TOEIC Part 5 at a glance
| Reading part | Task | Questions |
|---|
| Part 5 | Incomplete Sentences | 30 |
| Part 6 | Text Completion | 16 |
| Part 7 | Reading Comprehension (single and multiple passages) | 54 |
| Total | 75 minutes for the whole Reading section | 100 |
There is no separate timer for each part. Every minute saved in Part 5 becomes reading time for Part 7, where the passages are longest. Many test takers aim to finish Part 5 in roughly 10 minutes, or about 20 seconds per question, and adjust after timed practice.
Read the options first to classify the question
| What the four options look like | Question type | What to check in the sentence |
|---|
| One word family: careful, carefully, carefulness, care | Word form | The slot: noun after an article, adjective before a noun, adverb before a verb or adjective |
| One verb in different forms: require, requiring, are required, have required | Verb form, tense or voice | Subject, number, time markers and whether the subject acts or receives the action |
| Pronouns: he, him, his, himself | Pronoun case | Subject, object, possessive before a noun, or reflexive |
| Connectors: although, despite, because, however | Conjunction or preposition | Whether a clause (subject + verb) or a noun phrase follows the blank |
| Different words with different meanings | Vocabulary or collocation | Read the whole sentence; find the noun or preposition the word must pair with |
Grammar-type questions can often be solved from the words right next to the blank. Vocabulary questions need the full sentence, so this split is where the time savings come from.
Five original worked examples
These examples were written by English AIdol to illustrate the main question types. They are not official TOEIC questions.
1. Word form
The marketing team reviewed the proposal ------- before presenting it to the client.
(A) careful (B) carefully (C) carefulness (D) more careful
Answer: B. The blank describes how the team reviewed, so it modifies a verb and needs an adverb.
2. Verb voice
All employees ------- to complete the safety training by Friday.
(A) require (B) requiring (C) are required (D) have required
Answer: C. Employees receive the requirement; they do not require something. The sentence needs a passive verb, and "requiring" is not a finite verb.
3. Preposition or conjunction
------- the delay in shipping, the store opened on schedule.
(A) Although (B) Despite (C) Because (D) However
Answer: B. "The delay in shipping" is a noun phrase with no verb, so it needs a preposition. "Although" and "because" introduce clauses, and "because" also gives the wrong logic.
4. Pronoun case
Please send the signed contract to Mr. Rossi or ------- assistant.
(A) he (B) him (C) his (D) himself
Answer: C. A possessive determiner is needed before the noun "assistant".
5. Collocation
The company will ------- a new remote-work policy next month.
(A) implement (B) attend (C) occur (D) arrive
Answer: A. Companies implement a policy. "Occur" and "arrive" do not take a direct object, and people attend events, not policies.
TOEIC Part 5 grammar lessons by topic
Each lesson explains one rule with workplace examples and original practice questions with explanations for every option. Start with the topic behind your most frequent mistake.
Word forms
Verb form, tense and agreement
Connectors and prepositions
Pronouns, nouns and clauses
Business vocabulary
A 20-minute Part 5 practice routine
- Answer 15 questions in 5 minutes without checking anything.
- Mark each miss by type: word form, verb, pronoun, connector or vocabulary.
- For each miss, write the rule in one line and the clue in the sentence that signals it.
- Study the lesson for your most frequent type, then answer 10 fresh questions of that type.
When Part 5 accuracy is stable, carry the same grammar checks into Part 6 text completion, where context across several sentences also matters.
Official sources
Checked against ETS: TOEIC Listening and Reading test format on 3 October 2026. English AIdol is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS. TOEIC is a registered trademark of ETS. English AIdol practice results are unofficial.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are in TOEIC Part 5?
TOEIC Part 5 has 30 incomplete-sentence questions. The full Reading section has 100 questions in 75 minutes across Parts 5, 6 and 7.
How long should I spend on TOEIC Part 5?
There is no separate time limit for each part. Many test takers aim for about 10 minutes on Part 5 to leave more time for Part 7, then adjust after timed practice.
What grammar is most common in TOEIC Part 5?
Word forms, verb forms and voice, pronouns, conjunctions versus prepositions, and business collocations are the main question types. Your own error log shows which ones to study first.
Do I need to read the whole sentence in Part 5?
Not always. Word-form, pronoun and many verb questions can be answered from the words around the blank. Vocabulary and connector questions usually need the full sentence.
