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TOEIC Link Part 5: eligible versus illegible

Eligible means qualified or entitled to something; illegible means impossible to read. The two words sound nothing alike once you say them slowly, but Part 5 pairs them as distractors because both are formal adjectives that fit a business blank. Check whether the sentence is about qualification or about handwriting and print.

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TOEIC Link Part 5: eligible versus illegible

Eligible and illegible are both formal adjectives that look at home in a business sentence, which is exactly why Part 5 lists them side by side. They share almost no meaning, so the question is really a vocabulary check dressed up as a grammar slot: eligible is about being qualified, and illegible is about being unreadable. Decide which idea the sentence needs and the answer is immediate. For another pair that sounds alike but splits on meaning, see elicit versus illicit.

The core rule: qualified versus unreadable

  • eligible (adjective) = qualified, entitled, allowed to take part. It describes a person or thing that meets the requirements. All full-time employees are eligible for the bonus. / Only applications received by Friday are eligible for review.
  • illegible (adjective) = impossible to read because the writing or print is unclear. It describes handwriting, a signature, a label, or a scan. The signature on the form was illegible. / Several entries were rejected because the handwriting was illegible.

The memory hook: eligible shares its root with elect and eligibility — think of being chosen or allowed in. Illegible carries the prefix il- ("not") on legible ("readable"), so it literally means not readable.

Why Part 5 likes this pair

The blank is an adjective slot after a linking verb or before a noun, and both words fit the grammar. Only the meaning decides it.

Employees who have completed the training are __ to apply for the senior role.

The sentence is about who is allowed to apply, so the answer is eligible.

The inspector returned the report because the handwritten notes were __.

The notes could not be read, so the answer is illegible.

Spotting the clue in the structure

Look at what the adjective is describing:

  • A person, group, or application measured against a requirement → choose eligible (First-year staff are not yet eligible for the allowance.).
  • Handwriting, a signature, a label, or a printout that cannot be read → choose illegible (The faxed copy was too faint and came out illegible.).
  • Watch for the preposition: eligible is usually followed by for a benefit or to do something. eligible for a discount / eligible to vote. Illegible takes no such complement — it simply describes the unreadable thing.

If the sentence talks about meeting conditions, qualifying, or being entitled, the answer is eligible; if it talks about something that cannot be read, the answer is illegible. For another adjective pair where the prefix changes the whole meaning, see discreet versus discrete.

Quick self-check

  1. Customers who spend over $100 are __ for free shipping. (eligible — they qualify for a benefit, followed by for)
  2. The clerk could not process the cheque because the amount was __. (illegible — the writing could not be read)

Takeaway

If the sentence is about being qualified or entitled, choose eligible, and expect for or to to follow. If it is about writing or print that cannot be read, choose illegible. The two words almost never overlap in meaning, so treat this question as a vocabulary recall and let the context — qualification versus readability — point you straight to the answer.