TOEIC Part 5 Anchor Drill

Between vs Among: Two Separate Sides or One Group

This drill trains you to identify whether the sentence shows exactly two distinct people, things, options, locations or endpoints, or places someone or something within a group or set. Find the relationship anchor before choosing.

Exactly two distinct entities, alternatives or endpoints = between
Membership, prevalence, popularity, recognition or ranking within a group = among

Choose between

Use between when the sentence identifies exactly two separate people, things, options, locations, systems, categories or endpoints. Common patterns include a choice between two options, a difference between two categories, or a relationship between two named parties.

Choose among

Use among when the sentence places someone or something inside a group or set. Common signals include popularity among employees, concern among respondents, recognition among experts, or ranking among several products or suppliers.

How to find the anchor

Do not choose only from the plural noun beside the blank. First decide whether the sentence gives two clearly separated sides, or treats several people or things collectively as one group.

Between signals: only X and Y, two parties, both options, exactly two investors, one system and another system, or two named endpoints.

Among signals: applicants, employees, respondents, users, experts, suppliers or products treated as a group, especially with popularity, concern, prevalence, recognition, inclusion or ranking.

With only the supplier and the retailer involved, the agreement was signed ___ the two parties.

Answer: between

only the supplier and the retailer involved, is the anchor. The sentence limits the agreement to exactly two distinct parties, so between is required.

With more than 200 applicants in the final pool, Ms. Chen stood out ___ the candidates.

Answer: among

more than 200 applicants in the final pool, is the anchor. The candidates form a large group, and Ms. Chen is distinguished within that group, so among is required.

Real English can use between with more than two when separate individual relationships are specified. This drill excludes those overlapping cases and focuses on the reliable TOEIC decision: exactly two distinct sides versus membership within a group.

Start the Anchor Drill

After the drill

What your result reveals

Your score shows whether you recognised a degree word leading to a result, or an action taken for a purpose. Use the Review to identify the complete sentence pattern before deciding between Intensity → Result and Purpose.

If intensity and result caused problems

Review sentences built around so + adjective or adverb + that + result. The strongest anchor is usually the adjective or adverb immediately after so, such as so busy that, so quickly that, or so expensive that.

If purpose caused problems

Review sentences where someone does one action to make a later outcome possible. Look for a main action followed by a purpose clause, often containing can, could, will, would, may or might. Remember that purpose can be expressed with either so or so that.

If false anchors or timing caused problems

You may be reacting to that or to a modal verb without checking the earlier part of the sentence. First locate the adjective or adverb, or identify the action that creates the intended purpose. Then classify the complete relationship.

Use the Review in this order: check the correct classification, locate the exact adjective, adverb or purpose action, read why that anchor controls the sentence, then compare the full pattern. Do not use the shortcut so = intensity and so that = purpose. In purpose clauses, that is often optional, so the reliable decision comes from sentence structure and meaning.

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