Grammar · From lesson 10
TOEIC Grammar: Word Forms, Suffixes and Parts of Speech
Word-form questions are the single most common grammar item type in Part 5. The four options belong to one family, and only the position of the blank tells you which form fits. Learn the following positions until you can apply them without thinking.
Free extract from the Noto Tracks TOEIC course
| The blank comes… | Part of speech needed | Example |
|---|---|---|
| after an article, a possessive or a determiner (a, the, our, this, each), with no noun after it | Noun | the approval of the board |
| between a determiner and a noun | Adjective | a thorough review |
| after a preposition | Noun or -ing form | for assistance / for assisting |
| as the subject or object of a verb | Noun | Attendance is required. |
| after a modal or to (infinitive) | Base verb | will expand / to expand |
| after be, become, seem, remain | Adjective (or a noun, or a participle) | is responsible |
| before or after a verb, or at the start of a sentence followed by a comma | Adverb | carefully reviewed / Unfortunately, … |
| before an adjective, an adverb or a participle | Adverb | remarkably efficient / newly renovated |
| between an auxiliary and a main verb | Adverb | has recently opened / will soon announce |
Ellsworth Consulting has gained a reputation for the ------- of its financial forecasts.
(A) accurate (B) accurately (C) accuracy (D) more accurate
Answer: (C) — the blank follows the and is followed by of, so it needs a noun. (A) and (D) are adjectives, which would need a noun after them, and (B) is an adverb.
Suffixes: recognizing the part of speech
You can usually identify a word's part of speech from its ending, which lets you answer many items without knowing the word.
| Part of speech | Common suffixes | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (thing / idea) | -tion, -sion, -ment, -ance, -ence, -ness, -ity, -ure, -al, -sis, -ship, -th | expansion, agreement, maintenance, reliability, closure, approval, analysis, partnership, growth |
| Noun (person) | -er, -or, -ant, -ent, -ee, -ist, -ian | employer, supervisor, applicant, resident, trainee, specialist, technician |
| Verb | -ize, -ify, -ate, -en | finalize, verify, automate, strengthen |
| Adjective | -ive, -able, -ible, -al, -ous, -ful, -less, -ic, -ary, -ent, -ant | effective, affordable, flexible, regional, numerous, successful, wireless, economic, necessary, efficient, significant |
| Adverb | adjective + -ly | effectively, affordably, significantly |
Adjectives that end in -ly
Most adverbs end in -ly, but a number of common adjectives do too: friendly, costly, timely, orderly, likely, lively, elderly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily, yearly. These words come before nouns (a timely response, a costly mistake, the quarterly report) or after linking verbs (the staff were friendly). Because they are already adjectives, they have no adverb form in -lyly; to use the idea as an adverb, use a phrase: in a timely manner, in a friendly way. Note that daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly can also work as adverbs: The figures are updated weekly.
The reverse trap also exists: some adverbs do not end in -ly at all (fast, hard, late, well, soon, often, still, almost), and some -ly forms have a different meaning from the base: hard (with effort) vs hardly (almost not), late vs lately (recently), near vs nearly (almost), high vs highly (very: highly recommended).
Quick check: Choose the form. (a) We received a (prompt / promptly) reply. (b) The vendor replied (prompt / promptly). (c) The team worked (hard / hardly) all weekend. — Answers: (a) prompt (before a noun), (b) promptly (describes the verb), (c) hard (with effort).
More grammar points from this lesson
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This page is one section of a full lesson
Lesson 10, "Grammar course 1: Sentence structure and word forms", is in the Noto Tracks TOEIC course. The rest of it covers:
- 2. Sentence structure: the five basic patterns
- 4. Nouns
- 6. Pronouns
- 10. A five-step routine for word-form items
Also in the full lesson
- Practice questions
- Answer key with explanations
- One-page summary
50 questions, free, with an estimated score.
TOEIC is a registered trademark of ETS. This guide is not endorsed or approved by ETS. Noto Studio is not affiliated with ETS. All examples are original.