Reading task type eight: sentence completion
Task description
You will be provided with a number of incomplete sentences which you need to complete
using information from the reading text. Generally you must complete the statement
in three words or fewer, but confirm this with the instructions.
What is being tested is your ability to:
- skim for general information
- read for details
- understand paraphrase in the incomplete sentences
Reading paper for this section
Sample task
Complete the sentences below using words taken from the reading passage. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.
1) One positive outcome
was that the inquiries into the Titanic disaster sought to improve safety procedures
by initiating ..........
2) The Titanic’s safety feature, which convinced most people that
she wouldn’t sink, was her
..........
3) Passenger ships across the North Atlantic Ocean had had an excellent
safety record in the ..........
How to approach sentence completion questions
| Step 1: | Read the instructions carefully. Note that in the sample task you must only use words from the reading passage, and that you may use no more than three words to complete each sentence. |
| Step 2: | Briefly read through all the incomplete sentences to get an idea of what information you will have to find in the text. |
| Step 3: | Read the first sentence more carefully. Decide what information you will need. In this case, you will look for a section discussing inquiries about improving safety procedures. |
| Step 4: | Once you have found the relevant section of the reading text, look back at the incomplete sentence and decide what specific information you need to complete it. In this case, you need to find what was initiated. |
| Step 5: | Read that part of the text more carefully
to find the answer. Remember that the correct answer you find in the text
should fit the incomplete sentence grammatically. If not, you may need to
look for another answer. In some IELTS tests the instructions will not say ‘using words taken from the text’, in which case you can use your own words or change the form of the words in the reading text. |