TOEIC Practice - Part 5: Incomplete Sentences

Part 5 marks the beginning of the reading skills section. In this section you will read a sentence that has one blank spot. There will be four choices of words or phrases to choose from. You will have to choose the one that you think completes the sentence. When the sentence is complete it must be grammatically correct.

Example 1:

First you will read a sentence with a blank.

Despite having four years of experience in software programming, Mr. Jones hadn't used a word processing program __________.

Next you will read four choices. Choose the word or phrase that best fits into the blank.

A) prior
B) advanced
C) previous
D) before

Explanation 1:

• Choices A is an adjective.(I have a prior engagement.)
• Choice B is a verb.(I advanced the money to her.)
• Choice C is an adjective.(That was my previous job.)

The correct answer is D. The sentence requires an adverb.

Example 2:

The person who is taking the minutes will be seated __________ the chairman.

A) from
B) to
C) next
D) by

Explanation 2:

• Choice A indicates a source.(Water comes from the tap.)
• Choice B indicates destination.(I'm going to Hawaii.)
• Choice C requires an additional "to". (I am seated next to her).

The correct answer is D."By" means the same as "near" or "beside".

Example 3:

The employees __________ about the closure before the announcement was made public.

A) know
B) known
C) knew
D) have known

Explanation 3:

• Choice A is the present tense form of the verb used for "now" or "everyday". (I know your name.)
• Choice B is the passive form of the verb. (He was known by the police.=The police knew him.)
• Choice D is the present perfect plural tense used for something in the past that continues in the present. (They have known her for years.=They still know her now.)

The correct answer is C.The simple past tense is needed.

Example 4:

__________ it was a holiday, the doctor performed the emergency surgery on the heart patient.

A) During
B) Even
C) Although
D) So

Explanation 4:

• Choice A must be followed by a noun or noun clause. (During the holiday...)
• Choice B requires "though" to complete the phrase. (Even though it was a holiday...)
• Choice D is a coordinate conjunction. (I was hungry so I had a sandwich.)

The correct answer is C.