IELTS Reading: Sentence completion
Fill each gap with words taken from the passage, keeping to the word limit. An answer over the limit is marked wrong, and the answers follow the passage order.
183 practice sets · 877 questions · each set is timed at about 90 seconds per question
How to answer
- Read the sentence and predict the kind of word that's missing (noun, number, adjective).
- Find the paraphrased idea in the passage, then copy the exact words.
- Check that the completed sentence is grammatical and within the word limit.
Common traps
- Changing the form of the word from the passage.
- Adding an article or extra words that push the answer over the limit.
Sentence completion practice sets
| Passage | Questions | Level | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turning Seawater into Drinking Water Academic Reading Practice Test 2 · Part 2 | 24–26 (3) | Standard | Practise |
| The Alien Intelligence of the Octopus Academic Reading Practice Test 5 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Harder | Practise |
| The Monarch's Long Journey Academic Reading Practice Test 8 · Part 2 | 24–26 (3) | Standard | Practise |
| When a Language Falls Silent Academic Reading Practice Test 10 · Part 3 | 36–40 (5) | Easier | Practise |
| Guardians of the Kelp Academic Reading Practice Test 11 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| Finding the Way Home Academic Reading Practice Test 12 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Story of Natural Rubber Academic Reading Practice Test 13 · Part 1 | 9–13 (5) | Harder | Practise |
| Hunting with Sound Academic Reading Practice Test 18 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| Finding Longitude: The Marine Chronometer Academic Reading Practice Test 20 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| The Case for Risky Play Academic Reading Practice Test 20 · Part 3 | 36–40 (5) | Easier | Practise |
| Defending the Planet Academic Reading Practice Test 23 · Part 2 | 21–26 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| Green Cities, Healthy Citizens? Academic Reading Practice Test 25 · Part 3 | 36–40 (5) | Easier | Practise |
| The Eyes of the Mantis Shrimp Academic Reading Practice Test 26 · Part 2 | 21–26 (6) | Harder | Practise |
| The Sweet Commodity Academic Reading Practice Test 27 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Harder | Practise |
| Mountains Losing Their Ice Academic Reading Practice Test 28 · Part 2 | 21–26 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| Life Without Water Academic Reading Practice Test 31 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| Farmers of the Forest Floor Academic Reading Practice Test 33 · Part 2 | 24–26 (3) | Standard | Practise |
| The Conquest of Smallpox Academic Reading Practice Test 34 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Harder | Practise |
| Living at Full Throttle Academic Reading Practice Test 35 · Part 2 | 21–26 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| The World Is Running Short of Sand Academic Reading Practice Test 38 · Part 2 | 24–26 (3) | Standard | Practise |
| The Case for a Better Gap Year Academic Reading Practice Test 39 · Part 3 | 36–40 (5) | Easier | Practise |
| The Elevator That Refused to Fall Academic Reading Practice Test 41 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Axolotl and the Secrets of Regeneration Academic Reading Practice Test 42 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Harder | Practise |
| The Song School: How Birds Learn to Sing Academic Reading Practice Test 45 · Part 2 | 22–26 (5) | Easier | Practise |
| The Hidden Partnerships of Lichens Academic Reading Practice Test 47 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Harder | Practise |
| The Blue That Crossed the World Academic Reading Practice Test 48 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Harder | Practise |
| Clever Corvids Academic Reading Practice Test 53 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Rise of the Textile Mill Academic Reading Practice Test 55 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| Counting Ghost Cats Academic Reading Practice Test 58 · Part 2 | 21–26 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| The Inca Roads and the Knots That Counted Academic Reading Practice Test 62 · Part 1 | 1–7 (7) | Standard | Practise |
| Power from the Earth: Iceland's Geothermal Story Academic Reading Practice Test 64 · Part 2 | 22–26 (5) | Harder | Practise |
| The Language of Light Academic Reading Practice Test 68 · Part 2 | 22–26 (5) | Standard | Practise |
| The Potato's Long Journey Academic Reading Practice Test 69 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Harder | Practise |
| The Video Game Aggression Debate Academic Reading Practice Test 71 · Part 3 | 36–40 (5) | Standard | Practise |
| Reading the Rings of Time Academic Reading Practice Test 74 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Breaking the Cold: How Temperature Scales Were Built Academic Reading Practice Test 76 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Harder | Practise |
| Wheels on the Red Planet Academic Reading Practice Test 82 · Part 2 | 22–26 (5) | Standard | Practise |
| Saving Seeds for an Uncertain Future Academic Reading Practice Test 83 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| Ripples in Spacetime Academic Reading Practice Test 85 · Part 2 | 21–26 (6) | Harder | Practise |
| Pets and Human Health: A Sober Look Academic Reading Practice Test 87 · Part 3 | 36–40 (5) | Standard | Practise |
| The Rise of the First Universities Academic Reading Practice Test 90 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| The Trouble with Peer Review Academic Reading Practice Test 94 · Part 3 | 36–40 (5) | Standard | Practise |
| The Long Descent: A Short History of the Submarine Academic Reading Practice Test 97 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Wisdom of Crowds Academic Reading Practice Test 98 · Part 3 | 36–40 (5) | Easier | Practise |
| The Price of Choosing Academic Reading Practice Test 99 · Part 3 | 36–40 (5) | Easier | Practise |
| The Ships That Beat the Wind Academic Reading Practice Test 106 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| Connecting the Call: The Rise of the Telephone Exchange Academic Reading Practice Test 113 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| Pointing the Way Academic Reading Practice Test 120 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Machine That Made Music Private Academic Reading Practice Test 127 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| A Telescope Above the Air Academic Reading Practice Test 134 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| The Unlikely Rise of Wi-Fi Academic Reading Practice Test 140 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Harder | Practise |
| A Century of Cold Light: The Story of the LED Academic Reading Practice Test 147 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| Drawing by Numbers: The Rise of Computer-Aided Design Academic Reading Practice Test 153 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Uncomplaining Passenger Academic Reading Practice Test 161 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Miner's Safety Lamp Academic Reading Practice Test 167 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| The Rise of the Electric Kettle Academic Reading Practice Test 173 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Rise of the Spreadsheet Academic Reading Practice Test 180 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Automatic Shop Academic Reading Practice Test 187 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Long Road to the Touchscreen Academic Reading Practice Test 192 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| The Pocket Revolution Academic Reading Practice Test 197 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| A Short History of the Thermostat Academic Reading Practice Test 204 · Part 1 | 7–13 (7) | Easier | Practise |
| The Towns That Ran the Northern Trade Academic Reading Practice Test 208 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Seven Voyages of Zheng He Academic Reading Practice Test 214 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| Reading the Hand of the Past Academic Reading Practice Test 215 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Furs from the Bay: The Hudson's Bay Company Academic Reading Practice Test 220 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| The Long Apprenticeship Academic Reading Practice Test 221 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Rediscovery of Mohenjo-daro Academic Reading Practice Test 226 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| Hearing the Chorus Academic Reading Practice Test 227 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Antikythera Mechanism Academic Reading Practice Test 232 · Part 1 | 7–13 (7) | Standard | Practise |
| How Wheat Became a Crop Academic Reading Practice Test 233 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Peace of Westphalia Academic Reading Practice Test 238 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| The Making and Use of Papyrus Academic Reading Practice Test 239 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Hill with a Belly Academic Reading Practice Test 244 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Little Ice Age: Evidence, Causes and Doubts Academic Reading Practice Test 245 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Voyage of the Mayflower Academic Reading Practice Test 250 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The House of Wisdom Academic Reading Practice Test 251 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| Drawings on the Desert Floor Academic Reading Practice Test 256 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| Pictures Made of Stone and Light Academic Reading Practice Test 257 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Supplying a City from the Sky Academic Reading Practice Test 262 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Anatomy of a Castle Academic Reading Practice Test 263 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Kingdom of Aksum Academic Reading Practice Test 268 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| Feeding the Legions Academic Reading Practice Test 269 · Part 2 | 19–24 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Fall of Constantinople Academic Reading Practice Test 274 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Shipwright's Craft Academic Reading Practice Test 275 · Part 2 | 22–23 (2) | Easier | Practise |
| Trapped in the Ice Academic Reading Practice Test 280 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| Where Shares First Changed Hands Academic Reading Practice Test 281 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Bank Behind the Medici Academic Reading Practice Test 286 · Part 1 | 9–13 (5) | Easier | Practise |
| Drawing the World Before Maps Were Accurate Academic Reading Practice Test 287 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Forbidden City Academic Reading Practice Test 292 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| The World of the Coaching Inn Academic Reading Practice Test 293 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Mounds of Cahokia Academic Reading Practice Test 298 · Part 1 | 1–6 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| The Arrival of Paper Money in Europe Academic Reading Practice Test 299 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Peterloo: The Day the Cavalry Charged Academic Reading Practice Test 304 · Part 1 | 7–13 (7) | Easier | Practise |
| Telling the Time in the Roman World Academic Reading Practice Test 305 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Physician Who Counted the Dead Academic Reading Practice Test 309 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| How the Immune System Remembers Academic Reading Practice Test 309 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| Lister and the Invisible Enemy Academic Reading Practice Test 315 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| Building Muscle Academic Reading Practice Test 317 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Witness of Solferino Academic Reading Practice Test 321 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| How the Body Controls Its Temperature Academic Reading Practice Test 325 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Restless Curiosity of John Hunter Academic Reading Practice Test 327 · Part 1 | 1–5 (5) | Easier | Practise |
| The Magic Bullet: Paul Ehrlich and Salvarsan Academic Reading Practice Test 333 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| Living with Thin Air Academic Reading Practice Test 333 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Harder | Practise |
| The Bacterium in the Stomach Academic Reading Practice Test 339 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Harder | Practise |
| The Film That Protects the Eye Academic Reading Practice Test 341 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| Galen of Pergamon Academic Reading Practice Test 345 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| How a Blood Pressure Cuff Works Academic Reading Practice Test 349 · Part 2 | 23–24 (2) | Standard | Practise |
| Proof by Numbers: Doll, Hill and Lung Cancer Academic Reading Practice Test 351 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| Houses of the Sick: The Bimaristan Academic Reading Practice Test 357 · Part 1 | 7–13 (7) | Standard | Practise |
| Pierre Fauchard and the Birth of Modern Dentistry Academic Reading Practice Test 363 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| Standing In for the Heart Academic Reading Practice Test 365 · Part 2 | 22–23 (2) | Standard | Practise |
| The Surgeon of Varanasi Academic Reading Practice Test 369 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Standard | Practise |
| Reading the Electrical Brain Academic Reading Practice Test 373 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| An Iron Rod Through the Brain Academic Reading Practice Test 375 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| Counting the Dead: John Graunt and the London Bills of Mortality Academic Reading Practice Test 381 · Part 1 | 9–13 (5) | Easier | Practise |
| How Life Expectancy Is Calculated Academic Reading Practice Test 381 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| Paracelsus and the Chemistry of Medicine Academic Reading Practice Test 387 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Harder | Practise |
| The Sense of Touch Academic Reading Practice Test 389 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Rebuilding the Wounded Face Academic Reading Practice Test 393 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| How the Thyroid Uses Iodine Academic Reading Practice Test 397 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Harder | Practise |
| The Quaker Experiment at York Academic Reading Practice Test 399 · Part 1 | 8–13 (6) | Easier | Practise |
| Teaching the Bystander Academic Reading Practice Test 405 · Part 1 | 7–13 (7) | Standard | Practise |
| When the Body Loses Blood Academic Reading Practice Test 405 · Part 2 | 19–22 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Restless Surface: How Sand Dunes Form and Move Academic Reading Practice Test 410 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Noise Beneath the Waves Academic Reading Practice Test 411 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Wandering Albatross Academic Reading Practice Test 414 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Staffordshire Hoard Academic Reading Practice Test 415 · Part 1 | 10–13 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Why a Geyser Erupts Academic Reading Practice Test 416 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Cassowary of Northern Australia Academic Reading Practice Test 417 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How Rip Currents Form Academic Reading Practice Test 420 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Why City Birds Sing Differently Academic Reading Practice Test 421 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Vanishing Vaquita Academic Reading Practice Test 424 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Town Without Streets Academic Reading Practice Test 425 · Part 1 | 10–13 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Why an Igloo Keeps You Warm Academic Reading Practice Test 426 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Okapi: Africa's Forest Giraffe Academic Reading Practice Test 427 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Making of a Hurricane Academic Reading Practice Test 430 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| Why No Two Eggs Look Alike Academic Reading Practice Test 431 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Ethiopian Wolf Academic Reading Practice Test 434 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| A Library in the Ashes Academic Reading Practice Test 435 · Part 1 | 10–13 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Comb and the Cylinder Academic Reading Practice Test 436 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Story of Vanilla Academic Reading Practice Test 437 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Journey of a Seed Academic Reading Practice Test 440 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How Children Develop a Sense of Fairness Academic Reading Practice Test 441 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Bowerbird's Theatre Academic Reading Practice Test 444 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Chan Chan, the Adobe City of the Chimú Academic Reading Practice Test 445 · Part 1 | 10–13 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How a Termite Mound Stays Cool Academic Reading Practice Test 446 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The World's Largest Lizard Academic Reading Practice Test 447 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Where the Rainbow Comes From Academic Reading Practice Test 450 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How Lies Are Detected Academic Reading Practice Test 451 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Seals of Lake Baikal Academic Reading Practice Test 454 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Caves at Ajanta Academic Reading Practice Test 455 · Part 1 | 10–13 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How a Spinning Wheel Turns Fibre into Yarn Academic Reading Practice Test 456 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Sea Unicorn Academic Reading Practice Test 457 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| Why Beliefs Resist Contrary Evidence Academic Reading Practice Test 460 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Pull of the Moon Academic Reading Practice Test 461 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Bringing Back the White Antelope Academic Reading Practice Test 464 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| When the Bronze Age Ended Academic Reading Practice Test 465 · Part 1 | 10–13 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How a Dew Pond Collects Water Academic Reading Practice Test 466 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Fire Fox of the Himalayas Academic Reading Practice Test 467 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Optimism Effect Academic Reading Practice Test 470 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Rhythm of the Ice Ages Academic Reading Practice Test 471 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Platypus: An Improbable Mammal Academic Reading Practice Test 474 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Oseberg Ship Academic Reading Practice Test 475 · Part 1 | 10–13 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How a Solar Cooker Works Academic Reading Practice Test 476 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Pink Dolphin of the Flooded Forest Academic Reading Practice Test 477 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How Sea Level Is Measured Academic Reading Practice Test 480 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Can Animals Count? Academic Reading Practice Test 481 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Giant Tortoise of the Galápagos Academic Reading Practice Test 484 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Dunhuang Caves and Their Hidden Library Academic Reading Practice Test 485 · Part 1 | 10–13 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| Why Water Towers Work Academic Reading Practice Test 486 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Kea: New Zealand's Mountain Parrot Academic Reading Practice Test 487 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| Filling in the Gaps Academic Reading Practice Test 490 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Birth and Drift of Icebergs Academic Reading Practice Test 491 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Fish That Came Back Academic Reading Practice Test 494 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Orient Express Academic Reading Practice Test 495 · Part 1 | 10–13 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How an Aerial Cable Car Works Academic Reading Practice Test 496 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Snowy Owl Academic Reading Practice Test 497 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How Mountains Are Formed Academic Reading Practice Test 500 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How the Cat Domesticated Itself Academic Reading Practice Test 501 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Standard | Practise |
| The Tasmanian Devil Academic Reading Practice Test 504 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Lost Colony of Roanoke Academic Reading Practice Test 505 · Part 1 | 10–13 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| How a Traditional Pottery Kiln Works Academic Reading Practice Test 506 · Part 2 | 23–26 (4) | Easier | Practise |
| The Fox at the Top of the World Academic Reading Practice Test 507 · Part 1 | 6–9 (4) | Easier | Practise |
Other question types: True / False / Not Given · Yes / No / Not Given · Multiple choice · Matching headings · Matching information · Matching features · Matching sentence endings · Summary completion · Note, table and flow-chart completion · Diagram label completion · Short-answer questions