TOEIC Part 5 Anchor Drill

Stop Doing vs Stop To Do: End One Activity or Pause for Another

Follow the timeline. Ask whether the action after stop ended, or whether someone paused one activity in order to begin another.

The activity after stop ends = stop doing
One activity pauses and a different activity begins = stop to do

Choose doing

The activity after stop finished, was discontinued, was replaced, was prohibited or will no longer continue.

Choose to do

Someone paused a journey, task, meeting or inspection and began another action before continuing or returning.

Use the timeline signal

Do not translate both choices slowly. Find the later words that show whether the action ended or began during a pause.

End signals: permanently, completely, after the new system was installed, because the policy changed, from September.

Pause-and-begin signals: before continuing, then resumed, on the way, before returning, for a moment.

The company stopped ___ printed invoices after online billing began.

Answer: sending

Printed invoices ended when the replacement system began.

The manager stopped ___ an urgent call before continuing.

Answer: to answer

Another activity paused, and answering the call began.

The answer words change with the action: sending / to send, checking / to check, helping / to help. The decision does not change: activity ends, or another activity begins after a pause.

Start the Anchor Drill

After the drill

What your result reveals

Your score shows whether you followed the timeline: the activity after stop ended, or one activity paused and another began. Use the Review to locate the exact timeline signal before checking the answer form.

If doing caused problems

Review sentences with replacement systems, new policies, prohibitions, closing dates, permanent changes or activities that no longer continue.

If to do caused problems

Review sentences with journeys, meetings, inspections or tasks that pause so someone can answer, check, help, inspect or clarify something.

If stop automatically meant finish

Do not assume the next action always ended. Look for continuation, return, resumption, movement or an urgent new action.

Use the Review in this order: check the correct answer, locate the exact timeline signal, decide whether the next activity ended or began during a pause, then confirm the reusable pattern. Do not translate both choices before finding the timeline.

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