IELTS Reading
IELTS Reading: Sentence Completion — Tips and Strategy
Sentence completion tests both reading comprehension and grammar awareness. Here is how to answer accurately within the word limit.
What is it?
Sentence completion questions give you the beginning of a sentence and ask you to complete it using words from the passage. The completed sentence must be grammatically correct and accurately reflect the information in the text. Strict word limits apply (usually "no more than two words").
How to approach it
- 1Read each incomplete sentence and predict the type of word needed (noun, verb, adjective, number).
- 2Underline the key phrase in the incomplete sentence that will help you locate the relevant part of the passage.
- 3Scan the passage for the key phrase or its synonym — the answer will be nearby.
- 4Test your answer: read the complete sentence aloud. Does it sound grammatically correct? Does it match the passage's meaning?
- 5Check the word count. "No more than two words" means 1 or 2 words only — not a phrase.
Common errors
- ✗Exceeding the word limit — the most common and preventable error. Count your words.
- ✗Using paraphrased words instead of the exact words from the passage.
- ✗Choosing words that fit the meaning but not the grammar: "The discovery was made in a laboratory" — if the gap needs a noun, "discovery" is correct; "discovered" is not.
- ✗Not checking that the completed sentence makes sense as a whole.
Time allocation
Allow approximately 90 seconds per sentence completion question. A set of 5–6 should take 8–10 minutes.
FAQs
Do sentence completions always use words from the passage?▼
Yes — sentence completion questions always require words taken directly from the passage. You are not expected to paraphrase. Use the exact words as they appear in the text.
What is the difference between sentence completion and summary completion?▼
The structure is similar, but sentence completion gives you individual sentences rather than a connected paragraph. Each sentence is independent. Summary completion forms a coherent paragraph, and the gaps relate to each other.
Can I use numbers in my answer?▼
Yes, if the instructions say "words and/or a number". Numbers (e.g., "25", "1998") count as one word each.
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