Put ONE WORD into each of the gaps below.
1. _______________ little while later, he came back in and said he’d changed his mind.
2. _______________ having completed his homework, he reached under his bed and…
3. It was already ________________________________ dark when I left work and the streetlights were starting to come on.
4. It took __________________________________________ hour and a half to escape.
5. We looked at one _________________________, neither of us knowing what to do.
6. Without ________ warning, the jeep swerved off the road and headed into the woods.
7. He looked ___________________________________________ if he’d seen a ghost.
8. _______ first he thought it was a person knocking on the door, but he soon realized…
9. They had last met 30 years __________________________________________.
10. ___________________________ the time he arrived, the party had already finished.
11. He eventually ____________________________________ to the conclusion that…
12. _____________________ the smiles on their faces, I didn’t feel at all welcome there.
13. ________________ just a moment I thought that he was going scream, but instead…
14. The noise was ____________________________ quieter, so I assumed he had given up and was walking away.
15. No sooner __________________ he suggested it when she grabbed his hand and…
16. To _______________ complete surprise, he knelt and asked for her hand in marriage.
17. Despite ___________________________ initial misgivings, he soon began to enjoy…
18. He had started working for that company _______________________ the early 1970s.
19. Three hours ________________________, they met again outside her house and…
20. Right in the middle ______________ his speech, one of the students stood up and…
21. The court decided that he was guilty _________________________________ fraud.
22. He said he hadn’t done it ________________________ purpose, but I had my doubts.
23. He thought he heard gunshots, but they turned _______________ to be just fireworks.
24. We had last seen each other just the __________________________________ day.
25. He was ________________________________ tired that he collapsed into her arms.
26. He was surprised to find __________________________ the front door was unlocked.
27. In order ___________ lose him, I suddenly ran across the tracks just in front of a train.
28. _____________ his relief, his mobile phone was still on the same seat. However,…
29. My car _______________________________ being fixed, so I had to take the bus.
30. __________________________ he was exploring upstairs, I locked the doors and cut the phone lines.
31. ______________ thinking about the consequences, he jumped through the window.
Hint: The sentences are in alphabetical order by the word that goes in the gap
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Suggested answers
Other answers might be possible, so check with your teacher if you put other words in the gaps and think they might be possible.
1. ________A______ little while later, he came back in and said he’d changed his mind.
2. _______AFTER___ having completed his homework, he reached under his bed and…
3. It was already _________ALMOST/ NEARLY_________ dark when I left work and the streetlights were starting to come on.
4. It took __AN______________________________________ hour and a half to escape.
5. We looked at one ____________ANOTHER______, neither of us knowing what to do.
6. Without ___ANY__ warning, the jeep swerved off the road and headed into the woods.
7. He looked _______________AS__________________________ if he’d seen a ghost.
8. __AT___ first he thought it was a person knocking on the door, but he soon realized…
9. They had last met 30 years ______BEFORE/ EARLIER_____________________.
10. ____BY_____________________ the time he arrived, the party had already finished.
11. He eventually _______________CAME_________________ to the conclusion that…
12. ________DESPITE______ the smiles on their faces, I didn’t feel at all welcome there.
13. ________FOR_____ just a moment I thought that he was going scream, but instead…
14. The noise was ___GETTING/ BECOMING________ quieter, so I assumed he had given up and was walking away.
15. No sooner _____HAD__________ he suggested it when she grabbed his hand and…
16. To __HER/ HIS/ OUR/ MY__ complete surprise, he knelt and asked for her hand in marriage.
17. Despite _________HIS/ SOME_________ initial misgivings, he soon began to enjoy…
18. He had started working for that company _______IN______________ the early 1970s.
19. Three hours ____LATER/ AFTER________, they met again outside her house and…
20. Right in the middle ______OF______ his speech, one of the students stood up and…
21. The court decided that he was guilty _____OF__________________________ fraud.
22. He said he hadn’t done it ________ON______________ purpose, but I had my doubts.
23. He thought he heard gunshots, but they turned _____OUT_______ to be just fireworks.
24. We had last seen each other just the __________________PREVIOUS________ day.
25. He was _________SO_____________________ tired that he collapsed into her arms.
26. He was surprised to find ________THAT______________ the front door was unlocked.
27. In order _____TO____ lose him, I suddenly ran across the tracks just in front of a train.
28. _______TO____ his relief, his mobile phone was still on the same seat. However,…
29. My car _________WAS___________________ being fixed, so I had to take the bus.
30. ______WHILE/ WHEN_________ he was exploring upstairs, I locked the doors and cut the phone lines.
31. _____WITHOUT__ thinking about the consequences, he jumped through the window.
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PDF version for easy saving and printing: Open cloze practice of storytelling phrases
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