IELTS Sentence Completion the word limit is the whole test
Sentence completion is the type most often lost on a technicality rather than on comprehension. Candidates find the right idea and write it in their own words, or write four words where three were allowed, and the mark goes. The instruction line is doing more work here than in any other question type.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Practise sentence completion questionsWhat the task asks
You complete a sentence with words taken from the passage. The instruction sets a maximum, usually no more than two or three words, sometimes with a number allowed as well. The words must come from the passage exactly as they appear.
The method
- 01
Read the word limit and hold on to it
No more than two words means two, and a hyphenated word normally counts as one. Exceeding the limit makes a correct idea a wrong answer, and no marker will round in your favour.
- 02
Predict the part of speech before you look
Read the incomplete sentence and decide whether the gap needs a noun, a verb or an adjective, and whether it is singular or plural. That prediction rules out most of the passage before you search it.
- 03
Find the paraphrase, copy the original
The sentence in the question paraphrases the passage. Locate the matching idea, then take the words out of the PASSAGE, not out of your prediction.
- 04
Read the completed sentence back
It has to be grammatical. If it is not, you have the wrong form of the right word, and that is still a wrong answer.
Worked examples
Real questions from the practice bank with the reasoning written out. Cover the answer, decide, then read the explanation. Getting it right for the wrong reason is the thing that does not survive test day.
Frederick Winslow Taylor's approach to office work was set out in his 1911 book _______.show
Answer: The Principles of Scientific Management
Paragraph B refers to Taylor's '1911 book The Principles of Scientific Management.' (Title given as written in the passage; if reduced to three words, 'Scientific Management' would also be supported.)
Harrison's H3 introduced the _______, which automatically compensated for temperature changes.show
Answer: bimetallic strip
Paragraph 4 states H3 'introduced the bimetallic strip — two strips of different metals fused together — which compensated automatically for changes in temperature.'
The Higgs particle is broadly considered to be the visible quantum of an invisible _______ permeating all of space.show
Answer: field
Paragraph A states the solution 'invoked an invisible field permeating all of space' and that the Higgs boson is 'the visible quantum of that field.'
Friction introduced to stop people exercising their rights or cancelling subscriptions is described in the passage as _______.show
Answer: sludge
Paragraph G describes 'sludge' as 'friction deliberately introduced to discourage people from claiming entitlements or cancelling subscriptions.'
Where the marks go
Exceeding the word limit
Count the words in the box before moving on. This is the single largest source of lost marks on this type and it has nothing to do with reading ability.
Paraphrasing the answer
The answer has to be the passage's words. Your synonym is wrong even when it means the same thing.
Wrong grammatical form
The passage says analysis and the sentence needs analysed. Take the form the sentence requires only if it appears in the passage; otherwise you have the wrong location.
Copying a spelling error
Spelling is marked. Copy carefully, and check plurals in particular.
Frequently asked questions
Does a hyphenated word count as one word or two?+
Normally one. A number written as a figure also normally counts as one. If in doubt, choose the answer that fits comfortably inside the limit rather than the one that tests it.
Can I change the word form to fit the sentence?+
No. The answer must appear in the passage as written. If the form does not fit, you have almost certainly found the wrong part of the passage.
Does spelling matter?+
Yes. A misspelled answer is marked wrong, which is why copying carefully is worth the two seconds it costs.
You know the method now. Do it under a clock.
Practise sentence completion questions in the real test layout, marked instantly, with the reasoning shown for every answer you get wrong.
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