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The document provides strategies for completing sentence completion questions, emphasizing the importance of understanding structural and semantic clues. It outlines various types of clues, including thought continuity, parallel ideas, cause-effect relationships, and word definition clues, to help identify the correct words to fill in the blanks. Additionally, it includes multiple-choice questions to practice these strategies.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
34 views10 pagesSentence Completion
The document provides strategies for completing sentence completion questions, emphasizing the importance of understanding structural and semantic clues. It outlines various types of clues, including thought continuity, parallel ideas, cause-effect relationships, and word definition clues, to help identify the correct words to fill in the blanks. Additionally, it includes multiple-choice questions to practice these strategies.
Uploaded by
vipin6kumar-718654Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
/ 10
ames
Directions
or set of
a set of word:
for each blank that
gm vulgar prosperity that
_ by preserving and
heroic sentime!
banality
s... neutrality
barbarism
hurtly
omplete the sentence.
variably, in every sentence completion question,
ard identifying the eorredk word)
clues could be structural (syntax
cs or wemanti meaning eho) Te
ructurally and fanchioatig
ery sentence completion question ean|
for the negative or positive ie
be filled in.
theory underlying « sentence completion stimulus,
ussible for you to supply the appropriate word(s) to
re wall bea clue or two that could be used as leads)
Sentence Completion
Look
The dep
from d
tisfied employees ai
investig: t the
C.amba:
D. whistleblowers
The knowledge of the mea the words
choices is essential for you to select
to this question with confidence.
‘meaning of these words.
A. Pettifogger is one who practices chicanery or
unlawful business. Can this word fit the sentence?
No.
‘A Buccaneer is a pirate; again not a word that
“would go with dissatisfied employees to supply
information about a company.
_A whistleblower is one who informs about
erent ‘or wrongdoing. Yes, this fits the
aes tiara with a
=e this is the first choice you could
wa >
Seceasietsros
y @ has a semantic dimension
tical dimension (word
dye of these two is &
you to be able to choose 22
Look at the following question:
‘The meaning of words is destroyed ifyou change
them, whereas the meaning of a thought
‘whatever word you think proper to use
A.alters B. transforms
remains D. settles
B. Ruins
When you read the sentence you must recognize
‘the function of whereas’ in the sentence. signals
‘ shift in the meaning of the sentence.
“One thing is destroyed whereas the other isnot?
the answer thusis(C) remains.
The semantic feature of a sentence refers to its
‘meaning, and how the meaning ofthe given words
in a sentence helps us to identify the word to
complete the sentence.
Study the folowing sentence:
Ault brand ___ the imagination of a small
group who spreads the word, makes converts,
hhelpsturn a fringe product intoa name.
‘A ceases... redoubtable
B.dlevates... dynamic
fires. dream
D. seizes... mainstream
The first clue is the word Imagination;
options (A) and (D it, ceases a
‘be eliminated. You have
hence
ind seizes can easily
to work for fires and
AA sentence completion question is nat
tat of your vocabulary. Italo eta your abi
‘and to identify the
: lues that decide on the
‘eaning and nature ofthe word(s) to be chasers
Zou wil find one or two clues in a sentence
a ee
ide you to the correct answer. Look for what jg
Anticipate answers in your words,
> Look for answers that are similar to yours,
> Fix the words in the sentence to see if they get
with the whole sentence.
Sentence completion strategy in a nutshell.
> Strategy 1
Read the entire sentence.
In both one- and two-blank sentences read the
entire sentence before you inspect the choices,
An overall understanding of the sentence is
essential,
> Strategy?
Tdentify structural clues to determine the nature
ofthe word(s) required,
You can determine the positive or negative tone
ofthe expected word using structural clues. And
identify the words whose synonym, antoaym,
Parallel word or cause/effect you have to supply
> Strategy 3
Substitute your own words,
fiiige Your own words in the blanks assuming
that answer choices
‘are not given, going by the
slues you have identified, =
Strategy 4
_ Bontity the words similar to the ones you Sentence Completion
A. THOUGHT CONTINUITY CLUIES
In some sentences, the first part of the sentence and
the second part are parallel ideas. There isno shift in
meaning. The missing word in the sentence is parallel
to, or has a meaning similar to a word already given
in the sentence. One part of the sentence may be a
support to another. Some other times, though, one
part of the sentence may be complementary to the
other in meaning. These chies continue the sentence
in the same direction. The positive or negative tone
of what follows is not changed by these clue words,
The words that indicate such continuity are:
> Similarly
> Because
And
Since
Thus
In fact
Moreover
Indeed
Inaddition
Consequently
Study the following sentences:
1. The film seript showed depth and maturity;
likewise the treatment showed profundity.
vv
vv
vvvyY
2, His argument was convincing and persuasive.
3. Shakespeare lives forever; in fact he is immortal,
B. PARALLEL IDEACLUES
“These clues are similar to the thought continuity clues.
‘The word that completes the sentence is in the same
tone, as in the word already given. The word(s) that
complete the sentence complements a word or phrase
already given.
i. All that the young ask of the political class is
‘compassion and concern/ sympathy/ care.
|. On question about political and electoral reforms,
the respondents showed great forethought. and
vision/rationality.
In the above sentences you may observe that
wtords given and the words that have be fllsd a>
are parallel/ complementary or in the
‘of an answer is changed by these clues
Such sign —word include
> But
> Onthe contrary
> Inspite of
Yet
y
However
vv
Unless
Rather
> Although
> While
oi
> Unfortunately
> Nonetheless
> Ironically
> Paradoxically
> Onthe other hand
> Contradictorily
> Contrastively
> Despite
> Eventhough
> Evenif
Mlustrations:
His argument was flawed but persuasive,
‘There is no cynicism in the way the young deal with
‘issues; on the contrary they are optimistic toward life,
‘The omphasis will not be on physical assets but on
intangibles.
In the sentences above the word in italies are
structural clues, which indicate that the words to be
filled in are opposite in meaning to the words, that
are already given in the sentences.
D, CAUSE EFFECT CLUES
eure teat
be able to gauge as to which direction the
Ifthe sentence has an idea, itis 24
identify the tone of the cause or effect to be supplied.
into the sentence-nogative or positive
‘Let’swork on sentences with cause effect relationship.
‘Torture is so prevalent and of the helpless:
so common that these helpless beings are certainly
‘When they pair out their story of agony.
Q) indemnifications... unhinged
(2) felicitation... believable
(8) disparaging ..credulous
(@) victimization ... credible
‘In the above sentence you observe that there are two
‘dlues: parallel and causal. Signaled by the word and
‘the first blank needs a word parallel to torture ie.
victimization. The intensity of these two results in
‘the possibility of the stories believable or credible.
‘Look at another example:
‘Higher education in India can ne longer be allowed to
remain as a/ an ‘instrument that crushes the
spirit of the individual while goading him into a
and consumerist mode.
() imnerving.. boisterous
(3) invigorating ... pragmatic
(4) relegating... humanistic
An instrument that erushes the spirit ofthe individual
eannot be innerving or invigorating (both means
energizing) nor can it be riveting; since rivet means
‘tohold firmly and relegate means to lower in rank is,
‘Gloser but the latter word eannot be humanistic (3)
PERU esi anise neta
2 similar mode identify the cause effect ideas in
the incomplete sentences in the following drill and
oote apprnpriate rords to complete them,
Sentence Completion
B, WORD DEFINATION CLUES
Yet another common clue found in sentence
completion stimuli is the meaning or definition of the
word to be filled given as part of the incomplete
sentence itself, It is similar to the thought continuity
‘cluo, except that in case the meaning of the word o
definition of the word to be selected is already given,
Lot us study an example:
‘The great irony of Angle Computers is that very
posture that won Steve jobs’ a cult following ereating
‘an exclusive group of ____ technicians who
refused to bow to IBM, hobbled his company,
iconoclastic.....stubbomly
conservative......invariably
rebellious....timidly
traditional,......outrightly
In the sentence above you would've already observed
the words ‘refused to bow’, which signals the wordt.
bbe placed in the second blank. This phrase clearly
defines the word stubbornly.
Another example :
‘The crisis in modern education is not merely a
constraint of __ of funds but of practices,
unsuited for contemporary system. '
searity....doctrinaine
In the above sentence the key to the letter
‘unsuited for contemporary edueation’, you ean
easily eliminate unsuitable choices and
choice D, i,, anachronist. Sentence Completion
EXERCISE
MCQ TYPE QUESTIONS
Directions for Q. 1 to 41: In each of the following
sentences, a part/parts of the sentence is left
unfinished. Beneath each sentence, four different
ways of completing the sentence are indicated. Choose
the best alternative among the four:
1, For some of out ruling politicians, social justice
has apparently come to mean that A
(a) they have a right to plunder public money
from the treasury
(®) they have a right to the plunder of public
money from the treasury
(©) theirs is the right to plunder public money
from the treasury
(@) the right is theirs to plunder public money
from the treasury
2. Some critics believe that Satyajit Ray never quite
came back to the great beginning he made in his,
path-breaking film PatherPanchali,—__
have endured decades of well-travelled bad prints
to become a signpost in cinematic history.
(a) The bizarre history of its misty origins
® Its haunting images
(c) Its compelling munificence
(d) The breathtaking ave it inspires
____, the more they remain the same.
(@ The less the dynamism
@ The more things change
(¢) The more pronounced the transformation
(d) The more the merrier
Revenues are likely to register a dramatic
monet 2 gn the hundred million
people who are said to comprise the risingIndian
middle class.
(a) aflat tax is collected
() aflat taxis placed
(6) taxes at a flat rate are charged
(d) taxis imposed at a flat rate
5, [aman entertainer. Thave to keep
smiling because, deep in my heart, laughter and
sorrow have an affinity.
(a) Even if Ihave tears in me
(b) Despite conditions of extreme adversity
(c) Inspite of misery around me
Gd) Although J have yet to make it big
6. The stock market is probably.
Se ee eena
investor confidence,
3
(@) an ideal indication of the health of
Sentiment ‘ih
7. Home is one has yet to improve.
(a) a discovery over which
(b) a corti
over which
(©) an invention on which
(@) aninstit
ition upon which
8 The highest reward for a. man’s toil is not what
he gets for it but what :
(a) he makes out of it.
() he gets for others,
(©) he has overcome through it.
{d) he becomes by it.
9. An act of justice eloses the book on a misdeed;
‘an act af vengeance
(a) reopens the first chapter
(b) writes an epoilogue
fc) writes one of its own
(d) opens new books
10, The trail is the thing , not the end of the trail,
‘Travel too fast and you miss
(a) all you are travelling for.
(b) all the sights you are supposed to see.
{c) the very excitement of your travel.
(d) all the enjoyments of travel.
nL. that in this apparent mess,
two things not be interfered with.
(a Itisimportant
() itisof cardinal important.
(©) It should be urgently under-stood,
(@) Iteannot he emphasised.
412, A country’s wealth is its people. But instead of
drawing out the strengths of the people, instead
of drawing out their talent, this use of religion
debases, degrades and depresses than
@ in greater and greater measure
() farther
(c) beyond reasonable limit
(@) more and more
19, Wines that yielded a good commereial profit
“in the same limited areas of France Sentence c
he (a) ideological, technological “
AS The safest general characterisation of the Oe eared etink
European philosophical tradition as it has i
developed up. to now, with all its diverse (c) political, econo
proponents, is that i consists ofa Plato, (d) ideological, cultural
eee ane SFr te Praaie g tie chalinigcs oo toa
(6) set of prologues to inefficient public sector enterprises,
(©) collection of chapters on
(@) string of commentatries to
16 The ideas that these companies used seem so
(a) farm, liberalise
(6) middle-class, privatise
simple wi That their competitors (e) workers, take aver
ca themelves for nat thinking (2) rural, restructare
oF them first 24, The interest generated by the Soccer World Cap
(a) vanced technology hit is compared tothe way cried
) sn, sme — the nation
(@) paseage cf time, carve G@ milder, fascinates
(2) hindsight, hick (©) lukewarm, electrifies
1%, Nodoobs,itwas our own government butitwas __() tepid, inspires
being Tun on borrowed ideas, using) unusual, grips
sclitions 25, Though one eye is kept firmly on the
wore oot (t) second hand the company now also promotes
(©) impractical (@) appropriate contemporary art
18 Overall, all the recent policy changes by the (a) present, experimental
government only
sugar industry
(a) superficial attemp at liberalisation
(®) drop in the ocean
mount toa in the () future, popular
(©) present, popular
(d) market, popular
The law prohibits a person from felling a
() large change sandalwood tree, even if it grows on one’s own
(@) small regulating authority land, without prior permission from the
18. In pusuance of their decision to resist what they government. As poor people cannot deal with the
saw as anti-labour policies, the company government, this legal provision leads to a rip-
employees, union launched agitation to roaring business for who care
neither for the hor for the trees.
(a) middlemen, rich (6) the government, poor
(©) touts, rich (@) touts, poor
ill take some time for many South
he conflicting ima
____ what to make
(6) understand, clarify
(© make out, decide (cl) reconcile, understand
- In these bleak and depressing times of aa
“Prices, non-performing geveruments and
== #rime rates, Sourav Ganguly hes
1us,Tndians, alot to cheer about.
‘of the nouveau riche
it —___in the literature. Sentence Completion
30, Many people suggest__and still others
‘would like to convince people not to buy pirated
cassettes
@) tobring down audio-cassette prices to reduce
the mexdence af music piracy, there ndvocate
strong legal action against the offenders,
b) bringing down auio-caseette prices toredice
the incidents of music piracy, others are
advocating strong legal action against
offenders. ve "
tc) banging down audio-cassette prices to reduce
the ioidence of music piracy. others advoeate
strong legel action against offenders,
(@) audio-cassette prices to be brought doven to
Feduce incidence of music piracy, others
advocate that strong legal action must be taken
aguinet offenders,
‘The ancient Egyptians believed sothat
sehen these objects were magically reanimated
‘through the correct rituals, they would be able
tofunction effectively.
(q) that it was essential that things they portrayed
must have every relevant feature shown as
clearly as possible
1) it was essential for things they portray to have
had every relevant feature shown as clearly
as possible,
(c) it was essential thatthe things they portrayed
hhad every relevant feature shown as clearly
1s possible,
(@) that when they portrayed things, it should
have every relevant feature shown as clearly
as possible
82 Archaeologists believe that the picces of red-ware
pottery excavated recently near Bhavnagar and
‘shed light on ahither todark 600-year
‘Period in the Harappan history of Gujarat.
(a) estimated with a reasonable certainty asbeing
‘about 3400 years old,
(6) are estimated reasonably certain to be about
3400yearsold
27
3A. As navigat of
the night sky accumulated evidence to the
contrary, ancient astronomers were forced
to__that certain bodies might move in circles
about points, which in turn maved in eireles abort
the earth,
(o) serutinizers; believe
agree
(c) serutinizers; suggest
(6) observer
(d) observers: concede
85, Every human being, after the first few days of his
life, isa product of two factors: on the one hand,
there is his ‘endowment; and on the other
hand, there i the effect of environment, including
(a) constitutional; weather
(®) congenital; edueation
(©) personal; climate
(@) genetic: pedagogy
96, Exhaustion of natural resources, destruction of
individual initiative by governments, control over
‘man’s minds by central_____of education and
propaganda are some of the major evils which
appear to be on the increase as a result of the
impact of science upon minds suited by.
to an earlier kind of world
(a) tenets; fixation
(@) aspects; inhibitions
(c) institutions; inhibitions
(@) organs; tradition
But____arenow regularly written
‘not just for tools, but well-established practices,
organisations and institutions, not all of which
seem to be away.
(a) reports, withering (6) stories, trading
(6) books, dying. (@) obituaries, fading
‘The Darwin who __ is most
remarkable for the way in which he
the attributes of the world
‘lass thinker and head of the household. 7 the British
context, the of the Britis
© Mhour movement spar
to) in, weird
(b) activity, moving
(e) experience, sgifennt
(a) atmonphere, gloomy
4 tnt metas my nf hey ew
inclined, ofbeing_—____tothe most
tht among the tele
ofthe wor
fa) rabordinate, traditions
et, cliques
(2) eit, traditions
Directions for @.42 to
‘Al the gaps inthe passages below with the most
‘ppropriae word from the aptions given foreach gop.
The right swords are the ones used by the author Be
fied bythe authors vera
style and meaning when
you choose the answers
‘on Nuemann and Morgenstern assume a decision
framework in which all options are thoroughly
‘considered. each option being independent of others,
‘with s numerical value derived forthe utility of each,
Possible outcome (these outcomes reflecting, in turn,
«all possible combinations of choices). The decision iz
‘then made to maximize the expected utility.
=
Sentence Comp,
The key po
45. (a) dismissing
©) Bring
46. (a) resolve
(c) defeat
47. (a) derived
c) produced
Directions for Q. 48 to 57:
Fill up the blanks, numbered [48], [49
the two passages below with the most apy
from the options given for each blank
“Between the year 1946 and the year 1955, | did noe
file any income tax returns.” With that [48] statement
Ramesh embarked on an account of his encounter with
the Income Tax Department. “I originally owed
Rs, 20,000 in unpaid taxes. With [49] and (50), the
20,000 became 60,000. The Income Tax Department
then went into action, and I learned first hand just
hhow much power the Tax Department wields. Royalties
‘and trast funds can be (51); automobiles may be [39],
and auctioned off. Nothing belongs to the (33) until
the case is settled
48. () devious
®) blunt
(c) tactful i) pretentious
49. (a) interest b) taxes
(©) principal d) returns
50. (a) sanctions ®) refunds
() fees d) fines
51. (a) closed () detached
(c) attached (@) impounded
‘52. (a) smashed ) seized
frozen
(b) victim
voices. The only
was provided b
ty, his (58)
led when he (57) the
©) hallow
@ white
(©) faded
@ stentorian
©) curiosity
— @ temper
® Sentence Completion i
MCQ Type Questions
Lia) QO 3 ‘ 6 6 1d) * 10.
1.@) 12. 18. 14) 150) Weld) AT. 18 9) 20
21.13) 22 23, 2, 26. Bed) 28 Pe)
31 2d) 98 Mid) ld) 96. 40.
aid) @. 4 id) 45. 16.0) 7d) 48. 49. wo.
a 52, 53. 54(c) 85.0) BB) BT
Ama
his children or friends
something great
(the subject). Also grammatically ‘A man’s toil may help him to overcome
chey have a right to plunder .......’ is correct many difficulties, but that does not give him
right to the punder "is incorrect. much pleasure
So, choice (d) is the best answer. Wha!
means ‘weird’. Hence, choice (a)
becomes by one’s til is greater than what one
haunting images have endured
choice (€) can alao be ruled oe
ca! means feneroeityand(his ” §. (a) ‘Reopens the firt chapter’ means bags
ot intended in the sentence. Also, the word ere eee
pra nthe given sentence gets withthe word etree emai
eragrofcerce i). (©) ‘Opens new books’ means creates new
Tey inthe part fer the comma must refer (oes
somebody or some-thing. Hence, only
aa eae in tbat sano reds ‘The above three are only partly correct. An act
pen bes Lik ts ber ss bas caer afjustice pardons forever an act of vengeance
; creates new problems. Itis a saving. “AR acto
The right word to precede the proposition ‘on creates new probleme. Iti a saying. “An at of
is imposed. Taxis not collected on... people Josticn closer the book on miadeed; aa act
‘Tax is not placed on people, Tax is not charged rengeeue eee a
‘on people. Hence, choices (a),(b) and (c) are not Here, the trail is the important thing and hence
‘the answers. Tax is imposed .....on pas of the trail is what you will be
Choice (d) is ruled out as it) not logically ing for.
fit. Choice (a) is also ruled out because of the (6) The expression must be “it is of cardinal
- importance”.
(c) There is no urgency in understandins
me! should be understood” is enough
| {d) Instead of it cannot be, the expression