TOEIC® Reading Part 5: Incomplete Sentences – Grammar and Vocabulary Tips

TOEIC® Part 5 focuses on testing your understanding of grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure through incomplete sentences. This section challenges you to demonstrate your knowledge of language mechanics by selecting the most appropriate word or phrase to complete a sentence. The questions can range from choosing the correct verb tense to selecting the right preposition or conjunction. Each question is an opportunity to prove your ability to interpret sentence context and use proper grammatical rules.

Strategy for Incomplete Sentences:

Read the Entire Sentence: Understand the context before looking at the answer options. This helps you anticipate what type of word is needed. Identify Key Grammar Rules: Focus on tense, subject-verb agreement, or idiomatic expressions that could indicate the correct answer. Eliminate Incorrect Options: Discard answers that don’t fit grammatically, are in the wrong tense, or don’t make sense within the sentence. Trust the Context: Use clues in the sentence to guide your decision. Often, business or technical vocabulary can help narrow down the right choice.

Vocabulary Tips for Part 5:

1. Pay Attention to Collocations: Collocations are words that commonly go together in English, such as "make a decision" or "take a risk." Understanding common collocations will help you identify the correct answer when the question involves choosing between similar words.

2. Learn Synonyms and Contextual Differences: The TOEIC test often uses synonyms in answer choices to test your ability to distinguish the correct word based on context. For example, words like "advise," "recommend," and "suggest" have slightly different usages. Knowing these differences will help you pick the right option.

3. Practice Business and Technical Vocabulary: Since TOEIC often focuses on business-related contexts, make sure to familiarize yourself with common terms used in meetings, reports, and technical settings. Words like "implement," "facilitate," "evaluate," and "comply" are frequently used, and knowing their meanings and usage will give you an edge.

4. Understand Prefixes and Suffixes: Understanding how prefixes and suffixes work can help you quickly identify the meaning of unfamiliar words. For instance, the prefix "un-" often means "not" (e.g., "unavailable"), and the suffix "-able" suggests capability (e.g., "adaptable"). This knowledge can be very helpful in eliminating incorrect options.

Grammar Tips for Part 5:

1. Subject-Verb Agreement: Ensure that the subject and verb in the sentence agree in number. For example, singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. Pay attention to subjects that are separated from their verbs by other words or phrases.

2. Tense Consistency: Look for clues in the sentence that indicate the appropriate verb tense. If the sentence refers to an action in the past, present, or future, make sure the verb matches that time frame.

3. Correct Use of Articles: Make sure you use the correct article ("a," "an," or "the") based on the noun. "A" and "an" are used for general references, while "the" is used for specific ones.

4. Parallel Structure: When elements in a sentence are part of a list or are connected by conjunctions, they should follow the same grammatical form. For example, "She likes hiking, swimming, and running" maintains a consistent structure.

5. Prepositions and Conjunctions: Pay attention to prepositions and conjunctions, as they are frequently tested in TOEIC Part 5. Make sure the word you choose fits the relationship between different parts of the sentence.

Let’s dive into two example questions related to Emi Sato’s role as a project manager at the Chiba Water Treatment plant.

Example Questions

Question 101:

Last week, Emi Sato _______ the team to improve their efficiency by using new software.

A) hoped

B) instructed

C) has instructed

D) guided

Correct Answer: C) has instructed

Explanation:

 C) has instructed is correct because the present perfect tense (‘has instructed’) indicates an action that occurred in the past but has relevance to the present.

 A) hoped is incorrect because it’s in the simple past, which doesn’t fit the context and is a non-sensical choice.

 B) instructed is incorrect because simple past doesn’t match the ongoing relevance implied by the context.

 D) guided is incorrect because it is also simple past and doesn’t match the ongoing relevance implied by the context.

Question 102:

 Emi Sato is responsible for recommending which system the Chiba Water Plant should _______.

A) implement

B) facilitated

C) evaluate

D) utilize

Correct Answer: A) implement

Explanation:

A) implement is correct because it fits grammatically and conveys the intended action of putting a system into use.

B) facilitated is incorrect because it is in the past tense and does not fit the conditional structure of the sentence.

C) evaluate is incorrect because the context implies putting a system into action, not assessing or examining it.

D) utilize is incorrect because it does not convey the specific action of initiating or setting up the system, which 'implement' does.

 With the right strategies and regular practice, you’ll become more familiar with the grammar and sentence structures tested in these questions, boosting your chances of success.