IELTS · Guides · October 23, 2026 · 4 min read

IELTS Reading sentence completion and short-answer questions: word limits and examples

Sentence completion, note completion and short-answer questions all work the same way: you copy words from the passage to finish a sentence, fill a line of notes or answer a question. There is no list to choose from, so the marks are lost in two places: the word limit and copying exactly. The answers follow the order of the text, which makes these some of the most reliable marks in the Reading test.

Three forms, one skill

The answers come in the order of the text for sentence completion and short answers. Notes usually cover one part of the passage, and their answers usually follow the text too.

Read the word limit first

The instruction always tells you how many words you may write:

• ONE WORD ONLY: exactly one word.
• ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER: a word, a number, or a word and a number (3 tunnels).
• NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS: one or two words.
• NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER: up to three words, plus a number if needed.

An answer over the limit is marked wrong even if it contains the right word. A hyphenated word (well-known) counts as one. Numbers can be written in figures or in words.

Method

1. Read the word limit and circle it.
2. Read the sentence or question and predict the answer type: a noun, a number, a date, a place, an adjective. For short answers, the question word helps: when → a time, what → a thing, who → a person or group.
3. Scan for the place in the text. Look for names, numbers and the paraphrased idea, then read that part carefully.
4. Copy the word or words exactly, with the same spelling and the same form (engineers, not engineer), unless the grammar of the sentence clearly needs a different form that also appears in the text.
5. Read the completed sentence. It must be grammatical and say the same as the passage. In a short answer, the words must answer the question, nothing more.

A worked example

The Thames Tunnel in London, the first tunnel known to have been built under a navigable river, took eighteen years to complete. Work began in 1825 under Marc Brunel, who used an iron frame, or shield, to protect the workers from the soft, wet ground above them. The river broke in several times, and work stopped completely for seven years when money ran out. When it finally opened in 1843, it was used by pedestrians, as there was no money left to build the ramps needed for carriages.

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

1. Workers were protected from the ground by an iron ____.
2. Building was halted for ____ because of a lack of funds.

Answer the questions. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

3. Who used the tunnel when it opened?
4. What could not be built because of a lack of money?

Answers:

1. frame (or shield). The passage gives both words, and either fits the gap. Iron frame would repeat iron, which is already in the sentence.
2. seven years. Two words, within the limit. 7 years is also correct.
3. pedestrians.
4. ramps or the ramps. The ramps needed for carriages is five words and over the limit.

Common mistakes

• Going over the limit, especially by copying a whole phrase from the text.
• Changing the word. If the text says pedestrians, do not write walkers. The answer must come from the passage.
• Spelling. Copy letter by letter. A misspelled word loses the mark.
• Repeating words that are already in the sentence, which can push the answer over the limit.
• Leaving gaps blank. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.

Practise on real-format texts

Sentence completion:

• The cat that walked in: no more than two words
• The press that changed the world: two words and/or a number
• Machines at the chessboard

Short-answer questions:

• Sleeping on it: no more than three words and/or a number
• Rainforests of the sea
• A short history of glass

Note completion: Under the river, under the sea, on the Thames and Channel tunnels.

When the gaps are in a summary, see summary completion; when the endings are given, see matching sentence endings. The IELTS Reading guide covers every question type and the band score tables.

Common questions

Do I need articles like “the”? Only if they are part of the answer and within the limit. Ramps and the ramps are both accepted when the limit allows.

Is British or American spelling required? Either is accepted, as long as it is spelled correctly.

Do capital letters matter? No. You can write answers in lower case or in capitals.