TOEIC Incomplete Sentences Questions and Answers 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The conference will be held _______ three consecutive days in November.
- over (Correct answer)
- during
- within
- throughout
Correct answer: over
'Over' three days means spanning a period, indicating the conference takes place across those three days. While 'over' and 'during' can sometimes be interchangeable, 'over' is more natural with a specific number of time units.
'Over' is used to describe an action or event that spans a counted duration (over three days, over two weeks). 'During' is used with named periods (during November, during the conference). 'Within' implies inside a time limit. 'Throughout' emphasizes the entirety of a period.
Question 2: The department head was _______ with the quality of the final presentation.
- pleased (Correct answer)
- pleasing
- pleasant
- pleasantly
Correct answer: pleased
'Pleased' describes the emotional state of the subject (the department head) — a predicate adjective after linking verb 'was.' 'Pleased with' is the correct collocation.
Predicate adjectives describing a person's feelings or reactions follow linking verbs like 'was.' 'Pleased' (past participle used as adjective) describes the head's emotional response. 'Pleasing' (present participle as adjective) would mean the head caused pleasure in others. 'Pleasant' describes a general quality. 'Pleasantly' is an adverb.
Question 3: We need to _______ the contract terms with our legal team before signing.
- review (Correct answer)
- revise
- revoke
- reveal
Correct answer: review
'Review' means to examine or assess carefully, which is the appropriate action before signing a contract. It involves checking that all terms are correct and acceptable.
'Review' means to examine something carefully, especially with a view to making changes or checking correctness. This is standard practice before signing contracts. 'Revise' means to alter or amend. 'Revoke' means to officially cancel or take back. 'Reveal' means to make known.
Question 4: The training program is designed to _______ employees with the latest industry standards.
- familiarize (Correct answer)
- familiar
- familiarity
- familiarly
Correct answer: familiarize
'Familiarize' is the verb needed after 'to' (infinitive). The phrase 'familiarize someone with something' means to make someone acquainted with something.
'Familiarize' is a transitive verb used in the pattern 'familiarize someone with something,' meaning to make someone knowledgeable or comfortable with something. 'Familiar' is an adjective. 'Familiarity' is a noun. 'Familiarly' is an adverb. Only 'familiarize' can follow 'to' as a verb infinitive.
Question 5: The CEO's speech was _______ to inspire confidence among investors and stakeholders.
- intended (Correct answer)
- intending
- intention
- intend
Correct answer: intended
'Intended' is the past participle used as a predicate adjective in 'was intended to,' which is passive and means the speech was designed or meant to inspire confidence.
'Was intended to' is a passive construction meaning the speech was designed or meant to achieve a purpose. 'Intended' is the correct past participle. 'Intending' would require a different structure (e.g., 'intending to inspire'). 'Intention' is a noun. 'Intend' is a base verb that cannot follow 'was' without 'to.'
Question 6: The company posted its strongest quarterly profits _______ despite a challenging economic climate.
- to date (Correct answer)
- up to
- by now
- so far as
Correct answer: to date
'To date' is an adverbial phrase meaning 'up until now' or 'in the history of the company so far.' It conveys that these are the best profits the company has ever achieved.
'To date' is a formal phrase meaning up to the present time, used to describe the best or most significant achievement so far. 'Up to' requires a time reference. 'By now' implies something expected to have happened. 'So far as' introduces a limiting clause (e.g., 'so far as I know').
The conference will be held _______ three consecutive days in November.