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TOEIC Link Part 5: peruse versus pursue

Peruse and pursue look and sound similar but describe different actions: peruse means to read or examine something carefully, while pursue means to chase, follow up on, or work toward a goal. Part 5 tests whether the blank is about reading a document or going after an objective.

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TOEIC Link Part 5: peruse versus pursue

Peruse and pursue share a shape and a first syllable, but they name different business actions. Peruse is a verb meaning to read or examine something carefully. Pursue is a verb meaning to chase, follow up on, or work toward a goal. Part 5 places them where either could look plausible after a subject, so it checks whether you mean reading a document closely or going after an objective. For the wider set of look-alike traps, start with the commonly confused word pairs master index.

The core rule: read carefully versus chase a goal

  • peruse (verb) = to read through or study something with care. Please peruse the attached contract before Friday's meeting. / Investors perused the quarterly report line by line. It answers what did they do with the document? — read it closely. Its object is almost always something you can read: a report, a menu, a proposal, a file.
  • pursue (verb) = to chase, continue with, or strive toward. The company decided to pursue the overseas contract. / She plans to pursue a management position next year. It answers what goal are they going after? — an aim, a career, a claim, a strategy. Its object is a target or direction, not a page.

The object does the memory work: peruse takes a readable thing (documents, text); pursue takes a goal or target (opportunities, careers, legal action). One puts your eyes on a page; the other puts your effort behind an aim.

Why Part 5 likes this pair

The object of the verb separates them. If the blank acts on a document you read, you need peruse. If the blank acts on a goal, opportunity, or target, you need pursue.

Applicants should carefully __ the job description before submitting materials.

A verb acting on a readable document needs peruse.

Management chose to __ a partnership with the logistics firm.

A verb acting on a goal or opportunity needs pursue.

Spotting the clue

Decide whether the sentence is about reading or chasing a goal:

  • Does the blank act on something you read (a report, a menu, terms)? → choose peruse (peruse the manual).
  • Does the blank act on a goal or opportunity you go after? → choose pursue (pursue new markets).

A quick test: can you replace the word with "read over carefully"? Then it is peruse. Can you replace it with "go after" or "work toward"? Then it is pursue. When the object sits on a page, lean peruse; when the object is an aim, lean pursue. For more sound-alike verbs that hide in Part 5, see the adjective and adverb confusable pairs study guide.