IELTS Reading: IELTS Reading: Sentence Completion Practice Questions
Test yourself on IELTS Reading: Sentence Completion with 12 original IELTS practice questions. Pick an answer to see instant feedback and a full explanation.
Free original practice questions for study purposes. Open Exam Prep is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the makers of IELTS.
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Answer the questions below — you get instant feedback and a full explanation for each.
1. In an IELTS sentence completion task, the instruction reads: 'Complete the sentences. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.' Which of the following answers would be marked INCORRECT?
Explanation. 'Unexpected and rapid decline' is three words, which violates the NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS limit, so it would be marked wrong even if the meaning were correct. The other options each contain a maximum of two words. Always count the words you write, and remember hyphenated words and numbers count according to the official rules.
2. What is the MOST reliable strategy for predicting the type of word needed in a sentence completion gap before reading the passage?
Explanation. Examining the grammar around the gap (e.g., 'the ___ of' suggests a noun, 'was ___ by' suggests an adjective or verb) helps you predict the part of speech and meaning, narrowing your search. Guessing from the title or always choosing numbers/long answers ignores the actual sentence structure and frequently leads to grammatically wrong answers.
3. In sentence completion tasks, in what order do the answers usually appear in the passage?
Explanation. IELTS sentence completion answers almost always follow the order of the text, so once you locate the answer to question 1, the answer to question 2 will normally appear later in the passage. This helps you scan efficiently. The other options describe patterns that do not match standard IELTS design.
4. A gap follows the words 'The researchers measured the' and precedes 'of the samples.' What part of speech is most likely required?
Explanation. The structure 'the ___ of' typically requires a noun (e.g., 'the temperature of', 'the weight of'). 'The' signals a noun phrase is coming, and 'of' links it to 'the samples'. A verb or conjunction would be grammatically impossible here, and an adjective alone could not complete the noun phrase.
5. Why must answers in sentence completion be copied EXACTLY as they appear in the passage?
Explanation. In sentence completion you must take words directly from the text; changing the word form (e.g., 'pollute' instead of 'pollution') or misspelling them results in a wrong mark. You may NOT substitute your own synonyms, unlike in some speaking or writing tasks. Accuracy of transcription is essential.
6. The sentence to complete reads: 'A diet high in fibre can reduce the risk of ___.' The passage states: 'Consuming plenty of fibre has been shown to lower the likelihood of developing heart disease.' What is the correct answer (TWO WORDS)?
Explanation. The question paraphrases the passage: 'reduce the risk of' = 'lower the likelihood of developing', so the gap needs what follows—'heart disease'. The distractors are phrases lifted from the wrong part of the sentence and do not logically complete 'the risk of'. Recognising paraphrase is key to matching the right text.
7. Which of these is the BEST first step when tackling a sentence completion question?
Explanation. Reading the incomplete sentence first and identifying keywords lets you scan the passage efficiently for the relevant section. Reading the whole passage twice wastes valuable time, translating is slow and risky, and writing answers without locating evidence leads to errors.
8. The instruction says 'ONE WORD ONLY'. The relevant passage sentence reads: 'The process is known as photosynthesis.' The question is: 'Plants convert sunlight into energy through a process called ___.' What should you write?
Explanation. With 'ONE WORD ONLY', you can write just 'photosynthesis', which fits both the word limit and the meaning. The other options are two words and would be penalised, and they also do not correctly complete the definition. Always obey the exact word limit stated.
9. A common trap in sentence completion is choosing a word that fits the grammar but contradicts the passage meaning. How can you avoid this?
Explanation. You must verify that your completed sentence matches the meaning of the passage, not just the grammar. A grammatically correct word can still distort the facts. Choosing words merely because they are nearby, academic-sounding, or numerical ignores meaning and leads to errors.
10. The sentence reads: 'Before the invention of refrigeration, food was preserved using ___ and drying.' The passage says: 'Historically, salting and drying were the main methods used to keep food edible before fridges existed.' Limit: TWO WORDS. What is correct?
Explanation. The gap is parallel to 'drying' and joined by 'and', so it needs the other preservation method mentioned: 'salting'. The passage lists 'salting and drying', matching the sentence exactly. The distractors do not represent a preservation method or break the grammatical parallel structure.
11. If you cannot find the exact answer to a sentence completion question, what is the best approach in the exam?
Explanation. There is no penalty for wrong answers in IELTS Reading, so you should always make an educated guess using context and grammatical clues rather than leaving a blank. Writing your own full sentence ignores the word limit, and abandoning the passage wastes potential marks elsewhere.
12. The question reads: 'The study found that participants who exercised regularly experienced fewer ___.' The passage states: 'Regular physical activity was associated with a notable reduction in symptoms of depression among the volunteers.' Limit: TWO WORDS. What completes the sentence best?
Explanation. The sentence needs what participants had fewer of. The passage says exercise reduced 'symptoms of depression', so 'depression symptoms' (within the two-word limit) fits both meaning and grammar after 'fewer'. 'Physical activity' is the cause, not the outcome; the other options do not logically follow 'fewer'. Note word order may need adjusting only if the exact phrase appears—here 'symptoms of depression' is three words, so 'depression symptoms' is acceptable if it appears; otherwise re-check the limit carefully.
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FAQ
How is sentence completion different from summary completion in IELTS Reading?
In sentence completion you fill gaps in separate, standalone sentences using words from the passage, and answers usually follow the order of the text. Summary completion fills gaps in a connected paragraph (sometimes with a word box). Both require copying exact words and respecting the word limit, but sentence completion items are independent of one another.
Do I always have to use words exactly from the passage?
Yes. In standard sentence completion you must take words directly from the reading text and copy them exactly, with correct spelling and word form. You cannot use synonyms or your own paraphrase. Only the rare 'choose from the list' variant gives you a word bank to select from.
How can I improve my speed on sentence completion questions?
Read the incomplete sentence first and underline keywords, predict the part of speech needed, then scan the passage for paraphrases of those keywords. Because answers follow the text order, you can move steadily through the passage. Practise recognising synonyms and counting words to avoid exceeding the limit.