IELTS General Reading Table Completion

Table of Contents

1. IELTS General Reading Table Completion
2. IELTS General Reading Table Completion - Strategies & tips to solve
3. Skills required to solve table completion
4. Common challenges faced while answering table completion
5. Table Completion Practice Exercise 1
6. Answers for Practice Exercise
7. Conclusion

In IELTS General Reading Table Completion, you will be given an incomplete table of information along with the reading passages. You are required to fill the missing information in the table by choosing the appropriate words within the passages. Understanding the table and choosing the right words is quite time consuming. You must know the tips and strategies to answer the table completion questions in an efficient manner. 

Table completion is one of the important and challenging IELTS general reading question types. In this article, you will find IELTS general reading table completion tips, strategies and skill building exercises to sharpen up your reading and answering skills. It can help you to attain a good IELTS general reading score. 

Check Out our YouTube Channel to Practice Full-Length IELTS Reading Tests Daily

IELTS General Reading Table Completion - Strategies & tips to solve

We provide you top 12 IELTS general reading table completion tips and strategies to answer the questions without need of much effort. These tips are recommended by IELTS specialists and they are as follows.

• Generally, in this task, you need to complete a table that summarizes some major points in the text. 
• You should read the instructions carefully to be aware of the word limit. 
• Read the categories or headings in the table to locate the relevant portion in the passage. 
• Sometimes, information in a table will not follow the order of the information that is presented in the passage. 
• Read the information in each cell of the table to understand the overall focus of the table. 
• Try to recognize what type of information is required to complete the table. It could be dates, names, action words or any other words which helpful to identify the relevant portion in the passage
• You must pick the word or words which make the information complete and appropriate according to the passage. 
• Do not write any words as your answer which is already presented in the question in a reworded form. Word form also should not be changed. 
• Try to visualize the answer where it will possibly be located. It will help you to identify the portion, where the answer contains. 
• Do not leave the answer sheet blank. At least, guess an answer and write it. There will be a chance you will get it right. Otherwise, leaving it blank will be put as the wrong answer.
• Highlight the words you have considered important in the table. It can navigate you through the passages. 
• Do not stress yourself to understand and grasp everything. Read the question and complete the necessary details. 

Also read: IELTS reading tips

These IELTS general reading table completion tips and strategies will reduce your complexity involved in answering the questions. It can help you to finish the IELTS reading test within a time limit. 

Skills required to solve table completion

• Skimming skill
• Ability to scan the passages
• Paraphrasing  ability
• Knowing good amount of synonyms

Common challenges faced while answering table completion

• Misspelling the words while writing an answer. 
• You might be confused with the paraphrased information.
• You may not be able to find the clues in the table.

Table Completion Practice Exercise 1

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

Black Holes Reading Passage

In space, a black hole is a region where the pulling force of gravity is so great that light is even unable to escape. The matter is compressed into a tiny space so strong gravity occurs. At the end of the star's life, compression will take place. Some black holes are formed as a result of dying stars.  Black holes are not visible to our eyes because no light can escape. . But, we can see the black holes using telescopes with special instruments. It enables us to observe the material and stars' behaviour that are very close to black holes. 

The size of black holes varies, but there are three major types of black holes. Both black holes’ mass and size will determine what type it is. Primordial black holes are considered as the smallest one. According to scientists, this kind of black hole size is as small as a single atom and with the mass of a large mountain. It is thought to have formed early in the universe after the big bang. “Stellar” is regarded as the most common medium-sized black holes. The mass of the stellar black hole is upto 20 times greater than the mass of the sun. In the Milky Way Galaxy, dozens of stellar black holes can exist. The largest black holes is referred to as “supermassive”. This kind of black holes masses are greater than 1 million suns combined. Sagittarius is the name for the supermassive black hole at the centre of the MIlky way galaxy. 

Questions 1 – 5

Complete the table below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

Black Hole (based on size)	Characteristics
Primordial black hole	It is considered 1_____ one out of all black holes Its size is small as single atom with mass of a 2_______
3_________	It is considered as the most common medium-sized black hole The mass of the black hole is upto 4______ greater than the mass of the sun.
Supermassive black hole	This black hole mass is 5______ than 1 million suns combined

Check answer for this exercise

Answers for Practice Exercise

Find the answers with explanations given below for the above practice exercise and check your answers. 

Black Holes 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 regular font explains the answer in detail.)

1.  Smallest

Explanation: Primordial black holes are considered as the smallest one.

2.   Largest mountain

Explanation: According to scientists, this kind of black hole size is as small as a single atom and with the mass of a large mountain. 

3.  Stellar

4.  20 times

Explanation: “Stellar” is regarded as the most common medium-sized black holes. The mass of the stellar black hole is upto 20 times greater than the mass of the sun. 

5.   1 million

Explanation: The largest black holes is referred to as “supermassive”. This kind of black holes masses are greater than 1 million suns combined.

Also check, IELTS general reading true false not given questions.

Conclusion

You can face the table completion questions confidently by implementing the tips and attempting the skill building exercises mentioned in this article. Practice the given mock tests several times to improve your skimming, scanning, understanding, paraphrasinga and answering skills.