The Golden Rule: Use Words from the Text
This cannot be overstated. In a fill-in-the-blank or summary completion task, your answer must come from the passage itself — using the exact word(s) that appear in the text.
Passage says: “The method proved highly efficacious.” Question: The technique was ______. Wrong answer: very effective (even though it means the same thing) Correct answer: highly efficacious
You may understand the passage perfectly, but using your own paraphrase scores zero.
Two Types of Completion Tasks
Type 1: With a Word Box
A list of words is provided. You choose from the box.
Strategy: Read the summary first, predict what kind of word fits each gap (noun, adjective, verb?), then look at the word box and find the best match.
The word box always has more words than gaps. Cross out words you have already used. Work from easiest gaps to hardest. Never leave a gap — guess from the remaining words if needed.
Type 2: Without a Word Box (Words from the Text)
You must find the answer in the passage.
Strategy: Use the summary as a guide to locate the relevant section of the passage. The summary usually follows the order of the passage, so work through it section by section.
The Step-by-Step Method
- Read the summary (not the passage yet)
- Underline the word just before and after each gap — these are your context clues
- Identify the word type needed (noun? adjective? number?)
- Scan the passage for the section that matches the summary topic
- Read that section carefully and find the exact word(s)
The question will say “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER” — this is a strict limit. Answers with three words score zero even if the content is correct. Count your words.
Common Errors
| Error | Why It Happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Using synonyms | Thinking paraphrasing is enough | Always quote exact text |
| Exceeding word count | Not reading instructions | Underline the word limit |
| Wrong section of text | Summary not following passage order | Check: summaries usually follow text order |
| Ignoring grammar | Forcing a noun where a verb is needed | Check the grammar of the gap |
Identifying the Right Section Quickly
The words surrounding a gap in the summary are usually paraphrased from the text. So:
- Find the paraphrase of the surrounding context in the passage
- The answer to the gap will be very close to that section
In summary completion, the QUESTIONS are paraphrased from the text, but the ANSWERS must come from the text directly. You are working backwards — using your understanding of the paraphrase to locate the original text.