IELTS general reading sentence completion

Table of contents

1. IELTS general reading sentence completion
2. IELTS general reading sentence completion- Strategies & tips to solve
3. Skills required to solve sentence completion question
4. Common challenges faced while answering sentence completion question
5. Sentence completion practice exercise 1
6. Sentence completion practice exercise 2
7. Answers for practice exercises
8. Conclusion

The IELTS general reading sentence completion is a tricky question type. This section requires you to read and understand the questions correctly and fill the blanks with suitable words. You have to read through the passage to find the right words to answer the question. You will be given instructions that need to be carefully followed while answering the questions. We have provided some tips in this article to help you answer the questions easily.

The IELTS general reading sentence question type tests your thinking and language skills. You have to fill in the blanks with the correct words to make the sentence meaningful. You should complete the sentence with the missing words without exceeding the word limit.

IELTS general reading sentence completion is an important section in the IELTS general reading question types. This article covers all that's needed to help you crack the IELTS general reading section. We believe that this article will be sufficient for you to understand the tips and strategies required to solve the sentence completion questions.

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IELTS general reading sentence completion - strategies and tips to solve

You can see below the 12 expert tips & strategies to clear the IELTS academic reading sentence completion section. The IELTS general reading sentence completion - strategies and tips will give you confidence to tackle the questions easily.

1. Before you start answering the questions, read the given instructions carefully.
2. You should fill the blanks with the correct words from the passage
3. If you have any doubts, read the passage again.
4. Read the passage thoroughly and find the answers
5. The answer should not exceed the given word limit
6. Don't waste more time on one question. If you didn't get the answer, move on to the next question.
7. Don't repeat any word from the question in the answer
8. Make your vocabulary better before you go for the exam
9. Locate the information fast by scanning the passage quickly
10. Check the spelling when you write the answers
11. Try to predict the answer before reading the passage and then read the passage carefully.
12. Remember the tips and strategies during the exam and quickly answer the section.

Following these IELTS general reading sentence completion - strategies and tips will help you to score high marks in the exam.

Also read: IELTS reading tips

Skills required to solve sentence completion question

You should develop certain skills to solve the sentence completion questions.

• Patience to read the passage multiple times 
• Scanning for the right keywords 
• Identifying the synonyms of words
• Good vocabulary
• Understanding the instructions and answering the questions
• Time management
• Focus and attention to detail

Common challenges faced while answering sentence completion question

Understand the challenges of answering sentence completion questions to prepare better for the exam.

• Not able to manage time
• Not reading the tips and instructions carefully
• Not looking for synonyms or related words
• Not understanding the paraphrased sentences
• Wasting time trying to locate the exact word before the blank

Sentence Completion Practice Exercise 1

Answer questions 1-5 which are based on the reading passage below.

Rapid Police Response Reading Passage

Police bureau in the USA and Canada believe it is important to respond to calls for help as fast as possible. The ability to act fast has been improved with the help of tech­nology. The phone and radio, already in use, is useful in reducing police response time. Recently, the '911' emergency system was introduced, which allows the people easier and quicker contact with police, and the use of police computer systems, that allows police to plan patrols and assign emergency calls to the police officers closest to the location of the emergency.

As an important part of police strategy, rapid police response is seen by police officers and the public alike as offering tremendous benefits. The best benefits of rapid response are the ability of police to apply first-aid life-saving techniques fast and the greater chance of arresting people who have committed a crime. It aids in finding those who witnessed an emergency or crime, and to collect evidence. The overall prestige of a police force is enhanced if a rapid response is persistent, and this in itself leads to prevention of crime. Rapid response offers the public some level of trust in the police force.

While these may be the expected results of rapid police response, actual research has not shown it to be quite so useful. For eg., it has been shown that rapid response leads to a greater chance of arrest only if the police responds in the order of 1-2 minutes after a call is received by the police. Even when the times increase to 3-4 minutes (still quite a rapid response) the likelihood of an arrest is sub­stantially reduced. Similarly, in recognising witnesses to emergencies or crimes, police are far more likely to be fortunate if they arrive at the scene no more than 4 minutes, on average, after receiving a request for help. Still both police officers and the public outline  'rapid response' as reaching to the spot up to 10-12 minutes after calling the police for help.

Questions 1-5

Complete the sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. 

1 In the USA and Canada, it is important for the _____ to respond to calls for help as fast as possible.
2 The ________ was introduced, which allows people easier and quicker contact with police.
3 One of the best benefits of rapid response is the ability of police to apply ______ life-saving techniques fast. 
4. Rapid response offers the public ________ in the police force.
5. A rapid response leads to a greater chance of arrest only if the police respond within ________ after a call is received by the police. 

Check answer for this exercise

Sentence Completion Practice Exercise 2

Answer questions 1-5 which are based on the reading passage below.

Hunting Perfume in Madagascar Reading Passage

Ever since the unguentari started their trade in ancient Rome, perfumers have to keep up with the changing fashions. These days they have thousands of ingredients to choose from when creating new scents, but there is always a need for new combinations. The bigger the smell, the better the perfumer’s chance of creating something fresh and appealing. Even with daily use products such as shampoo, soap, kitchen cleaners and washing powders, consumers are becoming increasingly hard to please. And many of today’s fragrances have to survive tougher competition than before, preventing the destructive power of bleach or a high temperature wash cycle. Chemists can make new smells from synthetic materials, and an increasing number of the fragrances on the perfumer’s palette are artificial.

Madagascar island is an evolutionary hotspot; 85% of its plants are unique, making it the best source for novel fragrances. Last October, Quest International, a company that makes fragrances for everything, from the most delicate perfumes to cleaning products, sent a group of people to Madagascar to find some of nature’s most novel fragrances. With some simple technology, taken from the pollution monitoring industry, and a fair amount of ingenuity, the perfume hunters got twenty promising new aromas from the Madagascar rainforest. Each day the team set out from their “hotel”, and went up and down paths and animal tracks, exploring the forest up to 10 metres on either side of the trail. Some smells came from big flowers within easy reach. Others were harder to get. “Often it was the tiny flowers that were much more interesting, '' says Clery. 

Questions 1-5

Complete the sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. 

1 After the unguentari started their trade in ________, perfumers have to keep up with the changing fashions. 

2 ________ can make new smells from synthetic materials, and an increasing number of the fragrances on the perfumer’s palette are artificial.

3 Madagascar island is an evolutionary hotspot; 85% of its plants are unique, making it the best source for ________.

4 Last October, ________, a company that makes fragrances for everything, from the most delicate perfumes to cleaning products, sent a group of people to Madagascar to find some of nature’s most novel fragrances.

5 With some simple technology, taken from the ________ industry, and a fair amount of ingenuity, the perfume hunters got twenty promising new aromas from the Madagascar rainforest.

Check answer for this exercise

Answers for Practice Exercises

Find the answers with explanations given below for all the three above practice exercises and check your answers. 

Rapid Police Response Reading Answers

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the regular font explains the answer in detail.)

1. Police bureau

Explanation: Police bureau in the USA and Canada believe it is important to respond to calls for help as fast as possible. 

2. 911 Emergency system

Explanation: Recently, the '911' emergency system was introduced, which allows the people easier and quicker contact with police, and the use of police computer systems, that allows police to plan patrols and assign emergency calls to the police officers closest to the location of the emergency.

3. First-aid

Explanation: The best benefits of rapid response are the ability of police to apply first-aid life-saving techniques fast and the greater chance of arresting people who have committed a crime.

4. Trust

Explanation: Rapid response offers the public some level of trust in the police force.

5. 1-2 minutes

Explanation: For eg., it has been shown that rapid response leads to a greater chance of arrest only if the police responds in the order of 1-2 minutes after a call is received by the police.

Hunting Perfume in Madagascar Reading Answers

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the regular font explains the answer in detail.)

1. Ancient Rome

Explanation: Ever since the unguentari started their trade in ancient Rome, perfumers have to keep up with the changing fashions.

2. Chemists

Explanation: Chemists can make new smells from synthetic materials, and an increasing number of the fragrances on the perfumer’s palette are artificial.

3. Novel fragrances

Explanation: Madagascar island is an evolutionary hotspot; 85% of its plants are unique, making it the best source for novel fragrances. 

4. Quest International

Explanation: Last October, Quest International, a company that makes fragrances for everything, from the most delicate perfumes to cleaning products, sent a group of people to Madagascar to find some of nature’s most novel fragrances. 

5. Pollution monitoring

Explanation: With some simple technology, taken from the pollution monitoring industry, and a fair amount of ingenuity, the perfume hunters got twenty promising new aromas from the Madagascar rainforest.

Also check IELTS general reading short answer question

Conclusion

The skill building exercises given in this article will help you to achieve the best score in the IELTS general reading sentence completion. Practice the given mock tests multiple times to improve your skimming, scanning, understanding, paraphrasing and answering skills.