Paste a reading text and get an on-screen gap-fill in seconds: content words become gaps, common words stay, and students type the answers in.
Open the Gap-Fill Maker See all classroom tools
Free to try. This link opens the tool straight away, with no sign-up. The ABC toolbox lists it in the Pro plan.
How it works
- Open the Gap-Fill Maker and paste any text. A sample paragraph is there to try.
- Choose how many gaps, Light, Medium or Heavy, and press Make gaps.
- Students type into the gaps. Check marks the answers (capital letters do not matter), Reveal shows them and New text starts again.
- With a score of 60% or more, a Now use it step asks for one new sentence using two of the words.
How the gaps are chosen
Words of four letters or more become candidates, except a short list of very common words, and the gaps are spread evenly through the text rather than bunched together. Light, Medium and Heavy change how many candidates become gaps.
Ideas for your lesson
- Recycle a text from the last lesson as a recall warm-up.
- Paste the script of a listening text and use it as the follow-up task.
- Use Heavy gaps as a challenge for a stronger group.
Good to know
- Checking is exact, so a correct synonym is marked wrong: talk through alternatives with the class.
- There is no print or export; it is built for the screen.
- Anonymous usage counts, such as the number of gaps and the score, go to Plausible analytics. The text you paste is not sent.
- It needs only www.abcwebsites.online.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Gap-Fill Maker free?
This link opens it in your browser with no sign-up. The ABC toolbox lists it as free to try, as part of the Pro plan.
Which words become gaps?
Words of four or more letters, apart from a short list of very common words, spread evenly through the text.
Can I print the exercise?
No. It is an on-screen exercise with Check and Reveal.
Is my text uploaded?
No. The text stays in the page. Only anonymous usage counts are recorded.
Related tools
- Crossword Builder: an interlocking crossword from your word list
- WordLab: collocations and real-English examples
- Lesson Plan Generator: a full English lesson plan from a topic and level
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