TOEIC Link Part 5: elicit versus illicit

Elicit and illicit are near-homophones — they sound almost identical and differ by only two letters — so Part 5 pairs them knowing your ear and your eye both get tripped up. The good news is that these two words are not even the same part of speech: one is a verb, the other an adjective. That means you almost never have to decide on meaning alone. Read the slot for grammar first, and the answer usually settles itself. For the broader logic of questions decided by meaning versus form, see word choice versus word form.

The core rule: an action versus a description

• elicit is a verb meaning to draw out, bring forth, or evoke a response, reaction, answer, or piece of information: The survey was designed to elicit honest feedback. / Her question elicited a long silence. It takes an object — you elicit something — and follows a subject like any other verb.
• illicit is an adjective meaning illegal, unlawful, or forbidden: The audit uncovered illicit payments. / The company has a zero-tolerance policy on illicit activity. It sits before a noun or after a linking verb, describing the noun rather than doing anything.

A memory hook: illicit starts with il-, the same prefix as illegal — both mean "not allowed." Elicit shares its e- with evoke and extract, which is exactly what it does: it pulls a response out.

How to read the slot

• A verb slot (after a subject, taking an object) → elicit. In the manager wanted to elicit suggestions, the ad elicited strong interest, the blank is an action that draws something out. An adjective could never fill a verb slot.
• An adjective slot (before a noun, or after "is / was") → illicit. In illicit transactions, the goods were illicit, an illicit trade, the blank describes the noun. A verb could never sit there.

The fastest test: if the blank is doing something — pulling out a reaction or answer — it is elicit. If it is describing a noun as illegal or forbidden, it is illicit.

Common Part 5 traps

• Business passages lean toward elicit. Sentences about surveys, interviews, feedback, and responses pull toward the verb (to elicit customer opinions). Compliance and audit passages pull toward the adjective (illicit funds). Do not let the topic alone decide — confirm whether the slot needs a verb or an adjective.
• Watch for the "-ed" form. Elicited is a past-tense verb (the test elicited a clear pattern); it is never an adjective. If the slot needs a describing word, illicit is the only candidate.
• Spelling is the trap, meaning is the tell. Because the words look so similar, a distractor swaps them in a slot where part of speech makes the choice obvious. Read the grammar before you trust the spelling.

Quick check

Decide which word fits, then confirm with the action-versus-description test.

1. The focus group was structured to (blank) candid reactions from buyers.
2. Investigators traced a series of (blank) wire transfers.
3. Open-ended questions tend to (blank) more detailed answers.
4. The firm was fined for engaging in (blank) practices.

Answers: 1. elicit (verb, draw out reactions) 2. illicit (adjective, illegal transfers) 3. elicit (verb, draw out answers) 4. illicit (adjective, forbidden practices).

The takeaway

A near-homophone trap that crosses parts of speech is easier than it looks: a verb slot that draws something out is elicit, an adjective slot meaning illegal or forbidden is illicit. Decide on grammar first and the spelling falls into place. For more pairs decided by form and meaning rather than sound, see affect versus effect and complement versus compliment.