Tips and exercises for Part I: Incomplete Sentences

8 tips:
 Prepare yourself for formal written English
 Decide if the question requires of vocabulary or grammar
 Consider the overall meaning of a sentence to determine a missing
vocabulary item
 Apply your knowledge of prefixes, word stems, and suffixes to select the
best vocabulary item
 Note that some words are often used together in set expressions
 Identify the missing part of speech to determine the correct grammatical
form
 Look for grammatical relationships between parts of the sentence
 Try to develop your knowledge of vocabulary.

Tip 1: Prepare yourself for formal written English

Look at the examples of different levels of formality
Informal English: Formal English:
I’m sorry I can’t come………………. I regret that I will be unable to attend
Please call back…………....................I look forward to your reply
Can you give me a hand with this……I would appreciate your assistance in this matter.

Look at the different language used in the following two announcements, one spoken and
one written:
A spoken extract from a staff meeting:
There aren’t enough parking spaces for everyone going to the party at the hotel on
Wednesday night, so they’re arranging a shuttle bus to pick us up and drop us off there.
Please use the bus so that the hotel has enough room for their own guests.
A written communication from a hotel:
Because the hotel does not have sufficient parking spaces for everyone attending the
reception on Wednesday evening, we have arranged a shuttle bus to bring guests to the
hotel entrance. We ask that you take advantage of this service so that we may
accommodate our overnight guests.
Exercise: Using informal and formal English
Informal English Formal English
1. Enough
2. Please use
3. Going to
4. The party
5. Has enough room for

Tip 2: Decide if the question requires of vocabulary or grammar

1
Read all the choices carefully. In some cases, you must select the correct vocabulary item.
In other questions, you must select the correct grammatical form of a particular word.
Ex 1:
Everyone should have periodic eye examinations to make sure any problems are quickly….
A. produced
B. responded
C. discovered
D. prepared
Ex 2:
Everyone should have periodic eye examinations to make sure any problems are quickly….
A. discovering
B. discover
C. discovered
D. to discover
Ex 3:
The publishers suggested that the envelopes be sent to………. by courier so that the film
can be developed as soon as possible.
A. they
B. their
C. theirs
D. them
Ex 4:
Conservatives predict that government finances will remain………during the period of the
investigation.
A. authoritative
B. summarized
C. examined
D. stable
Ex 5:
Updating your skills is the only way to remain……..in today’s job market, according to
economist Chun Ho Suk.
A. competitor
B. competition
C. competitive
D. competed
Ex 6:
Not only did the suppliers send the wrong………….for the machine, but they also sent
them to the wrong department.
A. particles
B. components
C. technicians
D. principles

2
Tip 3: Consider the overall meaning of a sentence to determine a missing
vocabulary item
Ex 7:
The firm………..Mr.Morrison as its accountant after it was learned that he had not been
mishandling funds.
A. reinstated
B. distracted
C. determined
D. reprimanded
Exercise: Thinking about the overall meaning of the sentence
1. Our studies show that increases in worker productivity have not been adequately
rewarded by significant increases in……………..
A. Compensation
B. Commodity
C. Compilation
D. Complacency
2. Two assistants will be required to……reprters’names when they arrive at the press
conference.
A. remark
B. check
C. notify
D. ensure
3. The Trade Ministry’s report asserts that the growing……….of skilled labor is
limiting business expansion
A. opportunity
B. scarcity
C. danger
D. enlargement
4. Even when two parties seem radically opposed to one another, an………negotiator
can help find common ground
A. incompetent
B. authentic
C. effective
D. appreciative

Tip 4: Apply your knowledge of prefixes, word stems, and suffixes to select the
best vocabulary item
Prefix: a letter or group of letters at the beginning of a word
Stem: the main part of a word
Suffix: a letter or group of letters at the end of a word
Prefixes:
Anti-
Auto-

3
Bi-
Ex-
Mono-
Multi-
Pre-
Syn-
Tri-
Re-
Un-
Fore-
Under
Co-
Suffixes
-er
-ful
-less
-ly
-ness
-ion
Exercise: Practice with prefixes:
Prefixes Word endings
Re- -portation
Pre- -estimated
Fore- -colored
Under- -necessary
Bi- -operation
Co- -lingual
Multi- -see
Trans- -cycle
Un- -dictable
Sentences:
1. Fluctuations in the stock market are not always…………………..
2. We failed to …………the effect of the new shopping center on traffic
patterns
3. Public…………can be used to get to the conference center
4. Ms. Curtis was dissatisfied because she felt her abilities were…………by her
supervisor
5. An advertisement has been placed for a……….secretary
6. The management apologizes for any inconvenience and asks for
your…………..while the construction is in progress.
7. Taking notes during the slide presentation is……………..because handouts
will be distributed at the end.

4
 8. A………………..sign would attract attention to the new restaurant better
than a black-and-white sign.
9. Employees are asked to ……………all used paper and envelopes.

Tip 5: Note that some words are often used together in set expressions
Certain combinations of words typically occur in English. Keep in mind that an Incomplete
Sentence question may be assessing your knowledge of English language usage.
Ex 1:
Mr.Dupre has asked me to send his…………….regards to you and your staff.
A. warm
B. firm
C. close
D. good
The word regards is usually used with the words warm or best. While close and good
might seem to make sense, they are not used to modify regards.
Ex 2:
He has………….a great deal of time on this project.
A. passed
B. spent
C. cost
D. paid
The word time can be used with passed or spent, but the meanings of the two expressions
are different. To pass time means to let the time go by while you are relaxing or waiting.
This word would not make sense in the above sentence. To spend a lot of time on
something means that you use the time for a special purpose.
Exercise: Choosing the missing word from a set expression
1. I am writing in………….to the position of events manager advertised in August’s
Entertainment Monthly.
A. comment
B. account
C. notice
D. reference
2. Please call the dentist’s office at your…………..convenience to make an
appointment for your six month check up.
A. soonest
B. quickest
C. earliest
D. easiest
3. It is essential that we operate…………..the parameters of time and a limited budget.
A. among
B. about
C. within
D. onto

5
 4. Reservations for the fish restaurant recently opened by John Larchmont need to
be…………….several weeks in advance.
A. conducted
B. left
C. enlisted
D. made
5. The success………………..the new manufacturing process has doubled the number
of requests for the product.
A. to
B. of
C. for
D. by
6. We apologize for informing you of the change in location of the conference at
such……………notice.
A. brief
B. tight
C. short
D. small

Tip 6: Identify the missing part of speech to determine the correct grammatical
form
Identifying the missing part of speech (noun,verb, adj, adv, preposition, conjunction, etc)
can help you eliminate some of the choices. If the missing word is a verb, for example, you
can rule out the choices that are not verbs.
Ex:
Please…………..your face with a mask when using welding materials
A. protection
B. protect
C. protecting
D. protective
Exercise: Identifying missing parts of speech
1. In order for the conference to run smoothly, we will need
hundreds…………..volunteers. ( )
2. The need for skilled workers in the manufacturing trade will……………dramatically
over the next decade. ( )
3. West Street has the city’s……..concentration of art galleries, museums and restaurants.
( )
4. The RBI Corporation has………….maintained that its greatest growth potential lies
overseas. ( )
5. The airline industry announced yesterday that it had canceled a $3.5 billion……….for
jet airplanes. ( )
6. The audience is reminded that neither cameras…………..recording equipment will be
permitted in the auditorium. ( )

6
Exercise: Completing sentences
Now complete the same sentences from Exercise B using words of your own.
1. In order for the conference to run smoothly, we will need hundreds…………..
……..volunteers.
2. The need for skilled workers in the manufacturing trade will……………dramatically
over the next decade.
3. West Street has the city’s…………..…..concentration of art galleries, museums and
restaurants.
4. The RBI Corporation has………….maintained that its greatest growth potential lies
overseas.
5. The airline industry announced yesterday that it had canceled a $3.5
billion……………….for jet airplanes.
6. The audience is reminded that neither cameras…………..…..recording equipment will
be permitted in the auditorium.

Tip 7: Look for grammatical relationships between parts of the sentence

When you are choosing the correct grammatical form to complete the sentence, look at
how the parts of the sentence fit together. Information from one phrase often affects other
parts of the sentence.
Ex:
The notebook computer is the ……….profitable of all the products that are presently on
sale.
A. as
B. so
C. more
D. most
Ex:
Mrs.Hayashi……………from her trip to Jakarta late yesterday evening.
A. return
B. returned
C. returns
D. be returned
Exercise: Recognizing the grammatical relationships in the sentence.
1. Mr.Kobayashi spoke quite……….while he was making his sales presentation.
A. exciting
B. excitable
C. excitedly
D. excitement
2. Over the next two years, production at the Landsbury plant………….to double in
order to meet increased demand.
A. needed
B. will need
C. has needed

7
 D. was needing
3. The new computers we are installing are far more powerful…………..those we are
currently using.
A. as
B. than
C. and
D. so
4. Regrettably, Mr.Jenkinson was found to be………..good at his work nor easy to get
along with.
A. either
B. nor
C. both
D. neither
5. While you are in the building, please wear your identification badge at all times so
that you are…………..as a company employee.
A. recognize
B. recognizing
C. recognizable
D. recognizably

Tip 8: Try to develop your knowledge of vocabulary

Keep a Reading Vocabulary Notebook.
One of the best ways to increase your reading proficiency is to find reading materials that
you enjoy and to read for pleasure as often as you can in order to increase your
understanding of English grammar and vocabulary.
For example:
New vocabulary Part of speech Meaning Example sentence
Recipient Noun a person who The recipient of the award gave a
receives speech of thanks