Part 1: What is Table Completion Question Type in IELTS Academic Reading?
Overview:
Table Completion is a common question type in the IELTS Academic Reading section. It tests your ability to locate specific details or information in a passage and accurately complete missing information in a table format. This task typically appears when the reading passage includes factual details, processes, classifications, or comparisons.
📌 What Does It Look Like?
A table is provided with several gaps (blank spaces) that you must fill using information from the reading passage.
The table may be organized chronologically, categorically, or based on specific topics or features.
The instructions will often specify a word limit (e.g., “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER”).
📚 Skills Assessed:
Skimming for general layout and topic.
Scanning for specific facts (dates, numbers, names, terms).
Understanding paraphrasing and synonyms.
Matching information from the passage to the structure of the table.
Grammar and accuracy, especially when inserting words or numbers.
✅ Question Features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Type of Information | Factual (dates, characteristics, effects, comparisons, etc.) |
| Location | Found in one or two specific paragraphs or sections |
| Answers Format | Words and/or numbers copied directly from the passage |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate to High (requires precise scanning and good vocabulary recognition) |
| Common Topic Areas | Science, history, sociology, technology, research findings, etc. |
🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Writing more than the allowed word count
Using words not found in the passage
Ignoring paraphrasing or synonyms
Not checking grammar or logical fit in the table
Rushing without understanding context
🧠 Example Table Format:
| Year | Event | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1895 | Discovery of X-rays | Used in (1) |
| 1930 | (2) began using X-rays | New applications in industry |
In this example, you’d find the answers in a reading passage about the history of X-rays, and you’d need to find the correct terms or phrases that complete the missing pieces.
Part 2: How to Approach Table Completion Questions in IELTS Academic Reading
Table Completion questions can be challenging if you don’t follow a methodical approach. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you find the correct answers accurately and efficiently, along with a detailed example explanation.
✅ Step-by-Step Strategy to Solve Table Completion Questions
🧭 Step 1: Read the Instructions Carefully
Always check:
The word limit (e.g., “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER”).
Whether you should use words from the passage only.
👉 Tip: Writing more than the word limit will make your answer incorrect, even if the information is right.
🔍 Step 2: Understand the Table
Look at:
Headings, columns, and rows.
What kind of information is being summarized (e.g., dates, people, discoveries, comparisons).
Look for any patterns (chronological, categorical, etc.).
👉 Tip: Tables often summarize key points from one section of the passage. This helps you narrow your focus.
🔎 Step 3: Identify Keywords
Focus on:
The completed parts of the table.
Keywords near the gaps (nouns, dates, names, technical terms).
Clues about where the answer might be in the passage.
👉 Tip: Keywords will help you scan the passage quickly.
🧭 Step 4: Scan the Passage
Use your identified keywords to locate the part of the passage that relates to the missing information.
👉 Tip: The information in the passage is often paraphrased, so don’t look for exact matches—look for synonyms or similar expressions.
✍️ Step 5: Find and Insert the Answer
Once you locate the relevant sentence, decide which word(s) best complete the gap.
Ensure your answer:
Fits grammatically
Makes logical sense in the table
Follows the word limit exactly
📝 Step 6: Check Your Answer
Check spelling and word count.
Re-read the completed table to ensure it makes sense.
Confirm your answer is copied exactly from the passage (unless instructed otherwise).
📘 Example Table and Passage Snippet
📋 Sample Table (Topic: History of the Telegraph)
| Year | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1830s | Development of early telegraph systems | Required (1) to transmit signals |
| 1844 | First long-distance transmission | Sent from Washington D.C. to (2) |
| 1870s | Telegraph cables installed under oceans | Improved global (3) |
📄 Relevant Passage Excerpt:
During the 1830s, inventors like Samuel Morse began designing telegraph systems. These early versions needed electrical wires to carry the signal between locations. In 1844, the first successful long-distance message was transmitted between Washington D.C. and Baltimore. By the 1870s, undersea cables connected continents, drastically improving international communication.
✅ Answer Breakdown:
📌 Question 1: “Required (1) to transmit signals”
Keyword clue: “1830s,” “early telegraph systems,” “transmit signals”
Matching text in passage: “These early versions needed electrical wires to carry the signal…”
✅ Answer: electrical wires
📌 Question 2: “Sent from Washington D.C. to (2)“
Keyword clue: “1844,” “transmission”
Matching text in passage: “…transmitted between Washington D.C. and Baltimore.”
✅ Answer: Baltimore
📌 Question 3: “Improved global (3)“
Keyword clue: “1870s,” “under oceans”
Matching text in passage: “…drastically improving international communication.”
✅ Answer: communication
📦 Final Answers:
electrical wires
Baltimore
communication
🧠 Tips Recap:
Skim first, scan second.
Look for synonyms: “international communication” ≈ “global communication”.
Follow the word limit exactly.
Answers must be copied directly from the passage unless stated otherwise.
Part 3: IELTS Academic Reading – Full-Length Passage with Table Completion Questions
Below is a complete IELTS Academic Reading Passage 2-style text, followed by a Table Completion question set, designed to closely resemble the actual IELTS exam in structure, complexity, and length.
📘 Reading Passage Title: “The Evolution of Public Transport in Urban Cities”
Urban public transport has undergone significant changes over the last two centuries, adapting to the demands of growing populations, technological advancements, and environmental considerations. From horse-drawn carriages to electric buses, the journey of urban transit has mirrored societal development.
In the 19th century, the most common form of urban transportation in Europe and America was the horse-drawn omnibus. These vehicles, pulled by teams of horses, followed fixed routes and could accommodate up to a dozen passengers. However, they were inefficient and contributed to urban pollution through the large volume of horse waste.
By the 1860s, cities began adopting the horsecar—a rail-based vehicle that ran on metal tracks but was still drawn by horses. The use of tracks reduced friction, allowing the horses to pull more passengers with less effort. Despite this innovation, horse-drawn vehicles were soon replaced by electric streetcars, thanks to the invention of the electric motor in the late 19th century. In 1888, Richmond, Virginia, became the first city to implement a fully electric streetcar system, which soon became a model for cities worldwide. Streetcars were faster, cleaner, and more efficient than horse-drawn transport.
The early 20th century saw the rise of motor buses powered by internal combustion engines. These buses did not require tracks and could easily navigate city streets, giving them a flexibility that streetcars lacked. By the 1930s, buses had become the dominant form of urban public transport in many cities, leading to the gradual decline of streetcar systems.
Later in the 20th century, the focus shifted to underground and rapid transit systems. The London Underground, which first opened in 1863 as a steam-powered railway, transitioned to electric power by the early 20th century. Other major cities such as New York, Paris, and Tokyo developed extensive subway networks, which helped reduce congestion on the surface streets and provided high-capacity transport solutions.
In recent decades, environmental concerns and urban congestion have encouraged cities to adopt more sustainable and technologically advanced options. Electric buses, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and tram systems have made a comeback. Cities like Amsterdam and Zurich have successfully integrated bicycle-sharing schemes and electric buses to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Meanwhile, innovations such as autonomous shuttles and magnetic levitation trains are being tested in select regions, pointing toward a future of smart, efficient, and eco-friendly urban mobility.
📋 Questions 1–5: Complete the table below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
| Period | Form of Transport | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 19th century | Horse-drawn omnibus | Fixed routes; caused pollution due to large amounts of (1) |
| 1860s | Horsecar | Operated on (2) to reduce friction |
| 1888 | Electric streetcar | First used in (3); more efficient than previous transport |
| 1930s | Motor buses | Replaced streetcars; required no (4) |
| Present & future | Sustainable transport methods | Includes hydrogen vehicles and (5) systems |
Part 4: Step-by-Step Explanation of Table Completion Answers
Let’s walk through each of the Table Completion questions from Part 3 step-by-step, using keywords, scanning strategies, and evidence from the passage to justify every answer.
✅ Question 1:
Period: 19th century
Form of Transport: Horse-drawn omnibus
Key Feature: Fixed routes; caused pollution due to large amounts of (1)
🔍 Step-by-step:
Keywords in the question: “19th century,” “horse-drawn omnibus,” “pollution,” “large amounts of…”
Locate the relevant part of the passage:
“In the 19th century, the most common form of urban transportation… was the horse-drawn omnibus… However, they were inefficient and contributed to urban pollution through the large volume of horse waste.”
✅ Answer: horse waste
Why it’s correct: The phrase “large volume of horse waste” matches “large amounts of ___” exactly and directly answers the cause of pollution.
✅ Question 2:
Period: 1860s
Form of Transport: Horsecar
Key Feature: Operated on (2) to reduce friction
🔍 Step-by-step:
Keywords in the question: “1860s,” “Horsecar,” “reduce friction”
Locate in passage:
“By the 1860s, cities began adopting the horsecar—a rail-based vehicle that ran on metal tracks… The use of tracks reduced friction…”
✅ Answer: metal tracks
Why it’s correct: The table says “operated on ___ to reduce friction” and the passage clearly says “ran on metal tracks” and that “tracks reduced friction.”
✅ Question 3:
Period: 1888
Form of Transport: Electric streetcar
Key Feature: First used in (3); more efficient than previous transport
🔍 Step-by-step:
Keywords: “1888,” “electric streetcar,” “first used in…”
Locate in passage:
“In 1888, Richmond, Virginia, became the first city to implement a fully electric streetcar system…”
✅ Answer: Richmond
Why it’s correct: Richmond is the city where the electric streetcar was first used. Only one word is needed per instructions, so “Richmond” is sufficient.
✅ Question 4:
Period: 1930s
Form of Transport: Motor buses
Key Feature: Replaced streetcars; required no (4)
🔍 Step-by-step:
Keywords: “1930s,” “motor buses,” “required no…”
Locate in passage:
“These buses did not require tracks and could easily navigate city streets…”
✅ Answer: tracks
Why it’s correct: The sentence clearly states that buses didn’t need tracks, unlike streetcars. This directly fills in the gap “required no ___.”
✅ Question 5:
Period: Present & future
Form of Transport: Sustainable transport methods
Key Feature: Includes hydrogen vehicles and (5) systems
🔍 Step-by-step:
Keywords: “present and future,” “sustainable,” “hydrogen vehicles,” “systems”
Locate in passage:
“Electric buses, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and tram systems have made a comeback…”
✅ Answer: tram
Why it’s correct: The table mentions hydrogen vehicles and another system. “Tram systems” fits perfectly and is the only matching pair mentioned.
🧾 Final Answer Summary Table:
| Question | Correct Answer | Justification Snapshot |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | horse waste | “pollution through large volume of horse waste” |
| 2 | metal tracks | “ran on metal tracks… reduced friction” |
| 3 | Richmond | “Richmond… first city to implement electric streetcar system” |
| 4 | tracks | “These buses did not require tracks…” |
| 5 | tram | “…hydrogen-powered vehicles and tram systems…” |
🧠 Tips Reinforced:
Scan for keywords, especially dates and unique terms.
Use paraphrasing awareness: e.g., “require no tracks” = “did not require tracks.”
Pay attention to word limits and don’t add extra words like “the” or “systems” unless they are essential.
This approach ensures precision, speed, and accuracy—key ingredients for success in IELTS Table Completion tasks.
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