diff --git a/mod/lesson/lang/en/lesson.php b/mod/lesson/lang/en/lesson.php
index baefd6a5b9c..fcc9ebbecb7 100644
--- a/mod/lesson/lang/en/lesson.php
+++ b/mod/lesson/lang/en/lesson.php
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ $string['nameapproved'] = 'Name approved';
 $string['namereject'] = 'Sorry, your name has been rejected by the filter.<br />Please try another name.';
 $string['new'] = 'new';
 $string['nextpage'] = 'Next page';
-$string['noanswer'] = 'No answer given.  Please go back and submit an answer.';
+$string['noanswer'] = 'One or more questions have no answer given.  Please go back and submit an answer.';
 $string['noattemptrecordsfound'] = 'No attempt records found: no grade given';
 $string['nobranchtablefound'] = 'No content page found';
 $string['nocommentyet'] = 'No comment yet.';
diff --git a/mod/lesson/pagetypes/matching.php b/mod/lesson/pagetypes/matching.php
index 00b0dcb8ca3..e262f4473f0 100644
--- a/mod/lesson/pagetypes/matching.php
+++ b/mod/lesson/pagetypes/matching.php
@@ -161,11 +161,6 @@ class lesson_page_type_matching extends lesson_page {
         }
 
         $response = $data->response;
-        if (!is_array($response)) {
-            $result->noanswer = true;
-            return $result;
-        }
-
         $answers = $this->get_answers();
 
         $correct = array_shift($answers);
@@ -177,12 +172,16 @@ class lesson_page_type_matching extends lesson_page {
             }
             unset($answers[$key]);
         }
-        // get he users exact responses for record keeping
+        // get the user's exact responses for record keeping
         $hits = 0;
         $userresponse = array();
         foreach ($response as $id => $value) {
+            if ($value == '') {
+                $result->noanswer = true;
+                return $result;
+            }
             $userresponse[] = $value;
-            // Make sure the user's answer is exist in question's answer
+            // Make sure the user's answer exists in question's answer
             if (array_key_exists($id, $answers)) {
                 $answer = $answers[$id];
                 $result->studentanswer .= '<br />'.format_text($answer->answer, $answer->answerformat, $formattextdefoptions).' = '.$answers[$value]->response;