IELTS Reading: Text Completion Questions
Text completion questions in IELTS are one of the most common question types. You need to complete either a sentence or a short summary of the text, using words from the text or words provided in a box.
There are two types of instructions for text-completion questions:
- Use words from the text
- Use words from a box
Example 1: Using words from the text
Text: The importance that used to be attached to ‘working in the city’ is slowly becoming less significant. Apart from a few remaining areas like Wall Street in New York, the actual place where most of the work is completed has little or no impact on whether the work is successful. On occasions when appearance is important, many business people often prefer to meet clients in a more neutral environment such as a restaurant or conference room.
Question: Complete the sentence below with words from the passage. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.
1. Having an office in the city is __________.
Answer: Less significant / Becoming less significant
Example 2: Using words from a box
Complete the sentence below. Choose your answer from the box:
WALL STREET
THE CITY
NEW YORK
b _____________________ is one of the exceptions to this trend.
Answer: Wall Street
Tips for Text Completion Questions
– The text you are completing may not be in the same order as the reading passage. The completion passage could ask about products first, while the text starts with history. Stay flexible.
– Identify synonyms and parallel expressions: the same information may be written in different words. For example, “This is now known as…” could appear as “This has more recently been referred to as…”
– Look for names, places, dates, and times to locate the area where the answer might be.
– Check the instructions carefully. They can range from USE NO MORE THAN ONE WORD FROM THE BOX to USE NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER FROM THE TEXT. Exceeding the word limit makes your answer wrong!
– Once you have an answer, read the completed sentence or summary and check grammar. Accuracy is essential.
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IELTS Reading Text Completion – Key Points
Glossary of important words from this post:
| Word | Word Group | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Text completion | Noun | Filling in missing words in a sentence or passage |
| Instruction | Noun | The direction you are told to follow |
| Parallel expression | Noun | A sentence with the same meaning written differently |
| Synonym | Noun | A word that has the same or similar meaning as another word |
| Phrase | Noun | A small group of words that work together as a unit |
| Identify | Verb | To find or recognise something |
| Summary | Noun | A short version of the main points of a text |
| Accuracy | Noun | Being correct and precise |
| Comprehension | Noun | Understanding what you read |
| Instruction limit | Noun | The maximum words or numbers you are allowed to use in your answer |