Business Nouns — Fill in the Gap, Set 2 (B1)

Your task

Fill in the gap in each sentence with the correct word or phrase.

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Keep practising! Focus on the explanations below.

The CEO made an important to all staff about the upcoming merger during the company-wide meeting. (ANNOUNCE)

Correct answer: announcement

Add -ment to "announce" to form "announcement" — the noun for an official public statement; "announce" is a verb and cannot follow the adjective "important" in a noun slot; "announcing" as a gerund would need to be the subject, not the object of "made."

The HR department monitors records closely to identify patterns of unexplained absence. (ATTEND)

Correct answer: attendance

Add -ance to "attend" to form "attendance" — the noun for the act or record of being present; "attend" is a verb and cannot be the object of "monitors" here; "attendant" means a person who assists, not an HR record.

The company launched a nationwide campaign to fill twenty vacant positions before the year-end. (RECRUIT)

Correct answer: recruitment

Add -ment to "recruit" to form "recruitment" — the noun for the process of finding new employees; "recruit" alone is a noun meaning a new hire (a person), not the process; "a nationwide ___ campaign" requires the process noun form.

The government announced that full-time had risen to its highest level in three years. (EMPLOY)

Correct answer: employment

Add -ment to "employ" to form "employment" — the noun for the state of being in paid work; "employ" is a verb and cannot follow "full-time" as a compound noun modifier; "employee" refers to a person, not a rate or statistic.

After thirty-five years with the firm, Mr. Nakamura announced his at this year's annual dinner. (RETIRE)

Correct answer: retirement

Add -ment to "retire" to form "retirement" — the noun for permanently leaving work; "retire" is a verb and cannot follow the possessive "his"; "retiring" as an adjective means shy or reserved, not the HR concept required here.

Passengers were frustrated by the sudden of their connecting flight with no prior warning. (CANCEL)

Correct answer: cancellation

Double the final "l" before adding -ation: cancel → cancellation; learners commonly write "cancelation" (one l) — the double-l is required in both British and American English spelling of this noun.

Please ensure all staff receive advance of any changes to the office security procedures. (NOTIFY)

Correct answer: notification

Change the final "y" to "i" before adding -fication: notify → notification; learners often write "notifyation" or "notifycation" — the y-to-i spelling change is required when a vowel suffix follows a consonant + y ending.

Her for the senior project manager role was shortlisted within two days of submission. (APPLY)

Correct answer: application

Replace the "-y" with "-ication": apply → application; learners often write "applyation" or "appliement" — only the -cation suffix is standard here; "apply" as a verb cannot follow the possessive "Her" in this noun slot.

The job posting specified a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. (QUALIFY)

Correct answer: qualification

Replace "-ify" with "-ification": qualify → qualification (same y-to-i pattern as notify and apply); learners sometimes write "qualifyication" or use the -ment suffix — only the -ication form is correct for this verb.

The finance director submitted her formal following the findings of the internal audit. (RESIGN)

Correct answer: resignation

Add -ation to "resign" to form "resignation" — note that the silent "g" in "resign" becomes audible in the noun (res-ig-NAY-shun); learners frequently write "resignement" by applying the -ment pattern, but only the -ation suffix is correct here.

New employees spend their first three months on before being confirmed as permanent members of staff. (PROBATIONARY)

Correct answer: probation

"Probationary" (adjective) → "probation" (noun, the base form in HR English); "on probation" is the fixed phrase for a trial period; learners may write "probationary" but the sentence needs a noun after the preposition "on," not an adjective.

The candidate brought over ten years of in supply chain management to the interview. (EXPERIENCE)

Correct answer: experience

"Experience" functions here as an uncountable noun meaning knowledge gained through practice; since it shares its form with the verb, learners must recognise the noun position after "years of"; writing "experienced" (the adjective) does not fit this "years of ___" noun slot.

The company is currently seeking a candidate for a senior in the international marketing division. (POSITION)

Correct answer: position

"Position" here is a noun meaning a job role or vacancy; since it is also a verb, learners must identify the noun use after "a senior"; "positioning" (gerund) would shift the meaning to a marketing strategy concept, which is not the HR vacancy sense required.

All employees are encouraged to join the company scheme from the first day of their employment. (PENSION)

Correct answer: pension

"Pension" is a standalone noun — there is no commonly used English verb or adjective to derive it from; in the compound "pension scheme" it acts as a noun modifier; "pensioner" means the retired person who receives a pension, not the scheme itself.

All full-time staff are entitled to twenty days of paid per year, subject to line-manager approval. (VACATION)

Correct answer: vacation

"Vacation" is a standalone noun for authorised leave from work (the standard TOEIC/American English term; British English uses "holiday" in the same context); learners sometimes write "vacate" (a verb meaning to leave a place) — only the noun "vacation" fits the "days of paid ___" pattern.

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