DIRECTIONS: The following sentence has two blanks. Choose the pair of words…

Concept

In double-blank sentence completion, each word must fit its local grammar and meaning, and the two words must also preserve the sentence’s overall cause-and-effect relationship.

Nouns such as ability, intent, and desire differ in whether they express capacity, purpose, or willingness; verbs such as determine, diminish, realize, and insure describe different effects on an outcome.

Application

The phrase “__________ to cater” needs a noun meaning capacity, so “ability” fits. The second blank describes how that capacity affects success; “determine” means to shape or decide an outcome. The completed sentence therefore says that an organization’s capacity to meet changing customer needs shapes its success.

Contrast

• Intent – Realize: “intent” names a purpose rather than operational capacity, and “realize its success” changes the intended cause-and-effect sense.

• Ability – Diminish: “ability” fits the first blank, but “diminish” means reduce, reversing the intended link between responsiveness and success.

• Desire – Insure: “desire” names a wish rather than capacity, and “insure” primarily means to provide insurance against financial risk.

Cross-check

Substitution gives a grammatical sentence and a coherent cause-and-effect statement: the capacity to respond to changing needs shapes success.

Thus the pair is Ability – Determine.