# IELTS Summary Completion: the word limit is half the question

Summary completion asks you to fill gaps in an outline of part of the passage, either from the text or from a word list. How the two versions differ, three worked items, and the grammar shortcut.

## Exercises

Exercises marked (free) are open to everyone; a free account opens the rest.

- [The Davies Sisters, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-davies-sisters) (free)
- [Do animals dream?, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/do-animals-dream) (free)
- [Saving the saiga, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/saving-the-saiga) (free)
- [How could multilingualism benefit India's poorest schoolchildren?, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-could-multilingualism-benefit-indias-poorest-schoolchildren) (free)
- [The Globemakers: The Curious Story of an Ancient Craft, questions 27-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-globemakers-the-curious-story-of-an-ancient-craft) (free)
- [Manatees, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/manatees) (free)
- [Frozen Food, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/frozen-food) (free)
- [Georgia O'Keeffe, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/georgia-okeeffe) (free)
- [The Industrial Revolution in Britain, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-industrial-revolution-in-britain) (free)
- [An inquiry into the existence of the gifted child, questions 27-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/an-inquiry-into-the-existence-of-the-gifted-child) (free)
- [Urban farming, questions 1-3](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/urban-farming) (free)
- [Stonehenge, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/stonehenge) (free)
- [The development of the London underground railway, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-development-of-the-london-underground-railway) (free)
- [To catch a king, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/to-catch-a-king) (free)
- [The Dead Sea Scrolls, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-dead-sea-scrolls) (free)
- [The thylacine, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-thylacine) (free)
- [Nutmeg - a valuable spice, questions 1-4](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/nutmeg-a-valuable-spice) (free)
- [The return of the huarango, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-return-of-the-huarango) (free)
- [Environmental practices of big businesses, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/environmental-practices-of-big-businesses) (free)
- [THE IMPORTANCE OF CHILDREN'S PLAY, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-importance-of-childrens-play) (free)
- [The secret of staying young, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-secret-of-staying-young) (free)
- [Case Study: Tourism New Zealand website, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/case-study-tourism-new-zealand-website) (free)
- [Bringing cinnamon to Europe, questions 1-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/bringing-cinnamon-to-europe) (free)
- [The coconut palm, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-coconut-palm) (free)
- [SAVING THE SOIL, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/saving-the-soil) (free)
- [The Benefits of Being Bilingual, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-benefits-of-being-bilingual) (free)
- [Music and the emotions, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/music-and-the-emotions) (free)
- [The History of Glass, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-history-of-glass) (free)
- [THE STORY OF SILK, questions 1-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-story-of-silk) (free)
- [Museums of fine art and their public, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/museums-of-fine-art-and-their-public) (free)
- [Beyond the blue horizon, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/beyond-the-blue-horizon) (free)
- [The megafires of California, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-megafires-of-california) (free)
- [Second nature, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/second-nature) (free)
- [Sheet glass manufacture: the float process, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/sheet-glass-manufacture-the-float-process) (free)
- [GREYING POPULATION STAYS IN THE PINK, questions 14-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/greying-population-stays-in-the-pink) (free)
- [Do literate women make better mothers?, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/do-literate-women-make-better-mothers) (free)
- [BAKELITE, questions 1-3](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/bakelite) (free)
- [The Birth of Scientific English, questions 28-34](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-birth-of-scientific-english) (free)
- [What Do Whales Feel?, questions 15-21](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/what-do-whales-feel) (free)
- [Lost for Words, questions 1-4](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/lost-for-words) (free)
- [A spark, a flint: How fire leapt to life, questions 1-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-spark-a-flint-how-fire-leapt-to-life) (free)
- [Architecture - Reaching for the Sky, questions 29-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/architecture-reaching-for-the-sky) (free)
- [Migratory Beekeeping, questions 13-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/migratory-beekeeping) (free)
- [The Dover Bronze-Age Boat, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-dover-bronze-age-boat) (free)
- [Fatal Attraction, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/fatal-attraction) (free)
- [Why we need silence, questions 18-21](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-we-need-silence)
- [Book review: The World of Sugar by Ulbe Bosma, questions 31-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/book-review-the-world-of-sugar-by-ulbe-bosma)
- [Mapungubwe, questions 22-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/mapungubwe)
- [Artificial Intelligence, questions 30-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/artificial-intelligence)
- [The problems of getting around the city of Dar es Salaam, questions 19-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-problems-of-getting-around-the-city-of-dar-es-salaam)
- [The problems and benefits created by the spread of the water hyacinth in Kenya, questions 8-10](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-problems-and-benefits-created-by-the-spread-of-the-water-hyacinth-in-kenya)
- [The problems and benefits created by the spread of the water hyacinth in Kenya, questions 11-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-problems-and-benefits-created-by-the-spread-of-the-water-hyacinth-in-kenya)
- [The kākāpō, questions 7-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-kakapo)
- [Return of the elm: reintroducing the beloved tree to Britain, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/return-of-the-elm-reintroducing-the-beloved-tree-to-britain)
- [Procrastination, questions 17-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/procrastination)
- [Invasion of the Robot Umpires, questions 33-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/invasion-of-the-robot-umpires)
- [A new role for livestock guard dogs, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-new-role-for-livestock-guard-dogs)
- [How tennis rackets have changed, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-tennis-rackets-have-changed)
- [The pirates of the ancient Mediterranean, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-pirates-of-the-ancient-mediterranean)
- [The persistence and peril of misinformation, questions 31-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-persistence-and-peril-of-misinformation)
- [Archaeologists discover evidence of prehistoric island settlers, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/archaeologists-discover-evidence-of-prehistoric-island-settlers)
- [The impact of climate change on butterflies in Britain, questions 7-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-impact-of-climate-change-on-butterflies-in-britain)
- [Deep-sea mining, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/deep-sea-mining)
- [The Unselfish Gene, questions 31-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-unselfish-gene)
- [Urban farming, questions 4-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/urban-farming)
- [Conquering Earth's space junk problem, questions 32-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/conquering-earths-space-junk-problem)
- [Living with artificial intelligence, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/living-with-artificial-intelligence)
- [An ideal city, questions 34-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/an-ideal-city)
- [Materials to take us beyond concrete, questions 5-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/materials-to-take-us-beyond-concrete)
- [The steam car, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-steam-car)
- [The case for mixed-ability classes, questions 31-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-case-for-mixed-ability-classes)
- [Green roofs, questions 6-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/green-roofs)
- [Alfred Wegener: science, exploration and the theory of continental drift, questions 31-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/alfred-wegener-science-exploration-and-the-theory-of-continental-drift)
- [Stadiums: past, present and future, questions 18-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/stadiums-past-present-and-future)
- [Insight or evolution?, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/insight-or-evolution)
- [Building the Skyline: The Birth and Growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/building-the-skyline-the-birth-and-growth-of-manhattans-skyscrapers)
- [Bats to the rescue, questions 7-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/bats-to-the-rescue)
- [Does education fuel economic growth?, questions 19-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/does-education-fuel-economic-growth)
- [Timur Gareyev - blindfold chess champion, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/timur-gareyev-blindfold-chess-champion)
- [Why we need to protect polar bears, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-we-need-to-protect-polar-bears)
- [The Step Pyramid of Djoser, questions 21-24](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-step-pyramid-of-djoser)
- [The future of work, questions 31-34](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-future-of-work)
- [The White Horse of Uffington, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-white-horse-of-uffington)
- [I contain multitudes, questions 17-20](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/i-contain-multitudes)
- [How to make wise decisions, questions 31-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-to-make-wise-decisions)
- [Roman shipbuilding and navigation, questions 6-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/roman-shipbuilding-and-navigation)
- [Climate change reveals ancient artefacts in Norway's glaciers, questions 20-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/climate-change-reveals-ancient-artefacts-in-norways-glaciers)
- [Changes in reading habits, questions 18-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/changes-in-reading-habits)
- [Nutmeg - a valuable spice, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/nutmeg-a-valuable-spice)
- [Driverless cars, questions 19-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/driverless-cars)
- [What is exploration?, questions 38-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/what-is-exploration)
- [Could urban engineers learn from dance?, questions 7-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/could-urban-engineers-learn-from-dance)
- [Should we try to bring extinct species back to life?, questions 18-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/should-we-try-to-bring-extinct-species-back-to-life)
- [Having a laugh, questions 32-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/having-a-laugh)
- [Henry Moore (1898-1986), questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/henry-moore-1898-1986)
- [The Desolenator: producing clean water, questions 21-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-desolenator-producing-clean-water)
- [Why fairy tales are really scary tales, questions 32-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-fairy-tales-are-really-scary-tales)
- [The return of the huarango, questions 6-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-return-of-the-huarango)
- [Silbo Gomero - the whistle 'language' of the Canary Islands, questions 20-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/silbo-gomero-the-whistle-language-of-the-canary-islands)
- [The growth of bike-sharing schemes around the world, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-growth-of-bike-sharing-schemes-around-the-world)
- [Motivational factors and the hospitality industry, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/motivational-factors-and-the-hospitality-industry)
- [Alexander Henderson (1831-1913), questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/alexander-henderson-1831-1913)
- [Back to the future of skyscraper design, questions 19-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/back-to-the-future-of-skyscraper-design)
- [Saving bugs to find new drugs, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/saving-bugs-to-find-new-drugs)
- [The power of play, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-power-of-play)
- [Marine Debris Impact Study, questions 34-39](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/marine-debris-impact-study)
- [Why being bored is stimulating - and useful, too, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-being-bored-is-stimulating-and-useful-too)
- [Oxytocin, questions 21-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/oxytocin)
- [How baby talk gives infant brains a boost, questions 18-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-baby-talk-gives-infant-brains-a-boost)
- [Whatever happened to the Harappan Civilisation?, questions 32-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/whatever-happened-to-the-harappan-civilisation)
- [Book Review, questions 30-34](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/book-review)
- [Cork, questions 6-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/cork)
- [What's the purpose of gaining knowledge?, questions 33-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/whats-the-purpose-of-gaining-knowledge)
- [Flying tortoises, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/flying-tortoises)
- [Bring back the big cats, questions 19-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/bring-back-the-big-cats)
- [Reducing the Effects of Climate Change, questions 30-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/reducing-the-effects-of-climate-change)
- [What destroyed the civilisation of Easter Island?, questions 21-24](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/what-destroyed-the-civilisation-of-easter-island)
- [Neuroaesthetics, questions 31-33](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/neuroaesthetics)
- [Great Migrations, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/great-migrations)
- [Research using twins, questions 10-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/research-using-twins)
- ['This Marvellous Invention', questions 33-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/this-marvellous-invention)
- [Stepwells, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/stepwells)
- [Autumn leaves, questions 19-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/autumn-leaves)
- [The history of the tortoise, questions 34-39](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-history-of-the-tortoise)
- [Attitudes to language, questions 9-12](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/attitudes-to-language)
- [Information theory - the big idea, questions 33-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/information-theory-the-big-idea)
- [The life and work of Marie Curie, questions 7-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-life-and-work-of-marie-curie)
- [Young children's sense of identity, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/young-childrens-sense-of-identity)
- [TELEPATHY, questions 31-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/telepathy)
- [THE LITTLE ICE AGE, questions 18-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-little-ice-age)
- [Striking Back at Lightning With Lasers, questions 7-10](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/striking-back-at-lightning-with-lasers)
- [HOW DOES THE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK TICK?, questions 33-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-does-the-biological-clock-tick)
- [Let's Go Bats, questions 6-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/lets-go-bats)
- [EDUCATING PSYCHE, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/educating-psyche)
- [The True Cost of Food, questions 22-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-true-cost-of-food)
- [Ant Intelligence, questions 7-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/ant-intelligence)
- [Pulling strings to build pyramids, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/pulling-strings-to-build-pyramids)
- [EFFECTS OF NOISE, questions 30-34](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/effects-of-noise)
- [DELIVERING THE GOODS, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/delivering-the-goods)
- [Climate Change and the Inuit, questions 33-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/climate-change-and-the-inuit)
- [The Search for the Anti-aging Pill, questions 38-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-search-for-the-anti-aging-pill)
- [How to Prevent Bullying, questions 35-39](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-to-prevent-bullying)
- [Johnson's Dictionary, questions 4-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/johnsons-dictionary)
- [The Truth about the Environment, questions 38-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-truth-about-the-environment)
- [BAKELITE, questions 4-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/bakelite)
- [The Birth of Scientific English, questions 38-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-birth-of-scientific-english)
- [Disappearing Delta, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/disappearing-delta)
- [The Impact of Wilderness Tourism, questions 10-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-impact-of-wilderness-tourism)
- [Flawed Beauty: the problem with toughened glass, questions 18-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/flawed-beauty-the-problem-with-toughened-glass)
- [Visual Symbols and the Blind, questions 33-39](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/visual-symbols-and-the-blind)
- [Micro-Enterprise Credit for Street Youth, questions 5-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/micro-enterprise-credit-for-street-youth)
- [Volcanoes - Earth-Shattering News, questions 22-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/volcanoes-earth-shattering-news)
- [Obtaining Linguistic Data, questions 32-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/obtaining-linguistic-data)
- [Obtaining Linguistic Data, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/obtaining-linguistic-data)
- [The Nature and Aims of Archaeology, questions 24-27](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-nature-and-aims-of-archaeology)
- [A Remarkable Beetle, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-remarkable-beetle)
- [VOTES FOR WOMEN, questions 17-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/votes-for-women)
- [Measuring Organisational Performance, questions 31-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/measuring-organisational-performance)
- [AIRPORTS ON WATER, questions 10-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/airports-on-water)
- [IMPLEMENTING THE CYCLE OF SUCCESS: A CASE STUDY, questions 6-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/implementing-the-cycle-of-success-a-case-study)
- [ABSENTEEISM IN NURSING: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/absenteeism-in-nursing-a-longitudinal-study)
- [Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping, questions 10-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/green-wave-washes-over-mainstream-shopping)
- [Right and left-handedness in humans, questions 8-10](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/right-and-left-handedness-in-humans)
- [The changing role of airports, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-changing-role-of-airports)
- [IS PHOTOGRAPHY ART?, questions 31-34](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/is-photography-art)
- [The Flavor of Pleasure, questions 6-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-flavor-of-pleasure)
- [Dawn of the robots, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/dawn-of-the-robots)
- [It's your choice! - Or is it really?, questions 32-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/its-your-choice-or-is-it-really)
- [SECRETS OF THE SWARM, questions 10-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/secrets-of-the-swarm)
- [When conversations flow, questions 33-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/when-conversations-flow)
- [Homer's Literary Legacy, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/homers-literary-legacy)
- [Science in Space, questions 36-39](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/science-in-space)
- [Why Are Finland's Schools Successful?, questions 7-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-are-finlands-schools-successful)
- [The Swiffer, questions 35-39](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-swiffer)
- [The Hollywood Film Industry, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-hollywood-film-industry)
- [Left or right?, questions 31-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/left-or-right)
- [The Rise of Rooftop Farms, questions 9-11](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-rise-of-rooftop-farms)
- [Why We Remember Some Dreams, questions 25-27](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-we-remember-dreams)
- [Building a Simple Water Clock, questions 31-33](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/building-a-simple-water-clock)
- [Building a Simple Water Clock, questions 34-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/building-a-simple-water-clock)

## The short answer

Summary completion gives you a shortened version of part of the passage with gaps in it. You fill the gaps either with words taken from the passage, inside a printed word limit, or by choosing from a list of options. IELTS lists it as one type across summary, note, table and flow-chart shapes, and it tests whether you followed the details or main ideas of that part. Each gap is worth one mark, and spelling counts when you take the word from the text.

## Key facts

- **Paper:** Reading
- **Module:** Academic and General Training
- **Marks:** 1 per gap, out of 40
- **Two versions:** Words from the passage, or a word list
- **Spelling:** Scored when you take the word from the passage

Formats, timings and marking come from IELTS's own test-format pages, checked 27 September 2026.

## How it's scored

The summary covers one part of the passage, not all of it, and it follows that part in order. Find where the summary starts in the text and the gaps come at you in sequence.

When the answers come from the passage, the word limit is printed above the questions and your answer has to fit inside it. When they come from a list, the list is longer than the number of gaps, so some options exist only to be rejected.

> Read the gap sentence and decide the word class before you look for the word. A gap after an article needs a noun, and that alone rules out most of a word list.

## Summary, note, table and flow-chart completion examples

Worked examples written for this page. Answer each one before you open the model response: memorizing a response is scored as an irrelevant answer in the real test.

**Example 1 -- the word class does the work**

> The first commercial refrigerated ship sailed from Argentina in 1877 carrying frozen beef. The technology changed what farmers grew: land that had been used for wheat near the ports was turned over to cattle within a decade, and the ports themselves expanded to handle the traffic.
> 
> Summary: Refrigeration made shipping frozen beef possible, and farmers near the ports replaced {1} with {2} within ten years.

Prompt: Complete the summary with ONE WORD from the passage for each gap.

- Blank 1: wheat
- Blank 2: cattle

Model response: wheat, then cattle.

Why it scores: Both gaps need nouns, and the sentence in the passage gives them in the same order. The summary paraphrases "within a decade" as "within ten years", which is the kind of change that does not affect the answer.

**Example 2 -- the distractor in the word list**

> The first commercial refrigerated ship sailed from Argentina in 1877 carrying frozen beef. The technology changed what farmers grew: land that had been used for wheat near the ports was turned over to cattle within a decade, and the ports themselves expanded to handle the traffic.
> 
> Summary: The ports had to be {1} to cope with the new trade.

Prompt: Choose the word that fits the gap.

- Blank 1: enlarged / refrigerated / frozen / commercial -- enlarged

Model response: enlarged, paraphrasing "the ports themselves expanded".

Why it scores: Three of the four options are words from the passage, which is what makes them tempting. Only one is a paraphrase of what the passage says about the ports.

**Example 3 -- the limit decides the answer**

> The first commercial refrigerated ship sailed from Argentina in 1877 carrying frozen beef. The technology changed what farmers grew: land that had been used for wheat near the ports was turned over to cattle within a decade, and the ports themselves expanded to handle the traffic.
> 
> Summary: The ship left Argentina carrying {1} beef.

Prompt: Complete the summary with ONE WORD ONLY.

- Blank 1: frozen

Model response: frozen. "Commercial refrigerated" is two words and describes the ship, not the cargo.

Why it scores: The limit is part of the question. When two answers look possible, the one that fits the limit and the grammar is the one being asked for.

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## Common mistakes

| What costs marks | Do this instead |
| --- | --- |
| Writing more words than the limit allows. | Read the instruction above the questions first. An answer over the limit is not the answer they asked for. |
| Changing the form of the word. | When the answer comes from the passage, copy it as it is written. Adding a plural or changing the tense loses the mark. |
| Hunting for the gap word before reading the sentence. | Decide the word class and the meaning first. It cuts a word list in half before you look at the passage. |
| Searching the whole passage for every gap. | Find where the summary starts, then read forward. The gaps follow the passage in order. |

**Know what the marks are worth** Reading and Listening are 40 marks each. The band calculator turns a mark out of 40 into a band, and four skill bands into your overall. [Open the IELTS band calculator](/ielts/band-score-calculator)

## How to practice

1. Take a paragraph and write your own one-sentence summary with two gaps in it. Swap with a study partner and answer each other's.
2. Do a set where you write the word class above every gap before reading the passage, then check how many gaps that alone decided.
3. Practice copying answers exactly, including capitals and hyphens. Most lost marks on this type are transcription, not comprehension.

## Common questions

### Do summary completion answers have to come from the passage?

In one version, yes: you take the words from the text, inside the printed word limit. In the other, you choose from a list of options, which is longer than the number of gaps.

### Can I change the word to fit the grammar?

No. Copy it as it appears. If it does not fit, it is usually the wrong word rather than the wrong form.

### Does the summary cover the whole passage?

Usually only one part of it. Locate where it starts, then work forward, because the gaps follow the order of the text.

**Sources**
- [IELTS: Academic Reading test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-academic-format-reading)
- [IELTS: General Training Reading test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-general-training-test/ielts-general-training-format-reading)

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