know the topic of the paragraph, you can predict what semantic field the missing word belongs to. A text about environmental policy will not have a gap filled by a cooking term. Use the topic to anchor your search, then look at the words immediately around the gap for collocational clues.

Gap embedded in a text about urban housing:

Face à la _______ des loyers dans les grandes villes, de nombreux ménages sont contraints de s'éloigner des centres urbains. Cette tendance fragilise le tissu social.
"Faced with the _______ of rents in large cities, many households are forced to move away from urban centres. This trend weakens the social fabric." The gap needs a noun meaning 'rise' or 'surge'. Options might be: hausse, baisse, stabilité, réduction. Only "hausse" fits the logic (rising rents force people out).

Use the second sentence as a clue

In the example above, the second sentence says the trend "fragilise le tissu social" (weakens the social fabric). That is a negative consequence, which confirms the first sentence must be describing a problem (rising rents, not falling ones).
Always look one sentence ahead and behind when you are stuck between two options.

Near-synonyms at B2: how to choose

At B2, the four options are often words that share the same general meaning. The difference between them is one of degree, register, or the specific context where each is used. You cannot choose by meaning alone; you need to check collocations.

Near-synonym set in context:

Ce projet a pour _______ de réduire les inégalités d'accès à l'éducation. (objectif / but / intention / dessein)
"This project aims to reduce inequalities in access to education." All four options mean "aim" or "goal" in English. "Dessein" is literary and elevated; "intention" is more personal. In a formal project description, "objectif" is the natural choice. "But" also works but is slightly more common in spoken French. "Dessein" would be jarring in an administrative text.

Register check: is the text formal (use "objectif", "finalité", "viser à") or informal (use "but", "idée")?
Collocation check: does the noun take a specific verb? "Atteindre un objectif" (to reach a goal) is fixed; "atteindre un dessein" is not standard.
Connotation check: some near-synonyms carry a positive or negative charge. "Bénéfice" is positive; "conséquence" is neutral to negative; "résultat" is neutral.

A literary or archaic word (daigner, naguère, maint, tandis que) placed in a short news text is almost always a distractor.
A very informal word (truc, machin, vachement) in a formal administrative text is also a distractor.
If you are unsure between two options, pick the one whose register matches the text.

Word family knowledge as a lifeline

When one option is an unfamiliar word, check whether you recognise its root. French forms large word families from common roots. Recognising the root of an unfamiliar word often tells you enough to include or exclude it.

Using a word root:

Les chercheurs ont _______ une nouvelle méthode pour mesurer la pollution atmosphérique. (élaboré / élucidé / élaboré / inventé)
"The researchers _______ a new method for measuring air pollution." If you do not know "élucider", notice its root "lucid" (clarity, light). "Élucider un mystère" = to solve a mystery. That meaning does not fit "a new method". "Élaboré" (from "labeur", work) means developed or worked out. It fits perfectly. Root knowledge saves you.

Useful roots to know: port (to carry: transporter, importer, exporter), venir (to come: parvenir, survenir, prévenir), mettre (to put: permettre, compromettre, transmettre), tenir (to hold: maintenir, obtenir, soutenir).
Prefix knowledge also helps: dé/dis = reversal (décentraliser, désorganiser), re = again (reprendre, relancer), sur = over or excess (surcharger, surévaluer).

Sentence logic within the paragraph

When the gap is a verb, check both the subject and the object for logic. An inappropriate combination of subject and verb (or verb and object) usually signals the wrong answer, even if the word looks right.

Subject-verb logic:

La crise économique _______ de nombreuses entreprises à revoir leur stratégie. (contraint / décide / invite / pousse)
"The economic crisis _______ many companies to revise their strategy." All four verbs can introduce an infinitive, but "la crise" is not a human agent. "Décide" requires a conscious decision-maker. "Invite" is too weak for a crisis. "Contraint" (forces) and "pousse" (pushes) both work, but "contraint à" is stronger and more formal, which fits a text about economic pressure.

How to practise this

Cloze practice that actually works

Take a short press article (from Le Monde, RFI, or Le Figaro) and blank out every fifth noun or verb. Try to restore them before checking the original.
When you get an item wrong, do not just note the right answer. Write down why it is right: "collocation", "register", "meaning in this context".
Build a personal vocabulary list organised by topic (économie, environnement, santé, société). For each word, note one sentence from authentic French showing it in use.
Practice time per item is about 90 seconds on the exam. Time yourself on practice cloze texts to build that rhythm.

Key takeaways

Read the full paragraph before filling any gap; the topic and tone anchor every choice.
Use the sentence before and after the gap as additional context, not just the sentence with the gap.
Near-synonyms differ by register, collocation, or degree; pick the one that fits the text's tone.
When an option is unfamiliar, analyse its root and prefix to infer its meaning.
Subject-verb and verb-object logic rules out options that are grammatically fine but semantically odd.