SENTENCE COMPLETION

In sentence completion questions, you are given a sentence containing one or more blanks. A number of
words or pairs of words are suggested to fill the blank spaces. You must select the word or pair of words that will
best complete the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
Sentence completion questions test not only your knowledge of basic vocabulary but also your ability to
understand what you read. In a typical sentence completion question, if any of the answer choices is inserted into
the blank spaces, the resulting sentence will be technically correct, but it may not make sense. Usually more than
one choice makes sense, but only one completely carries out the full meaning of the sentence. There is one best
answer.
HOW TO ANSWER SENTENCE COMPLETION QUESTIONS
1. Read the sentence. Try to figure what it means.
2. Look at the blank or blanks with relation to the meaning of the sentence. Is a negative connotation called for
or a positive one? If there are two blanks, should the pair be comparative, contrasting or complementary? Are
you looking for a term that best defines a phrase in the sentence?
3. Eliminate those answer choices that do not meet the criteria you established in step two.
4. Read the sentence to yourself, trying out each of the meaning choices, one by one. Which choice is the most
exact, appropriate, or likely considering the information given in the sentence? Which of the choices does the
best job of completing the sentence?
5. First answer the question you find easy. If you have trouble with a question, leave it and go back to it later. If a
fresh look does not help you to come up with a sure answer, make an educated guess.

Before you go on to the practice test, study the following examples:

1. Those who feel that war is stupid and unnecessary think that to die on the battlefield is ______.

(a) courageous (d) illegal

(b) pretentious (e) heroic
(c) useless

The correct answer is letter (C). The key to this answer is to attitude express – that war is stupid and unnecessary.
Those who are antagonistic toward war would consider a battlefield death to be useless. While it is true that giving
one’s life on the field of battle is courageous (a) that is not the answer in the context of this sentence. Choice (b),
Pretentious, meaning “affectedly grand or ostentatious,” does not go along with the idea that war is stupid. Choice
(d) does not make sense in relation to a battlefield death. Choice (e) like choice (a) would not be consistent with the
attitude of those who think war is stupid and unnecessary.

2. An unruly person may well become ______ if he is treated with ______ by those around him.

(a) angry. . . kindness (d) interested . . . medicine

(b) calm . . . respect (e) dangerous . . . love
(c) peaceful . . . abuse

The correct answer is (B). This sentence is about how a person’s behaviour is affected by the way he is treated.
Unruly is a word with a negative connotation, but this unruly person may become _____. The implications that the
person will change for the better, so the first blank should be filled by a word with a positive connotation. The
sentence further implies a cause-and-effect relationship. Positive treatment logically results in a positive change in
behaviour, so the second blank should also be filled by a word with a positive connotation. Choices (a), (c) and (e)
all contain words that have a negative connotation. Of the remaining choices, (B) makes more sense than (D).

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 SENTENCE COMPLETION PRACTICE TEST
Directions: Each of the following questions consists of an incomplete sentence followed by five words or pairs of
words. Choose that word or pair of words which, when substituted for the blank space or spaces, best completes the
meaning of the sentence and mark the letter of your choice on your answer sheet.

Example:
In view of the extenuating circumstances and the defendant’s youth, the judge recommended.......
(A) conviction (B) a defence (C) a mistrial
(D) leniency (E) life imprisonment A B C D E

1. The .....................workroom had not been 6. We should have .......................trouble ahead

used in years. when the road................... into a gravel path.
(A) derelict (A) interrogated…shrank
(B) bustling (B) anticipated…dwindled
(C) bereft (C) expected…grew
(D) bereaved (D) enjoyed…transformed
(E) stricken (E) seen…collapsed

2. Tempers ran hot among the old-timers, 7. The ................... of the house, fresh lobster, was all
who ....................the young mayor and his gone, so we ..................... ourselves with crab.
...............city council. (A) suggestion…resolved
(A) despised…attractive (B) embarrassment…consoled
(B) admired…elite (C) recommendation…contented
(C) resented...reforming (D) specialty…pelted
(D) forgave…activist (E) regret…relieved
(E) feared…apathetic
8. ................... mob began to form, full of angry
3. With the discovery of ...................alternative men .....................incoherent threats.
fuel source, oil prices dropped significantly. (A) An excited…whispering
(A) a potential (B) A listless…shouting
(B) a feasible (C) An ugly…gesturing
(C) a possible (D) A lynch…muttering
(D) a variant (E) A huge…waving
(E) an inexpensive
9. In the ...............downpour, the women
4. The product of a .....................religious home, managed to ....................us and disappear.
he often found...................in prayer. (A) ensuing…evade
(A) zealously…distraction (B) incessant…pervade
(B) devoutly…solace (C) uncouth…escape
(C) vigorously…comfort (D) torrential…provoke
(D) fanatically…misgivings (E) insipid…avoid
(E) pious…answers
10. As a staunch................... of our right to
5. Our.....................objections finally got us leisure time, Ken had few ......................
thrown out of stadium. (A) proponent…friends
(A) hurled (B) advocate…defenders
(B) modest (C) disciple…rivals
(C) wary (D) defender…equals
(D) vocal (E) opponent…duties
(E) pliant

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11. A single wall still stood in mute.............. to 17. With a ……….roar, the Concorde took off
nature’s force from New York on its …………… flight to
(A) evidence Europe
(B) tribute (A) deafening…subterranean
(C) remainder (B) thunderous… transoceanic
(D) memory (C) sickening…transcontinental
(E) testimony (D) frightening…perennial
(E) supersonic. . .eventual
12. With the current wave of crime, tourists are
……………… to make sure their passports are 18. The cheerful, lively sound of dance music
secure. ……………almost everyone.
(A) required (A) accosted
(B) invited (B) drained
(C) permitted (C) flaunted
(D) forbidden (D) revived
(E) urged (E) expired

13. Over the ……………. of the sirens, you 19. With ……… grin, Mark quickly ………….
could still hear the hoarse ……………. of his his way through the crowd toward us.
voice. (A) an infectious…demolished
(A) babble…roar (B) a sappy…devoured
(B) drone…power (C) an irrepressible…maneuvered
(C) gibbering…cries (D) surly…crawled
(D) wail…sound (E) a hapless…lost
(E) groaning…whisper
20. Though a ………….. of four campaigns, he
14. Working………….. under the pressure of had never seen action on the front lines.
time, Edmond didn’t notice his ……………. (A) veteran
mistake. (B) victim
(A) leisurely…stupid (C) volunteer
(B) frantically…inevitable (D) reveler
(C) rapidly…careless (E) recruit
(D) sporadically…simple
(E) continually…redundant 21. The ………. of the early morning light
………. the room, making it larger and cozier at
15. Held up only by a ……………. steel cable, once.
the chairlift was …………… to carry only two (A) brilliance…shattered
people (B) softness…transformed
(A) slender...instructed (C) harshness…transfigured
(B) single…intended (D) warmth…disfigured
(C) sturdy…obliged (E) glare…annihilated
(D) massive…designed
(E) narrow…appointed 22. As …………. of the original team, Mickey
had free …………for all their games.
16. After completing her usual morning chores, (A) a survivor…advice
Linda found herself……………. tired. (B) a scholar…passage
(A) surprisingly (C) an institution…admission
(B) erratically (D) an organizer…submission
(C) buoyantly (E) a member… entrance
(D) forcibly
(E) unceasingly

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23. From his ………….. manner, we could all 29. If you hear the ………… of a gun, don’t
tell that he was of ………birth. worry: it’s only my car backfiring.
(A) boorish…noble (A) burst
(B) aristocratic…humble (B) report
(C) regal…royal (C) retort
(D) refined…common (D) flash
(E) courteous…illegitimate (E) volume

24. The presence of armed guards ……. us from 30. He demanded…………. obedience from us,
doing anything disruptive. and was always telling us we must be
(A) defeated ………subjects.
(B) excited (A) total…foolish
(C) irritated (B) partial…cringing
(D) prevented (C) formal…rigorous
(E) encouraged (D) complete…compliant
(E) marginal…loyal
25. A careful ………… of the house revealed no
clues. 31. The …………..of the Titanic could have
(A) dissemination been avoided if more safety……….. had been
(B) incineration taken.
(C) autopsy (A) tragedy…precautions
(D) dereliction (B) embargo…preservers
(E) examination (C) disaster…reservations
(D) crew…measures
26. For his diligent work in astronomy, (E) fiasco…inspectors
Professor Wilson was ………at the banquet as
……of the Year. 32. We are ……….. going to have to face the
(A) taunted…Teacher reality that the resources of Earth are……….. .
(B) praised…Lobotomist (A) finally…worthless
(C) lauded…Scientist (B) gradually…limitless
(D) honored…Astrologer (C) eventually…finite
(E) welcomed…Administrator (D) quickly…unavailable
(E) seldom…vanished
27. Because of his ……….. sense of his own
importance, Larry often tried to …………..our 33. A native wit, Angela never …………… for
activities. her words.
(A) exaggerated…monopolize (A) groaned
(B) inflated…autonomize (B) breathed
(C) insecure…violate (C) asked
(D) modest…dominate (D) groped
(E) egotistic…diffuse (E) worried

28. After such ………….. meal, we were all 34. With ………….. a thought for his own
quick to …………Arlene for her delicious safety, Gene ………… dashed back across the
cooking. courtyard.
(A) a fearful…congratulate (A) even…quickly
(B) an enormous…console (B) scarcely…nimbly
(C) a delightful…avoid (C) barely…cautiously
(D) a heavy…thank (D) seldom…swiftly
(E) a wonderful…applaud (E) hardly…randomly

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35. As she ……….. retirement, Laura became
more thoughtful and withdrawn. 41. Our reunion was completely ……….. ;
(A) circled who’d have guessed we would have booked the
(B) sighted same flight?
(C) withdrew (A) illogical
(D) neared (B) fortuitous
(E) derived (C) expected
(D) abandoned
36.Though many thought him a tedious old man, (E) usurped
he had a …………. spirit that delighted his
friends. 42. There is one …………. thing about them:
(A) perverse they have nothing in common and never will
(B) juvenile have.
(C) meek (A) immutable
(D) leaden (B) atypical
(E) youthful (C) indiscriminate
(D) indigenous
37. ……………, the factories had not closed, (E) alliterative
and those who needed work most were given a
chance to survive during the economic disaster. 43. Always one for a long, pleasant talk, Nancy
(A) Unintentionally went on …………. for hours.
(B) Mercifully (A) volubly
(C) Blithely (B) tiresomely
(D) Importunately (C) incessantly
(E) Tragically (D) relentlessly
(E) articulately
38. There was a ……………. all about the
estate, and the …………. concerned the guards. 44. He should be ……….. to complain, since his
(A) pall…shroud salary is …………… with his productivity.
(B) focus…scrutiny (A) right…proportionate
(C) hush…quiet (B) brought…balanced
(D) coolness…temper (C) foolish…gratuitous
(E) talent…genius (D) loath…commensurate
(E) entitled…alleviated
39. The stubborn families feuded for
generations, and……….. feelings are still fixed 45. Paul’s …………. at work is a natural
in their ……….. product of his………………. nature.
(A) begrudging…acceptance (A) wastefulness…unpleasant
(B) bitter…generosity (B) thoughtfulness…rarefied
(C) inimical…antagonism (C) diligence…sedulous
(D) suspicious…relief (D) candor…familial
(E) chary…helplessness (E) stubbornness…intrepid

40. As the archaeologist expected, living 46. Blustery winds knocked off hats and rattled
conditions in the ancient culture were………. windows, and the adventurous children were
worse than those of today. …………..
(A) awfully (A) frightened
(B) surprisingly (B) terrified
(C) significantly (C) improved
(D) begrudgingly (D) anxious
(E) boldly (E) delighted

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47. The ………….. youngster thought old 49. “He who laughs last laughs……………
peopleshould be polite to him. A) least
(A) impertinent (B) fast
(B) classless (C) best
(C) cultured (D) never
(D) submissive (E) softest
(E) alternate
50. The advocates of anarchy are ignoring the
48. At night, the inn turned into a theater, not oneof .…………… of such form of government it will
actors and actresses, but one of the…………. bring.
of real people. (A) renewal
(A) sciences (B) advantages
(B) psychologies (C) chaos
(C) dramas (D) restrictions
(D) jokes (E) compromises
(E) novels

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