IELTS Reading Summary Completion (Word Bank): tips and strategy
Complete a summary using choices from a word bank.
IELTS summary completion word list tasks give you a short summary of part of the passage and a box of options to fill its gaps. It tests whether you can follow the meaning of a section closely enough to spot paraphrases, because the options are rarely the passage's own words. Candidates lose marks by choosing options that fit the grammar of the summary but contradict what the passage says.
What you see on screen
Drag a word from the bank into each gap in the summary, or pick from dropdowns; the bank contains distractors. Bank words may differ in form from the passage.
How it is marked
One mark per gap, with no penalty for wrong picks from the bank. Each bank word fits only one gap properly.
How long to spend
Give a summary with four to six gaps about five to seven minutes, starting by finding which part of the passage the summary covers. If one gap is still open once the others are filled, decide between the remaining plausible options and move on rather than rereading the whole passage.
Strategy
- Read the full summary first; it condenses one passage section and its logic guides your choices.
- Label each gap's grammar before opening the bank, then filter candidates by word class.
- Cross off bank words placed confidently; a narrower field speeds up the difficult gaps.
- Check candidates against passage meaning, not just summary grammar, since both layers paraphrase.
Traps that cost marks
Filling by grammar alone; several bank words fit grammatically but only one fits the meaning.
Assuming every bank word must be used and forcing the leftovers in.
Worked example
A tool library lends equipment such as drills, ladders and garden shears in the same way that an ordinary library lends books. Members pay a small annual fee rather than buying items they might use only once or twice a year. Organisers say the biggest challenge is not theft, as many people assume, but damage: borrowed tools are often returned blunt or with missing parts. To reduce this, most libraries now run short workshops showing members how to clean and maintain equipment before they take it home.
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-H, below. A tool library allows members to borrow equipment in return for a 1 .......... fee, which costs less than buying tools they need only occasionally. Contrary to popular belief, the main problem organisers face is 2 .......... to equipment. As a result, many libraries now provide 3 .......... in tool care. A theft B yearly C damage D training E monthly F discounts G loans H sales
Answer: 1 B, 2 C, 3 D
Gap 1 needs an adjective, and both 'yearly' and 'monthly' fit the grammar, but only 'yearly' matches 'annual' in the passage. For gap 2 the tempting option is 'theft', because the passage mentions it, but it says the challenge is 'not theft' but damage, and 'theft to equipment' also reads badly. Gap 3 paraphrases 'short workshops', so 'training' is correct.
An original example written for this guide, not taken from a published test.
Questions candidates ask
- Can I use the same word from the box twice in summary completion?
- Normally no. Each gap has its own answer, and the box contains more options than there are gaps, so several options are left over. If two gaps seem to need the same word, reread both parts of the passage; one of them almost always calls for a different option that expresses a related but distinct idea.
- Do summary completion answers follow the order of the passage?
- Usually, but not always. A summary normally condenses one section of the passage, and its gaps tend to follow the order in which that section presents the ideas. Occasionally a summary covers the whole passage or rearranges points, so start by identifying where the summary begins and ends in the text, then look for each answer within that stretch.
- What is the difference between summary completion with and without a word list?
- Without a word list you copy words from the passage into each gap, so the word limit and exact spelling matter. With a word list you choose options from a box, so spelling is not an issue, but the options are often synonyms or different word forms rather than the passage's wording. The list version tests paraphrase recognition more than precise copying.
Now try it under exam conditions.
Practise Summary Completion (Word Bank) questions