Sentence, summary & note completion: the right word, the right form

In these tasks you fill gaps using words taken from the passage (usually) within a stated limit such as "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS" or "ONE WORD ONLY". Three things must all be correct, or you lose the mark:

1. The answer is right (the correct word from the text),
2. The grammar fits the gap (right part of speech, singular/plural, verb form), and
3. You obey the word limit - three words where two are allowed scores zero, even when the meaning is perfect.

One task, two layouts

• Summary completion gives you a paragraph that re-tells part of the passage with gaps. Sometimes you fill it from a box of words (then the word may be a synonym, not a copy); more often you fill it from the passage. Check which - it changes everything.
• Sentence / note / table completion gives you separate sentences or a skeleton of notes. The grammar around each gap is your strongest clue to what fits.

The method, step by step

1. Read the whole sentence/summary with the gap and predict what kind of word fits: a noun? a verb? a number? plural or singular? This prediction is half the work, because it tells you what to listen - or look - for.
2. Note the word limit and write it at the top of your answer space so you don't forget mid-task.
3. Scan the passage for the part that matches the sentence around the gap - completion answers usually follow passage order, so work downward.
4. Copy the word(s) exactly from the text - spelling counts. Don't paraphrase: changing the word almost always breaks it.
5. Re-read the completed sentence. Does it make grammatical sense? If not, you have the wrong form or the wrong word.

Worked example 1 - predict the part of speech

Sample text: Mangroves protect coastlines in two ways. Their dense roots trap sediment, gradually building up land, while the same tangle of roots absorbs the energy of incoming waves, reducing erosion during storms.

Summary with gaps (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS):

Mangroves defend the coast partly because their roots capture (1) ........., which slowly creates new land. The roots also weaken waves, so there is less (2) ......... in bad weather.

• Gap 1: predict a noun (something roots "capture"). Text says roots "trap sediment". Answer: sediment (one word - within the limit).
• Gap 2: predict a noun (something there is "less" of). Text says "reducing erosion". Answer: erosion.

Notice the summary paraphrases the passage ("capture" for "trap", "weaken" for "absorbs the energy of"), but the answer words are lifted unchanged.

Worked example 2 - the word limit decides the answer

Sample text: The submarine cable was wrapped in three protective layers. The innermost was gutta-percha, a natural latex; around it ran a sheath of woven hemp; and the whole bundle was armoured with spiralled steel wire to survive the seabed.

Note completion (ONE WORD ONLY):

Innermost layer: made of (1) ......... · Outer armour: spiralled (2) ......... wire

• Gap 1: a material, one word. The text names "gutta-percha". Although it looks like two words, it is a single hyphenated term - write gutta-percha. Writing "natural latex" would be two words and the wrong focus.
• Gap 2: an adjective/noun before "wire", one word. Text says "spiralled steel wire". Answer: steel. Writing "spiralled steel" repeats a printed word and breaks the one-word limit.

The limit is doing real work here: it tells you the examiner wants the single defining word, not the whole phrase.

Scanning & paraphrase tactics

• The sentence frame is paraphrased, but the answer word usually is not - so anchor your scan on a noun or name in the frame that is unlikely to change.
• Use grammar as a filter: if "an ......... increase" needs an adjective, ignore nouns you pass even if they're on-topic.
• For tables, read the column and row headings - they tell you the category of word each cell needs.

Common mistakes

• Breaking the word limit. Writing "the sediment" when "sediment" is required can be marked wrong. Count your words, and don't include articles you don't need.
• Wrong form. If the gap needs a plural ("two ......... were found") but the text gives a singular, adjust only number - and only when the instructions let you use your own words.
• Paraphrasing the answer. When the task says "from the passage", it rewards copying. Don't be clever; transcribe exactly.
• Spelling and hyphens. A misspelt transcription loses the mark. Copy letter for letter, including hyphens (gutta-percha, well-being).
• Grabbing the first matching word. The right lines may contain several nouns; the answer is the one that makes the whole sentence true and grammatical, so re-read before committing.

Try it

At /ielts/reading, do a summary-completion task and, before scanning, write next to each gap the part of speech and singular/plural you expect. Then check every answer against the word limit before submitting - count the words on your fingers if you have to.