How it's scored
One mark per gap. Spelling must be exact when the words come from the passage, and exceeding the stated word limit scores zero for that gap even if the idea is right.
Strategy & template
- 1Read the summary first and decide what part of speech each gap needs: a noun after an article, a verb after a subject, an adjective before a noun.
- 2Find the section of the passage the summary paraphrases; the summary follows that section's order, so the gaps come in sequence.
- 3For passage-word gaps, copy the exact word or phrase and count the words against the limit; hyphenated words count as one.
- 4For box gaps, eliminate options by grammar first, then by meaning; two or three options are usually the wrong part of speech.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Changing the form of the word (plural to singular) when the instructions say words from the passage.
- Writing four words when the limit is three.
- Copying a word that fits grammatically but comes from a different paragraph than the summary covers.
Frequently asked questions
Do the words in summary completion have to be exactly from the passage?
When the instructions say to use words from the passage, yes: same form, same spelling. When there is a box of options, choose from the box only.
Does a hyphenated word count as one word?
Yes. A hyphenated word counts as one word and a number written in figures counts as one word.
Practise Reading: Summary Completion
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