IELTS Reading Sentence Completion Strategy
Solve IELTS Reading Sentence Completion with a clear method: word limits, grammar fit, paraphrase scanning, answer order, spelling rules and worked examples.
How Sentence Completion works
In Sentence Completion you finish sentences with words taken from the passage. The sentences paraphrase information in the text, and the gaps are always for key details: a name, a cause, a number, a method. Unlike summary tasks, the sentences are separate from each other, so you do not need to understand a continuous summary.
The good news is that the questions follow the order of the passage. The skill is to find the matching sentence quickly and copy the right words in the exact form allowed.
| Rule | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS | One or two words only. Three is wrong even if the idea is right. | 'solar panels' is fine. 'new solar panels' is not. |
| NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER | Combine words with a number if needed. | '12 months' or 'two years' is fine. |
| ONE WORD ONLY | A single word from the passage. | 'erosion', not 'soil erosion'. |
| Hyphenated words | Count as one word. | 'long-term' = 1 word |
| Copy from the passage | Do not change the form of the word. | Passage 'cultivation', do not write 'cultivate'. |
Five steps for every sentence
- 1Predict the type of word firstRead the sentence with the gap and decide what is missing: a noun, an adjective, a number, a verb in the past tense. 'The study found that ___ increased by 20%.' needs a noun phrase.
- 2Underline the keywords around the gapChoose content words that will survive paraphrase: 'study', 'increased', '20%'. Avoid generic words.
- 3Find the passage location using the previous answerBecause the order follows the text, start reading where your last answer ended.
- 4Read the full sentence in the passage and fill the gapMake sure the meaning, not the vocabulary, is the same. The answer is usually right next to a paraphrased keyword.
- 5Check word limit, grammar and spellingRead the completed sentence aloud in your head. If it does not make grammatical sense, the answer is probably wrong.
Worked mini-examples
| Question sentence | Passage text | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| The main cause of the decline in bees is the use of ___ in farming. (ONE WORD ONLY) | 'Researchers blame the widespread application of pesticides for the sharp fall in bee populations.' | pesticides | 'blame' = main cause, 'fall' = decline, answer is the noun after 'application of'. |
| Early trials took place over a period of ___. (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER) | 'The first trials ran for eighteen months before results were published.' | eighteen months | Number plus word is allowed. 'ran for' = took place over. |
| Residents were most concerned about ___ near the airport. (ONE WORD ONLY) | 'Complaints focused overwhelmingly on noise, rather than on air quality or traffic.' | noise | 'most concerned' = 'focused overwhelmingly'. |
In each case the sentence uses different words from the passage. If you scan for the exact phrase from the question you will miss all three.
Mistakes that lose easy marks
- Writing three words when the limit is two. Always count, including numbers if the instruction says 'ONE WORD ONLY'.
- Changing the word form (plural to singular, noun to verb). The answer must match the passage.
- Spelling errors: a correct idea with a wrong spelling scores zero. Copy carefully, especially long words.
- Using a word that fits grammatically but comes from the wrong part of the text. Always check the keyword neighbourhood.
- Adding articles that are already in the sentence. If the sentence says 'a ___', do not write 'a' in the answer.
- Leaving a gap blank. There is no negative marking, so always guess.
How it connects to other completion tasks
Sentence Completion is the simplest member of a family. Summary completion adds a continuous paragraph and sometimes a word list. Diagram, flowchart and note completion adds a structure you can use as a map. The scanning skill is the same, so improvement in one carries over.
For time, aim for about 1 minute per gap. Sentence Completion is usually among the faster tasks, so use it to bank time for harder question types. For a full pacing model see Reading timing and question types.
- Do a set from Reading practice and mark each answer as copied, changed, or guessed.
- Re-read your answers and check each one against the word limit.
- Time yourself: 6 questions in 6 minutes is a good target.
- Run a mock test and check your completion accuracy against the score you want on the score calculator.
Practise next
Do Sentence Completion answers follow passage order?+
Yes. That makes it one of the easiest tasks to locate. Use each answer as the starting point for the next.
Can I use words that are not in the passage?+
No. Answers must be taken from the passage, in the form they appear.
Is a numerical answer written as digits or words?+
Either is accepted if the spelling is correct, but copying the passage format is safest.
What if my answer is correct but too long?+
It will be marked wrong. Trim to the key word or words that fit the limit and the grammar of the sentence.
Is it different from Summary Completion?+
Summary Completion uses one connected paragraph and sometimes a box of words. See the Summary Completion guide for that version.