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IELTS / Guides / Reading · Summary completion from a box
IELTS Reading · Guide

Summary Completion from a Box in IELTS Reading: choosing the right word

You complete a summary by choosing words from a list, A to I or similar, and writing the letter. The words in the box are rarely those of the passage; they are synonyms or near-synonyms. It tests vocabulary and paraphrase as much as comprehension, and the extra words in the box are built to tempt you.

About Reading practice

Format

  • Usually 5 to 7 gaps with a box of 7 to 10 words. There are always more words than gaps.
  • You choose a letter, not a word. On computer you select or drag from the list.
  • The summary normally follows the order of the passage, so the gaps lead you through the text.
  • There is no word limit because the words come from the box, but each word can be used only once.
  • Several box words are often the same part of speech, so grammar alone will not give the answer.

Strategy

  1. Read the summary once without looking at the box, and decide what is missing in each gap in your own words: 'a reason', 'something that increased', 'a kind of tool'.
  2. Predict the word class from the grammar: a noun after 'the', a verb after 'to', an adjective before a noun. Then look at the box and cross out words of the wrong class.
  3. Find the corresponding sentence in the passage, in order. The passage sentence will show you the meaning that is needed, but in different words.
  4. State the idea in your own words, then choose the box word that matches. 'Rapidly increased' in the passage may become 'surged' or 'grew' in the box.
  5. Choose by meaning first and grammar second. If two words fit grammatically, decide by the difference in meaning and the evidence in the passage.
  6. Cross off each word as you use it, but do not rely on elimination alone; check each choice by reading the sentence back.
  7. Use the last gaps to check the extras: any word left in the box should not fit anywhere.

Common traps

  • Choosing the box word that appears in the passage. The box words are usually paraphrases, so an exact match is a warning.
  • Choosing a word that fits the grammar and also loosely fits the meaning, when the passage supports a more exact one.
  • Ignoring word class, so that you put a noun where an adjective belongs, for instance.
  • Rushing the early gaps and using a word needed later. Each word can only be used once.
  • Guessing from your general knowledge of the topic instead of from the evidence in the passage.

Practise it inside a real Reading section

Practice on PrepFreely is always a complete section, so you meet this question type in the same place and proportion as on test day. Random sections never repeat until you've done them all. Every answer is explained.

Practise Reading Take the Reading course

FAQ

Do I write the word or its letter?

The letter. On computer you select or drag the word from the box.

Are there more words than gaps?

Yes. Some words will not be used.

Can I use a word more than once?

No. Each word in the box is used at most once.

Are the box words in the passage?

Not usually. They are synonyms or paraphrases, so an exact match is more likely a distractor.

Do the gaps follow the order of the passage?

Normally yes, which is how you locate them.

More IELTS Reading guides

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