Summary Completion IELTS Listening

IELTS Listening test majorly comprises six question types. It is essential to practice constantly to excel in all of the question types. Summary completion IELTS listening is one of the various combinations of task types such as flow chart completion. Practice the summary completion tasks to get a high band score in the IELTS listening.

In Summary Completion IELTS listening, you will be given a summary based on the audio with some gaps. You have to listen to the recording and select the appropriate words or numbers to fill in the gaps. Use the summary completion practice questions given to tackle one of the important IELTS listening question types. 

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Table of Contents: 

• Summary Completion IELTS Listening Practice Tests
• IELTS Listening Summary Completion Tips
• Strategy to Solve Summary Completion IELTS Listening
• Practice test with Explanation
• Answers for Summary Completion Practice Tests
• Conclusion
• FAQ

Summary Completion IELTS Listening Questions

Summary means a concise description of main ideas or facts of something. In the listening test, you will be given a summary of the recording. The audio recording is either monologue or conversation such as a lecture on the Amazon Rainforest or Sydney Opera house. Your task is to fill the missed words in the summary. We provided three IELTS listening summary completion practice sample tests. 

IELTS Listening Summary Completion Question - Sample 1

Questions 31-40

Complete the summary below. write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer. 

 

IELTS Listening Summary Completion Question - Sample 2

Questions 35-40

Complete the summary below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Use the given sample tests for your IELTS listening summary completion practice. Check the answers at the end of the article to get the feedback. It will help you to identify the problems in the answering process you are using to solve summary completion listening questions. 

Check out IELTS listening band score to cover various aspects of the IELTS listening test

IELTS Listening Summary Completion Tips

We have given the IELTS listening summary completion tips, below. Use these tips while  answering the questions to develop your summary completion skills for the IELTS listening test.

• Read the summary before listening to the audio recording. Note what sort of words are required to complete the summary. It could be noun, adjective, verb, number, etc., It prepares you for choosing the right words while listening.
• Pay attention to the instructions carefully. The word limit will be mentioned in the instructions section. For example: Complete the summary using no more than one word and/or a number.
• Prime your mind by predicting the possible words that could fill the gaps in the summary. This exercise can help you to identify the appropriate words while listening to the recording. 
• Identify the keywords in the summary which would help you to spot the answer when the speaker uses those words. 
• It is found that lots of students struggle with six vocabulary types - numbers, time, dates, letters, addresses, and prices. So, when listening to a recording focus on the mentioned vocabulary types. 
• Use the skimming technique to grasp the overall idea of the summary. It can prime your what sort of information you will expect in audio recording and can pick an appropriate portion. 
• Concentration is the key. Listen to the recording actively to comprehend the content well. Also, you can pick up words from the audio itself.
• Don’t divert your attention by focusing on the accent. Rather, focus on what they are saying.
• Take notes while listening to the recording. It can make the answering process easier in the IELTS listening test.

Read IELTS listening tips to crack the IELTS Listening test

Strategy to solve Summary Completion IELTS Listening

1: Read the Instructions carefully

Read the instructions completely and start answering the questions. Especially, Pay attention to the word limit mentioned in the instructions. And, make sure your answer is within the word limit. Your answer will be marked incorrect if you use more words than what is mentioned.

2. Check a title

Not all questions have a title. But, if the title is given to the set of questions, it will be helpful. It gives you the context to the questions. It acts as a clue to the information you’ll expect in the audio recording. It primes your mind to absorb the required information to answer the questions.

3. Order of the Answers

In the recording, you can find the answers in the same order as questions listed. For example, you can identify the answer for the 35th question before the 36th question. It will make the process of finding answers easier. If they are in random order, it will be difficult to tackle. 

4. Try to Predict the Answers

Predict the answers for the given questions. It will train your mind to look at what sort of information you need to find in the recording. Sometimes, you can predict the actual word. The most common type of information that you’ll expect as an answer are,

• Person name
• Place name
• Number
• Date

5. Paraphrasing and Synonyms

You will not find the same words contained in the summary in recording. The synonyms and paraphrased words will be used in the recording to test your listening skills. So, in your IELTS preparation, highlight the key words in the summary and think of related words. If you can’t find it, then look for the synonyms, it will increase your vocabulary knowledge.

6. Be Aware of Distractors

The examiners could use distractors to test your comprehension capacity. A distractor is simply a word or phrase that alters or corrects the meaning of the sentences. Majorly, ‘but’ and ‘however’ are used as a distractors. So, exclusively pay attention to the section where you hear those distractors. 

7. Double Check you answers

After you write down the answers, check the spellings and whether you wrote down the answers in the right order. It is possible to use the wrong spellings while you are writing answers. So,  checking the answers in the answer sheet will be truly helpful to avoid such blunders. 

Read IELTS listening words to perform well in the IELTS listening test.

Practice Test With Explanation

You will have some time to read the questions before hearing the audio recording. Read the summary and understand what type of information is required to fill the gaps. Listen to the audio attentively and answer the questions in a careful manner. 

Questions 31-36

Complete the summary below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer

Answers:

31. 690

Summary: The Australian mining town of Coober Pedy is about (31) _______ km south of Alice Springs.

Recording: The desert town of opal mines and underground living which lies 860 km north of adelaide and 690 km south of alice springs

Explanation: Coober Pedy is referred to as the opal capital of the world. In recording, there is a term, ‘opal mines’ which is related to the Coober Pedy. It is also mentioned that ‘690 km south of alice springs’

32. 1915

Summary: Opals were first found in the area in (32)_______

Recording: Harsh climate and almost total lack of water made it a highly unlikely place for human habitation but that all started to change in 1915 with the discovery there of opals, the precious stones which seem to change colour according to their surroundings.

Explanation: We can equate the ‘first found’ to the word ‘discovery’. Hence, the discovery of opals in 1915 gives us the answer for the 32nd question.

33. First World War

Summary: ….and people began to settle there after the (33)________. 

Recording: Settlements were established following the first world war when soldiers returning from the trenches of france brought with them the techniques of living below ground in dugouts

Explanation: The essence of the following phrases in summary and recording is the same.

“People began to settle there after the”

“Settlements were established following the first world war”

Hence, the answer is the first world war. 

34. Europe

Summary: In the late 1940s new opal fields and mass immigration from (34)_______

Recording: The depression of the 1920s and 30s led to many prospectors leaving but the town boomed again in the late 1940s when shallow new opal fields were discovered and immigrants from Europe arrived in large numbers.

Explanation: ‘Mass’ and ‘large numbers’ express the same meaning. In this way, we can derive that Europe is the answer.

35. 70%

Summary: …created a boom, despite the extreme climate which forced about (35)_______ of the population to live underground,

Recording:  …the temperature remains at a comfortable 25 degrees all year round so that eventually around seventy percent of the town's inhabitants had made their homes beneath the surface

Explanation: The following words and phrases are being used as a synonyms and paraphrases: 

Population - Town’s inhabitants

Underground - beneath the surface

This accordance of the meaning explains why the 70% or seventy percent is the answer. 

36. Shopping Centre

Summary: …where they built hotels, churches and the world's only
underground (36) ______

Recording: …this led to the construction of hotels and even churches below ground as well as an entire underground shopping center, the only one in the world perhaps not surprisingly this has now led to the emergence of a secondary industry…

Explanation: It is directly mentioned in the recording as “underground shopping center”. 

Answers for Summary Completion Questions

Check out the answers for the three summary completion sample practice tests. We also attached appropriate lines in the recording with answers for the purpose of understanding. 

Answers for the IELTS Listening Summary Completion Question - Sample 1

31. Extinct
32. Endangered
33. Habitats
34. Increasing/growing
35. Food
36. Survival
37. Project/Conserve
38. Beauty
39. Home
40. Support

Answers for the IELTS Listening Summary Completion Question - Sample 2

35. Smart cards
36. Computer
37. Comfortable
38. Detailed Information
39. Suburban
40. Environmental Issues

Do our IELTS Listening practice test to develop your listening skills

Download Summary completion IELTS reading practice PDF for your future reference

Conclusion

We have given tips, strategies and practice tests in this “Summary Completion IELTS Listening” article. Include this as a part of your IELTS preparation. It can prepare you for the IELTS listening exam. Make sure to check out other IELTS materials on our website. 

Check Other IELTS Listening Question types

• IELTS Listening Matching Questions
• IELTS Listening Multiple Choice Questions
• IELTS Listening Note Completion
• IELTS Listening Table Completion
• IELTS Listening Form Completion
• IELTS Listening Sentence Completion
• IELTS Listening Short Answer Questions
• IELTS Listening Map And Plan Labelling
• IELTS Listening Diagram Labelling
• IELTS Listening Flow Chart Completion

FAQ - Summary Completion in IELTS Listening

1. Do IELTS Listening answers come in order in summary completion questions ?

Yes, the questions are designed in such a way that answers appear in the order as you hear in the audio. 

2. Will marks be reduced if I am giving the wrong answer ?

No, there are no negative marks for an incorrect answer. So, it is better to make an educated guess rather than leaving it a blank space. 

3. What sort of recordings do I receive in IELTS listening summary completion questions ?

You will get monologue or conversation based audio recording irrespective of question types. The content will range from lectures to conversations on everyday social context. 

4. What is the major tip to crack summary completion listening questions ?

Reading the summary and getting an overall idea is the prime way to identify the answers in the recording. Also, make sure to read the instructions before answering the questions. 

5. Can I read the questions before listening to the audio ?

Yes, you will have some time to read the questions before listening to the audio. It is advantageous in a way that students can understand what sort of information to pick out as an answer.