Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted into the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Always remember to make a prediction and match that prediction to the answer choices. This will save you time and keep the answer choices from changing how you think about the question.

According to the company spokesperson, the majority of the wrongful termination lawsuits filed against the company were ------, representing bogus claims made by ------ former employees hoping to strike it rich.

First, since there are two blanks, select the easier one. This sentence includes a clue for each blank, so you could start with either one. The first blank says that most of the lawsuits "represent bogus claims." "Bogus" refers to something counterfeit or fake, so look for an answer choice that starts with a word meaning "fake." The second blank refers to "former employees hoping to strike it rich." People who want to get rich are avaricious or covetous. Look at the answer choices to find two words that match these meanings.


A) Legitimate... disgruntled

B) Frivolous... greedy

C) Uncommon... surprised

D) Embarrassing... contented

E) Warranted... wise

Only choice B matches both predictions: a frivolous lawsuit is one that has no legal basis, so it is "fake," and a greedy person is exactly the kind that would want to "strike it rich" through litigation. A "contented" person would not need to "strike it rich," and a "wise" person would not do so through baseless lawsuits. If the lawsuits were "legitimate," the spokesperson would not have said they were "bogus." Finally, "uncommon" and "surprised" are unrelated to the sentence. The correct answer is B.


Words tested in this SC
legitimate: valid, lawful
disgruntled: unhappy, dissatisfied
frivolous: silly, especially in an inappropriate time or place; of little weight or notice
greedy: consumed by selfish desires
uncommon: rare, unusual
surprised: experiencing pleasant feelings as a result of something unexpected
embarrassing: makes you feel shy or ashamed
contented: satisfied
warranted: deserved, necessary
wise: showing good judgment


On sat.collegeboard.org, 83% of responses were correct.


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