Grammar and Vocabulary in Context

Introduction

Part 5 opens Section II: Reading. It contains 30 questions, about 15 % of the 200 questions on the test. Each item is a single sentence with one blank and four options (A)-(D). You choose the word or phrase that correctly completes the sentence. The Reading section lasts 75 minutes for Parts 5, 6 and 7 together, and you may move between parts freely, so how you spend time on Part 5 affects how much time remains for the 54 reading-comprehension questions of Part 7.

Part 5 tests two things at once: grammar (the form of the word must fit the structure of the sentence) and vocabulary (the meaning of the word must fit the context). About half of the items are mostly grammatical (parts of speech, verb forms, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions) and half are mostly lexical (choosing the right noun, verb, adjective or adverb among words with similar meanings).

After this lesson you will be able to:

• decide in a few seconds whether an item is grammar or vocabulary;
• identify the part of speech that the blank requires;
• choose the correct verb form (tense, voice, agreement, infinitive, gerund);
• handle pronouns, relative clauses, conjunctions, prepositions and comparatives;
• choose between words with similar meanings using collocations;
• keep a pace of about 20 to 30 seconds per item.

Learning objectives

1. Describe the format and timing of Part 5.
2. Apply the "look at the options first" routine to classify an item.
3. Use word-family and word-position clues to decide the part of speech.
4. Apply the rules for subject-verb agreement, tense and passive voice.
5. Distinguish prepositions, conjunctions and adverbs that look alike.
6. Use collocations and context to select the correct vocabulary item.

1. Pace and routine

Part 5 has 30 questions. A practical target is under 15 minutes for the whole part, which leaves about 60 minutes for Parts 6 and 7. The routine is:

1. Glance at the four options. Do they share a root (decide, decision, decisive, decisively)? Then the item is grammar: you are choosing a form. Do they have different meanings (assign, convince, require, approve)? Then it is vocabulary: you are choosing a meaning.
2. Read the sentence around the blank. Often you need only the words just before and after.
3. Decide the required slot. Subject? Verb? Object? Modifier? Linking word?
4. Choose and move on. If you do not know after 30 seconds, guess and continue. You can return if time remains.

Exam tip. Grammar items can often be solved without reading the whole sentence. Read it all only for vocabulary items.

2. Part of speech: the most frequent item

When the four options are different forms of one word, ask what the blank needs.

Typical word endings

Careful: some words ending in -ly are adjectives (friendly, timely, costly).

Worked example 1: part of speech

The manager praised the team for its ______ in meeting the deadline. (A) efficient (B) efficiently (C) efficiency (D) more efficient

Reasoning. The blank follows its, a possessive that must be followed by a noun; the phrase "its ___ in meeting" needs a noun. (C) efficiency is the noun. (A) is an adjective, which would need a noun after it. (B) is an adverb and cannot follow a possessive. (D) is a comparative adjective and has the same problem as (A).

3. Verb forms

Tense

Time expressions decide the tense.

In time and condition clauses (when, as soon as, before, after, if, unless), the present tense replaces the future: We will start as soon as the manager arrives.

Subject-verb agreement

The verb agrees with the grammatical subject, not with the nearest noun.

• The list of requirements is on the Web site. (Subject: list.)
• Each of the employees has a badge. (Each is singular.)
• Neither the supervisor nor the assistants were informed. (Verb agrees with the nearer subject.)
• The number of applicants has increased. but A number of applicants have applied.

Active and passive

Use the passive when the subject receives the action and the agent is unknown or unimportant: The shipment was delayed by bad weather. Clues: a past participle after be, a by-phrase, an object missing after a transitive verb. Compare:

• The board approved the plan. (active, with an object)
• The plan was approved. (passive, no object)

If the verb requires an object and none follows, choose the passive.

Infinitive and gerund

Worked example 2: verb form

Ms. Okafor suggested ______ the meeting until the budget figures were available. (A) to postpone (B) postponing (C) postpone (D) postponed

Reasoning. Suggest is followed by a gerund (suggested postponing). (A) to postpone is the pattern for decide or plan, not suggest. (C) is a bare form with no structure to support it. (D) would make the sentence ungrammatical because suggested already is the main verb.

4. Pronouns and determiners

• Subject / object / possessive / reflexive: he, him, his, himself. Reflexive pronouns are used when the object is the same as the subject (She introduced herself) or for emphasis (The CEO herself attended).
• Possessive adjective vs possessive pronoun: Please submit your form (adjective + noun); This form is yours (stands alone).
• Quantifiers: much / little with uncountable nouns; many / few with countable plurals; each, every, another with singular nouns; both, several, various with plurals.
• Indefinite pronouns: anyone who, those who, whoever, whichever. Those who wish to attend should register.
• Relative pronouns: who for people, which for things, that for either in restrictive clauses, whose for possession.

Worked example 3: pronoun

Employees ______ wish to take leave in December must submit a request by October 1. (A) which (B) whose (C) who (D) whom

Reasoning. The relative pronoun refers to employees (people) and is the subject of wish: who. (A) is for things. (B) shows possession and is followed by a noun. (D) is an object form and cannot be the subject.

5. Prepositions, conjunctions and adverbs

Many items test words that look different but play different roles.

Key contrasts:

• Despite / although. Despite the rain, but Although it rained.
• Because of / because. Because of the delay, but Because the train was late.
• During / while. During the meeting, but While we were meeting.
• By / until. By marks a deadline (Submit it by Friday). Until marks a continuing state (Stay until Friday).
• For / since. For three years, but since 2021.
• Between / among. Between two or specific items; among three or more, or a group.
• Within / in. within two weeks means before two weeks have passed.

Worked example 4: preposition or conjunction

______ the unexpected increase in demand, the factory kept all deliveries on schedule. (A) Although (B) Despite (C) Because (D) Even though

Reasoning. The blank is followed by a noun phrase (the unexpected increase in demand), so a preposition is needed: Despite. (A), (C) and (D) introduce clauses with a subject and a verb.

6. Comparatives, superlatives and other structures

• Comparative: more efficient than, cheaper than; superlative: the most efficient, the cheapest. A superlative needs the (or a possessive) and usually in/of.
• Equal comparisons: as … as. The new model is as reliable as the old one.
• Correlatives: both … and, either … or, neither … nor, not only … but also. Keep the structure parallel.
• Conditionals: If the price drops, we will order more. / If we had known, we would have called.
• Parallelism: items in a list share the same form: reading, writing and editing.

7. Vocabulary items

In vocabulary items, all four options fit grammatically; the difference is meaning or collocation. Approaches:

1. Read the full sentence and note what the blank means.
2. Look for collocation, the natural partners of a word:
   • make a decision, meet a deadline, reach an agreement, conduct a survey, raise a concern.
   • submit an application, place an order, take a vacation, hold a meeting, issue a refund.
3. Look at the preposition or object that follows: comply with, depend on, responsible for, interested in, capable of.
4. Choose the word with the correct nuance: rise (no object) and raise (needs an object); affect (verb) and effect (noun).

Easily confused pairs

Worked example 5: vocabulary

Because of the heavy snow, the airline will ______ all passengers on the next available flight. (A) rebook (B) retire (C) renew (D) rely

Reasoning. The sentence concerns passengers affected by a disruption. Rebook means to arrange a new reservation. (B) retire means to stop working. (C) renew means to extend a contract, which does not apply. (D) rely needs a preposition (rely on) and has a different meaning.

8. Business collocations worth memorising

9. Common traps

1. The adjacent noun. The cost of repairs are high is wrong: the subject is cost.
2. The wrong -ing / -ed adjective. The results were surprising (cause); we were surprised (feeling).
3. Confusing adverb with adjective after linking verbs. The report looks accurate, not accurately.
4. Preposition + clause. Despite does not take a clause; use although.
5. Singular nouns without determiners. A singular countable noun needs a, the, this, our etc.
6. Using will in time clauses. When the report is ready (not will be).
7. Choosing a word because it sounds "advanced". The simplest option that fits is usually right.

10. Study plan for Part 5

1. Daily 10. Ten items a day, with a 20-second limit each.
2. Error log by category. Part of speech, tense, agreement, pronoun, preposition/conjunction, vocabulary.
3. Word families. For each new word, learn noun, verb, adjective, adverb (decide / decision / decisive / decisively).
4. Collocation cards. Write verb + noun pairs on cards with a short sentence.
5. Timed sets. Practise 30 items in 15 minutes.

Pitfalls and exam tips

• Pitfall: reading too long. Spending a minute on one item wastes time needed for Part 7.
• Pitfall: choosing by sound. Use grammar and context, not "what sounds right".
• Exam tip: Look at the words around the blank first; grammar items are often decided by one neighbouring word.
• Exam tip: If two options are the same part of speech, compare meaning and collocation.
• Exam tip: Mark an answer for every item; a blank is always wrong.

Mini case study with solution

Situation. Chen scores 19/30 on a practice Part 5 in 22 minutes. His errors:

1. The proposal was reviewed ______ by the committee. He chose thorough instead of thoroughly.
2. Please send the invoice ______ Friday. He chose until instead of by.
3. The department head, along with two managers, ______ attending the seminar. He chose are instead of is.
4. Our firm is committed ______ high-quality service. He chose for instead of to providing.
5. The office will remain closed ______ the renovation. He chose while instead of during.

Tasks. Diagnose and correct.

Solution.

1. Adverb needed. The blank modifies the verb phrase was reviewed: thoroughly.
2. Deadline. By Friday marks a deadline, until a continuing state.
3. Agreement. The subject is the department head; along with two managers is an interruption. Use is.
4. Fixed phrase. Committed to + noun or gerund: committed to providing.
5. Preposition. A noun phrase follows, so during; while needs a clause.

Plan. Chen drills 10 items a day for two weeks, with an error log by category. He cuts his time to 14 minutes and raises his accuracy to 25/30.

Key terms

• Part of speech: the grammatical category of a word (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, pronoun).
• Collocation: words that naturally occur together.
• Gerund: a verb form ending in -ing used as a noun.
• Passive voice: structure in which the subject receives the action.
• Subject-verb agreement: the verb matches the subject in number.
• Conjunction: a word linking clauses.
• Word family: related forms of the same root.

Summary checklist

• Part 5 has 30 single-sentence items with four options.
• I look at the options first to classify grammar versus vocabulary.
• I identify the part of speech needed by the blank.
• I choose verb tense from time clues and check agreement.
• I use the passive when no object follows.
• I distinguish prepositions from conjunctions.
• I use collocations for vocabulary items.
• I spend no more than about 30 seconds per item.

Official sources

• ETS, About the TOEIC Listening and Reading Test: https://www.ets.org/toeic/about/listening-reading.html (opens in a new tab)
• ETS, TOEIC Listening and Reading Examinee Handbook: https://www.ets.org/pdfs/toeic/toeic-listening-reading-test-examinee-handbook.pdf (opens in a new tab)
• ETS, test taker information: https://www.ets.org/toeic/test-takers/listening-reading/about.html (opens in a new tab)