TOEIC® Part 5 Anchor Drill

Almost vs Most: Choose by Nearly or Majority

This drill trains you to identify the sentence picture before choosing. Decide whether the sentence means close to a point but not fully there, or the larger part of a group.

Nearly, but not fully complete or reached = almost
The majority or larger part of a group = most

Choose almost

Use almost when something is close to ready, complete, finished, a number, a duration, a percentage or an event—but has not fully reached it.

Choose most

Use most for the larger part of a group or defined whole: employees, customers, orders, reports, equipment, or most of a specific set.

How to find the anchor

Look directly around the blank. Ask whether the nearby words show a finish line, number or limit—or a group whose majority is being described.

Almost signals: ready, complete, finished, reached, missed, two hours, three weeks, 80 percent, or another measurable point.

Most signals: employees, customers, orders, documents, equipment, or phrases such as of the invoices and of our branches.

The quarterly report is ___ complete.

Answer: almost

complete is the finish-line signal. The report is close to complete, but it has not fully reached that state.

___ of the invoices were processed before noon.

Answer: most

of the invoices identifies a defined group. The sentence describes the larger part of that group.

The answer choices are almost and most. Tap the controlling anchor before choosing.

Start the Anchor Drill

After the drill

What your result reveals

Your score shows whether you are reading the sentence picture or reacting to the vague idea of “nearly all”. Use the Review to identify whether the blank points to a finish line, number or limit—or to the majority of a group.

If almost caused problems

Check whether the sentence shows something close to ready, complete, reached, missed, a number, a duration or another measurable point.

If most caused problems

Identify the group or defined whole. Look for plural nouns, uncountable group ideas, or structures such as most of the and most of our.

If false anchors or timing caused problems

You may be translating the whole sentence or reacting to a familiar noun before checking whether the sentence means “nearly” or “the majority”.

Use the Review in this order: check the correct answer, locate the controlling anchor, read why it creates a nearly-or-majority decision, then compare the completed sentence with the rejected choice.

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