Business Nouns Set 5 — Fill in the Gap (B2)

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 two companies reached an out-of-court and agreed to pay $2 million in damages. (SETTLE)

Correct answer: settlement

Add -ment to "settle" to form "settlement" — the noun for a legally binding resolution reached outside court; "settle" is a verb and cannot follow "an out-of-court" in a noun slot.

The customer requested a for the defective unit rather than a full refund. (REPLACE)

Correct answer: replacement

Add -ment to "replace" to form "replacement" — the noun for a substitute item provided in place of a faulty one; "replace" is a verb and cannot follow the article "a" in a noun slot here.

The of 500 units was held at customs due to incomplete import documentation. (SHIP)

Correct answer: shipment

Add -ment to "ship" to form "shipment" — the noun for a consignment of goods sent to a buyer; "ship" as a noun means a vessel; as a verb it means to dispatch — only "shipment" refers to the consignment itself.

Customer scores rose significantly after the introduction of the 24-hour support line. (SATISFY)

Correct answer: satisfaction

"Satisfy" → "satisfaction" — the -y changes to -fac before the -tion suffix (from Latin "satisfactio"); learners may write "satisfyment" or "satisfytion" — only "satisfaction" is standard in English.

The agent showed remarkable while guiding the elderly caller through the registration process. (PATIENT)

Correct answer: patience

"Patient" (adjective) → "patience" (noun) — the -ence suffix replaces the adjective ending; learners sometimes write "patientness" (non-standard) — "patience" is the only correct noun form in English.

Both parties agreed to resolve the contract dispute through binding rather than go to court. (ARBITRATE)

Correct answer: arbitration

Add -ion to "arbitrate" to form "arbitration" — the noun for a formal dispute resolution process conducted outside court by a neutral third party; "arbitrate" is a verb and cannot follow "binding" as a noun.

The legal team strongly advised against and recommended pursuing a negotiated settlement instead. (LITIGATE)

Correct answer: litigation

Add -ion to "litigate" to form "litigation" — the noun for the process of taking legal action through the courts; "litigate" is a verb and cannot follow "against" as a noun here; "lawsuit" is a related but different term.

The of the international trade agreement by all member states took over eleven months. (RATIFY)

Correct answer: ratification

Replace "-ify" with "-ification": ratify → ratification — the same y-to-i pattern as notify and qualify; learners sometimes write "ratifyment" or "ratifiction" — only the -ication suffix is correct for this verb.

The team leader flagged the complaint for to the senior customer relations manager. (ESCALATE)

Correct answer: escalation

Add -ion to "escalate" to form "escalation" — the noun for the process of moving an issue to a higher level of authority; "escalate" is a verb and cannot follow "for" as a noun object here.

Points earned through the loyalty scheme are available for against future purchases online. (REDEEM)

Correct answer: redemption

"Redeem" → "redemption" — the -ption ending is irregular (from Latin "redemptio"); learners may write "redeement" or "redeemtion" — only "redemption" is correct; this is a key TOEIC loyalty and customer-service term.

The survey revealed widespread among customers regarding the new returns policy. (SATISFY)

Correct answer: dissatisfaction

"Dissatisfaction" is formed by adding the prefix dis- to "satisfaction": dis + satisfy → dissatisfaction; learners sometimes write "unsatisfaction" (non-standard) — "dissatisfaction" is the only accepted negative noun form.

The case fell outside the court's and was referred to a higher-level tribunal. (JURISDICTION)

Correct answer: jurisdiction

"Jurisdiction" is a standalone legal noun meaning the official authority over a geographical area or legal matter; it derives from Latin "iuris dictio" (speaking of the law) but has no simple modern English derivational verb; it must be memorised as a fixed legal term.

The denied all charges and stated that the contract had been fulfilled in full. (DEFEND)

Correct answer: defendant

Add -ant to "defend" to form "defendant" — the agent noun for the person or company accused in a legal case; "defence" is the act of defending; learners may confuse "defendant" with "defender" — in legal English, only "defendant" refers to the accused party.

The auditors concluded that the company's financial controls were not and required urgent improvement. (SATISFY)

Correct answer: satisfactory

"Satisfy" → "satisfactory" — the -ory suffix forms the adjective meaning meeting the required standard; contrast with "satisfied" (an adjective meaning content) — "satisfactory controls" means controls that meet the standard, not controls that feel content.

The costs for international orders are calculated based on package weight and destination country. (SHIP)

Correct answer: shipping

"Ship" + -ping → "shipping" — the gerund/noun form for the activity or cost of transporting goods; contrast with "shipment" (a specific consignment of goods, Q3) — "shipping costs" refers to the ongoing service charge, not a single batch of goods.

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