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Sentence completion

IELTS sentence completion: the right words, in the right form

You complete sentences with words taken from the passage. It rewards careful scanning and punishes small slips: one word too many, or a misspelling, and the answer scores zero.

By the ExamUncle team · Updated

The rules

  • Use words from the passage, exactly as they appear. Don't change their form.
  • Keep to the word limit. “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS” means one or two words; three is wrong. “ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER” allows, for example, 1902 or library or both.
  • The completed sentence must be grammatical and mean the same as the passage.
  • The questions follow the order of the passage.

A 4-step method

  1. Predict the kind of word each gap needs: a noun, a number, a plural, an adjective. The words around the gap tell you.
  2. Find the part of the passage using the other words in the sentence. Expect a paraphrase: the question says stayed open late, the passage says open until ten at night.
  3. Copy the word or words exactly, checking the spelling letter by letter.
  4. Read the completed sentence to check it is grammatical and within the word limit.

Worked example

Early libraries

The first public libraries in Britain were slow to attract readers. Many working people had long days and little light to read by in the evening, so early libraries often stayed open until ten at night. Some also provided newspapers in a separate reading room, which proved more popular at first than the books themselves.

Complete the sentences. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

  1. Early libraries stayed open late because many readers worked ___ .
  2. At first, the ___ attracted more visitors than the books.
  3. Readers often lacked enough ___ at home to read after work.

Answers and why

AnswerWhy
1long days“Many working people had long days.” Two words, copied exactly.
2newspapersThe reading room's newspapers “proved more popular at first than the books themselves”.
3light“Little light to read by in the evening.” One word fits the grammar: “enough light”.

Why not “little light” for question 3?

It is from the passage and within the limit, but “enough little light” is not grammatical. The sentence has to read correctly with your answer in it.

Questions

Can I use my own words in sentence completion?+

No. The answer must be taken from the passage. A synonym of your own is marked wrong, even if it means the same.

Does spelling count in IELTS Reading?+

Yes. A misspelt answer is marked wrong, so copy words from the passage carefully.

Is a hyphenated word one word?+

Yes. A hyphenated word such as well-known counts as one word.

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