You locate the right phrase in a passage, copy it into a gap and still produce an incorrect sentence. Often the problem is simple: part of the phrase was already printed after the gap.
The summary-completion section in Jobin Thomas’s IELTS Reading Mastery: The Academic Practical Exercises Workbook highlights the need to check meaning and grammar together. This guide uses a fresh example with clearly bounded answers.
Read both sides of the gap
Do not treat a blank as an isolated box. The words before and after it tell you what is missing. In “improved their ____ skills,” the noun “skills” is already supplied. Copying a phrase that also ends in “skills” would repeat it.
Predict the kind of information needed, but do not invent an answer from grammar alone. Several words may fit grammatically; the passage must establish which one expresses the relevant information.
Original summary practice
Passage: The centre introduced weekly discussion groups. Participants used these groups to practise speaking skills. Each session ended with written feedback from the tutor. Attendance was recorded in a register.
Instruction: Use ONE WORD from the passage for each gap.
Summary: The discussion groups met (1) ____. They provided practice in (2) ____ skills, and sessions ended with written (3) ____.
Check the completed summary
1 weekly; 2 speaking; 3 feedback.
Read the result: “The discussion groups met weekly. They provided practice in speaking skills, and sessions ended with written feedback.”
“Speaking skills” would exceed this exercise’s one-word instruction and repeat “skills.” “Written feedback” would likewise repeat “written” and use two words. The required information is correct only when it also fits the supplied sentence.
Use the instructions to choose the answer form
Check whether an exercise asks for words from the passage or selections from a list. Follow that instruction rather than assuming the same method applies to every activity.
In the original exercise above, “weekly” is taken directly from the passage. Replacing it with “every week” would disregard the one-word instruction even though the broad meaning is similar. Accuracy includes how you present the answer.
Match relationships, not just nearby nouns
The passage mentions groups, feedback and a register. All are real details in the text, but they serve different purposes. The register records attendance; it is not the feedback participants receive at the end.
Identify who does what and when. A nearby word can fit the grammatical space while attaching the wrong action or object to the summary.
Check for ambiguity during review
If two answers appear equally supported, reread the full summary and the source sentences. Look for a modifier, comparison or relationship that distinguishes them. Do not invent a rule that the first-mentioned word must always be correct.
When an exercise remains ambiguous after careful review, ask for clarification and explain the evidence for both possibilities. That is more useful than memorising a key without understanding why an alternative was rejected.
Finish with a sentence-level check
After filling the gaps, read the completed summary aloud or silently from start to finish. Check repeated words, singular and plural forms, the meaning of each relationship and compliance with the instructions.
Explore IELTS Reading — Course 5 for the course connected to this workbook. For personalised IELTS guidance, request one-to-one dates and times that fit your duty schedule; your tutor confirms availability.
For the official task descriptions, see the IELTS Academic Reading format guide.
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IELTS Reading — Course 5
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Source: IELTS ACADEMIC R 03.epub, Jobins Training. Examples labelled original or illustrative were written for this article. Independent exam preparation; no affiliation with or endorsement by the examining body. Practice does not predict an official score.