Parallel Text Strategy
The parallel text task tests something concrete: can you not only understand a text, but reconstruct its internal logic (its cohesion)? Each gap is not an isolated problem; it is a junction point where one idea connects to the next. Students who select options by feel miss the structural signals that reliably point to the right answer.
Step 1: Skim the Text
Read the text first without looking at the options. Get a sense of the topic and structure, without detail, just an overview:
- What is the text about?
- How is it structured (argumentation, description, narrative)?
- Which key words are repeated?
This first pass takes a few minutes and makes every step after it faster.
Step 2: Analyse the Context of Each Gap
For each gap, read the sentence before and the sentence after it carefully. The context provides four types of signals:
| What you look for | What to pay attention to |
|---|---|
| Pronouns | er, sie, es, dieser, jener → what do they refer to? |
| Connectors | jedoch, deshalb, außerdem → what logical relation follows? |
| Thematic link | Words from the same topic field |
| Grammar | Subject/object, case, verb form |
A pronoun at the start of a sentence reveals what it must refer to, and therefore what content can fill the gap before it. A connector at the start of the following sentence shows the logical relationship the gap must establish.
Step 3: Check the Options
Check each option systematically:
- Does the topic fit the context?
- Does the grammar fit (case, verb, subject)?
- Does the logic fit (consequence, contrast, addition)?
- Does the pronoun fit (what does it refer to in context)?
The sentence before the gap ends with: '...die Zahl der Studierenden wächst.' Which option fits logically?
Step 4: Elimination Strategy
When unsure, use the process of elimination. If you are confident about three gaps, the candidate list for the fourth shrinks automatically.
- First fill in the options you are sure about
- Cross them off the remaining list
- The remaining gaps can often be solved by elimination
Important: Each option is used only once. If an option seems to fit in two places, one of those fits isn't real. Re-check the grammar and pronoun reference.
The original text says: 'Das Projekt war erfolgreich. ___ konnten alle Ziele erreicht werden.' Which word is missing?
Step 5: Re-read the Complete Text
After filling in all gaps, read through the entire text once. Does it flow logically? A choppy transition is a warning sign: re-check that gap.
Common Cohesion Markers in Texts
Connectors are often the decisive clue. The logic of the following sentence shows which type the gap needs:
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Causal result | deshalb, daher, folglich, dadurch, infolgedessen |
| Contrast | jedoch, allerdings, dennoch, trotzdem, andererseits |
| Addition | außerdem, darüber hinaus, zudem, zusätzlich |
| Temporal sequence | danach, anschließend, im Anschluss, daraufhin |
| Limitation | zwar ... aber, einerseits ... andererseits |
Which strategy is most important for the parallel text task?
Handling Ambiguous Gaps
Sometimes two options seem equally correct for the same gap: both fit the topic, both sound plausible. When this happens, shift your focus from meaning to grammar. Check for case errors: does the noun match the required case (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive)? Check gender agreement: does the article or adjective ending match? Check verb form: is it the right tense, the right conjugation? Often, one of the two candidates has a subtle grammatical mismatch that eliminates it.
For example, the gap reads: "Die Regierung plant eine ___ der Schulen." Two options seem to fit: Modernisierung and modernisierten. Both relate to modernisation. But the gap needs a noun after eine (feminine, accusative): Modernisierung is a feminine noun and fits perfectly. modernisierten is an adjective form that cannot stand alone after eine without a noun following it. Grammar eliminates the distractor.
Even when you cannot pinpoint the correct answer with certainty, elimination by exclusion narrows your choice. If four options are available and you can confidently rule out two (one contradicts the topic, another has a pronoun mismatch), you are left choosing between two instead of four. That alone doubles your odds. Never leave a gap blank when you can eliminate.
Common Mistakes
❌ Inserting options by feel without analysing the context. "Sounds good" is not a criterion. Ignoring pronoun references and connectors means guessing instead of analysing, and losing points.
❌ Only looking at the sentence directly before the gap. Sometimes the sentence after the gap provides the decisive clue. If it begins with „deshalb" (therefore), the gap must supply a cause, not a consequence.
❌ Using one option in two places. If two gaps seem to need the same option, at least one analysis is wrong. Re-check the grammar and pronoun reference.
❌ Not re-reading the text at the end. The final read-through is not wasted time: it is the easiest way to catch a wrong answer before it counts as an error.
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