2. INCOMPLETE SENTENCES
- Example
- Strategies
- Test taking tips
- Question types

3. 2. I usually eat my lunch in the break room, but today I
…………my lunch at my desk.
(D)eat
(E)ate
(F)eaten
(G)have eaten

4.  Pay close attention to grammatical points. (parts of
speech, tenses, agreement, positions of frequency
adverbs, etc.)
 Note that the words around the missing word can be
useful clues.
 Pay close attention to the type of word you are asked
to find. (nouns -> look only for nouns, disregard any
verbs, adverbs, adjectives, etc. )

5.  TIP: Determine whether the question is about vocabulary or
grammar.
Vocabulary question -> think of the meaning of the whole
sentence
Grammar question -> determine the part of speech
needed for the blank by taking a close look at the
surrounding elements
 TIP: Remember that quite a lot of English words look and
sound similar, sometimes even the same, even though the
meaning is different.

6.  Type 1 – Vocabulary Questions
Verbs
Nouns
Modifiers
Conjunctions
Prepositions

7.  Type 2 – Grammar Questions
Verbs
Auxiliary Verbs
Subject-verb Agreement
Gerunds and Infinitives
Nouns and Pronouns
Conjunctions
Comparatives and Superlatives
Negation

8.  Verbs and Nouns are different classes of words.
Sometimes look and sound similar:
Ex: Present (v) -> to give
Present (n) -> a gift
Sometimes look or sound exactly the same
Ex: Ride (v) -> to get in or on a large vehicle
Rid (n) -> an attraction at an amusement
park

9.  A list of easily confused verbs:
adapt- adopt acquire - require affect - effect
assign – consign compose - comprise lay - lie
lend- borrow precede - proceed protect - protest
raise - rise remove - move persecute - prosecute
 Ex: Inflation……. The buying power of the dollar.
(A) affects (B) deletes
(C) effects (D) completes

10.  Common problem -> the confusion caused by
similar prefixes and suffixes
 Words that end in –ment, -ate, -ish, -ise/-ize,
etc. don’t necessarily have the same or
similar meanings.
 Payattention to the root word, not the
attachment

11.  A list of easily confused nouns:
aid-aide consul - council moral - morale
alley- ally corporation - principal - principle
cooperation
assay – essay crown – clown trail - trial
capital – capitol desert – dessert neighbor -
neighborhood
complement - hall - hole
compliment
Ex: His only……about his job is that he has to work on
Saturdays.
(A) complaint (B) complement
(C) compliment (D) accomplishment

12.  An important thing to consider -> the word to be
modified is countable or uncountable
 A list of modifiers:
Adjectives to be used with countable nouns:
many, a few, few, the fewest, more, a number of, a
lot of
Adjectives to be used with uncountable nouns:
much, a great deal of, a little, little, less, the least, a
lot of, more
Adjectives to be used with singular countable
nouns: each, every, either, neither, another

13. Ex: For ……information, call us at 1-800-354-1114.
(A) another (B) farther
(C) further (D) every

14.  Conjunctions: relationship words that logically
connect elements in a sentence.
Conjunctions: do not always have to come in the middle of a
sentence; can come at the beginning of a sentence to show
emphasis
Conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet, as, because, if,
provided that, than
 Conjunctive adverbs: express the relationship
between independent sentences
Conjunctive adverbs: also, as a result, consequently, either,
however, in fact, moreover, neither, nevertheless, therefore,
thus

15. Ex: Neither the CEO ……the board of directors is
opposed to our plan.
(D)and (B) or
(C) nor (D) but

16.  Prepositions, like conjunctions: help establish the
relationship between elements of a sentence.
 A list of prepositions: in, at, of, by, for, beneath,
because of, in spite of, considering, except, than, as,
before
Ex: Please have these documents sent out
immediately………express mail.
(A) at (B) by
(C) Toward (D) along

17.  Verbs: express existence, action or occurrence.
 Verbs: change their form depending on the subject ->
number agreement between subject & verb.
 Verbs: identify whether an action has happened in the
past, is happening now, or will happen in the future ->
tense of the verb.

18. Ex 1: Theodore will……… the delivery truck after
lunch.
(C)fixing (B) fixed
(C) fix (D) fixes
Ex 2: I am ………my supervisor with job interviews.
(G)help (B) will help
(C) helped (D) helping

19.  An important type: modal auxiliary
 Modal words: could, will, should, might, etc. -> to
express: permission, ability, and necessity
 Note that sometimes changing the modal ->
drastically affect the meaning of the sentence!

20. Ex 1: Today is the last day of my vacation. I ……… go
back to work tomorrow.
(A) must (B) might
(C) could (D) had
Ex 2: We……… choose the dental insurance program or
the $2,000 bonus, but not both.
(G)must (B) should
(C) can (D) didn’t

21.  Subject and verbs are said to agree -> they match in
number
Ex: A singular subject -> a singular verb
A plural subject -> plural verb
 Look for clues like the third person singular (e.g.,
She goes. He works. )

22. Ex 1: Every Christmas she ………money to charity.
(A) give (B) gives
(C) given (D) giving
Ex 2: One of the lawyers……..an accountant, too.
(A) is (B) are
(C) am (D) to be

23.  Gerunds: verbs used as subjects, objects,
complements and in other roles
Ex: Swimming is good exercise. -> swimming is a
gerund.
He went swimming after lunch.-> swimming is a
continuous form of the verb.
 Infinitives: base form of the verb preceded by the
infinitive marker to
-> Can be confusing as sometimes they omit the
infinitive marker in writing or speaking, though it
remains implied.

24. Ex 1: Her ………strategy was the most successful in the
history of her company.
(A) advertise (B) to advertise
(C) advertising (C) advertised
Ex 2: He will be asked ………a presentation at next
month’s staff meeting.
(A) give (B) to give
(C) will give (D) to giving

25.  Nouns: people, places, things, and ideas.
 Writers and speakers: repeat the same noun over and
over again -> pronouns are used to take the place of
nouns
Ex 1: Our company sponsors many of the……… at the
new amusement park.
(A) rode (B) rides
(C) riding (D) ride

26. Ex2: Mom’s Famous Cakes is a very well respected
company. ………was founded in 1906 by Margaret
Dennison
(A) She (B) They
(C) Mom’s Famous Cakes (D) It

27.  Conjunctions: words that connect clauses within a
single idea
 A list of conjunctions:
Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet
Subordinating conjunctions: as, although, because, if,
though, unless, when, while
Ex 1: We were both hoping to be promoted. I got a promotion ,
……. my assistant did not.
(A) and (B) so
(C) but (D) or

28. Ex 2: My company is very busy in January, ……I’ll take
a vacation in February.
(A) or (B) so
(C) but (D) however

29.  Comparatives: contrast and rank two nouns.
 Superlatives: contrast and rank three more nouns.
 Comparative forms include:
adj./adv. –er than
adj./adv. –ier than
more/ less adj./adv. than
 Superlative forms include:
the adj./adv.-est
the adj./adv.-iest
the most/ least adj./adv.

30. Ex 1: My new computer is far…… than my old one.
(A) best (B) good
(C) better (D) greater
Ex 2: She is …… supervisor I’ve ever worked for.
(A) best (B) better
(C) the better (D) the best

31.  Negations is the use of the negative, or saying no.
 Negations do not always use a negative word such as
no or not.
 Adverbs that are already negative in sense -> not use a
negative form with them: never, rarely, hardly, barely,
seldom, scarcely

32. Ex 1: I ………hardly understand him because he spoke
too quickly.
(A) couldn’t (B) could
(C) can’t (D) can
Ex 2: You …… coming to the office Christmas party,
are you?
(A) aren’t (B) are
(C) were (D) weren’t