Lesson Introduction
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Video Lesson
- IELTS Listening - Sentence Completion
章节 1
In this lesson, we will cover the Sentence Completion question type, which will test your ability to fill in the missing words of a sentence. The gaps may appear anywhere in the sentence, but they are usually located at the end of the sentence, as you will see in our example today. This activity can vary in its questions and number of options, but the answers will most likely come in the order that they appear in the tapescript.
Students usually dread this question type because they must “come up” with the answers and write them out, rather than selecting from options that are already written out. However, with a clear strategy and an eye for grammar, you will be able to get through this question type and come out on top!
Similar to other listening examples, the Sentence Completion question type requires pulling out key words in the sentence before listening to the prompt. Just like you would scan for information in the reading passage, this question type will require you to “scan” with your ears and listen for specific information that you have underlined in your questions. Additionally, if you are able to strategize with the grammar necessary to complete the question, you will increase your chances of getting the correct answer. Don’t worry; we will detail all of this and more in our strategy and tips below!
Note that Steps 1, 2, and 3 will be done prior to listening. Think of these as the “prep work” that will be done before the listening prompt is played. The rest of the steps will be done while the listening prompt is playing. Remember: you should practice your multitasking skills beforehand, so that you are prepared to take notes and listen at the same time without losing focus!
1. First, Read the Sentences - Reading the information will always be the first step in any listening prompt. Why? You do not want to listen blindly and hear key words for the first time. Instead, you should be preparing yourself and reading the sentences given to you before the listening prompt is played. Generally, you will have about 20 seconds to do this. Reading the information will also allow you to become familiar with the topic, which is particularly helpful for the more abstract and educational topics (Sections 3 and 4). Today’s listening will focus on Section 3, so be sure to use this tip!
2. Underline Key Words - With time and practice, you can combine Steps 1 and 2. Thus, this step can be done while you are reading the sentences or afterwards. We suggest trying to combine the first two steps, as you will only have around 20 seconds to read the information prior to listening to the prompts. For the Sentence Completion activity, you may have more things to underline and understand, especially with Step 3. With this in mind, practice your multitasking skills and combine these steps when you can.
3. Understand Grammar - This is probably the most difficult part of the Sentence Completion question type in the Listening section, but it is the most beneficial. Of course we must pay attention to the sentences that need to be completed, but special attention should also be paid to the words right before the gap. Why? This will help you specify the type of word you should be listening for, and then writing out. Here are some examples of parts of speech below:
- Nouns: This can include words that represent people, places, and things, and can range from specific nouns to general. An example of a specific noun would be a name or a specific place (Mr. Thomas, Boston). This is the most difficult word to get in the exam, because it has the most possibilities. In this case, the key words that you will underline before and after the gaps will be helpful.
- Verbs: This can include any action verb that explains what is done or was done. Examples could include verbs in its various forms, such as walk, walks, walked, walking, etc. Although this is not as difficult as listening for nouns, you will need to pay attention to the form of the verb to be used.
- Adjectives: This is one of the easier types of sentence completion words, because it is a word that describes a noun. Examples could include words such as happy, sad, exciting, etc. When you see a gap before a noun, you should rest assured that you will have to describe that noun with an adjective!
- Adverbs: Similar to adjectives, this is one of the easier types of sentence completion words. Instead of describing a noun, however, adverbs describe how something is done. In this case, adverbs describe verbs. Examples include words such as happily, sadly, well, fast, etc.
In our example today, we will be looking at Sentence Completion questions in Section 3, which features up to 4 people speaking on academic or educational topics. Thus, you should be familiar with the strategy for Section 3, detailed below:
Section 3 Strategy: Be prepared to potentially listen to up to 4 people speaking on an educational topic. As this is the second to last section of the listening exam, it is one of the more difficult sections. You will need to master understanding the various people speaking, along with their ideas. A great way to do this is to quickly draft a chart with columns pertaining to each speaker. We will detail this in Step 4.
4. Make a Chart - Now, it’s time to listen to the listening prompt. Use your test booklet and questions to your advantage. No one will judge your score based on the notes you take, so make sure it is understandable to you. Using proper grammar and correct spelling is not necessary in this case. What is necessary, though, is that you can differentiate the people speaking in the prompt and understand what is being said. We will detail this step in the example below. Additionally, you should pay close attention to the section you are in. Making a chart is best for Sections 1 and 3, which feature more than one speaker. Remember: information will come in order for the Sentence Completion question type. If you get side-tracked and miss information, continue right where you left off.
5. Be Accurate - Last of all, be sure to be accurate. While this may seem like common sense, many candidates make silly errors that cost them valuable points in the scoring process. It is extremely important to be accurate when writing out your answers, and especially when transferring them to the answer sheet (for paper-based candidates). Remember that someone else will be reading (and judging) your written answers. For this reason, it is best to write in all CAPITAL LETTERS in order to ensure neatness and legibility, especially in this Sentence Completion section.
Using these tips, let’s look at an example of a Section 3 listening prompt featuring the Sentence Completion question type.
Before we even listen to the prompt, take time to quickly read the sentences. Try to combine this step with the second step, in order to save on time and focus some time on understanding the parts of speech of the missing words.
After you have quickly read (or while you are reading), underline the key words. What are key words? They are important words that will call out your attention while you listen to the prompt. Generally, you will want to avoid underlining adverbs, pronouns, or basic adjectives.
Quick Tip! - Think of key words this way: If you were to eliminate these key words from the question or answer options, you would be eliminating the main idea and leaving out all of the unnecessary information. Practice with the example included above, and then check out how we approached these two steps in the example below!
Show keywords
Questions 27 – 30
Complete the sentences below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Studying with the Open University demanded a great deal of 27 .
Studying and working at the same time improved Rachel’s 28 skills.
It was helpful that the course was structured in 29 .
She enjoyed meeting other students at 30 .
After this step, you should notice a few things:
1.Although we do not know how many speakers will be in the section based on the information alone, we do know that at least one of the speakers is female and named Rachel. This is very helpful information, because we can associate Rachel and her answers with questions 28-30, at least.
2.The topic of the recording will involve school and education, which makes sense for a Section 3 topic.
Let’s look at Step 3 and think of potential parts of speech for the answers.
Now that you’ve completed the first two steps, think of the potential parts of speech that could fit in the gaps. While you do not necessarily have to write out the various possibilities, it is an excellent practice to start thinking of what could fit in the gaps. This, paired with the key words, will help you listen out for the correct information. We’ve written some possible parts of speech and options just to give you an idea below!
Show Parts of Speech
Questions 27 – 30
Complete the sentences below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Studying with the Open University demanded a great deal of 27 .
(NOUN, some sort of trait or personality aspect)
Studying and working at the same time improved Rachel’s 28 skills.
(ADJECTIVE, a type of skill or way to describe a skill)
It was helpful that the course was structured in 29 .
(NOUN, some sort of organization?)
She enjoyed meeting other students at 30 .
(NOUN, a place or event)
Are these parts of speech definite? Well, we can rest assured that the main parts of speech (noun, adjective, etc.) are correct. However, we cannot be 100% sure that the examples we are thinking of will be played. For example, #30 will definitely be a noun, but options could include either a place or an event (ex: the library, a counseling session). In any case, this is helpful since we know what to listen for. You cannot go wrong by using those 20 seconds before the listening is played to prepare!>
Since we have completed the preparation work in Steps 1, 2 and 3, we will continue on with the work that should be done while the listening prompt is being played.
Now it is time to start listening! As you listen, make a chart close to your questions and answer options when you hear key words. Remember: you will only hear each listening prompt once, so it’s important to remember key information. After you give it a try on your own, check out our work below and understand how we approached this step. Always do what works best for you, but it might not be a bad idea to adopt some of our tips for guaranteed success!
For Section 3, we suggest taking notes in the following way: make a chart with as many columns as there are speakers. In our specific example, we are not made aware of any information prior to listening--this makes for a great challenge! In this case, we can make columns as we go along. Remember to use the information about the female speaker, Rachel, in order to get a head on the listening!
What you write in these columns will depend on the type of exercise you have. If you must understand who says what, it would be best to write key words and points in the columns. If you find it difficult remembering who is who, make notes by the speaker that will help you differentiate his/her voice from the other speakers. For example, “deep voice”, “UK accent”, “younger speaker” should help you understand who is speaking and saying certain things.
Try this for yourself--do your notes make sense to you? Now, see if you can answer the questions based on your understanding of the listening and/or your notes.
Show the Chart and Answers
Questions 27 – 30
Complete the sentences below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Studying with the Open University demanded a great deal of 27 .
Studying and working at the same time improved Rachel’s 28 skills.
It was helpful that the course was structured in 29 .
She enjoyed meeting other students at 30 .
Answer Key and Explanation
27. motivation - When Paul asks Rachel about studying with the Open University in the beginning of the transcript, you should have picked up on the key words, Open University. Rachel’s response for a clarification is just additional information meant to trick test-takers and prevent them from following along too easily. The words in the transcript, ‘a high level of’ are synonymous with ‘a great deal of’, which is listed in the sentence. Therefore, the sentence, “I found I needed to maintain a high level of motivation, because it’s so different from school.” shows the correct answer of ‘motivation’, which is a noun, as predicted.
28. time(-)management - The sentence, “Another thing was that I got very good at was time-management because I had to fit time for studying round a full-time job.” shows that time-management is the correct answer. Let’s look at the reasoning behind this. The fact that the key word “studying” was included in this sentence is a good clue. Additionally, the words “full-time job” were included, which are synonymous with ‘working’. Lastly, the transcript says that she “got very good at” this, which is synonymous with “improvement”. Therefore, it is clear that time-management is the correct answer, which goes along with the fact that we were looking for an adjective to describe a type of skill.
29. modules - The sentence, “What makes it easier is that the degree is made up of modules, so you can take time off between them if you need to.” shows that modules is the correct answer. The key word ‘helpful’ is synonymous with ‘easier’, and the key word of ‘structured’ is similar to ‘made up of’, which is included in the transcript. Since modules is a noun, as predicted, this is the perfect answer.
30. summer school(s) - If you recall, we had predicted a place or an event (as a noun) for the answer of this question. Therefore, summer school is the correct answer. The statement, “Then, even though you’re mostly studying at home, remember you’ve got tutors to help you, and from time to time there are summer schools. They usually last a week. They’re great, because you meet all the other people struggling with the same things as you.” Since the key word “meeting” is included in this sentence, it is clear that ‘summer school’ is the correct option.
|
Paul - UK
- 6 mths travel |
Rachel - USA -Motivation/different to school -Time-management / studying & work -Easy / degree modules / untraditional -Tutors/summer schools → week, friends, people |
Always remember: you should not be writing full sentences. In order to maximize the time you spend writing notes, make abbreviations (even if they are not spelled correctly), and use things like → (arrows), - (dashes/hyphens) / (slashes) and … (ellipses) to connect your various points. Why? The less time you spend writing out words, the better, and these symbols will help connect your points if you need to reference them later. Above all, it’s important to practice writing as quickly as you can, in order to keep up with the pace of each speaker.
Thanks for following along with this Sentence Completion question type lesson for the Listening Section of the IELTS exam. Although we’re wrapping up this lesson, be sure to continue practicing your grammar and parts of speech. These skills will really come in helpful during not only the Sentence Completion question type, but for the Listening section in general.
Do:
- Utilize the 20 seconds you will have prior to hearing the listening prompt and read the information first, underline your key words, and think about the types of words that could be missing from the gaps.
- Remember that the answers will come in order during the Sentence Completion Listening prompt. This means that you should keep notes for your chart! Doing so will help you pick up where you left off if you miss something, and it will help you understand each speaker’s thoughts.
- Find a chart-making technique that works for you. Feel free to experiment during your practice sessions and try writing in the margins or close to your answer options. Make it easy to reference afterwards if necessary.
- Study up on your parts of speech and grammar. The more you study, the more you will increase your chances of writing the correct answer.
- As always, you should write the words clearly in capital letters.
Don’t:
- Waste your time before and after the listening prompt is played. Think of these 30 minutes of the listening exam as ‘game time’, and actively listen or read the questions as much as you can!
- Focus on only one aspect of the process. In other words, don’t just listen, don’t just read, and don’t just answer. You will need to combine these three tasks in order to have enough time in this section. In other words: make sure to multitask.
- Leave anything blank! Even if the exam is difficult, choose your best guess in order to maximize your chances of scoring high.
- Write the incorrect amount of words. We suggest reading the instructions clearly so as to understand just how many words to write.
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