One distinguishing feature of business is its economic character. In…
Choose the word for each blank.
One distinguishing feature of business is its economic character. In the world of business, we interact with each other not as family members, friends, or neighbors, but as 1 and 2 employers and employees, and the like. Trading, for example, is often 3 by hard 4, in which both sides conceal their full hand and perhaps 5 in some bluffing. And a 6 salesperson is well- 7 in the art of arousing a customer’s attention (sometimes by a bit of puffery) to 8 the sale. Still, there is an "ethics of trading" that prohibits the use of false or deceptive claims and tricks such as “bait-and-switch” advertising.
Options for each gap (alphabetical)
- 1 buyers · companies · merchant · shopkeeper
- 2 groups · salesman · saleswoman · sellers
- 3 accompanied · improved · raised · used
- 4 bargaining · charging · communicating · negotiating
- 5 commit · engage · interest · join
- 6 knowledgeable · outstanding · professional · skilled
- 7 focused · known · rounded · versed
- 8 clinch · lose · motive · win
Opens question #120229 in the RealPTE practice screen.
More Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) questions
Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) format (Pearson)
Formerly called Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks.
| Prompt | Text up to 200 words |
|---|---|
| Time to answer | Not set per question (Part 2 lasts 23–30 minutes) |
| Skills assessed | Reading |
How it is scored
- Partial credit applies: a partly correct response still scores.
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic & UKVI test format, Part 2: Reading, checked 9 October 2026.