Part 6 — Text Completion

What this part tests

Part 6 presents four passages — an email, a memo, a letter, a notice, or a form — each with four blanks. Three of the four blanks are word-level (like Part 5). One blank requires you to choose an entire sentence that fits the passage logically.

The test has 4 passages × 4 questions = 16 questions in total.

Part 6 tests the same grammar and vocabulary skills as Part 5, but with the added dimension of discourse context — meaning, the correct choice often depends on what the surrounding sentences say, not just the sentence with the blank.

Time budget

Aim for about 10 minutes on Part 6 — roughly 2–3 minutes per passage.

What the questions look like

Word-level blank (like Part 5):

Please ______ all attendees of the change to the meeting location.

(A) instruct (B) notify (C) distribute (D) consider

Correct answer: (B). Notify someone of something is the standard collocation for informing people about a change. Instruct means to give directions or teach, not to inform. Distribute means to hand out or spread materials. Consider means to think about something. Only notify carries the required meaning of informing people of a fact.

Sentence-insertion blank:

______. Please ensure all documentation is submitted by Friday.

(A) We have received your application and will contact you shortly. (B) The deadline for the current phase has been moved up. (C) Our offices will be closed on Monday for a public holiday. (D) The conference venue has been updated on our website.

Core strategies

1. Read the whole passage before answering any questions.

This is the key difference from Part 5. In Part 5, each sentence is independent. In Part 6, the correct answer for one blank may depend on what is said two sentences earlier or later. Read the complete passage first, even if it takes 30 extra seconds. The payoff is that you answer all four questions from a position of understanding rather than guessing.

2. For word-level blanks, use both sentence-level and passage-level context.

Some blanks can be filled from the sentence alone, just like Part 5. But others require understanding the tone (formal vs. informal), the relationship between sender and receiver, the purpose of the document, or what has been said before. If two options both fit grammatically and make sense in the sentence, the passage context will distinguish them.

3. For sentence-insertion blanks, test each option against what comes before and after.

The correct sentence must connect logically to the sentence before the blank and the sentence after the blank. Check:

• Does this sentence follow logically from the previous one? (topic, pronoun reference, cause–effect)
• Does the sentence after the blank make sense following this one?
• Does this sentence fit the overall purpose and tone of the document?

Eliminate options that introduce contradictions, change the topic unexpectedly, or break the flow of the passage.

4. Look for pronoun and reference clues.

If the blank comes before a sentence that begins "This change will take effect…" or "These delays are due to…", the blank must introduce the change or delays that the following sentence refers back to. Pronoun references and demonstratives (this, these, that, those) are powerful clues for sentence-insertion items.

5. Watch the register of the whole document.

Is this a formal business letter or an informal internal notice? A formal document will favor formal vocabulary, passive constructions, and polite phrasing. An informal memo might use contractions or casual transitions. The correct word or sentence should match the register of the rest of the passage.

Most common traps

• Answers that fit the sentence but not the passage. A word that makes perfect grammatical and semantic sense in isolation may clash with the document's purpose or the information given earlier. Always check against the full passage.
• Sentence insertions that introduce irrelevant information. Incorrect sentence-insertion options often mention something plausible but unrelated to the passage's topic. If the passage is about a budget meeting and an insertion option mentions a product recall, eliminate it even if the grammar is fine.
• Tone mismatch. A casual sentence inserted into a formal legal notice, or a stiff passive sentence dropped into a friendly team email, can be identified by tone alone — even if the content is technically relevant.