sentence completion

sentence completion
A sentence completion question consists of an incomplete sentence. The sentence may have one or two blanks. From the five answer choices given, you are required to choose an appropriate word or words that can serve as the missing word/ words that will best complete the meaning of the given sentence.

WHAT IS MEASURED

I. Skill of vocabulary
Sentence completion question is a test of your word power and diction. It is only if you know the meaning of word(s) that you will be able to choose confidently, the appropriate word to fill the incomplete sentence. Moreover the question sentence also may have difficult words in them, knowing the meaning of which is essential for understanding the sentence in totality and to choose the appropriate word(s).

ii. Skill of identifying clues
A sentence completion question is not merely a test of your vocabulary. It also tests your ability to analyze the given sentence and to identify the structural and semantic clues that decide on the meaning and nature of the word(s) to be chosen.

We will find one or two clues in a sentence completion question. Common key words such as and or but are all the more valuable for us in sentence completion. These are structural clues. (These are dealt with in detail later)

iii. Skill of semantics and syntax
A sentence has a semantic dimension (meaning) and a syntactical dimension (word arrangement). Knowledge of these two is a mandatory condition for you to be able to choose the appropriate word. You must understand the meaning of a sentence in order to identify the appropriate choice word that fills the blank and completes the sentence coherently.

We should have a fair understanding of the functions of structural words in a sentence such as unless, rather, yet, while, unfortunately, in contrast, despite

SENTENCE COMPLETION STRATEGIES

In order to answer sentence completion questions correctly, you should first read the entire sentence as you see it, without trying to fill in the word or words. Desist from working on each blank separately. The second part of the sentence may have a bearing on the first part of the sentence. And both words must fit into the meaning of the sentence; therefore read your choice into the sentence supplying and evaluating both words.

Each sentence contains a few crucial clues that determine the answers, and finding these clues will guide you to the correct answer. Look for what is directly stated. In sentence completion questions, you may also find poetic and literary language, which tests your understanding of figurative usage. The correct answer is the one that is directly implied in the sentence.
Ø Determine where the sentence is heading, using structural clues.
Ø Anticipate answers in your words.
Ø Look for answers that are similar to yours.
Ø Fix words in the sentence to see if they gel 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 2
Identify structural clues to determine the nature of the word(s) required

You can determine the positive or negative tone of the expected word using structural clues. And identify the words whose synonym, antonym, parallel word or cause/ effect that you have to supply.

Strategy 3
Substitute your own words.
Place your own words in the blanks assuming that answer choices are not given, keeping in mind the clues you have identified

Strategy 4
Identify words similar to the ones you substituted
If the word you have substituted goes with the requirement of the sentence, you are sure to find a word(s) similar in meaning and tone to the ones you have substituted

Strategy 5
Read the sentence back with word(s) filled in.
Now read the entire sentence with the words filled in to see if the word(s) fit literally and figuratively

Identifying clues
Now let’s discuss in detail the types of sentence completion clues that are found in the CAT. Identifying these clues is the single most promising method of solving sentence completion questions.

A. THOUGHT CONTINUITY CLUES
In this type the first part of the sentence and the second part are parallel ideas. There is no 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 support or elaborate another part. One part of the sentence may be complementary to the other part in meaning. These clues 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:
v Similarly
v Because
v And
v Since
v Thus
v In fact
v More over
v In deed
v In addition
v Consequently

Study the following sentences:
1. Shakespeare lives forever; in fact he is immortal.
2. His argument was convincing and persuasive.
3. The film script showed depth and maturity; likewise the treatment showed profundity.

In the sentences above the words in italics are structural clues.
In the first sentence the clue to the word to be filled in is ‘in fact’, indicating that a word similar in meaning to the phrase ‘ lives for ever’ is required to complete the sentence.

In the second sentence, the word to be filled in should be parallel to ‘persuasive’, determined by the thought continuity word’ and’.
In the third sentence, the word ‘likewise’ indicates that a word parallel to depth and maturity completes the sentence.

B. PARALLEL IDEA CLUES

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.All that the young ask of the political class is compassion and concern/ sympathy/ caring.
ii. On questions about political and electoral reforms, the respondents showed great forethought and vision/ rationality.

In the above sentences you may observe that the words given and the words that have to be filled in are parallel/ complementary or in the same tone.

C. THOUGHT REVERSAL CLUES

These change the direction of the sentence. They make one part of the sentence contradict or qualify another part. The word or phrase that completes the sentence is opposite in meaning to a word or phrase already given. The positive or negative charge of an answer is changed by these clues.
Such signs include


v But
v On the contrary
v In spite of
v Despite
v Yet
v However
v Unless
v Rather
v Although
v While
v Unfortunately
v Nonetheless
v Ironically
v Paradoxically

Illustrations:
i. His argument was flawed but persuasive.

ii. There is no cynicism in the way the young deal with issues; on the contrary they are optimistic toward life.

iii. The emphasis will not be on physical assets but on intangibles.

In the sentences above the words in italics 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

While studying a sentence completion questions, you should be able to gauge as to which direction the sentence is heading. If the sentence has a causal idea it is possible to infer what would logically follow the causal phenomenon. In other words, we can anticipate the type of effect that the given cause would lead to. Similarly by analyzing the nature of an effect (sentences in which effect is given), we can also infer the plausible causal factor that would’ve contributed to the type of effect given. The easiest way is to identify the tone of the cause or effect to be supplied into the sentence - negative or positive.
Let’s work on sentences with cause effect relationship.

Torture is so prevalent and _____ of the hapless so common that these helpless beings are certainly _____ when they pour out their story of agony.
A. indemnifications ....... unhinged B. felicitation ....... believable
C. disparaging ...... credulous D. victimization ....... credible
E. endurance.......... fathomable

In the above sentence you observe that there are two clues: parallel and causal. Signaled by the word and the first blank needs a word parallel to torture i.e. victimization. The intensity of these two factors results in the possibility of the stories believable or credible.

Look at another example:

Higher education in India can no longer be allowed to remain as a/an _____ instrument that crushes the spirit of the individual while goading him into a _____ and consumerist mode.
A. innerving ...... boisterous B. emasculating ...... materialist
C. invigorating ...... pragmatic D. relegating ...... humanistic
E. riveting .... catholic

An instrument that crushes the spirit of the individual cannot be innerving or invigorating (both means energizing) nor can it be riveting, since rivet means to hold firmly and relegate meaning to lower in rank is closer but the latter word cannot be humanistic. The word that is parallel to consumerist is materialist

E. WORD DEFINITION 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 clue except that in this case the meaning of the word or definition of the word to be selected is already given.


Let us study an example:
The great irony of Apple Computers is that the very posture that won Steve Jobs a cult following creating an exclusive group of _____ technicians who _____ refused to bow to IBM, hobbled his company.
A. iconoclastic ..... stubbornly B. conservative ..... invariably
C. rebellious ...... timidly D. traditional ..... out rightly
E. pre-meditated ...... obediently

In the sentence above you would’ve already observed the words ‘refused to bow’, which signals the word to be 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.
A. scarcity ....... doctrinaire B. fulsomeness .... authoritative
C. restrictive ness ..... autocratic D. congruity ...... monolithic
E. paucity ........ anachronistic

In the above sentence the key to the latter word is ‘unsuited for contemporary education’.
You can now easily eliminate unsuitable choices and arrive at choice E, i.e. anachronistic