Exercise – Unit 10: Indefinite Pronouns – Chapter 1: Grammar Practice – Starter TOEIC – Third Edition – Building TOEIC Test-taking Skills – Anne Taylor – Casey Malarcher

A. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.

1. ——- he nor she is right.
(A) Either
(B) Both
(C) Each
(D) Neither

Answer: (D) Neither
The conjunction “nor” is a key to the answer.
“Neither … nor” is a correct grammatical structure used to indicate that neither option is true. It refers to “not one or the other” in a negative sense.
Neither he nor she is right. (Neither of them is correct.)
(A) Either: “Either … or” is used for positive choices, not for negatives.
(B) Both: “Both … and” implies both are correct, which is not the case here.
(C) Each does not form a valid pair with “nor.”

2. I don’t like that one ——-.
(A) either
(B) too
(C) neither
(D) alike

Answer: (A) either
Not either = neither
“Either” is used in negative sentences to agree with a negative statement. It means “also not.”
I don’t like that one either. –> I also don’t like that one.
(B) Too: is used in positive sentences, not negative ones.
(C) Neither: cannot follow a negative sentence in this structure.
(D) Alike: means “similar” and does not fit the sentence context.

3. Would you like ——- tea?
(A) anything
(B) some
(C) little
(D) few

Answer: (B) some
When we offer something to someone, we usually expect they will accept it.
“Some” is used in affirmative sentences and polite offers/questions where the speaker expects the answer to be “yes.”
Would you like some tea? –> Do you want a little tea?
(A) Anything: is used in questions without expecting a specific or affirmative answer.
(C) Little: refers to a small quantity in a slightly negative sense, which doesn’t fit an offer.
(D) Few: is used with countable nouns, while “tea” is uncountable.

4. He has two dogs: one is from England and ——- is from Germany.
(A) another
(B) an other
(C) other
(D) the other

Answer: (D) the other
The sentence talks about two dogs.
“The other” is used to refer to the second of two items or people that have already been mentioned.
He has two dogs: one is from England and the other is from Germany. –> There are two dogs, and this refers to the second one.
(A) Another: is used for one more item from an indefinite group, not for the second of two specific items.
(B) An other: is a single word, not two separate words.
(C) Other: cannot stand alone without a determiner in this context.

B. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.

Most people think bread is expensive and difficult to make. However, it is ——- easy and cheap. All you need to make a basic dough is flour, milk, a little salt and sugar, and yeast. The sugar is very important to activate the yeast. If you do not add the sugar, the bread will not rise. You need to set it aside for at least two hours, so it is true that it takes a ——- time to make, but the results are worth the wait.

1. (A) either
(B) neither
(C) both
(D) also

2. (A) quick
(B) long
(C) short
(D) fast

Answer:

1. (C) both
“Both…and…” is used to link 2 words or expressions of the same kind: “easy” and “cheap” are two words that are positive in meaning, and therefore of the same kind.
“Both” is used to link two positive characteristics (easy and cheap) that are true at the same time.
Bread is both easy and cheap to make. –> Bread has both of these qualities.
(A) Either: is used to express one of two possibilities, not both simultaneously.
(B) Neither: is used to indicate that none of the options are true, which contradicts the context.
(D) Also: adds information, but it does not connect two qualities in this structure.

2. (B) long
“2 hours” and “worth the wait” suggest that making bread is a time-consuming activity, so “long” is correct.
The sentence explains that making bread requires waiting at least two hours. Therefore, “a long time” is the correct choice to describe this waiting period.
It takes a long time to make bread, but the results are worth it.
(A) Quick: suggests a short time, which contradicts the two-hour waiting period mentioned.
(C) Short: also implies a brief amount of time, which does not fit the context.
(D) Fast: describes speed, not the length of time required.

C. Fill the blank with the appropriate word.

1. Hemingway was a ——- of Fitzgerald.
(A) temporal
(B) temporary
(C) temperature
(D) contemporary

Answer: (D) contemporary
To be contemporary = to belong to the same period of time.
“Contemporary” means “existing or living at the same time.” Hemingway and Fitzgerald were both famous authors of the same era, so “contemporary” is the correct choice.
Hemingway was a contemporary of Fitzgerald. –> Hemingway lived and worked during the same time period as Fitzgerald.
(A) Temporal: refers to something related to time but not specific to people living at the same time.
(B) Temporary: means “lasting for a short period of time,” which doesn’t fit the context.
(C) Temperature: refers to heat or cold, unrelated to the context.

2. A ——- amount of money has been spent on books.
(A) considering
(B) considered
(C) considerate
(D) considerable

Answer: (C) considerate
Considerable = large in amount, extent, or degree. cf. considerate = thoughtful.
“Considerable” means “large or significant in amount.” The sentence implies that a large amount of money has been spent, so “considerable” is the correct choice.
(A) Considering: is a verb or conjunction, not an adjective to describe “amount.”
(B) Considered: is the past tense of “consider” and doesn’t describe the size of the amount.
(C) Considerate: means “thoughtful or kind,” which is irrelevant to the context.

3. The United States is waging a ——- war overseas.
(A) cost-free
(B) costless
(C) costly
(D) money

Answer: (C) costly
Costly = involving loss or sacrifice.
“Costly” means “expensive or requiring a lot of resources.” The sentence suggests that the war overseas is expensive, so “costly” fits the context.
(A) Cost-free: means “without cost,” which contradicts the context.
(B) Costless: also means “free of cost,” which is irrelevant.
(D) Money: is a noun and cannot modify “war.”

4. There is no ——- evidence that power lines are a health risk.
(A) final
(B) conclusive
(C) last
(D) finishing

Answer: (B) conclusive
Conclusive = serving to put an end to doubt, question, or uncertainty.
“Conclusive” means “providing a final and definitive answer.” The sentence states that there is no definitive evidence about the health risks of power lines, so “conclusive” is correct.
(A) Final: means “last in a series,” which does not fit the context of evidence.
(C) Last: also refers to order in time, not the nature of the evidence.
(D) Finishing: refers to the act of completing something, not evidence.