IELTS Listening Completion Part 3

What are Completion Part 3 questions?

IELTS Listening completion questions in Part 3 test whether you can fill gaps in a discussion, often in a table or a flow chart. Two answers may arrive close together, or one speaker may agree without repeating the word. Here are the main traps to watch for in Part 3 completion questions.

Strategy:

• The Proximity Synonyms Jam Trap. A table or a flow-chart puts several gaps close together, and the speakers name ideas from neighboring rows or boxes in one breath. A word that belongs to the next box can pull your eye off the gap you are working on. Read every gap before the audio starts and predict what each one needs. Then keep your eye on the gap you are on and let the recording bring you to the next one, because the answers follow its order.
• The Borrowed / Assumed Agreement Trap. One speaker offers two possible words for a gap, and the other agrees with a vague phrase such as that one, the former, or the latter. The answer is the option that phrase points back to, not the last word you heard. Hold both options in mind until the agreement arrives, then write only the one the speakers settle on. Count your words against the stated limit and spell the answer as you hear it, because spelling counts.

Strategy reminder: The Proximity Synonyms Jam Trap. A table or a flow-chart puts several gaps close together, and the speakers name ideas from neighboring rows or boxes in one breath. A word that belongs to the next box can pull your eye off the gap you are working on. Read every gap before the audio starts and predict what each one needs. Then keep your eye on the gap you are on and let the recording bring you to the next one, because the answers follow its order.

We'll look at a sample IELTS listening practice.

Sample Question:

Let’s solve it using the strategy.

• Use the strategy. The Proximity Synonyms Jam Trap. A table or a flow-chart puts several gaps close together, and the speakers name ideas from neighboring rows or boxes in one breath. A word that belongs to the next box can pull your eye off the gap you are working on. Read every gap before the audio starts and predict what each one needs. Then keep your eye on the gap you are on and let the recording bring you to the next one, because the answers follow its order.

Question 1: Jack mentions marketing, which sits in the next column of the same row, and later the speakers mention homeowners from a different row. Emma says Case Study A targets young professionals. Correct answer: young professionals.

Question 2: Jack mentions advertising, which sounds like a focus but is rejected. The main focus of Case Study B is financial planning.

Correct answer:

Strategy reminder: The Proximity Synonyms Jam Trap. A table or a flow-chart puts several gaps close together, and the speakers name ideas from neighboring rows or boxes in one breath. A word that belongs to the next box can pull your eye off the gap you are working on. Read every gap before the audio starts and predict what each one needs. Then keep your eye on the gap you are on and let the recording bring you to the next one, because the answers follow its order.

We'll look at a sample IELTS listening practice.

Sample Question:

Let’s solve it using the strategy.

• Use the strategy. The Proximity Synonyms Jam Trap. A table or a flow-chart puts several gaps close together, and the speakers name ideas from neighboring rows or boxes in one breath. A word that belongs to the next box can pull your eye off the gap you are working on. Read every gap before the audio starts and predict what each one needs. Then keep your eye on the gap you are on and let the recording bring you to the next one, because the answers follow its order.

Question 3: Sarah names the Step 3 idea (statistical analysis) first, which can pull your eye to the last box. Step 2 is a strict quality control filter.

Question 4: The Step 3 word arrives before the Step 2 word. The final step is a thorough statistical analysis.

Correct answer:

Strategy reminder: The Borrowed / Assumed Agreement Trap. One speaker offers two possible words for a gap, and the other agrees with a vague phrase such as that one, the former, or the latter. The answer is the option that phrase points back to, not the last word you heard. Hold both options in mind until the agreement arrives, then write only the one the speakers settle on. Count your words against the stated limit and spell the answer as you hear it, because spelling counts.

We'll look at a sample IELTS listening practice.

Sample Question:

Let’s solve it using the strategy.

• Use the strategy. The Borrowed / Assumed Agreement Trap. One speaker offers two possible words for a gap, and the other agrees with a vague phrase such as that one, the former, or the latter. The answer is the option that phrase points back to, not the last word you heard. Hold both options in mind until the agreement arrives, then write only the one the speakers settle on. Count your words against the stated limit and spell the answer as you hear it, because spelling counts.

Question 5: Tom offers qualitative feedback first, then quantitative statistics. Chloe says the latter, which is the second option. Correct answer: quantitative statistics or quantitative.

Question 6: Tom offers interview transcripts first, then sample questionnaire. Chloe says the former, which is the first option. Correct answer: interview transcripts or transcripts.

Correct answer:

Strategy reminder: The Borrowed / Assumed Agreement Trap. One speaker offers two possible words for a gap, and the other agrees with a vague phrase such as that one, the former, or the latter. The answer is the option that phrase points back to, not the last word you heard. Hold both options in mind until the agreement arrives, then write only the one the speakers settle on. Count your words against the stated limit and spell the answer as you hear it, because spelling counts.

We'll look at a sample IELTS listening practice.

Sample Question:

Let’s solve it using the strategy.

• Use the strategy. The Borrowed / Assumed Agreement Trap. One speaker offers two possible words for a gap, and the other agrees with a vague phrase such as that one, the former, or the latter. The answer is the option that phrase points back to, not the last word you heard. Hold both options in mind until the agreement arrives, then write only the one the speakers settle on. Count your words against the stated limit and spell the answer as you hear it, because spelling counts.

Question 7: Anna offers budget overruns first, then structural damage. Ben says that option and links it to crumbling walls, so he means structural damage.

Question 8: Anna offers hiring extra contractors first, then purchasing premium materials. Ben says the first suggestion. With a two-word limit, write extra contractors or hiring contractors.

Correct answer: