B2 First · Listening · Module 4, Lesson 2

Part 2: Sentence Completion

One monologue, ten gaps to fill with the exact word or short phrase you hear. The examiners are testing whether you can catch specific content words in real time — not whether you understand the general topic.

10 gaps 1 mark each (10 total) ~10 min target One or two words per gap · heard twice
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What this part really tests

Part 2 plays one longer monologue — a guide, a talk, a presentation — while you complete ten sentences with words taken directly from what you hear. Gaps almost always want a concrete noun, a number, or a short specific phrase, never a whole clause.

The examiner's method

  1. Read every sentence before you press play, and predict what type of word is missing — a number, a place, a material.
  2. Gaps come in the same order as the recording, so let each sentence guide you to the next moment to listen for.
  3. Write down the word you actually hear, spelled as best you can — don't paraphrase it into a different word.
  4. If you miss a gap, leave it and move to the next sentence immediately. Chasing a missed word costs you the next one too.
  5. On the second listen, focus only on the gaps you're unsure about — you already have the ones you're confident on.
  6. Minor spelling slips are fine as long as the word is recognizable; the wrong word entirely is not.

Traps that cost marks

Near-miss word
The speaker mentions a similar-sounding word just before or after the real answer — write down what fits the sentence grammatically, not just what you heard first.
Wrong word class
A gap needs a noun, but the speaker's sentence structure tempts you to write the adjective or verb form instead.
Plural vs. singular
Cambridge accepts the word you actually heard — if the speaker says "leaves," writing "leaf" may not match.
Number confusion
Similar-sounding numbers (thirteen/thirty) are a classic trap — the surrounding context usually confirms which one makes sense.

Worked example

"Before you plant the seedlings, dig a hole about twice the width of the pot, and mix in a handful of compost to help the roots establish themselves."

Gapped sentence: Dig a hole about twice the width of the pot, and mix in a handful of [gap] to help the roots establish.

  1. The sentence structure tells you the gap needs a noun — something you "mix in."
  2. The gardener says "mix in a handful of compost" — a concrete, specific noun.
  3. Don't write "soil" or "fertilizer" just because they're related gardening words — write exactly what was said.
  4. Answer: compost.
Try

Micro-trainer — a short monologue first

Read all four sentences below before you press play. The recording is heard twice, exactly as in the real exam.

Try score: 0 / 4
Ready for the real thing? Scroll down to Apply — a brand new ten-gap monologue in exact exam format, against the clock.
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Exam-format practice

A new full-length monologue, official Part 2 format, ten gaps. Aim to finish before the timer runs out — then check your answers below.

10:00

Your result

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This is a practice estimate for one exam part only. Your official Cambridge result is calculated across the whole exam on the Cambridge English Scale.

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