IELTSReadingtablecompletion

In this lesson, we will cover the Table Completion question type, which will test your ability to successfully complete a table based on information in the passage. You will be presented with an incomplete table of information, which either summaries or paraphrases information given in the reading text. You will need to locate specific information in the passage, choose the appropriate words, and understand the details of the text.

You will be instructed as to how many words you can use for the completion. The directions will specify up to how many words you can use. For example, you may see the following options: NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER, ONE WORD ONLY, or NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.

The amount of questions included in a summary completion varies. If anything, this section is the most likely to not have information in the same order as it is listed. One reason for this is that it is often presented in a table of notes. Our example will feature answers out of order.

Let's take a look at some general rules for spelling and word choices.

• Numbers can be written using figures or words (ex: 12 or twelve)
• Contracted words are not tested. Therefore, you would see and write cannot instead of can’t.
• Hyphenated words count as single words (ex: open-minded counts as one word, not two).

Grammar and spelling are also important here, as you will have to write out the words in order to fit with the paragraph used in the question. Do not be surprised if the answers take on different forms than what is presented in the passage. For example, you may see “dinosaur” in the passage, but the question type may require you to write “dinosaurs” in the plural form, in order to make sense with the rest of the paragraph or sentence. Lastly, keep in mind that the texts associated with this question type will be descriptive in nature, and will require you to be precise when writing out your answers.

Now let’s look at some tips of how to approach this section and what not to do when approaching this type of question on the exam.

What To Do
The first two steps contain preparation work, which will be done while reading the table itself. The last step is to be done with the reading passage.

1. Analyze the Table and Underline Key Words– It’s a good idea to first look at the table and figure out the best way to read it. Perhaps the best way is from left to right, or to look at the headings (if they are present). This will help you get a sense of the information in the passage and the theme of the reading. Underlining is not as important in this case, because the notes in the Table Completion exercise are usually brief summaries already.

2. Identify Grammar— (This step can be done with the first step.) Now that you’ve understood the theme of the passage, think about the parts of speech for the missing words. Does the gap fill require a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb? You can make brief notes for yourself in the gap fill, which will help you later on, when you need to write the missing word. This step is important because you will not receive a point if the spelling or grammar of the word(s) are incorrect.

3. Scan the Passage– Remembering the theme you found in the first step, scan the passage. When you’ve found a section that has a similar theme, you can start scanning for information. Instead of looking for words that directly match the phrases in the summary question, look for synonyms. It’s a good idea to block off the section of the text that relates to the table, so that you have a reference to go back to once you start answering your questions.

After you’ve done this, start answering your questions. Remember to go back to the reference section in the passage if need be.

What Not To Do:
Do not read the entire passage. As a general rule for the Reading section, it is not necessary and actually time-restrictive to read the entire passage, word for word. Be sure to use the scanning technique, first and foremost, for this section. Since the summary completion pertains to one section of the text, you will want to focus your attention on just that section.

Do not get confused if the table includes paraphrased information. Remember to scan for information and look for details in the passage, and recognize this common trick.

Do not misspell words or use incorrect grammar. Remember: you will receive an incorrect mark if this happens.

Using these tips, let’s look at an example of a Table Completion.

Table Completion Recap

Notes:

You may have noted that this example is different in that the answers did not follow the order of the passage. This is normal, especially for this question type and for the fact that the answers were numerical. Although it may appear easy at first, keep in mind that any extra words will disqualify you from receiving points. For example, for question number 6: If you were to write 1,200 years rather than just 1,200 it would be considered incorrect. This is an example of why it is increasingly important to pay attention to the instructions.

In this section, we examined the Table Completion section of the IELTS Academic Reading section. Here are some brief tips to remember when approaching this question type:

Do:

• Analyze the table and understand the best way to approach it (left to right, top to bottom).
• Read the summarized information in the table.
• Identify the parts of speech that would fit in the gaps. This will make it easier when it comes time to write down your answers.
• Scan the passage looking for keywords.
• Write the correct amount of words or numbers on your answer sheet.

Don’t:

• Read the passage first.
• Read for general information.
• Write more words than necessary.
• Misspell words or use incorrect grammar.