What is Table Completion IELTS Reading? How to do Table Completion effectively

When faced with this type of question Table Completion in IELTS Reading, many candidates feel confused when having to search and fill in information in the table. This article ETEST English for Study Abroad will guide you step by step to master this type of exercise, helping you improve your score and gain more confidence in the exam.

What type of exercise is Table Completion?

Table Completion is a form of article in IELTS test requires candidates to fill in the blanks to complete an information table. Tables usually have headers for the horizontal and vertical columns, helping candidates easily identify the information they are looking for.

This type of question tests the following skills of the candidate:

• Ability to read and understand specific information.
• Skimming skills to grasp the general meaning.
• Understand how to interpret information.
• Identify synonyms to complete the table.
• Read the details to understand the exact meaning.

Difference between Form Completion, Table Completion and Sentence Completion

Distinguish between 3 types of questions: Form Completion, Table Completion and Sentence Completion:

• Form Completion: This type of task requires candidates to fill in missing words in a blank space on a form. The information required is usually factual details such as name, age, place, or time.
• Table Completion: Candidates will have to complete an information table, filling in the missing words in the blanks. Each column and row of the table corresponds to a different type of information, so candidates need to concentrate to determine exactly which column/row the information is in.
• Sentence Completion: This is the simplest type of question, in which candidates only need to fill in the missing words in the given sentences. These sentences are usually simple sentences, requiring candidates to complete the meaning of the sentence.

How to do Table Completion exercises effectively

Step 1: Carefully study the number of words allowed to fill in the blanks.

This is a basic but very important step. Many candidates forget to pay attention to the word limit, leading to their answers being eliminated due to excess words. Therefore, please read the word limit requirements carefully before starting the test.

Step 2: Look at the table header and the horizontal and vertical column headers to get an idea of the arrangement and information required in the table.

In Table Completion, each column usually represents a separate type of information. You should look at the column headings to understand the content of each column. This will help you know which information to read carefully and which information can be skimmed.

Step 3: Underline the keywords in the table, identify the word type and predict the information needed.

In each blank, you need to predict the information that needs to be filled in based on the surrounding keywords. Underline important keywords in the sentence containing the blank, the table headings, and other columns. Pay attention to the word type (noun, verb, etc.) that needs to be filled in the blank.

Step 4: Based on the keywords and title, scan and circle the paragraph containing the answer.

Using the underlined keywords and headings, you can quickly scan the passages that might contain the answer. The information you need is usually contained in a particular paragraph or section of the reading, not the entire passage. Focus on the passages that contain the relevant keywords.

Step 5: Read the article to find the answer.

Once you have narrowed down the text you are looking for, read it carefully and pay attention to the words that appear around the gaps. If there is no obvious keyword, look for synonyms or paraphrases that may appear in the text. This will help you locate the information accurately.

Step 6: Check your answers

Once you have finished, compare your answers to the sentences in the reading passage to make sure they make sense. Check your grammar, spelling, and whether your answer meets the word count requirement. Finally, make sure your answer is consistent and correct.

Frequently asked questions in Table Completion

How to find the information needed in the paragraph?

To find the information to fill in the form Table Completion For IELTS Reading, you can follow these steps:

• Underline or memorize the keywords in the question.
• Table and column headings often give you clues about what to look for in the passage. Based on the headings, you will know which part of the reading to focus on.
• Instead of reading the entire article, skim the article to find underlined keywords or synonyms/paraphrase of them. This will save you time and quickly circle the passages containing the answers.
• Once you have narrowed down the passage, read more carefully to find the specific information the question is asking for. The information you need to fill in will often appear near the keywords or right after their synonyms.
• Before filling in, please review the sentence and the appropriate word class (noun, verb, number, etc.) to ensure that the answer is correct in both meaning and grammar.
• Once you have found the information, check it against the question to ensure the meaning is correct, and check for word limits and grammar.

What should you pay attention to when filling in the answers in the table?

When filling in the answers in the table in the Table Completion type of IELTS Reading, you need to pay attention to:

• Read the instructions carefully to know the maximum number of words allowed to fill in the blanks to avoid losing marks.
• Identify the correct word class (noun, verb, adjective, numeral) to fill in the blank.
• Read the table title and columns/rows carefully to determine what information the table requires. Underline important keywords in the table and look them up in the reading.
• The words or phrases in the table must match exactly the content of the reading passage.
• After filling in, check again to see if the answer matches the requirements of the question and the information in the reading passage.

Hopefully through the above article, ETEST Study Abroad English has helped you understand What is IELTS Reading Completion Table?? and how to do this test to get a high score. If you need more in-depth guidance or are looking for effective IELTS learning strategies, ETEST Study Abroad English is ready to accompany you.

ETEST provide the IELTS Course, group classes IELTS 1 on 1, classes IELTS crash course designed with a separate roadmap. In addition, ETEST always updates the latest learning methods to help you achieve the best results in your IELTS test.