# IELTS Reading Sentence Completion: Method and Tips | topin IELTS guidesSentence completion Where IELTS Academic Reading Answers Words or numbers copied from the passage Word limits Stated each time, for example ONE WORD ONLY or NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER Order Questions follow the order of the passage Marks One mark per sentence; spelling counts ## How it works Each sentence paraphrases a point in the passage with a gap at the end or in the middle. You find the point, then copy the missing words exactly. A number can be written in figures, and it counts towards the 'AND/OR A NUMBER' part of the limit, not the word count. ## Worked example Passage: The observatory's first telescope was installed in 1889 on a hill outside the city, chosen for its clearer air. Within twenty years, light from new street lamps had made faint stars difficult to observe. The astronomers eventually moved their main telescope to a mountain site in 1934, keeping the original building for teaching. Complete the sentences. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer. 1\. The telescope was placed outside the city because of the \_\_\_\_\_\_ there. 2\. Faint stars became harder to see because of light from \_\_\_\_\_\_. 3\. The main telescope was moved to a new site in \_\_\_\_\_\_. Show the answer 1 clearer air, 2 street lamps, 3 1934 1 is 'clearer air', copied from 'chosen for its clearer air'; it fits after 'the'. 2 is 'street lamps'; 'new street lamps' would be three words and break the limit. 3 is the number 1934, which the limit allows. ## A method for Sentence completion 1. 1 ### Check the limit and predict the answer Read the word limit, then read the sentence stem and decide what kind of answer fits: a noun, a number, a date, a place. 2. 2 ### Use key words to find the place Pick a name, date or unusual word from the stem and scan for it or a synonym. Because questions follow passage order, each answer comes after the last one. 3. 3 ### Read the whole sentence in the passage Do not grab the first word that looks right. Read the full sentence, and the next one, to make sure the meaning matches the stem. 4. 4 ### Trim to the essential words Remove words that are already in the stem and adjectives the sentence does not need, until you are inside the limit. 5. 5 ### Read the finished sentence Put your answer into the stem and read it through. If it is not grammatical, or it changes the meaning, the answer is probably wrong. ## Traps to avoid * Adding an extra adjective, such as 'new street lamps', and going over the limit. * Misspelling a word copied from the passage, which makes the answer wrong. * Choosing a detail that appears near the key words but answers a different question. * Writing a number in words and then exceeding the word limit. Figures are safer. ## Sentence completion FAQs What does NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER mean? You can write up to two words, a number, or up to two words plus a number. For example '1934', 'street lamps' and '3 floors' are all within the limit. Should I write numbers as figures or words in IELTS? Either is accepted, but figures are quicker and cannot push you over a word limit. Does sentence completion follow the order of the passage? Yes. Reading sentence completion questions follow the order of the information in the passage. ## Try Sentence completion under real timing Your first full-length IELTS mock is free, with every section included. [Take the free mock ](/ielts/login)