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This question is from the TOEIC practice test part 6, not from the official one.

Entry Position: Example Accounting Firm We are looking for enthusiastic candidates with an educational background in finance or accounting. All candidates should have some computer experience. Job experience is not necessary but preferred. Candidates with a bilingual language ability will be favored. Positions include jobs in accounting, statistics, and general office assistant. If you are interested, please visit our website at www.example.com/employment for more information. You can send your cover letters and resumes to [email protected]. We will begin interviewing candidates on Monday, November 5. __________

Fill in the blank

(A) We sincerely thank you for your interest.

(B) The positions begin the following month.

(C) Please call us for more information.

(D) We apologize for any inconvenience.

The answer key is (B).

I think (A) should be filled in the blank for the conclusion of the job recruitment. If (B) is the right answer, the paragraph seems incomplete... Is (A) incorrect or is (B) simply more appropriate here?

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  • The author of the text does not seem to be one who deals in perfunctory politenesses, or who feels that job candidates need to be coddled with them. It's a no-nonsense person who supplies information. I'd go with B on psychological grounds.
    – TimR on some device
    Commented Aug 1, 2023 at 11:27
  • It's hard to know why B is preferred to A, although D doesn't fit at all, and C is redundant as it is already given earlier in the text. There are no obvious grounds in grammar or reading comprehension. What is this test about? If you're studying how to write good advertisements, maybe this was covered in the course?
    – Stuart F
    Commented Aug 1, 2023 at 11:59
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    You sense that the paragraph would seem "incomplete" with B is based on a feeling that there needs to be some polite closing at the end of the job posting. Job postings do not have such niceties. A is really something you'd expect to find in a letter sent to an applicant who was not offered a position.
    – TimR
    Commented Aug 1, 2023 at 12:12
  • B is the only possible answer but I would have mentioned the positions begin next month BEFORE the name of the website, because that is where you'd go to get further information; e.g., salary, job description, the possibility of working from home etc. Hmmm... Maybe not, the interviews begin in November so it makes sense to warn candidates not to wait too long before applying.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Aug 1, 2023 at 15:02
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    I'd say B is preferred to A because A doesn't feel like part of the same paragraph. I'd put that line in a paragraph by itself, or as part of the sign-off. B belongs in that paragraph because it's still about the job. With TOEIC tests, and the like, there can be more than one correct answer, but your job is always to find the best answer. B is better than A for this reason.
    – gotube ♦
    Commented Aug 1, 2023 at 16:54

1 Answer 1

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This is an odd exercise. Normally in these "fill the gap" questions there is one correct and appropriate answer, and three answers are incorrect in the use or grammar of English.

Here all four options are correct English, and the choice is a matter of style.

A) would be appropriate if this text was an email that was sent to a person who had enquired about an advertised job. If we assume that is the case, the (A) is a reasonable answer.

A) would not be appropriate if this is a job advertisement in a newspaper or similar. In that case it would be odd to address the reader of the advertisement directly (as "you"). On the other hand (B) could work in that context. Of course we don't know when the positions will actually start, but if we assume that they will start one month after the interviews, then (B) could be a reasonable answer.

C) could also be reasonable in a job advertisement, or in an email, but it might be odd to say "See our website for more information" and then "call us for more information". It wouldn't be clear advertising to give two different instructions, but it isn't a mistake in English.

D) Is the only answer that doesn't fit this context. The English in D is correct, but there is nothing to apologise for.

So you have to assume something about the context. If you assume this is a "Job Posting" then (B) is the best answer. If you assume this is an email, replying to someone who has expressed interest then (A) could be best. On balance (B) seems most likely

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