IELTS Reading · Ch 09

Summary Completion (with word bank)

Part-of-speech matching · theme tracking

Topic & Why It Matters

Summary Completion with a word bank gives you a condensed version of part of the passage and asks you to fill the gaps using words from a list. The task looks easier than open completion because the answers are visible, but the options are designed to compete with each other. Several words may match the topic; only one will fit the summary's grammar and meaning.

This chapter matters because word-bank tasks reward disciplined filtering. Strong candidates do not test every option one by one. They predict the part of speech, group the options by meaning, locate the relevant passage section, and then choose the option that paraphrases the passage idea most precisely.

Knowledge Points

What word-bank Summary Completion tests
Summary Completion with a word bank asks you to complete a short summary using options provided in a box. It tests whether you can track the main idea of a passage section, recognise paraphrase, and select a word that fits both meaning and grammar.
The answer is selected, not copied freely
Unlike open completion tasks, the correct answer must come from the word bank. The passage helps you identify the idea, but the final word must be one of the listed options, even when the passage uses a different form or synonym.
Grammar removes many distractors
Before checking the passage, inspect the blank. Decide whether it requires a singular noun, plural noun, adjective, verb, or noun phrase. In a word bank, several options may share the same topic, but only one usually fits the sentence grammar.
The summary may cover one paragraph or several
A summary can condense a single paragraph, a section of the passage, or the whole passage. The title and first sentence of the summary often reveal its scope. Do not assume every blank comes from a different paragraph.
Options are designed as near-neighbours
Word-bank distractors often belong to the same semantic field: costs, savings, risks, results, materials, or methods. The correct choice must match the exact role in the sentence, not merely the general topic.
Answers usually follow passage order
Within one summary, answers normally follow the order of the relevant passage section. After confirming one blank, continue scanning from that point instead of restarting from the beginning.

Step-by-Step Strategy

1
Read the summary title and first sentence
Identify what part of the passage the summary is about. Ask whether it summarises a process, a problem-solution pattern, a comparison, or a research finding.
2
Predict the grammar of every blank
Mark each blank as noun, adjective, verb, plural noun, or phrase. Cross out options that cannot fit grammatically before you read the passage closely.
3
Group the word bank by meaning
Put options into quick mental families: causes, effects, methods, qualities, people, places, numbers, or materials. This reduces the option pool for each blank.
4
Locate the matching passage section
Use summary keywords and their paraphrases to find the answer window. Read around the first blank carefully, then move forward in passage order.
5
Match meaning first, then grammar
Choose the option that paraphrases the passage idea and completes the summary sentence naturally. If two options are close, the passage wording decides.
6
Use each option only once unless told otherwise
Most IELTS word-bank tasks use each option once at most. If you are repeating an option, re-check the instruction line and your previous answers.

Common Pitfalls

MistakeCorrective Rule
Choosing a word because it appears in the passageThe word bank may include exact passage words as distractors. The answer must complete the summary idea, not merely repeat vocabulary from the text.
Ignoring part of speechA meaning match with the wrong grammar is still wrong. Predict whether the blank needs a noun, adjective, verb, or plural before selecting from the options.
Reading the word bank as a vocabulary test onlyIELTS tests paraphrase. The correct option may express the passage idea using a different word family, such as 'temporary' for 'short-term'.
Using one option twice without checking instructionsAssume each option is used once unless the task explicitly says options may be used more than once.
Forcing a local detail into a global summaryA summary compresses the important logic. Details that are true but minor often become distractors when they do not support the summary sentence.

Vocabulary & Signpost Bank

Expression / SignalWhat It Means for Your Strategy
although / while / whereasSignals contrast; the missing word may describe the opposite side of a comparison
led to / resulted in / producedThe blank may be an effect, outcome, or consequence
because of / due to / caused byThe blank may be a cause or condition
mainly / largely / primarilyLook for the dominant reason, not a minor supporting detail
temporary / short-term / initialTime-status words often separate correct answers from near distractors
reduce / limit / minimiseCommon paraphrase family for lowering risk, cost, waste, or damage
depend on / rely on / requireThe missing word may name a necessary resource or factor
suitable / appropriate / effectiveUsually introduces a judgement about whether a method fits a context

Practice Passage & Questions

Read the passage, then complete the summary using words from the box. Click Check Answers to see model answers with exact passage references.

Reusing a Historic Ferry Terminal~383 words
A

In many coastal cities, planners are reconsidering the role of old ferry terminals. Once built mainly to move commuters across rivers and harbours, these structures often occupy valuable waterfront land. Some have been demolished to make way for apartments or shopping districts, but others are being adapted for public use. The decision is rarely simple: terminals are expensive to maintain, yet they may also carry architectural and social value that newer buildings cannot easily replace.

B

The North Quay Terminal, built in 1938, became the centre of a local debate after ferry services moved to a larger pier nearby. Developers argued that the site should be cleared because the terminal's roof needed major repairs and its waiting hall no longer served a transport function. Community groups disagreed. They pointed out that the building had been used during wartime evacuations and later as an informal meeting place for dock workers' families. For them, the terminal represented shared memory rather than obsolete infrastructure.

C

A compromise emerged when the city commissioned a feasibility study. Engineers found that the steel frame was still stable, although several external panels had been damaged by salt air. Instead of full demolition, the report recommended selective restoration: replacing the corroded panels, retaining the main hall, and adding a raised floor to protect the interior from occasional flooding. The study also proposed that the former ticket office could become a small exhibition space, while the covered platform could host weekend markets.

D

The revised plan was not cheap, but it attracted funding from three sources: a heritage grant, a coastal resilience programme, and rental income from future market stalls. This mixture reduced the financial risk for the city. More importantly, it changed the purpose of the terminal without erasing its identity. Visitors would still enter through the original hall and see the harbour through the same wide windows, but the building would now support cultural activities rather than daily commuting.

E

Urban historians argue that such projects work best when adaptation is treated as a process of careful selection. Keeping every historic detail can make a building impractical, while removing too much can leave only a decorative shell. The North Quay proposal succeeds, they suggest, because it preserves the elements most connected to public memory and changes the parts that solve present-day problems.

Word Bank

demolitionmemorystablerestorationfloodingfundingidentitycommutingdecorativeselection

Questions 1-7. Complete the summary using words from the box.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the word bank for each answer.

1.The future of North Quay Terminal became controversial when developers supported __________, partly because the building was costly to repair.
Answer:
2.Community groups valued the terminal as a place connected with shared __________ rather than simply as old transport infrastructure.
Answer:
3.Engineers discovered that the building's steel frame remained __________ despite damage to some outside panels.
Answer:
4.The feasibility study advised selective __________ rather than removing the whole terminal.
Answer:
5.A raised floor was suggested to protect the hall from occasional __________.
Answer:
6.The new plan combined heritage money, resilience support, and future rent as sources of __________.
Answer:
7.According to the passage, the adaptation changed the terminal's function without removing its __________.
Answer:

Self-Check

Answer these from memory. If you cannot answer all three, re-read the relevant section.

  1. Why should you predict the part of speech before choosing from a word bank?
  2. What is the difference between using the passage and copying the passage in a word-bank summary task?
  3. How can contrast markers such as 'rather than' or 'although' help you choose the correct option?
Answers:
  1. (1) Part-of-speech prediction lets you eliminate options that cannot fit grammatically, even if they belong to the correct topic area.
  2. (2) The passage confirms the idea and answer window, but the final answer must be selected from the word bank. It may be a paraphrase of the passage wording rather than an exact copy.
  3. (3) Contrast markers show which idea is accepted and which idea is rejected. They prevent you from choosing a nearby distractor that belongs to the opposite side of the comparison.