LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY • Sentence Completion Test

Tips in answering sentence completions:

The Language Proficiency section of most College 1. Inspect the given sentence carefully.
Entrance Tests (CETs) are commonly broken down
into different test types mainly: i.e. Although its promotion had been
__________, the movie itself is intelligent, well-
• Analogy
acted, lavishly produced and altogether
• Sentence Completion
________.
• Vocabulary
• Identifying Errors a. tasteless…respectable
• Logical Reasoning; and b. perfect…spectacular
• Logical Organization c. extensive…moderate
d. sophisticated…amateur
This module will be discussing different strategies to
effectively answer these test types. 2. On your own, think of the most appropriate
words to fill in the missing part/s of the given
• Analogy Test sentence.
Tips in answering analogies: i.e. Although its promotion had been poor, the
1. Identify the relationship illustrated by the given movie itself is intelligent, well-acted,
pair of words. Make a statement to connect the lavishly produced and altogether
two words. admirable.

e.g. SALESLADY : STORE 3. Identify context clues to help you guess the
missing part.
a. singer : orchestra
b. surgeon : scalpel
i.e. The word ‘although’ in the first clause paired
c. teller : bank
with the positive adjectives in the second
d. lawyer : arraignment
clause, denotes that despite a setback at
first, the movie performed positively. This
Bridge statement: A saleslady sells things in a
means that the first word should be
store.
negative. The second word on the other
2. Using your bridge statement, test the choices. hand is preceded by positive words
Those that are not applicable with the sentence defining the movie, thus it should also be
should be eliminated. positive.

e.g. A musician, not a singer, performs in an 4. Take note of the basic rules in grammar and its
orchestra. agreement with the other sentence parts.
A scalpel is a tool used by a surgeon.
e.g. In this case, all the choices grammatically
Choices left: agree with the whole statement. For
c. teller : bank instances with verbs as choices, it can help
d. lawyer : arraignment to cross-check the required tense/s in the
statement with the tense/s of the choices.
3. Pick the best possible answer from the (If the statement is in present tense,
remaining choices. choices in past tense should be
eliminated.)
e.g. Although a lawyer works FOR an
arraignment, a teller works IN a bank. 5. Eliminate choices which are evidently wrong
based on your presumptions.
Answer: c. teller : bank
e.g. Because we are looking for negative
adjectives for the first word, we can
4. Verify whether the chosen answer has the
eliminate choices with highly positive
same parallel relationship as the given pair of
words.
words.
We can eliminate choices b and d, given
that the first words are very positive.
 6. Select the answer from the remaining items left meanings of new words, no matter how foreign
after elimination. it may be to you.

e.g. choices left:

a. tasteless…respectable COMMONLY USED PREFIXES
c. extensive…moderate Here are some common prefixes used, which you
may use to get the meaning of a new word.
The word extensive is still fairly positive,
especially if it is compared to tasteless, Prefix Meaning Example
which is a better fit for the meaning the a- Not asexual
sentence wants to convey. Thus, letter a ad- To, against adverse
should be selected as the best choice to ambi- Around, both ambivalent
complete the statement. ante- Before antedate
anti- Opposite antisocial
7. Read the sentence again to verify the audio- Hearing audition
correctness of your answer
auto- Self, same autonomy
bene- Well, good benefactor
e.g. Although its promotion had been tasteless,
bio- Life biology
the movie itself is intelligent, well-acted,
circum- About, around circumvent
lavishly produced and altogether
respectable. co- Complement of co-star
col- Together collateral
This sentence is parallel to that of our com- In association combine
guessed sentence in the second step. de- Away, down, from degrade
dis- Apart, not, away dissociate
• Vocabulary ec- (ex-)
en- (em-)
From, out of
In, on, into
eccentric
enact
There is no formula to study for Vocabulary Exams, epi- Upon, before epidermis
especially since you will not be able to predict the ex- Out of, from exclaim
words to appear in your tests. However, there are extra- Beyond, without extrapolate
things you can do to improve your vocabulary and/or hemi- Half hemisphere
your skills in taking Vocab Tests. Here are some tips: hyper- Beyond the ordinary hyperactive
il- Not illogical
1. READ BOOKS AND OTHER MATERIALS im- Opposed, negative impertinent
inter- Among, between international
Reading is an effective way of learning new intra- Within intramural
words and how to use them. By going through ir- Not, opposed irrelevant
different texts with different styles, you can meta- Along with, among metaphysics
also acquire ways to think and write in English mono- One, alone monopoly
which will help you out in many things. neo- New, recent neophyte
para- Beside parameter
2. USE A THESAURUS, DICTIONARY OR THE per- Through, thoroughly pervasive
INTERNET
peri- About, beyond perimeter
poly- Many polygamy
In order to find out the meaning, etymology,
post- Behind, after posterior
synonyms, and antonyms of the new words
you encounter, it is always advisable to look pro- For, forward progress
up the words using the resources stated pseudo- False pseudonym
above, especially if you are unable to get the re- Backward, again revert
meaning through context clues. retro- Backward retrospect
semi- Half semicolon
3. USE CONTEXT CLUES super- Above, beyond supernatural
syn- Together, with synopsis
This is the most effective technique especially tel- (tele-) Distant telecast
during exams where your resources are trans- Across, beyond transmit
limited. ultra- In excess of ultraviolet
un- Not, reverse of unfair
4. LEARN COMMON WORD ROOTS

Just like context clues, this will come in handy

in examinations. By familiarizing yourself with
common word roots, you can discern the
• Identifying Errors Test Grandpa walked carefully, slowly, and
Here are some common sentence errors you may haltingly. (Correct)
encounter in identifying errors tests:
• Logical Reasoning Test
1. RUN-ON SENTENCE ERROR
Answering Logical Reasoning Tests
This error comprises of a series of
independent statements that run together as one 1. Answer DEFINITELY TRUE if:
sentence without punctuations or any connecting a. The conclusion is a repetition of one of
word. the premises or given statements.
b. The conclusion is a direct conclusion of
e.g. I woke up late I ate a muffin for breakfast all the statements.
then I went to school. (Incorrect) c. Conclusion rephrases one or more of the
given statements.
I woke up late; I ate a muffin for breakfast, d. Conclusion rephrases all the given
and then I went to school. (Correct) statements.
2. DANGLING AND MISPLACED MODIFIERS 2. Answer MOST LIKELY TRUE if:
a. The conclusion is likely to happen, and
A modifier dangles when there is no word in no statement contradicts it.
the sentence which it could properly modify or b. The conclusion summarizes most, but
when it seems to be related to a word which does not all the statements, and no given
not convey the meaning intended. statement contradicts it.
c. The conclusion is somehow related to
On the other hand, a modifier is misplaced if any of the statements and no given
it is positioned too far away from the word, statement contradicts it.
phrase, or clause it is intended to modify, and d. The conclusion supports all the
consequently, appears to be modifying statements but is too general.
something else. e.
e.g. The waiter presented a steak to the 3. Answer MOST LIKELY FALSE if:
guest, that was medium rare. (Incorrect - a. The conclusion somehow contradicts a
Misplaced) given statement but supports one or
more of the remaining statements.
The waiter presented a steak that was b. The conclusion is an argument against
medium rare to the guest. (Correct) the subject, without any supporting
statement.
Fumbling in her purse, the keys could not be c. The conclusion is too broad.
found. (Incorrect – Dangling) d. The conclusion does not follow (non-
sequitur).
Fumbling in her purse, she could not find the
keys. (Correct) 4. Answer DEFINITELY FALSE if the conclusion is
a direct contradiction of any or all the statements.
3. SENTENCE FRAGMENTS

Sentence fragments are a group of words Source: ACAD1 Essential Guide to College Entrance Tests
incorrectly written as a sentence, beginning with
a capital letter, and ending in a punctuation. It
neither represents an independent clause nor a
• Logical Reasoning Test
complete idea. Rearranging sentences requires a sound knowledge of
grammar, a command over the structure of sentences
e.g. Slammed the door and left. and an ability to form a logical sequence of ideas behind
Gave many reasons but no logical ones. sentences.
4. FAULTY PARALLELISM In order to perform well in this section, one has to read
every sentence carefully, concentrate on the meaning of
Sentence parts of equal importance should the passage and then form a sequence at the level of
be in parallel forms or similar structures. idea. A few simple rules of grammar help to deliver the
right order. Words, preferably sentence linkers like ‘then’,
e.g. Grandpa walked carefully, in a slow way, ‘so’, ‘now’, ‘afterwards’, ‘finally’, etc. help in
and halted a lot. (Incorrect) understanding the sequence of events.
 order of sentences.
Tips in answering this test type:
Example:
1. If there is no starting sentence given, then first
find the chronology. So, try to find the linkage The king did not care for the ruling of
between the order of happening events. his people.
Chronology is associated with finding the very As a result his people became poorer.
first or last sentence in the given problem.
The phrase ‘as a result’ signifies that it
2. First read out all the sentences and arrange follows the first sentence, which states the
these parts to form a meaningful sentence. A reason why the people became poorer.
little practice will give the candidate more
confidence of attempting such questions with
more ease. Sources:
gr8ambitionz.com/2014/07/re-arranging-scrambled
3. Finding linkage is the most important task to sentences.html
find the proper sequence. For this purpose,
jagranjosh.com/articles/ssc-english-tips-tricks-parajumbles-
look for the connected sentences or sentence-arrangement-1506691028-1
mandatory pairs and then by using the same,
try to shortlist the answer from the options ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
given. Process of eliminating the wrong option
should always be adhered to, to find the The second part of the Language Proficiency module
correct sequence. One approach of looking for discusses some grammatical rules that most students
the pronoun and then finding the answer to commonly get wrong.
that pronoun is also there. Sometimes, this
may help us in tracing the linkage between the
sentences. Subject-Verb Agreement Rules
4. Apart from the above approach, your ➢ A verb must agree with its subject in number.
command over vocabulary, grammar/ • A singular subject indicates one and requires a
prepositions/ conjunction knowledge will be
singular verb. Plural subjects indicate more than
helpful in solving questions relating to the
one and require plural verbs.
sentence arrangement. Here are some
important grammar rules to remember while Examples:
answering:
[singular] The athlete exercises.
[plural] The athletes exercise.
• A noun precedes a pronoun and the noun
helps identify the pronoun it has to be • An exception to this rule occurs with the pronouns
followed by. I and you which both require the form of a verb
without -s or -es even when you refers to one
Example: person.
A king lived in Central India.
• When I is the subject, the verb form is am.
He was handsome but very vain.
Examples:
We can easily understand that the
pronoun ‘he’ refers to the person (king) in I love going to the park.
the earlier sentence. You are my closest friend.

• The definite article ‘the’ generally follows a ➢ Do not mistake a word in an intervening phrase for
sentence where an indefinite article (a or the subject of a sentence.
an) is used.
• The simple subject is never a prepositional phrase.
Example: Example:
A king lived in Central India. The foliage on the trees provides shade.
The king was handsome but very vain.
. [The verb provides agrees with the singular subject
foliage, and not with the plural object of the
• Sentence linkers help us decide the preposition, trees.]
sequence of sentences leading to the
 • When a singular subject is linked to another noun
by a phrase, the subject is still considered singular. The scissors were sharp.
Phrases like accompanied by, as well as, plus,
together with, and in addition to introduce • Many other nouns that end in s like mumps,
phrases that modify the subject without changing measles, ethics, statistics, politics, may require
its number. either a singular or plural verb, depending on the
meaning. In general, if the noun refers to a whole,
Example: such as a disease or a science, it requires a
singular verb. If it refers to qualities, individual
Bianca, along with her siblings, is watching a items, or activities, it requires a plural verb.
movie.
Examples:
➢ A compound subject joined by “and” is plural
unless its parts belong to one unit or they both [singular] Measles is often acquired by children.
refer to the same person or thing. [plural] Measles cover the body of a sick child.

Example:
➢ When “many”, “a”, “every”, or “each” comes
[plural] The mouse and the cat are chasing each before a subject, whether singular or compound,
other. the subject is considered singular.

[singular] Peanut butter and jelly is her favorite Examples:

sandwich. (one unit) Each poem was studied.
• For compound subjects joined by “or”, “nor”, Every chair, table, and bench was destroyed.
“either…or”, “neither…nor”, or “not only…but
also”, the verb is singular if both subjects are ➢ When a plural noun of amount refers to one unit, it
singular. The verb is plural if both subjects are acts as a singular subject. When it refers to
plural. If one subject is singular, and the other is individual units, it acts as a plural subject.
plural, the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. Examples:

Examples: [singular] One hundred pesos is enough to buy a

[both singular] Either Max or Jade is responsible meal at the canteen.
for the accident.
[both plural] Neither the cows nor the goats eat [plural] There are three dollars on the table.
bananas. • When a fraction or percentage refers to a singular
[singular & plural] Not only the lion but also the word, it requires a singular verb. When it refers to
tigers have escaped from the a plural word, it requires a plural verb.
zoo.
Examples:
➢ When the subject is a collective noun (a group of
persons, things, or animals) that refers to a group [singular] One-fourth of the milk is left in the box.
(as a whole), it requires a singular verb. [plural] One-fourth of the cookies are already
gone.
Example:
➢ Titles of movies, books, novels, and other creative
The school of fishes is visible from this view. works act as a singular subject, even if a noun within
➢ For special nouns: the title is plural.

• Certain nouns that end in s such as mathematics, Example:

molasses, and news require singular verbs. “The lakes” was one of her favorite songs in Taylor
Swift’s new album.
Example:

The news is brief and concise.

• Certain other nouns that end in s such as ➢ For indefinite pronouns:

scissors, pants, binoculars, and eyeglasses
require plural verbs.

Examples:
 another, anybody, anyone, COMPOUND PREPOSITIONS
anything, each, either, according to because of instead of
everybody, everyone,
SINGULAR ahead of by means of next to
everything, neither, nobody, no
one, nothing, one, somebody, along with except for on account of
someone, something apart from in addition to on top of
aside from in front of out of
PLURAL both, few, many, others, several
as to in spite of owing to
SINGULAR OR all, any, enough, most, much,
PLURAL none, some
➢ Commonly misused prepositional phrases
• agree (on, to with)
• Singular indefinite pronouns require singular
verbs, while plural indefinite pronouns require Examples:
plural verbs. They now agree on the terms of the contract.
I will agree to your proposal once you met my
Examples: conditions.
[singular] Everybody is going to the party. Their findings do not agree with ours.
[plural] Few have already arrived at the venue. • answer (for, to)
Examples:
• Some indefinite plurals can either be singular or You will have to answer for the disturbance you
plural depending whether the word it refers to is have caused.
singular or plural. He will have to answer to his mother for the broken
vase.
Examples:
[singular] Most of the cake was already eaten. • begin (by, from, with)
[plural] Some of his friends were absent. Examples:
Please begin by swearing your oath.
Prepositions The parade will begin from the park.
- A word that shows the relationship of a noun or a Let us begin with a prayer.
pronoun to another word in a sentence. • correspond (with, to)
Examples:
➢ Prepositional Phrase – a group of words that begins I usually correspond with my professor through e-
with a preposition and ends with a noun or a pronoun mail.
called the object of the preposition The results do not correspond to the gathered data.

COMMONLY USED PREPOSITIONS • Fill (in, up, out)

Examples:
aboard beneath in regarding
Fill in the blanks with the right word.
about beside inside respecting He filled up the container with water.
above besides into since Please fill out the registration form.
across between like through • proceed (with, to)
after beyond near throughout Examples:
against but of to He cannot proceed with what he was doing when
along by off toward his friends arrived.
You can now proceed to the next level.
amid concerning on under
among despite onto underneath • suited (to, for)
around down opposite until Examples:
They are very suited to each other.
as during out up
My father is suited for the position he got.
at except outside upon
before excepting over with
behind for past within
below from pending without

Conjunctions
 - A word that joins single words or groups of words +d or ed;
regular verb change y to i +
Simple past
➢ Coordinating conjunctions join words or groups of ed
words that have equal grammatical weight in a irregular verb past form
sentence. Simple
will/shall base form
future
Present past participle
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS has have
perfect form
and but for nor or so yet Past perfect past participle
had
form
➢ Subordinating conjunctions join two clauses or Future past participle
will have/shall have
thoughts, in such a way as to make one grammatically perfect form
dependent on the other. The thought or clause that a Present present
am, is are
subordinating conjunction introduces is said to be progressive participle (-ing)
“subordinate” or dependent because it cannot stand by Past
was were
present
itself as a complete sentence. progressive participle (-ing)
Future present
will be/shall be
Progressive participle (-ing)
COMMON SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Present
after as though since until have present
perfect has been
been participle (-ing)
although because so long as whom progressive
as before so that whenever Past perfect present
had been
progressive participle (-ing)
as far as considering than where Future
as if if though whereas will have been/shall present
perfect
have been participle (-ing)
as long as inasmuch as till wherever progressive
as soon as in order that unless while Present
do does base form
empathic
Past
did base form
Adjectives empathic
- A word naming an attribute that modifies a noun
or a pronoun by limiting its meaning Noun Cases
- refer to a noun’s function within a sentence
➢ Order of adjectives
- The adjectives are normally arranged in a ➢ Subjective/Nominative Case
particular order when more than one adjective - When a noun or pronoun is used as the subject
comes before a noun. of the sentence or as a predicate noun (follows a
form of the “be verb”)
ORDER RELATING TO EXAMPLES ➢ Objective Case
1 opinion pretty, unique - When a noun or pronoun is used as a direct
2 size large, small object, indirect object, or an object of the
3 physical quality thick, smooth preposition
4 shape round, rectangular
➢ Possessive Case
5 age young, old
- When a noun or pronoun is used to show
6 color yellow, green
ownership of an object
7 origin American, Dutch
8 material metal, plastic
9 type two-sided, u-shaped
10 purpose cleaning, cooking

Verb Tenses
➢ Formation of the different verb tenses
VERB TENSE VERB FORM
Verb
Singular Plural
Conjugation
+s or es;
Simple
change y base form
present
to i + es
 Subjective Objective Possessive
Person
Sing. Plural Sing. Plural Sing. Plural
First my*, our*,
i we me us
mine ours
Reflexive myself ourselves
Second your*, your*,
you you your your
yours yours
Reflexive yourself yourselves
Third he, his*,
him, their*,
she, they them hers*,
her, it theirs
it its*
Reflexive himself,
herself, themselves
itself
Relative who, that,
whom, that, which whose
which

*personal pronouns that may function as adjectives when

used to modify a noun.

Sources:
Glencoe Grammar and Composition Handbook
ACAD1 Essential Guide to College Entrance Tests