Sentence Completion
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Introduction • The sentence completion section is a hybrid— it’s part reading comprehension, part vocabulary. • With sentence completion, the most important thing to do is to quickly identify key phrases that express the concise meaning of the sentence.
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Introduction • Sentence completion questions will have a sentence with either one or two blanks. • As of changes made in 2007, there is a possibility that you will have to answer ONE three blank question. (But only ONE.) • As with antonyms and analogies, you will be given five answer choices.
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A Plan Psychologists agree that human beings have a strong need to ______ their time; having too much idle time can be as stressful as having none at all. Step 2: Step 1: human Try to beings simplify have the a strong sentence need if to Read the sentence through for -------possible. theirDo time; thistoo by identifying much idle time the meaning. key words can be in stressful the sentence.
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A Plan Psychologists agree that human beings have a strong need to ______ their time; having too much idle time can be as stressful as having none at all. Step 3: Make a guess at filling in the blank: human beings have a strong need to -------- their time; too much idle time can be stressful
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A Plan Psychologists agree that human beings have a strong need to ______ their time; having too much idle time can be as stressful as having none at all. Step 3: Make a guess at filling in the blank: human beings have a strong need to ORGANIZE their time; too much idle time can be stressful
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A Plan Psychologists agree that human beings have a strong need to ______ their time; having too much idle time can be as stressful as having none at all. a.threaten Step 4: b.annihilate Now find a synonym in the answer choices: c.structure human beings have a strong need to ORGANIZE their time; too much idle d.punctuate time can be stressful e.remand Institute of Engineering Studies
Another example Even though he is a leading authority on the French Revolution, the chairperson of the department is a --------- speaker whose lectures on even the most exciting aspect of the historical period cause students to yawn and fidget. a.sublime b.confident After reading the sentence through, it’s c.lackluster important to quickly identify the key phrases. d.honest e.meritorious Institute of Engineering Studies
Another example Even though he is a leading authority on the French Revolution, the chairperson of the department is a --------- speaker whose lectures on even the most exciting aspect of the historical period cause students to yawn and fidget. a.sublime b.confident After reading the sentence through, it’s c.lackluster important to quickly identify the key phrases. d.honest e.meritorious Institute of Engineering Studies
Another example Even though he is a leading authority on the French Revolution, the chairperson of the department is a --------- speaker whose lectures on even the most exciting aspect of the historical period cause students to yawn and fidget. a.sublime b.confident the chairperson is a ----------- speaker c.lackluster whose lectures cause students to yawn and fidget d.honest e.meritorious Institute of Engineering Studies
Another example Even though he is a leading authority on the French Revolution, the chairperson of the department is a --------- speaker whose lectures on even the most exciting aspect of the historical period cause students to yawn and fidget. a.sublime b.confident the chairperson is a BORING speaker c.lackluster whose lectures cause students to yawn and fidget d.honest e.meritorious Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences The chairperson, who is a specialist in French history, is a --------- speaker whose lectures on the French Revolution completely ----------- students. a. lackluster . . . entertain b. moving . . . alienate Some sentences may have two blanks. Sometimes you can c. dull . . . absorb not guess the words in the blanks without looking at the d. forceful . . . require answer choices. e. scintillating . . . enthrall Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences The chairperson, who is a specialist in French history, is a --------- speaker whose lectures on the French Revolution completely ----------- students. a. lackluster . . . entertain b. moving . . . alienate In these cases, you will need c. dull . . . absorb to test the answer choices to find one that works. d. forceful . . . require e. scintillating . . . enthrall Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences The chairperson, who is a specialist in French history, is a lackluster --------- speaker whose lectures on the entertain students. French Revolution completely ----------a. lackluster . . . entertain b. moving . . . alienate In these cases, you will need c. dull . . . absorb to test the answer choices to find one that works. d. forceful . . . require e. scintillating . . . enthrall Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences The chairperson, who is a specialist in French moving speaker whose lectures on the history, is a --------alienate students. French Revolution completely ----------a. lackluster . . . entertain b. moving . . . alienate In these cases, you will need c. dull . . . absorb to test the answer choices to find one that works. d. forceful . . . require e. scintillating . . . enthrall Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences The chairperson, who is a specialist in French dull history, is a --------speaker whose lectures on the absorb French Revolution completely ----------students. a. lackluster . . . entertain b. moving . . . alienate In these cases, you will need c. dull . . . absorb to test the answer choices to find one that works. d. forceful . . . require e. scintillating . . . enthrall Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences The chairperson, who is a specialist in French forceful speaker whose lectures on the history, is a --------require students. French Revolution completely ----------a. lackluster . . . entertain b. moving . . . alienate In these cases, you will need c. dull . . . absorb to test the answer choices to find one that works. d. forceful . . . require e. scintillating . . . enthrall Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences The chairperson, who is a specialist in French history, is a scintillating --------- speaker whose lectures on the enthrall students. French Revolution completely ----------a. lackluster . . . entertain b. moving . . . alienate In these cases, you will need c. dull . . . absorb to test the answer choices to find one that works. d. forceful . . . require e. scintillating . . . enthrall Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences The chairperson, who is a specialist in French history, is a --------- speaker whose lectures on the French Revolution completely ----------- students. a. lackluster . . . entertain b. moving . . . alienate In these cases, you will need c. dull . . . absorb to test the answer choices to find one that works. d. forceful . . . require e. scintillating . . . enthrall Institute of Engineering Studies
Clue Words • If you are able to guess the correct answer, click on it and move on. • However, if you can’t there are a few “tricks”. • One is clue words. • Many sentences follow a certain pattern and clue words help you identify the pattern.
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Clue Words • Sometimes sentences in the sentence completion section will consist of two phrases. • The phrases will expresses similar ideas or opposite ideas—you need to determine which one. • The phrases are usually separated by a comma (,) or semicolon (;) and/or a coordinating conjunction (and, yet, so, but, etc.). Institute of Engineering Studies
Clue Words • Just as congestion plagues every important highway, so it _______ the streets of every city. • Some microbiologists believe that the attempt to kill the microbes that live on or in our bodies is a mistake and that the use of antiseptics cannot always be _______. • Eastlake is a colorful and _______ commentator, equally at home in high art, folk rock, theology, and economics. Institute of Engineering Studies
Clue Words • Just as congestion plagues every important highway, so it _______ the streets of every city. • Some microbiologists believe that the attempt to kill the microbes that live on or in our bodies is a mistake and that the use of antiseptics cannot always be _______. • Eastlake is a colorful and _______ commentator, equally at home in high art, folk rock, theology, and economics. Institute of Engineering Studies
Continuing or amplifying a thought • Some blanks must be filled in by a word that continues or amplifies the main thought in the sentence. • The one part of the sentence will parallel the other. • Clue words that signal continuing thoughts are: – – – – – – – –
and also consequently as a result thus hence so, so that for example Institute of Engineering Studies
Continuing or amplifying a thought The conductor’s choice of tempo seemed entirely --------, so that each successful movement of the piece seemed to have no necessary connection to what had come before. a. musical b. believable If you can’t immediately identify the correct answer, separate the sentence c. arbitrary into two parts [if you can]. d. subtle e. cautious Institute of Engineering Studies
Continuing or amplifying a thought 1: The conductor’s choice of tempo seemed entirely --------, 2: so that each successful movement of the piece seemed to have no necessary connection to what had come before. a. musical b. believable The second half of this phrase will Try to identify the key idea expressed continue the idea that is expressed by by the second phrase c. arbitrary the correct answer d. subtle e. cautious Institute of Engineering Studies
Continuing or amplifying a thought 1: The conductor’s choice of tempo seemed entirely --------, 2: so that each successful movement of the piece seemed to have no necessary connection to what had come before. a. musical b. believable Try to identify the key idea expressed by the second phrase c. arbitrary d. subtle e. cautious Institute of Engineering Studies
Continuing or amplifying a thought 1: The conductor’s choice of tempo seemed entirely --------, 2: so that each successful movement of the piece seemed to have no necessary connection to what had come before. a. musical If you can’t immediately identify the b. believable correct answer, look for clue words Do any of the answers seem to express [they often appear after the comma this same idea? c. arbitrary separating the two parts of the sentence] d. subtle e. cautious Institute of Engineering Studies
Continuing or amplifying a thought After a period of protracted disuse, a muscle will atrophy, ------- both its strength and the ability to perform its former function. a. regaining It is possible that there will no clue b. sustaining word. c. losing The logical flow of the sentence must be used identify whether not the d. insuring sentence is expressing a continuation. e. aligning Institute of Engineering Studies
Continuing or amplifying a thought 1: After a period of protracted disuse, a muscle will atrophy, 2: ------- both its strength and the ability to perform its former function. It is possible that there will no clue a. regaining word. b. sustaining The logical flow of the sentence must c. losing be used identify whether not the sentence is expressing a continuation d. insuring (though these are usually of the continuation type). e. aligning Institute of Engineering Studies
Reversing a thought • Sometimes the substitution must be the reverse of another thought in the sentence. • Clue words that signal continuing thoughts are: – – – – – – –
but yet although on the other hand in contrast however nevertheless Institute of Engineering Studies
Reversing a thought Although the conditions in which she chooses to live suggest that she is miserly, her contributions to charity show that she is ------------a. stingy b. thrifty Split the sentence and find the clue c. frugal word d. intolerant e. generous Institute of Engineering Studies
Reversing a thought 1: Although the conditions in which she chooses to live suggest that she is miserly, 2: her contributions to charity show that she is -----a. stingy b. thrifty c. frugal Although suggests a “reversing” d. intolerant e. generous Institute of Engineering Studies
Reversing a thought 1: Although the conditions in which she chooses to live suggest that she is miserly, 2: her contributions to charity show that she is -----a. stingy b. thrifty Identify the main idea of the defining c. frugal phrase in the sentence. d. intolerant e. generous Institute of Engineering Studies
Reversing a thought 1: Although the conditions in which she chooses to live suggest that she is miserly, 2: her contributions to charity show that she is -----a. stingy b. thrifty c. frugal Find the answer that reverses this idea. d. intolerant e. generous Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences African-Americans legislators have not only ______ their constituencies but also served as proxies in the democratic process for all African Americans; yet their personal lives sometimes ______ their struggle to extend the nation’s ideals to all citizens. a. served. . describe b. abandoned . . affirm c. promoted . . criticize d. represented . . belie e. influenced . . discredit Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences African-Americans legislators have not only ______ their constituencies but also served as proxies in the democratic process for all African Americans; yet their personal lives sometimes ______ their struggle to extend the nation’s ideals to all citizens. a. served. . describe b. abandoned . . affirm c. promoted . . criticize d. represented . . belie Identify clue words e. influenced . . discredit Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences African-Americans legislators have not only ______ their constituencies but also served as proxies in the democratic process for all African Americans; yet their personal lives sometimes ______ their struggle to extend the nation’s ideals to all citizens. a. served. . describe b. abandoned . . affirm c. promoted . . criticize d. represented . . belie Identify clue words e. influenced . . discredit Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences African-Americans legislators have not only ______ their constituencies but also served as proxies in the democratic process for all African Americans; yet their personal lives sometimes ______ their struggle to extend the nation’s ideals to all citizens. a.served. . describe b.abandoned . . affirm c.promoted . . criticize d.represented . . belie e.influenced . . discredit Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences African-Americans legislators have not only ______ their constituencies but also served as proxies in the democratic process for all African Americans; yet their personal lives sometimes ______ their struggle to extend the nation’s ideals to all citizens. a.served. . describe b.abandoned . . affirm c.promoted . . criticize divide and conquer d.represented . . belie e.influenced . . discredit Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences African-Americans legislators have not only ______ their constituencies but also served as proxies in the democratic process for all African Americans; yet their personal lives sometimes ______ their struggle to extend the nation’s ideals to all citizens. a.served. . describe b.abandoned . . affirm c.promoted . . criticize divide and conquer d.represented . . belie e.influenced . . discredit Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences Decades of statistics showing the ______ respiratory ailments among construction workers _____ the causal connection between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. a. reason for . . help to establish b. frequent occurrence of . . have influenced c. consequences of . . mainly involve d. high incidence of . . underscore e. seriousness of . . preceded Institute of Engineering Studies
Two blank sentences Decades of statistics showing the ______ respiratory ailments among construction workers _____ the causal connection between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. a. reason for . . help to establish b. frequent occurrence of . . have influenced c. consequences of . . mainly involve d. high incidence of . . underscore e. seriousness of . . preceded Institute of Engineering Studies
A three blank sentence 1. That the President manages the economy is an assumption ____ (i)_____ the prevailing wisdom that dominates electoral politics in the United States. As a result, presidential elections have become referenda on the business cycle, whose fortuitous turnings are ____ (ii)_____ the President. Presidents are properly accountable for their executive and legislative performance, and certainly their actions may have profound effects on the economy. But these effects are ____ (iii)____. Unfortunately, modern political campaigns are fought on the untenable premise that Presidents can deliberately produce precise economic results. Blank (i)
Blank (ii)
Blank (iii)
at odds with
justifiably personified in
usually long-lasting
peripheral to
erroneously attributed to
regrettably unnoticeable
central to
occasionally associated with
largely unpredictable
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A three blank sentence 1. That the President manages the economy is an assumption ____ (i)_____ the prevailing wisdom that dominates electoral politics in the United States. As a result, presidential elections have become referenda on the business cycle, whose fortuitous turnings are ____ (ii)_____ the President. Presidents are properly accountable for their executive and legislative performance, and certainly their actions may have profound effects on the economy. But these effects are ____ (iii)____. Unfortunately, modern political campaigns are fought on the untenable premise that Presidents can deliberately produce precise economic results. Blank (i)
Blank (ii)
Blank (iii)
at odds with
justifiably personified in
usually long-lasting
peripheral to
erroneously attributed to
regrettably unnoticeable
central to
occasionally associated with
largely unpredictable
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A two blank sentence 1. The medical profession has traditionally scoffed at the claims of alternative medicine. When (i)______ its successes is trotted out, doctors routinely and dismissively put it down to the placebo effect. (ii)______, perhaps one of the reasons that alternative medicine is booming today is precisely because in an era in which medical procedures and antibiotics are prescribed at the drop of a hat while alternative treatments are rarely suggested, people have become less trusting of medical science. Blank (i)
Blank (ii)
a compelling reason for
Ironically
anecdotal evidence of
As a result
a cogent theory about
On the other hand
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A two blank sentence 1. The medical profession has traditionally scoffed at the claims of alternative medicine. When (i)______ its successes is trotted out, doctors routinely and dismissively put it down to the placebo effect. (ii)______, perhaps one of the reasons that alternative medicine is booming today is precisely because in an era in which medical procedures and antibiotics are prescribed at the drop of a hat while alternative treatments are rarely suggested, people have become less trusting of medical science. Blank (i)
Blank (ii)
a compelling reason for
Ironically
anecdotal evidence of
As a result
a cogent theory about
On the other hand
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Word Usage 1. Unless we grant historians some license to interpret historical events, we essentially _______ the historian’s role to that of a mere archivist or journalists. a) define b) demote c) expand d) alter e) diminish Institute of Engineering Studies
Word Usage 1. Unless we grant historians some license to interpret historical events, we essentially _______ the historian’s role to that of a mere archivist or journalists. a) define b) demote demote and diminish both seem to fit c) expand Look carefully on what is being demoted/dimished d) alter e) diminish Institute of Engineering Studies
Word Usage 1. Unless we grant historians some license to interpret historical events, we essentially _______ the historian’s role to that of a mere archivist or journalists. a) define b) demote demote and diminish both seem to fit c) expand Look carefully on what is being demoted/dimished d) alter e) diminish Institute of Engineering Studies
Sample Questions • Swiped from the ets.org website, sample sentence completion questions (total of 8 questions).
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1. Early______ of hearing loss is ______ by the fact that the other senses are able to compensate for moderate amounts of loss, so that people frequently do not know that their hearing is imperfect. a. discovery . . indicated b. development . . prevented c. detection . . complicated d. treatment . . facilitated e. incidence . . corrected Institute of Engineering Studies
2. The ______ science of seismology has grown just enough so that the first overly bold theories have been ______ . a. magnetic . . accepted b. fledgling . . refuted c. tentative . . analyzed d. predictive . . protected e. exploratory . . recalled Institute of Engineering Studies
3. Nonviolent demonstrations often create such tensions that a community that has constantly refused to ______ its injustices is forced to correct them: the injustices can no longer be ______. a. acknowledge..ignored b. decrease..verified c. tolerate..accepted d. address..eliminated e. explain..discussed Institute of Engineering Studies
4. Since 1813 reaction to Jane Austen's novels has oscillated between ______ and condescension; but in general later writers have esteemed her works more highly than did most of her literary ______. a. dismissal..admirers b. adoration..contemporaries c. disapproval..readers d. indifference..followers e. approbation..precursors Institute of Engineering Studies
5. There are, as yet, no vegetation types or ecosystems whose study has been ______ to the extent that they no longer ______ ecologists. a. perfected..hinder b. exhausted..interest c. prolonged..require d. prevented..challenge e. delayed..benefit Institute of Engineering Studies
6. Under ethical guidelines recently adopted by the National Institutes of Health, human genes are to be manipulated only to correct diseases for which ______ treatments are unsatisfactory. a. similar b. most c. dangerous d. uncommon e. alternative Institute of Engineering Studies
7. It was her view that the country's problems had been ______ by foreign technocrats, so that to invite them to come back would be counterproductive. a. foreseen b. attacked c. ascertained d. exacerbated e. analyzed Institute of Engineering Studies
7. It was her view that the country's problems had been ______ by foreign technocrats, so that to invite them to come back would be counterproductive. a. foreseen b. attacked c. ascertained d. exacerbated e. analyzed Institute of Engineering Studies
8. Winsor McCay, the cartoonist, could draw with incredible ______: his comic strip about Little Nemo was characterized by marvelous draftsmanship and sequencing. a. sincerity b. efficiency c. virtuosity d. rapidity e. energy Institute of Engineering Studies
8. Winsor McCay, the cartoonist, could draw with incredible ______: his comic strip about Little Nemo was characterized by marvelous draftsmanship and sequencing. a. sincerity b. efficiency c. virtuosity d. rapidity e. energy Institute of Engineering Studies
