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Fill the gaps in a paragraph-style summary using words from the passage or a list.
Fill the gaps in the summary using ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
Kakapo eggs are vulnerable to introduced rats. To protect them, conservationists relocate breeding females to predator-free offshore islands. There the chicks are monitored daily and weighed to detect early signs of malnutrition.
Summary: 'Vulnerable kakapo eggs are protected by moving breeding females to predator-free _____.'
Summary Completion gives you a paraphrased summary of part of the passage with gaps to fill. There are two variants: (a) words taken directly from the passage, and (b) words chosen from a provided list (often A-H). Always read the rubric carefully for the word limit (e.g., 'NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS' or 'ONE WORD ONLY') and whether numbers are allowed. Start by reading the entire summary first to grasp its overall meaning and identify what part of the passage it covers (often a single section, not the whole text).
Predict the part of speech and likely meaning of each gap from the surrounding grammar before looking at the passage or list. For the from-the-passage variant, scan for the corresponding section and locate paraphrased ideas; the missing word will appear in the original passage and must be copied exactly with the same spelling and form (singular/plural, verb tense). For the from-a-list variant, the list contains paraphrases or synonyms, so meaning-matching matters more than literal scanning; eliminate options that do not fit grammatically. Remember the order of gaps usually follows the passage.
Watch for traps: do not exceed the word limit (writing three words when two are allowed makes the answer wrong), and do not change the form of the word from the passage. Spend about 60-75 seconds per gap. After filling all gaps, read the summary aloud in your head; it should be grammatical and convey the same meaning as the source section. Always attempt every blank.
One mark per gap, with no partial credit and no negative marking. Spelling must be correct or the answer is marked wrong; both British and American spellings are accepted. Plurals matter: 'tree' and 'trees' are not interchangeable, so copy the exact form from the passage. Exceeding the word limit ('NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER') makes the answer wrong even if the content is right. Hyphenated items count as one word. The 40-mark total still maps to bands as: 30/40 = Band 7, 27/40 = Band 6.5, 23/40 = Band 6.
Tactical content is original synthesis based on these public IELTS prep resources.