IELTS Reading – Sentence Completion

Here are some tips, strategies and articles with sentence completion questions.

Sentence Completion basics

In these questions you have to fill gaps in sentences with words from the text.

Use exact words from the text. Don’t change the grammatical form of the words.

Follow the word limit in the instructions (e.g. ‘No more than two words’). If you write more than that, the answer will be marked wrong.

Complete the sentences using no more than 2 words from the article.

6. Dogs use bowing both to initiate play and to _____________.

7. Fairness behaviour in dogs might tell us something about where human ____________ comes from.

8. Saying ‘no’ increases the chances that you will say ‘no’ in ____________.

Sentence Completion example from the article Fairness.

Tips for sentence completion questions

The questions follow the order of the text.
You will usually find the answer to question 2 after the answer to question 1 etc.
Be careful with spelling.
If you spell the word wrong, the answer will be marked wrong.
Use grammar and context to help you.
Think about what type of word fits the gap – Is it a noun, verb or adjective? Is it a place, person, thing?
If there are two ideas in the sentence, this can help you.
Sometimes the sentence gives you another idea or example next to the blank – this will help you find the answer in the text. E.g. ‘… requires ____ thinking, as well as analytical skills.‘ (‘analytical skills’ will help you find the answer).

The strategies below are ones I recommend, but there are different ways to approach these questions. Try different strategies and use what works best for you.

Strategies for sentence completion questions

NB. My preferred method for starting reading:
At the start of each passage, spend 2-3 minutes skimming the text. Think about (or write down) the main idea for each paragraph – this can help you find the answers more quickly.

Look at the questions.
– Underline the keywords and think of synonyms.
– Think about the type of word / type of answer that is needed. Can you guess what the answer might be?
– Think about where you might find the answer in the text.
For Q1, scan the text (where you think the answer will be) for the keywords / synonyms.
– When you find them, read around them to find the answer.
Check the grammar / context.
– Make sure the answer fits grammatically and makes sense.
Repeat for the next question.
– Remember that question 2 will usually come after question 1 in the text.