Sentence Completion is a subcategory of Language in Context in which respondents must provide information to be added to a stem in order to make a sentence complete. Unlike Fill-in-the-Blank exercises, more than one part of speech is required to fill each blank.
ACTIVITIES:
1. In the conversation below, two women are talking about their families. Fill in each blank to complete the question. Some of the questions are about the subject. Some are about the object.
A. How do you have time to work,
go to school, and take care of a family?
B. I don't have to do everything myself.
A. Who helps you?
B. My husband helps me.
A. Who ________?
B. Sometimes my husband cooks; sometimes I cook. We take turns.
A. Who ________?
B. I usually clean the house.
A. How many ________?
B. I have five children.
A. How many ________?
B. Three children go to school. The younger ones stay home.
A. How many ________?
B. I have one daughter.
A. Do you send them to public school or private school?
B. One of my sons goes to private school.
A. Which ________?
B. The oldest does.
A. It's hard to take care of so many children. How do you find
the time to go to class?
B. I use a babysitter.
A. I'm looking for a sitter. Who(m)________.
Elbaum, S. (1996). Grammar in Context, Book 2, 2nd ed.
2. Read the story. Then write the questions
JASON AND TODD
Jason and Todd are brothers. The boys are both in junior high school. Jason is 13.
He's in 8th grade. Todd is 15. He's in 9th grade.
After school, the boys are always busy. Jason is a baseball player. He's on the
school team. Jason plays first base, and he's fast and strong. He wants to be a baseball player in
the major leagues.
Todd enjoys sports, too. He plays baseball and basketball after school, but he
isn't on the school team. Every day at 4:30, Todd delivers newspapers. He delivers fifty
newspapers in his area. On Friday afternoon, Jason helps him. Todd collects money from the
customers, and Jason delivers the papers. With tips, Todd makes about $30 a week. Todd is
saving for a computer. It costs about $1,500. He already has $900 in the bank.
| 1. What does Jason do after school? | He plays baseball. |
| 2. What ____________________? | A baseball player in the major leagues. |
| 3. Who ____________________? | Todd does. |
| 4. What ____________________? | He delivers newspaper. |
| 5. How many newspapers ____________________? | Fifty. |
| 6. When ____________________? | On Friday afternoon. |
| 7. Who ____________________? | Jason does. |
| 8. How much money ____________________? | About $30. |
| 9. How much money ____________________? | $900. |
Foley, B. and Dowling, G. (1990). Grammar in Action, Book One.
3. Write the correct question for each answer. Use the word in parentheses in the question. (You are a reporter writing an article about solar energy. You are interviewing a producer of solar heaters.)
REPORTER: Does your company produce (produce) solar energy?
PRODUCER: Yes, we do. We make solar water heaters.
REPORTER: __________ solar energy __________(cost) a lot of money?
PRODUCER: Yes, it does at the present time.
REPORTER: Why __________(negative) the government __________(help) your company?
PRODUCER: It helps us a little. But solar energy isn't very profitable yet. The technology isn't very developed.
REPORTER: __________some countries __________(require) solar water heaters in new homes and office buildings?
PRODUCER: Yes, they do. They require them in new buildings in Australia.
REPORTER: __________a solar water heater __________(heat) a house after the sun goes down?
PRODUCER: Yes, it does.
REPORTER: What __________ a solar heater __________(do)? How __________ it __________(operate)?
PRODUCER: It collects solar heat during the day and stores it so that you have heat when there is no sun.
Fingado, G., Freeman, L., Jerome, M., and Summers, C. (1991). The English Connection, 2nd ed.
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