TOEIC : Grammar-based sentence completions
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for TOEIC
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Conjunctions
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
I will either buy a computer _____________ a television; I cannot afford both.
or
nor
for
and
or
The correct answer is "or." This sentence presents a choice between two things--a computer or a television. The biggest clue that "or" is the correct conjunction is the word "either." The other conjunctions are not appropriate in this sentence.
Example Question #5 : Conjunctions
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
I am either going to yoga ___________ kickboxing class tonight, both of which take place at 7:00pm.
or
but
and
so
or
The correct answer is "or." We know that the speaker is making a choice between two things, and cannot do both activities since they both take place at 7:00pm, which is why the answer is not "and." The conjunctions "but" and "so" do not make sense in this sentence. The best choice is "or."
Example Question #6 : Conjunctions
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
When I moved to a new city, I thought I would hate it, _________ I came to see it as a wonderful place.
or
and
but
so
but
The best choice is "but." We know that this sentence requires the word "but" because there is a contrast--at first the speaker thought one thing, but then changed her mind. The other options link sentences in different ways that aren't appropriate in this sentence.
Example Question #11 : Conjunctions
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
The hockey team was made up of amateurs __________ professionals; there were men who had played for years as well as men who were still in college.
but
and
or
or
and
The correct answer is "and." This is the best choice because the conjunction "and" joins ideas together. The phrase, "men who had played for years as well as men who were still in college" indicates that both types of people were involved, not just one. Some key words are "as well as," a phrase meaning the same thing as "and." For those reasons, the best choice is "and."
Example Question #12 : Conjunctions
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
I want to go to the movies, ________ my parents won't let me.
and
but
or
so
but
The correct answer is "but." In this sentence, the meaning of "but" can be understood the same way as the word "however." This sentence has a contrast--the subject wants to do something but cannot. If the sentence conveyed an alternative we might consider "or" but this sentence does not. The only conjunction that shows this contrast in meaning is "but," so it is the best choice.
Example Question #41 : Grammar Based Sentence Completions
Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.
I stayed in the sun too long, _______ I got a sunburn.
but
for
so
or
so
The correct answer is "so." The conjunction "so" shows a cause and effect relationship, which is the case in this sentence: the subject was in the sun too long, which caused a sunburn. The word "so" is similar in meaning to the word "therefore." The sentence would not make sense if the other conjunctions ("or", "but", and "for") were placed in the blank. That is why the best choice is "so."
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