IELTS Listening Sentence/Summary Completion Questions

Try to make use of these strategies and tips efficiently based on your learning style and you can crack these two question types.

1. Introduction to Sentence/Summary Completion Questions in IELTS Listening

In IELTS Listening Sentence and IELTS Listening Summary Completion Questions, you will be given a list of sentences or a short summary based on the audio clip. The vocabulary in the sentences or the summary will not appear in exactly the same way in the recording. Instead, synonyms and paraphrases are used to test both your vocabulary range and listening comprehension.

Normally, you have to fill in words within a sentence or a summary while listening to the recording to complete.

Through these IELTS Listening Sentence/Summary Completion Questions, examiners want to test your:

• listening comprehension
• ability to identify and understand keywords, synonyms and paraphrases

Despite the difficulty of these two question types, with the right strategies, you can master both IELTS Listening Sentence and IELTS Listening Summary Completion Questions successfully.

>>> Practice now: IELTS Listening Practice Test

2. IELTS Listening Sentence/Summary Completion Questions Strategies

2.1. Read the questions and requirements carefully

The instructions in all question types in IELTS Listening, especially Sentence Completion and Summary Completion Questions play a pivotal role in deciding whether your answers are accepted or not. The word limit will be described as ONLY ONE WORD or NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS or NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER, so make sure that your IELTS Listening Sentence answers respect these limits.

 

2.2. Read the incomplete sentences/summary and Identify keywords 

When preparing for IELTS Listening Summary or Sentence Completion, you must fully understand the meaning of the incomplete text. Take a few seconds to underline keywords and phrases in the sentences or summary. This helps you focus better while listening.

2.3. Predict the answers

Before the audio starts, try predicting the missing words in the IELTS Listening Sentence or Summary questions. Identify the type of word needed (noun, verb, adjective, number, etc.) and use context clues. Remember that predictions are only a guide—you must confirm answers by listening carefully to the recording.

For example, in the picture below, the first gap should be a verb because it stands behind the phrase “in order to” indicating a purpose. Besides, you can immediately guess “protect” for the blank on the basis of the sentence’s meaning (the army’s responsibility is to protect the emperor). 

Moreover, the audio will not use the same words or phrases as in the incomplete sentences or summary, hence, think of the possible synonyms and paraphrases that may appear.

For instance, the statement “football is the most favorite game all around the world” can become “wherever you go on earth, you will find no other sports that can beat the popularity of football” in the audio.

2.4. Listen and fill in the blanks

When the audio begins, concentrate on the context of the IELTS Listening Sentence or Summary task. Pay attention to synonyms, paraphrases, and contrast words. These often signal the correct answer.

2.5. Double-check answers

At the end of the test, you will have 10 minutes to transfer answers. Use this time to ensure your IELTS Listening Sentence and IELTS Listening Summary answers are spelled correctly and make grammatical sense.

3. Common Problems & Tips for IELTS Sentence/Summary Completion Questions 

 

Common Problems and Mistakes	Tips
1. Ignore the instructions Many candidates forget to take the instructions into consideration then lose a point because of going beyond the word limit.	Read the instructions in the first place. Be careful with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER. (Remember that numbers are written numerically, such as 40; and hyphenated words, such as garden-filled, count as one word.)
2. Leaving blank answers A predictive answer may gain you a point so don’t leave any answers blank	Write down your predictive answers on the answer sheet even when you are unsure about those
3. Looking for the exact same words or phrases in the recording after reading the incomplete sentences or the summary Changeable keywords are likely to be changed into different forms such as synonyms or paraphrases, hence, don’t try to find identical words or phrases when listening or you will miss the information	Think of and/or note down possible synonyms or paraphrases of keywords in the summary in the preparation step
4. Apply background knowledge or logic to answer the questions The IELTS Listening test focus on neither your background knowledge nor personal experience but your listening skill	Use the words and phrases mentioned in the audio only
5. Being trapped by the examiner Some linking words of contrast such as however, but, except, apart from, etc. can hinder your chance to get a point if you don’t listen carefully to the information    (e.g. “The venue is most famous for its operatic performances but pop concerts are equally as popular today.”)	Listen carefully to the information mentioned and pay more attention to the contrast words since the answers are often located after these words

> > > Read more: IELTS listening map

Other tips for IELTS Listening Sentence/Summary Completion Questions:

• Answers come in order, so follow the sequence of IELTS Listening Sentence and IELTS Listening Summary questions.

• A stuck question can be solved after the audio since you have 10 minutes in the end to check all the answers. Therefore, don’t stay on one question for such a long time
• Based on the grammatical structure, context, etc. to guess the answers beforehand and check the answers after the recording
• Pay particular attention to the words that come before and after the gap to help you notice when the information you are waiting for is mentioned

Mastering both IELTS Listening Sentence and IELTS Listening Summary Completion Questions can significantly boost your listening band score. With practice, strategies, and attention to detail, you’ll turn these tricky tasks into scoring opportunities.

Don’t waste a minute but use IELTS TEST PRO and practice with us now!