3.1 Part 2 Grammar Focus: Determiners, Pronouns & Quantifiers

3.1 Part 2 Grammar Focus: Determiners, Pronouns & Quantifiers

Quick Answer: In Reading & Use of English Part 2 (Open Cloze), you must complete an authentic text of 150–200 words containing 8 numbered gaps (plus Example 0) by writing exactly ONE single word into each gap. Each gap awards 1 raw mark (8 marks total), contributing directly to the Cambridge English Scale Use of English subscale. Part 2 concentrates on grammatical "glue" words (closed-class function words) such as determiners, quantifiers, pronouns, auxiliary verbs, and prepositions. The handbook describes the focus as "either grammatical, such as articles, auxiliaries, prepositions, pronouns, verb tenses and forms, or lexico-grammatical, such as phrasal verbs, linkers and words within fixed phrases" — so a gap can belong to a fixed phrase, but it will not be a free-standing content noun or descriptive adjective. Contractions (such as don't or haven't) count as two words and so receive zero marks — with one documented exception: the B2 First handbook allows can't as the single word cannot.

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Architecture and Mechanics of Part 2: Open Cloze

Part 2 of the Cambridge English: B2 First Reading and Use of English paper is widely recognized by assessors as one of the most discriminating measures of structural grammatical control. Unlike Part 1 (Multiple-Choice Cloze), which offers four options per gap, Part 2 provides no options whatsoever. Candidates must retrieve the missing grammatical element purely from their internalized knowledge of English syntax and discourse cohesion.

Key Structural Parameters

Function Words vs. Content Words

To succeed in Part 2, you must understand what Cambridge examiners are—and are not—testing. Vocabulary in English falls into two broad categories:

1. Open-Class (Lexical / Content Words): Nouns (discovery, mountain), main verbs (explore, develop), descriptive adjectives (ancient, remarkable), and manner adverbs (rapidly, quietly). These convey lexical meaning and are tested in Part 1 and Part 3.
2. Closed-Class (Grammatical / Function Words): Determiners (this, every), quantifiers (much, few), pronouns (them, itself), auxiliary verbs (been, have), prepositions (despite, towards), conjunctions (although, whereas), and relative pronouns (which, whose). These form the syntactic "glue" that links clauses and organizes information.

In Part 2, the great majority of gaps target closed-class function words — in the two sample papers published in the B2 First handbook, every answer key is a function word (where, so, myself, in, which/that, from, any in one; a comparable set in the other). Cambridge does not publish a percentage breakdown, so treat this as a strong pattern rather than a quota. Practically: if you find yourself contemplating writing a lexical noun or full verb into a Part 2 gap, stop and re-analyse the sentence structure, because you have probably misidentified the missing element.

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Determiners and Quantifiers: The Countable-Uncountable Matrix

Determiners and quantifiers are among the most frequently tested items in Part 2. Cambridge examiners design items specifically to evaluate whether candidates recognize noun countability and structural restrictions.

1. Countable vs. Uncountable Quantifiers

English draws a strict grammatical line between nouns that can be counted individually and mass/uncountable nouns:

• Plural Countable Nouns: modified by many, few, a few, several, fewer.
  • Example: "Relatively few expeditions had succeeded in reaching the summit."
• Uncountable Mass Nouns: modified by much, little, a little, less.
  • Example: "The early settlers had little understanding of the local climate."

The Crucial Semantic Polarity: Few / Little vs. A Few / A Little

Cambridge items frequently hinge on whether the sentence expresses a positive perspective (some, a modest quantity) or a restrictive / negative perspective (almost none, an insufficient quantity):

• A few / A little (Positive polarity): Emphasizes that an amount, though small, exists and is sufficient.
  • "She managed to salvage a few documents from the archive." (A small number was successfully saved.)
• Few / Little (Negative / Restrictive polarity): Emphasizes scarcity, deficiency, or near absence.
  • "He had few supporters left in parliament after the scandal." (Almost no one supported him.)
  • "There is little doubt that the climate is warming rapidly." (Virtually no doubt exists.)

2. Universal and Distributive Quantifiers: All, Every, Each, Whole

Distributive items test how individuals within a group are grammatically referenced:

• Every: Strictly a determiner; must be followed immediately by a singular countable noun (every participant). It can never be followed directly by of (writing *every of the participants* is a fatal error; English requires every one of).
• Each: Can function as both a determiner (each student) and an independent pronoun followed by of (each of the students). It highlights individual members considered separately.
• All vs. Whole: All modifies plural countable or uncountable nouns (all the members, all the information). Whole is an adjective modifying a singular countable noun preceded by a determiner (the whole day, his whole life).

3. Dual Reference Systems: Both, Either, Neither

When a text refers to exactly two entities, standard quantifiers like all, any, and none are grammatically superseded by dual-reference determiners:

Exam Trap: Look out for negative contexts involving two items. If the sentence already contains a negative verb, either is used ("I didn't like either of them"). If the verb is affirmative but the meaning is negative, neither initiates the subject ("Neither of the solutions works").

4. Indefinite and Partitive Determiners: Some, Any, Another, Other, Others

• Some vs. Any: Some appears in affirmative statements and polite offers ("Would you like some tea?"). Any appears in negative statements, interrogatives, conditional clauses ("if any problems arise"), and affirmative sentences where it conveys "it does not matter which" ("Any candidate who qualifies may apply").
• Another: Formed historically from an + other; must modify a singular countable noun (another perspective) or precede a numeral modifying a plural noun (another three weeks).
• Other: Modifies plural countable nouns or uncountable nouns (other researchers, other information).
• Others: A plural pronoun that stands alone; it is never followed directly by a noun ("Some critics praised the novel, while others condemned it").
• No vs. None: No is a determiner modifying a noun ("There was no evidence"). None is a pronoun that stands alone or introduces a prepositional phrase ("None of the evidence was verified").

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Pronoun Paradigms: Tracking Referents and Cohesion

Pronouns provide textual cohesion across sentence boundaries. Part 2 evaluates your ability to track referents across clauses:

1. Demonstrative Pronouns: This, That, These, Those

Beyond pointing to physical objects, demonstratives in B2 First texts track abstract concepts:

• This / These: Refers to topics newly introduced or close to the writer's immediate focus.
• That / Those: Refers to ideas previously discussed, distanced, or established as general categories.
• High-Frequency Pattern: Those who... (referring to people in general: "Those who wish to attend must register by Friday").
• Comparative Substitute Pattern: That of... (avoiding repetition of a singular noun: "The plumage of the male bird is far more vibrant than that of the female").

2. Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns: -self / -selves

Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves) serve two primary functions in Part 2:

1. True Reflexive: The object of the verb is identical to the subject ("She taught herself computer programming").
2. Emphatic / Intensifying: Emphasizes that the action was performed without assistance or highlights the intrinsic nature of an entity:
   • "The author himself attended the premiere."
   • "The discovery is, in itself, a milestone in modern physics." (in itself = intrinsically).
   • "Children should be encouraged to solve problems by themselves." (by themselves = independently / alone).

3. Reciprocal Pronouns: Each Other and One Another

Reciprocal pronouns express mutual action between two or more participants. In Part 2 texts, Cambridge examiners frequently split this compound structure, gapping either the first or second word:

• "The twin sisters looked at each other in complete disbelief."
• "During the crisis, community members supported one another selflessly."

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Syntactic Subjects: Dummy "It" vs. Existential "There"

One of the most sophisticated grammar targets in Part 2 is the selection between dummy / anticipatory "it" and existential "there". Both occupy the structural subject position, but their syntactic behaviors are completely distinct.

1. Existential There

There asserts the existence or presence of something new in the discourse. It pairs with forms of be or verbs of appearance (seem, remain, exist):

• "There has been a dramatic rise in global temperatures over the past century."
• "There remains little doubt regarding the authenticity of the parchment."
• "There seems to be a fundamental flaw in your calculations."

2. Ambient and Dummy It

It functions as a semantically empty placeholder for ambient conditions, time, and distance:

• "It took three months to complete the restoration." (Structure: It takes + time + to-infinitive)
• "It was nearly midnight before the committee reached a verdict."

3. Anticipatory Subject It (Extraposition and Clefts)

English syntax avoids heavy infinitive or noun clauses at the front of a sentence. Instead, it occupies the grammatical subject position while the true semantic subject is extraposed to the end:

• Extraposed Infinitive: "It is essential to verify all empirical references before publication." (Replacing: To verify all empirical references is essential.)
• Impersonal Passive Reporting: "It is widely believed that the ancient site served as an astronomical observatory."
• It-Cleft Sentences (Topical Emphasis): "It was only in 1953 that Watson and Crick unraveled the structure of DNA."

4. Preparatory Object It

Candidates frequently miss the dummy object it because it sits between a transitive verb and an adjective complement. The standard pattern is:

$\text{Subject} + \text{Verb} (\textit{find, make, consider, feel}) + \mathbf{it} + \text{Adjective} + \text{to-infinitive / that-clause}$

• "The dense jungle foliage made it impossible to spot the lost travelers from the air."
• "Many novice investors find it difficult to assess market volatility accurately."
• "The chairperson made it clear that attendance was compulsory."
• "She took it for granted that her application would be accepted."

Whenever you see a verb followed by an adjective and an infinitive clause with a gap between them, test it immediately.