TOEIC Part 5 Sentence Patterns Template

The recurring TOEIC Part 5 sentence patterns as fill-in templates, each with the slot the blank sits in and the form that slot always takes.

Lume Test

Sep 4, 2026

•

5 min read

Key Takeaways

The recurring TOEIC Part 5 sentence patterns as fill-in templates, each with the slot the blank sits in and the form that slot always takes.

Part 5 sentences are built from a small number of frames. Once you recognise the frame, the blank has a fixed answer type before you read the options — and that is the whole speed advantage in this part.

Each template below shows the pattern with the blank marked, the form the slot requires, and the distractor that is placed next to it.

Want to FINALLY Ace the TOEIC Test And Reach Your Goals?

Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock…

✅ 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers

✅ FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring

✅ Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan

GET YOUR FREE ACCOUNT NOW

(Limited seats available!)

Key Takeaways

Part 5 is 30 questions inside 75 shared Reading minutes; target 20-25 seconds each.
Identify the frame first, then the slot, then read the options — not the other way round.
A blank after a preposition is a noun or gerund, never a bare verb.
A blank after a complete clause is an adverb or a modifying phrase, never a noun.
If two options are the same part of speech, the question is vocabulary or collocation, not grammar.

Frame 1: article or possessive + BLANK

Template	Slot needs	Example
the ___ of the project	Noun	the completion of the project
our ___ policy	Adjective	our revised policy
a ___ increase in sales	Adjective	a considerable increase in sales
the ___ team members	Adjective or participle	the remaining team members

If a noun already follows the blank, the slot is an adjective. If nothing follows, the slot is the noun itself.

Frame 2: preposition + BLANK

Template	Slot needs	Example
for ___	Noun or gerund	for approval / for reviewing the file
after ___ the report	Gerund	after submitting the report
in ___ with the policy	Noun	in accordance with the policy
without ___ notice	Adjective	without prior notice
despite ___ delays	Adjective or noun modifier	despite repeated delays

Never a bare infinitive after a preposition. “for review” and “for reviewing” are both possible; “for review the file” is not.

Frame 3: subject + BLANK + object

Template	Slot needs	Example
The manager ___ the request.	Finite verb, active	The manager approved the request.
The request ___ yesterday.	Finite verb, passive	The request was approved yesterday.
Sales ___ by 12 percent since March.	Present perfect	Sales have risen by 12 percent since March.
The shipment ___ by Friday.	Future or future perfect	The shipment will arrive by Friday.

Object present means active. No object with the subject receiving the action means passive. Verbs like arrive, rise and occur never take an object, so they are never passive.

Frame 4: complete clause + BLANK

Template	Slot needs	Example
The team worked ___.	Adverb	The team worked efficiently.
The figures were ___ accurate.	Adverb modifying an adjective	The figures were remarkably accurate.
The order ___ arrived this morning.	Adverb of time or degree	The order finally arrived this morning.

If the sentence is already grammatically complete, the slot cannot be a noun or a verb.

Frame 5: BLANK + clause vs BLANK + noun

Template	Slot needs	Example
___ the delay was short, customers complained.	Conjunction	Although the delay was short…
___ the short delay, customers complained.	Preposition	Despite the short delay…
___ the shipment arrives, we will invoice.	Time conjunction	Once the shipment arrives…
___ heavy rain, the event continued.	Preposition	In spite of heavy rain…

Look right of the blank for a subject and a verb. Clause means conjunction; noun phrase means preposition. This one distinction resolves several questions per test.

Frame 6: BLANK as a relative pronoun

Template	Slot needs	Example
the supplier ___ raised prices	Subject relative	the supplier that raised prices
the client to ___ we wrote	Object of preposition	the client to whom we wrote
the vendor ___ terms expire in May	Possessive	the vendor whose terms expire in May
the warehouse ___ the units are stored	Place	the warehouse where the units are stored

If the clause after the blank already has its own subject, the slot is an object relative (whom, which, that), a possessive (whose) or, for a place, where; never who.

Frame 7: BLANK as a participle modifier

Template	Slot needs	Example
the ___ costs	-ing if the noun acts	the rising costs
the ___ budget	-ed if the noun receives the action	the approved budget
___ the file, she found the error.	-ing, same subject as the main clause	Reviewing the file…
___ in May, the plan began in June.	-ed, passive with the same subject	Approved in May…

Frame 8: comparative frames

Template	Slot needs	Example
___ than last quarter	Comparative form	higher than last quarter
the ___ option available	Superlative	the cheapest option available
as ___ as the original estimate	Base adjective or adverb	as accurate as the original estimate
___ higher than expected	Comparative intensifier	considerably higher than expected

The word than anywhere in the sentence forces a comparative. Very cannot intensify a comparative — use much, far, slightly or considerably.

Frame 9: quantifier frames

Template	Slot needs	Example
___ of the applicants were shortlisted	Plural quantifier	Several of the applicants…
___ information was provided	Uncountable quantifier	Little information was provided
___ employee must sign the form	Singular quantifier	Each employee must sign…
___ of the two proposals	Two-item quantifier	Neither of the two proposals…

Check whether the noun is countable plural, countable singular or uncountable before choosing. This is the whole question.

Recognition drill

Cover the right-hand columns and name the slot type for each frame from the template alone. Ten frames, under 60 seconds, is exam pace.

Frame	Trigger you can see instantly	Answer type
1	the / a / our before the blank	Noun or adjective
2	Any preposition before the blank	Noun or gerund
3	Subject with no other verb	Finite verb
4	Sentence already complete	Adverb
5	Blank at the start of the sentence	Conjunction or preposition, decided by what follows
6	Noun then blank then verb	Relative pronoun
7	Article, blank, noun with a verb root	Participle, -ing or -ed
8	than / as…as / the most	Comparative or superlative
9	Blank then of the / then a bare noun	Quantifier

FAQ

How many TOEIC Part 5 questions can I answer from the pattern alone?

A large share of them. Word form, preposition, connector and relative pronoun questions are decided by the frame rather than by meaning, and those are the bulk of Part 5. Vocabulary and collocation questions still need you to read the whole sentence.

Should I read the sentence or the options first?

The options. Four forms of one word tells you it is a frame question, and you then only need the words immediately around the blank. Four unrelated words tells you to read the whole sentence for meaning.

How fast should Part 5 be?

20 to 25 seconds per question, which puts 30 questions inside 10 to 12.5 minutes. Anything slower comes directly out of Part 7, where 54 questions are waiting.

What if I cannot identify the frame?

Mark your default letter and move on. Part 5 questions are worth exactly the same as Part 7 questions, and one hard Part 5 item can cost you two easy Part 7 items.

Do these patterns work in Part 6 as well?

Yes for the word-level blanks, which use the same frames. Part 6 adds sentence-insertion questions that no frame resolves — those need the sentence before and after the blank.