Sentence Completion
Grammar agreement · collocation traps · paraphrase decoding · distractor handling · word-form drill · 6 practice exercises
Topic & Why It Matters
Sentence Completion asks you to fill gaps inside short statements while you listen to a talk, conversation, or lecture. Unlike form questions, the answer is controlled by the grammar of the whole printed sentence, so you must understand both the meaning of the audio and the words that surround the blank. It appears most often in Parts 2, 3, and 4.
This type looks easy because each blank is short, but it punishes careless copying. A correct-sounding word can still be wrong if it repeats printed text, breaks the sentence grammar, or exceeds the word limit. The recording almost never uses the exact printed words, so candidates who wait to hear the question wording miss the answer entirely.
If your answers are "nearly right" but keep losing marks — the wrong plural, a verb where a noun was needed, an extra repeated word, or the first value before a correction — this is the chapter for you. Below you will find a sentence-completion toolkit, a paraphrase and distractor reference, a focused word-form drill, and six full practice exercises across Parts 2 to 4.
Knowledge Points
Sentence Completion Toolkit
Most sentence-completion mistakes are not listening mistakes — they are prediction, form, and paraphrase mistakes. Below are eight techniques that turn the printed frame and the spoken meaning into the exact word the gap needs. Each has a trigger, a worked example, and a backup move for when you draw a blank.
1. Predict the word class before you listen
During the pre-listening preview, mark each blank with the grammar it needs: [N] noun, [V] verb, [Adj] adjective, [Adv] adverb, [#] number, [place], [time]. Your ear then filters the audio for one category instead of every word.
- "Visitors must wear a ___." → [N] (a noun, e.g. helmet)
- "The river flows very ___." → [Adv] (e.g. slowly)
- "Tickets cost ___ pounds." → [#] (a number)
- "The hall is ___ on Mondays." → [Adj] (e.g. closed)
Backup move: If you cannot decide the class, at least decide 'thing / action / description / amount.' Even that rough label stops you writing a noun where a verb belongs.
2. Read past the blank to the full stop
The word AFTER the gap often fixes the form. A following plural verb forces a plural noun; a following preposition rules out certain answers; a following unit tells you a number is coming.
- "The ___ are open all year." → plural noun (gardens)
- "They ___ for the slope." → verb (allow / adjust)
- "about ___ minutes" → a number, not a word phrase
- "the ___ of the building" → noun (height / age / owner)
Backup move: If the sentence still sounds odd when you slot your answer in, the form is wrong — re-shape it (add -s, change tense) before you accept it.
3. Decode paraphrase, not exact words
Assume the printed sentence and the audio will use different vocabulary for the same idea. Listen for the meaning to arrive, signalled by the anchor terms, then capture whatever word the speaker actually uses.
- Q: "rent a bicycle" ↔ Audio: "you can borrow a bike"
- Q: "the main benefit" ↔ Audio: "the biggest advantage is…"
- Q: "is not allowed" ↔ Audio: "we ask you not to / it's banned"
- Q: "free of charge" ↔ Audio: "there's no cost / it's complimentary"
Backup move: Waiting for the printed word to be spoken is the classic trap. Track the synonym chain instead, and accept the first word that completes the meaning.
4. Let collocation choose the word
Some gaps are decided by the fixed partner of the printed word, not by the audio alone. If 'safety ___' is printed, only a small set of nouns (briefing, equipment, check) can follow.
- "a safety ___" → briefing / check / inspection
- "make a ___" → booking / decision / payment
- "meet the ___" → deadline / requirement
- "receive a ___" → discount / refund / reminder
Backup move: When two candidate words both fit the meaning, pick the one that forms a natural collocation with the printed neighbour — that is almost always the intended answer.
5. Compress to the word limit
The audio gives a long phrase; your job is to extract only the missing slot. Strip articles, repeated printed words, and filler until what remains fills the gap and obeys the limit.
- Audio: "a small navy-blue backpack" + Q "a navy ___" → "backpack"
- Audio: "the local food bank" + Q "the local ___" → "food bank"
- Audio: "an annual membership card" + Q "an annual ___" → "membership card" (2 words)
- Limit 1 word + heard "credit card" → "card"
Backup move: Count the words in your answer on your fingers. If it breaks "no more than two words," cut the least essential word — usually an adjective the question already implies.
6. Fix the grammar — form, plural, tense
Transform the heard word into the form the frame demands. The audio may say a verb where the sentence needs a noun, or a singular where the sentence needs a plural.
- Audio: "they grow fast" + Q "plant ___" → "growth" (noun)
- Audio: "it's very safe" + Q "a ___ briefing" → "safety"
- Audio: "we decided to…" + Q "an important ___" → "decision"
- Audio: "one book" but Q "up to ten ___" → "books" (plural)
Backup move: Read the completed sentence in your head. If it is ungrammatical, the marker counts it wrong — reshape the word until the sentence is correct English.
7. Lock onto anchors and stay in order
Pick two or three stable printed words near each blank — names, numbers, technical terms — that the audio is unlikely to fully replace. When you hear an anchor, the answer is seconds away.
- "…on the SECOND floor" → anchor "floor" cues a place/level
- "the FIFTEENTH of October" → anchor "October" cues a date
- "the beach PROFILE" → technical anchor rarely paraphrased
- "deadline / fine / deposit" → money/time anchors
Backup move: If you realise you have heard a later anchor, you have already passed an earlier blank — leave it blank, write a quick guess, and move forward. Never rewind your attention.
8. Beat the distractor before the answer
Speakers plant a wrong value first, then signal the real one with a correction, contrast, or narrowing phrase. Train your ear on the trigger words and take the value AFTER them.
- Self-correction: "on Monday — sorry, Tuesday" → Tuesday
- Negation: "we used to charge, but it's now free" → free
- Contrast: "boots are useful, but gloves are essential" → gloves
- Narrowing: "red and blue were options; we chose green" → green
Backup move: Write the first value lightly, then overwrite it the instant you hear "but / however / actually / in the end / sorry." The final value is the answer.
Paraphrase Swaps — Quick Reference
The printed sentence (left) and the audio (right) rarely use the same words. Train your ear to map the question wording onto the synonyms the speaker is likely to use.
| Question (printed) | Audio (likely spoken as…) |
|---|---|
| rent / hire | borrow, take out, use |
| begin / start | commence, get under way, kick off |
| free | at no cost, complimentary, no charge |
| not allowed | banned, prohibited, you must not, please don't |
| required / must | essential, you need to, it's compulsory |
| discount | reduction, money off, cheaper rate |
| main / most important | key, principal, the biggest, central |
| buy | purchase, get hold of, pick up |
| show / display | exhibit, on view, present |
| look after | care for, maintain, take care of |
| increase / rise | go up, grow, double, climb |
| fall / drop | go down, decline, halve, decrease |
| near | close to, a short walk from, beside |
| tell / inform | let you know, notify, give details |
| enough | sufficient, plenty of, adequate |
| popular | in demand, well attended, a favourite |
Distractor Traps — Quick Reference
The first value you hear is often a trap. Learn the signals that tell you a correction, reversal, or contrast is coming, and take the value that follows.
| Trap | Signal words | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Self-correction | "sorry," "I mean," "actually," "no, wait" | Write the value spoken AFTER the trigger, never the first one. |
| Negation / reversal | "used to … but now," "no longer," "isn't … any more" | Answer reflects the current state, not the old one. |
| Contrast / concession | "although," "however," "but," "whereas" | The contrasted second item is usually the answer. |
| Listing then narrowing | "we considered … in the end we chose" | Write the final chosen item, not the rejected options. |
| Competing numbers | two figures close together (price vs. total) | Match the number to the exact label printed in the sentence. |
| Extra information | "spare ones are available," "by the way…" | Ignore side details the printed sentence does not ask for. |
Step-by-Step Strategy
Common Pitfalls
| Mistake | Corrective Rule |
|---|---|
| Copying too much from the audio | Write the smallest phrase that completes the printed sentence and stays inside the word limit. |
| Ignoring the word after the blank | Check both sides of the gap; the following word often decides singular/plural, tense, or preposition use. |
| Waiting for the exact printed words | Track meaning, not wording. IELTS paraphrases the sentence stem almost every time. |
| Writing an ungrammatical form | Reshape the heard word so the finished sentence is correct English, even if the audio used a different structure. |
| Falling for the first value | Distractors come first; listen through corrections and contrasts before committing your answer. |
| Repeating a printed word | If "plant ___" is printed and you hear "plant growth," write only "growth." |
| Staying stuck on a missed answer | Move to the next sentence the moment the audio moves on; protect the marks still ahead of you. |
Vocabulary Bank
| Expression / Signpost | Usage Note |
|---|---|
| The reason for this is | Introduces a cause or explanation — answer often a noun phrase |
| This means that | Signals a paraphrase or consequence is coming |
| As a result / consequently | Introduces an effect |
| The main / biggest benefit is | Signals an advantage; pairs with 'main' in the question |
| The problem / drawback is | Signals a disadvantage or issue |
| Participants are required to | Often introduces an action after a modal/passive stem |
| It is recommended that | Signals advice or a necessary action |
| Instead of / rather than | Signals replacement or contrast — watch for the distractor |
| In particular / especially | Highlights a specific detail likely to fill a blank |
| For safety reasons | Introduces a reason linked to rules or restrictions |
| available to / suitable for | Signals eligibility or the target user group |
| a small charge applies | Signals a cost or payment detail (often a number) |
| by appointment only | Signals a booking requirement |
| at least / no more than | Signals a minimum or maximum number, time, or age |
| no longer / not … any more | Negation trap — answer reflects the current policy |
| to begin with / first of all | Sequencing signal; marks the first answer in order |
| finally / lastly | Sequencing signal; marks the last blank |
| what's more / in addition | Adds a further point — often a new blank |
| apart from / except | Marks an exclusion — common in 'allowed everywhere except…' |
| tends to / is likely to | Softened claim; the following idea usually answers the gap |
Practice — Word-Form Drill + 6 Exercises
Instructions: For each exercise, play the audio (Practice mode pauses line by line; Test mode plays straight through), complete the sentences, then click Check. Unless stated otherwise, write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER per blank. After checking, replay against the script and identify which toolkit technique would have caught the miss.
✍️ Word-Form Drill — Reshape the Heard Word
No audio — this is a written transformation drill. Each row shows the word a speaker used (e.g. grow) and a printed frame that needs a different form (e.g. plant ______). Write the form the sentence demands. This is the single most common way sentence-completion answers lose marks: right word, wrong form.
🎯 If you score under 10 / 12, review Knowledge Point "Word form must match the frame" and Technique 6.
P1.Community Garden ProjectPart 2
A coordinator briefs new volunteers (Part 2 monologue). Gentle paraphrase, one time, one number, and two-word answers like 'car park' and 'food bank'.
🎯 Technique focus: paraphrase decoding, compressing to the word limit
P2.University Library InductionPart 2
A librarian explains services (Part 2 monologue). Several numbers and times plus a money answer ('20p') — match each figure to the exact label printed.
🎯 Technique focus: competing numbers, word form, exclusion ('except')
P3.Geography Field Trip TutorialPart 3
A tutor plans a coastal survey with two students (Part 3, three voices). Track who says the answer, catch the technical term 'profile', and beat the 'photos are useful, but…' distractor.
🎯 Technique focus: speaker tracking, technical anchors, contrast distractor
P4.Lecture: The Return of BeaversPart 4
An academic lecture (Part 4 monologue) with ten blanks. Dense paraphrase and word-form demands: 'reduction in ___', 'roughly ___', a verb ('settle'), and a large number.
🎯 Technique focus: academic paraphrase, noun/verb forms, density
P5.Heritage House TourPart 2
A guided tour of an old house (Part 2 monologue). A year ('1780'), a thousands figure ('5000'), and 'banned in the picture ___' which paraphrases 'allowed everywhere except'.
🎯 Technique focus: year & thousands, exclusion paraphrase, single-noun answers
P6.Wildlife Centre PlacementPart 3
A supervisor and a student discuss a work placement (Part 3, two voices). Watch the '3 days … rises to 5' number pair and the hyphenated 'one-day' answer.
🎯 Technique focus: Q&A paraphrase, number pair, hyphenated answer
Self-Check
Answer these from memory before looking back. If you cannot answer all eight, re-read the relevant section.
- Why should you read the word AFTER a sentence-completion blank before listening?
- How can the printed sentence paraphrase the audio while still requiring the same answer?
- If the question prints "plant ___" and the audio says "plant growth," what exactly should you write?
- The audio says 'we used to charge a fee, but it's now free.' What is the answer to '... is now ___'?
- You hear the verb 'grow' but the frame is 'plant ___.' What form do you write, and why?
- The limit is "no more than two words." You heard "a small navy-blue backpack" for the gap "a navy ___." What do you write?
- Name two distractor signals that tell you the first value you heard is NOT the answer.
- Why does an answer that is the right word but the wrong form still score zero?
Show answers
- (1) The following word fixes the form — it can force a plural, a tense, or a particular preposition, and rules out answers that don't fit grammatically.
- (2) The sentence may change the vocabulary and structure, but the missing meaning stays the same; you capture the word the speaker uses for that idea.
- (3) Only "growth" — "plant" is already printed, so repeating it would exceed the gap.
- (4) free — the negation 'used to … but now' signals the current state, which is the answer.
- (5) "growth" — the frame needs a noun after "plant," so the verb "grow" must be converted to its noun form.
- (6) "backpack" — strip the printed/implied words ("navy" is already there) down to the single missing noun within the limit.
- (7) Any two of: self-correction ('sorry / I mean / actually'), negation ('used to … but now'), contrast ('although / but / however'), narrowing ('in the end we chose').
- (8) The finished sentence must be grammatical English; a wrong form (singular for plural, verb for noun) breaks the frame, so the marker counts it wrong.