IELTS, Reading
IELTS Reading Sentence Completion
You complete sentences about the passage with words copied from it, within a word limit such as no more than two words and/or a number.
- Skill
- Reading
- Word limit
- 2 per answer
- Part
- Reading
How Reading Sentence Completion is scored
One mark per correct answer. Spelling and the word limit count.
Marked against the answer key
8%of your reading score, by our estimate
How to answer Reading Sentence Completion
A step-by-step method you can use on every question of this type.
- 1
Read the sentence and decide what kind of word is missing.
- 2
Find the part of the passage it paraphrases; the sentences follow the passage order.
- 3
Copy the missing words exactly, without changing their form.
- 4
Read the completed sentence: it must be grammatical and within the word limit.
Common mistakes
What costs the most marks, and what to do instead.
- Changing the form of a word (making a noun plural, a verb past).
- Going over the word limit with an extra article or adjective.
IELTS Reading Sentence Completion: common questions
How many words can you write in each Reading Sentence Completion answer?
No more than 2 words per answer. Going over the limit makes the answer wrong, even if it contains the right word.
How is IELTS Reading Sentence Completion scored?
One mark per correct answer. Spelling and the word limit count.
How many Reading Sentence Completion questions are in the IELTS test?
It varies. Each IELTS Reading test mixes several question types in groups of a few questions each, so this type may appear once, more than once or not at all.
How much does Reading Sentence Completion count towards your score?
By our estimate, about 8% of your reading score. The test provider doesn't publish exact weights, so treat this as a guide to where practice pays off.
Where can I practice IELTS Reading Sentence Completion for free?
On PrepScroll you can answer exam-style Reading Sentence Completion questions and get an instant estimated score with feedback on what to fix. It's free to start and runs in your browser.
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