🎯 Objective
To help learners master the essential skills and techniques needed to accurately complete sentences in IELTS Reading tests by locating specific information and using appropriate words from the passage.
📝 Understanding Sentence Completion Questions
These questions test your ability to find specific information in the passage and complete sentences using the exact words from the text, following strict word limits.
| Key Aspect | Description | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Word Limit | Usually "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS" or "ONE WORD ONLY" | Count carefully - exceed limit = wrong answer |
| Exact Words | Must use words exactly as they appear in the passage | No paraphrasing or synonyms allowed |
| Grammar | Answer must fit grammatically in the sentence | Check noun/verb forms and plural/singular |
| Spelling | Must spell exactly as in the passage | Copy spelling precisely, including capitals |
📚 Complete Guide: Mastering Sentence Completion Questions
Understanding Question Types
Sentence completion questions require you to find specific information and complete sentences using exact words from the passage.
📏 Word Limit Rules
"NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS" = 1 or 2 words maximum
"ONE WORD ONLY" = exactly 1 word
"NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS" = 1, 2, or 3 words maximum
Remember: Articles (a, an, the) count as words
🔤 Word Recognition
Use exact words from passage
Maintain original spelling and capitalization
Include hyphens if present (e.g., "well-known")
Numbers can be written as digits or words
📖 Grammar Matching
Answer must fit grammatically
Check if you need singular/plural nouns
Ensure verb forms match sentence structure
Consider word class (noun, adjective, verb)
🔍 Location Strategy
Questions usually follow passage order
Look for keywords and synonyms
Scan for specific information types
Focus on the relevant paragraph section
Step-by-Step Completion Process
Step 1: Analyze the Incomplete Sentence (30 seconds)
- Read the sentence carefully and understand its meaning
- Identify what type of word is missing (noun, adjective, number, etc.)
- Note keywords that will help you locate the information
- Check the word limit requirement
Step 2: Locate the Relevant Section (45 seconds)
- Scan for keywords from the sentence
- Look for synonyms and paraphrased expressions
- Focus on the specific paragraph or section
- Questions usually follow the order of the passage
Step 3: Extract the Answer (30 seconds)
- Find the exact words that complete the sentence
- Check that the word limit is not exceeded
- Ensure the answer fits grammatically
- Copy spelling exactly, including capitalization
Step 4: Verify Your Answer (15 seconds)
- Read the completed sentence to check it makes sense
- Confirm grammar is correct
- Double-check word count and spelling
- Ensure you've used words from the passage only
Common Challenges and Solutions
❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Exceeding word limits: "economic growth" vs "the economic growth" (3 words)
- Using synonyms: Don't change "large" to "big" - use exact words
- Grammar mismatches: Using "technology" when "technologies" is needed
- Spelling errors: Copying incorrectly from the passage
- Using outside knowledge: Only use information from the passage
✅ Success Strategies:
- Count words carefully: Always verify you meet word limits
- Grammar check: Read the complete sentence aloud
- Exact copying: Match capitalization and spelling precisely
- Context clues: Use surrounding sentences to confirm meaning
- Question order: Follow passage sequence for efficiency
Advanced Techniques
🔍 Keyword Scanning Techniques:
Look for different word forms:
• "educate" → "education," "educational," "educator"
• "science" → "scientific," "scientist," "scientifically"
• "economy" → "economic," "economical," "economist"
📊 Information Types to Recognize:
Numbers and dates: percentages, years, quantities, measurements
Names and places: proper nouns, geographical locations
Technical terms: specialized vocabulary, scientific terms
Descriptive words: adjectives describing size, color, quality
⚡ Time Management Tips:
Allocate 90 seconds per question maximum
If struggling, make an educated guess and move on
Use question order to guide your reading
Return to difficult questions if time permits
📄 Reading Passage: Renewable Energy and Smart Cities
Smart cities represent the future of urban development, integrating advanced technologies to create more efficient, sustainable, and livable environments. These innovative urban areas utilize interconnected systems to manage resources, reduce environmental impact, and improve the quality of life for residents.
The implementation of renewable energy sources plays a crucial role in smart city development. Solar panels are increasingly being installed on building rooftops, providing clean electricity for urban areas. Wind turbines positioned strategically around cities generate additional power, while geothermal systems harness underground heat for both heating and cooling purposes. These renewable technologies can reduce a city's carbon emissions by up to 40% compared to traditional energy sources.
Smart transportation systems form another essential component of these cities. Electric buses and trains powered by renewable energy create efficient public transport networks. Intelligent traffic management systems use real-time data to optimize traffic flow, reducing congestion by approximately 25%. Additionally, bike-sharing programs and electric vehicle charging stations encourage residents to adopt environmentally friendly transportation methods.
Water management in smart cities employs sophisticated monitoring systems to track usage and detect leaks immediately. Advanced filtration technologies ensure clean drinking water for all residents, while rainwater harvesting systems collect and store precipitation for later use. These water conservation methods can decrease consumption by nearly 30% in urban areas.
The economic benefits of smart cities are substantial. Construction and maintenance of smart infrastructure create thousands of new employment opportunities. Technology companies invest heavily in these projects, generating revenue streams that exceed $2.5 billion annually. Furthermore, residents benefit from reduced utility costs, with average household savings reaching $1,200 per year through efficient energy and water usage.
However, implementing smart city technologies requires significant initial investment. The average cost for transforming a traditional city into a smart city ranges from $500 million to $1.5 billion, depending on the city's size and existing infrastructure. Privacy concerns also arise as extensive data collection systems monitor various aspects of city life, requiring careful balance between efficiency and personal privacy rights.
🧩 Practice Questions: Sentence Completion
1. Smart cities integrate advanced technologies to create more efficient, sustainable, and __________ environments.
2. __________ are being installed on building rooftops to provide clean electricity for urban areas.
3. Renewable technologies can reduce a city's carbon emissions by up to __________ compared to traditional energy sources.
4. Intelligent traffic management systems can reduce congestion by approximately __________.
5. Advanced __________ technologies ensure clean drinking water for all residents.
6. Water conservation methods can decrease consumption by nearly __________ in urban areas.
7. Technology companies generate revenue streams that exceed $__________ annually from smart city investments.
8. Residents benefit from average household savings reaching $__________ per year.
9. The average cost for transforming a traditional city ranges from $500 million to $__________.
10. Privacy concerns arise as extensive __________ systems monitor various aspects of city life.
11. __________ systems harness underground heat for both heating and cooling purposes.
12. __________ programs encourage residents to adopt environmentally friendly transportation methods.
✅ Answer Key & Detailed Analysis
1. livable
Location: "...to create more efficient, sustainable, and livable environments."
Analysis: The word "livable" directly completes the sentence and maintains the parallel structure with "efficient" and "sustainable."
2. Solar panels
Location: "Solar panels are increasingly being installed on building rooftops..."
Analysis: "Solar panels" (two words) fits the word limit and correctly identifies what is being installed on rooftops.
3. 40%
Location: "...can reduce a city's carbon emissions by up to 40% compared to traditional energy sources."
Analysis: The percentage "40%" directly answers the question about the reduction amount.
4. 25%
Location: "...reducing congestion by approximately 25%."
Analysis: "25%" is the specific percentage mentioned for congestion reduction by intelligent traffic systems.
5. filtration
Location: "Advanced filtration technologies ensure clean drinking water..."
Analysis: "Filtration" (one word) fits perfectly and describes the type of technology used for clean water.
6. 30%
Location: "...can decrease consumption by nearly 30% in urban areas."
Analysis: "30%" represents the water consumption decrease mentioned in the passage.
7. 2.5 billion
Location: "...revenue streams that exceed $2.5 billion annually."
Analysis: "2.5 billion" (two words when counting the number and unit) represents the revenue amount.
8. 1,200
Location: "...with average household savings reaching $1,200 per year..."
Analysis: "1,200" is the specific dollar amount mentioned for household savings.
9. 1.5 billion
Location: "...ranges from $500 million to $1.5 billion..."
Analysis: "1.5 billion" completes the range of costs for smart city transformation.
10. data collection
Location: "...as extensive data collection systems monitor various aspects..."
Analysis: "Data collection" (two words) describes the type of systems that monitor city life.
11. Geothermal
Location: "...while geothermal systems harness underground heat..."
Analysis: "Geothermal" (one word) identifies the specific type of system mentioned.
12. Bike-sharing
Location: "Additionally, bike-sharing programs and electric vehicle charging stations..."
Analysis: "Bike-sharing" (hyphenated word counts as one word) describes the programs mentioned.
🏆 Complete Analysis Guide and Expert Strategies
🔍 Detailed Question Analysis Techniques:
Question 1 Analysis:
Grammar clue: "more efficient, sustainable, and __" suggests an adjective in parallel structure
Location strategy: Look for the exact phrase about urban environments
Question 7 Analysis:
Number recognition: Look for revenue amounts in billions
Word count: "2.5 billion" = two words (number + unit)
Question 12 Analysis:
Hyphenated words: "Bike-sharing" counts as one word in IELTS
Context: Programs that encourage environmental transportation
📏 Word Counting Mastery:
What counts as ONE word:
- Hyphenated words: "bike-sharing," "well-known," "twenty-five"
- Contractions: "don't," "can't," "it's"
- Numbers with symbols: "40%," "$1,200," "25°C"
What counts as TWO words:
- Number + unit: "2.5 billion," "25 percent," "40 degrees"
- Compound terms: "solar panels," "data collection"
- Article + noun: "the environment," "a system"
🎯 Grammar Matching Strategies:
Identifying required word types:
• "The _____ is expensive" → needs a noun
• "Systems are very _____" → needs an adjective
• "Technology _____ efficiency" → needs a verb
• "Reduced by _____" → needs a number/percentage
Plural/singular matching:
• "These _____" → needs plural noun
• "A single _____" → needs singular noun
• "Several _____" → needs plural noun
🔍 Advanced Scanning Techniques:
Percentage hunting:
• Look for: %, percent, proportion, ratio, fraction
• Numbers often appear as digits or words
• May be preceded by "up to," "nearly," "approximately"
Money amount scanning:
• Look for: $, dollars, billion, million, cost, price
• Numbers may include decimals: "$2.5 billion"
• Watch for ranges: "from $500 million to $1.5 billion"
Technology term recognition:
• Compound terms: "solar panels," "wind turbines"
• Technical adjectives: "renewable," "intelligent," "advanced"
• System types: "filtration," "geothermal," "data collection"
⚠️ Common Trap Analysis:
Trap 1: Synonym Temptation
• Passage: "livable environments"
• Wrong: "habitable" (synonym but not from passage)
• Correct: "livable" (exact word from passage)
Trap 2: Word Form Changes
• Passage: "filtration technologies"
• Wrong: "filter" (different word form)
• Correct: "filtration" (exact form from passage)
Trap 3: Word Limit Violations
• Question asks for "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS"
• Wrong: "the solar panels" (3 words)
• Correct: "solar panels" (2 words)
⏰ Time Management Strategy:
Question order efficiency:
• Questions 1-4: Usually in first 2 paragraphs
• Questions 5-8: Middle sections of passage
• Questions 9-12: Final paragraphs
• Use this pattern to guide your reading
Timing breakdown per question:
• 20 seconds: Read and understand the sentence
• 40 seconds: Locate the relevant section
• 20 seconds: Extract and verify the answer
• 10 seconds: Write and double-check
🔄 Self-Correction Checklist:
Before moving to next question:
- ✅ Word count within limit?
- ✅ Grammar makes sense when read aloud?
- ✅ Spelling copied exactly from passage?
- ✅ Capitalization preserved correctly?
- ✅ Answer found in appropriate passage section?
📈 Scoring and Improvement:
Target accuracy:
• Band 6.0: 7-8 correct out of 12
• Band 7.0: 9-10 correct out of 12
• Band 8.0: 11-12 correct out of 12
Daily practice routine:
• Practice 6-10 sentence completion questions daily
• Time yourself: 90 seconds maximum per question
• Review all mistakes to understand error patterns
• Build vocabulary of common academic terms
🎯 Expert Tips for Difficult Questions:
When you can't find the answer:
- Re-read the sentence to identify key concepts
- Look for synonyms or paraphrased versions
- Check if you're looking in the wrong paragraph
- Consider different word forms of key terms
- Make an educated guess based on grammar needs
Multiple possible answers:
- Choose the most specific option
- Prefer the option that appears closer to keywords
- Select the grammatically stronger match
- Trust your first instinct if equally valid