Summary, note, table and flow-chart completion
Master the completion family: summaries with words from the passage or from a box, plus notes, tables and flow-charts. Find the section being summarised, predict the word class, and see through the paraphrase in the word box.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Tell apart the two summary types (words from the passage and words from a box) and use the right strategy for each
- Locate the part of the passage that a summary, table or flow-chart covers
- Predict word class and meaning from the words around each gap
- Choose from a word box by meaning, not word-matching, and complete tables and flow-charts efficiently
Type 1: words from the passage
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
You copy the word(s) exactly, as in sentence completion. All the word-limit rules apply: a hyphenated word counts as one word, numbers can be written as figures, and spelling must be correct.
Type 2: words from a box
Complete the summary using the list of words, A–I, below.
Write the correct letter, A–I, in boxes 9–13 on your answer sheet.
You write the letter, not the word. The box always contains more options than gaps, and the options are usually paraphrases: the word in the box often doesn't appear in the passage at all. Box options are usually single words.
Key facts for both types
- The summary usually covers one part of the passage, not the whole text. Its title and first sentence tell you which part.
- The answers usually come in passage order, but for summary, note, table and flow-chart tasks this is not guaranteed (unlike sentence completion). If a gap seems to be missing, look a little earlier or later in the same section.
- Notes, tables and flow-charts work the same way, just in a different layout.
The four layouts
| Layout | What it looks like | How to read it | Typical answers |
|---|---|---|---|
Summary | A paragraph of connected sentences with gaps | Read the whole summary first. It is a paraphrased mini-version of one section. | Nouns, adjectives or verbs, whatever the grammar needs |
Notes | Headings and bullet points | Headings give the topic of each section; bullets are compressed facts. | Mostly nouns and numbers |
Table | Rows and columns with some empty cells | Read the column and row headings. Each empty cell is where a row meets a column. | Short noun phrases. Cells in one column usually share a word class. |
Flow-chart | Boxes or steps joined by arrows | It follows a process or a sequence of events. Find the stage words in the passage (first, then, once, finally). | Nouns and verbs describing each stage |
Summary from the passage: the method
- 1
Read the title and the whole summary
Spend 30–40 seconds working out the topic and which section of the passage it seems to cover. Don't try to fill the gaps yet.
- 2
Locate the section
Scan for the summary's first content words or for a distinctive name, date or term. Most summaries cover one to three paragraphs.
- 3
Predict every gap
Use the words around each gap (see the table below) to decide word class, singular or plural, and rough meaning. Make a tiny note: n. pl., adj., v.
- 4
Match sentence by sentence
Read the summary one sentence at a time alongside the passage. The summary paraphrases, so the answer word is usually the one piece of the passage it has kept.
- 5
Copy and check
Copy exactly, check the word limit, and read the whole completed sentence for grammar and meaning.
Predicting the missing word
| Look at… | If you see… | Predict |
|---|---|---|
the word before | a / an / the / this / their | a noun (an = vowel sound next) |
the word before | an adjective (high, rapid, natural) | a noun |
the word before | very / more / less / too / so | an adjective or adverb |
the word before | to / can / must / may / will | a base verb |
the word before | has / have / was / were (especially with 'by' after the gap) | a past participle |
the word after | a noun | an adjective, or a noun used as an adjective |
the word after | a plural verb (are, were, have) | a plural noun as the subject |
the whole sentence | and / or joining two items | the same word class as the other item |
the meaning | temperature, cost, year, length | a number (check that numbers are allowed) |
Text
Cities are often several degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island. Dark surfaces such as asphalt roads and roofs absorb sunlight during the day and release the stored heat slowly at night, which is why the difference between city and countryside is usually greatest after sunset. Vegetation has the opposite effect: trees provide shade and cool the air as water evaporates from their leaves. Some cities have begun painting roofs white, a colour which reflects sunlight, while others are planting trees along major roads.
Summary. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Urban areas tend to be warmer than nearby rural ones. Roads and roofs with (1) ……… surfaces take in heat during the day and give it out gradually, so the temperature gap is largest at (2) ………. Trees help to cool cities by offering (3) ……… and through the evaporation of water from their leaves. Painting roofs white helps because this colour (4) ……… sunlight.
Answers: 1 dark · 2 night · 3 shade · 4 reflects
- Gap 1: adjective'with ……… surfaces': the gap sits before a noun, so it's an adjective. Text: 'Dark surfaces'. ✓ dark
- Gap 2: a time'largest at ………' needs a time word. The text says heat is released 'slowly at night' and the difference is 'greatest after sunset'. 'sunset' would change the meaning (AT sunset, not AFTER it), so 'night' is the accurate one-word answer.
- Gap 3: noun'by offering ………' needs a noun. 'trees provide shade' gives ✓ shade. The summary's 'offering' paraphrases 'provide'.
- Gap 4: verb, -s form'this colour ……… sunlight' needs a singular present-tense verb. Text: 'a colour which reflects sunlight' gives ✓ reflects. 'reflect' would be the wrong form.
- What the summary skippedThe summary leaves out 'asphalt' and 'planting trees along major roads'. Summaries compress, so not every sentence in the section becomes a gap.
Two summary types, two mindsets
Words from the passage
- The answer is the exact words copied from the text
- A word limit applies (ONE WORD ONLY is common)
- Grammar check: the copied form must fit the gap
- Main risks: wrong form, going over the limit, spelling
Words from a box
- The answer is a letter (A, B, C…)
- Box words are usually paraphrases and often aren't in the passage
- Several box words fit the grammar of each gap, so meaning decides
- Main risk: choosing a box word because it appears in the passage
With a box, never ask 'Which word is in the passage?' Ask 'Which word means what the passage says here?'
Text
In the low-lying south of Bangladesh, where fields can stay underwater for months, farmers have for centuries grown vegetables on floating beds made from water hyacinth and other aquatic plants. The beds rise and fall with the water level, so crops can be grown even in the flood season. As the plant material rots, it releases nutrients, which means that little or no chemical fertiliser is required. Once the floods recede, the decomposed beds are often spread on the fields, where they improve the soil for the next crop.
Summary. Complete the summary using the list of words, A–H.
Floating gardens allow farmers to produce food during periods of (1) ………. Because the decaying beds supply (2) ………, the need for artificial fertiliser is (3) ………. When the water level falls, the remains of the beds are used to (4) ……… the soil.
| A drought | B flooding | C nutrients | D shade |
| E minimal | F essential | G enrich | H damage |
Answers: 1 B · 2 C · 3 E · 4 G
- Gap 1 → B flooding'during periods of ………' needs a noun. A (drought) and B (flooding) both fit the grammar. The text says 'in the flood season' and 'fields can stay underwater', and A is the opposite.
- Gap 2 → C nutrients'supply ………' needs a noun. 'releases nutrients' points to C. D (shade) is grammatical but never mentioned.
- Gap 3 → E minimal'the need … is ………' needs an adjective, so E or F. 'little or no chemical fertiliser is required' means the need is minimal. F (essential) reverses the meaning.
- Gap 4 → G enrich'used to ………' needs a base verb, so G or H. 'improve the soil' = enrich it. Note that 'enrich' and 'minimal' never appear in the text, which is normal for box summaries.
- How the box was builtEach gap has one right answer and one grammatical decoy. Grammar alone would only give you a 50% guess. Meaning gives you the mark.
Check your understanding
7 questions- 1
'The project was funded by a ……… grant.' What kind of word is missing?
- 2
'Researchers were able to ……… the samples within hours.' What kind of word is missing?
- 3
In summary, note, table and flow-chart completion, the answers always appear in the same order as the information in the passage.
- 4
In a summary with a word box, the correct option is often a word that does not appear in the passage.
- 5
Text: 'Exports rose sharply in the first half of the decade, before stabilising after 2015.' Summary: 'Exports showed a ……… increase at first and then remained ……… .' Box: dramatic, gradual, steady, unpredictable, slight. Which TWO box words complete the summary?
Select 2.
- 6
Text: 'Villagers built raised platforms to protect their livestock during floods.' Notes (ONE WORD ONLY): During floods, kept safe on raised platforms.
- 7
A summary is titled 'Problems with the original design'. Where should you look?
Answer every question to check.
Tables: read the frame first
- Read the headings first. Column headings (e.g. Method / Advantages / Disadvantages) and row headings (e.g. Conventional / New) tell you exactly what each empty cell must contain.
- Use the completed cells. If the other cells in a column are short noun phrases, your answer probably is too. If they are numbers, expect a number.
- Tables often reorganise the text. A table can collect information from different sentences or paragraphs, so locate each row's topic separately.
Flow-charts: follow the sequence
- A flow-chart shows a sequence: a process (how something is made), a procedure (how an experiment was done) or a chain of events (what led to what).
- Find the start and end points in the passage, then track the stage words: first, then, next, after, once, before, finally, as a result.
- Each box is a paraphrased stage, and your answer is usually that stage's key noun or verb.
- The flow-chart may start before the paragraph that names the process. A process called 'retting' might begin with the harvest, described a paragraph earlier.
- Be careful when the passage describes a stage out of sequence ('Before this, the stems must be…'). The flow-chart follows the real order of events, not the order of sentences.
Notes: use meaning more than grammar
- Notes leave out grammar words, so predict from meaning: Main material: ……… → a material noun.
- The headings in the notes map onto the passage. Each heading usually matches one paragraph or part of a paragraph.
Practice: The Golden Fibre
Work at exam pace. The timer is a guide — it won't stop you.
Final quiz: the completion family
9 questions- 1
Which instruction tells you to write letters, not words?
- 2
In a table, a column is headed 'Year introduced' and the completed cells read '1962', '1975' and '1988'. What will your answer most likely be?
- 3
Text: 'Attendance, which had been falling for a decade, recovered once ticket prices were cut.' Summary: 'After a long period of ………, attendance improved when tickets became cheaper.' Which box word fits?
- 4
In a word-box summary, there are exactly as many options as there are gaps.
- 5
Put the stages of conventional jute processing in the order described in the practice passage.
Drag the cards (or use the arrows) into the correct order.
- 1Fibres are stripped by hand and washed
- 2Fibres are dried on bamboo frames
- 3Plants are cut as they begin to flower
- 4Bacteria break down the gums
- 5Fibre is graded and pressed into bales
- 6Bundles are submerged and weighted down in water
- 7Bundles are left in the field until the leaves drop off
- 6
Text: 'The original supports were made of timber, but engineers later replaced them with steel, which proved far more durable.' Notes (ONE WORD ONLY): Original supports: ; replacement supports: steel (more durable).
- 7
Which THREE strategies are useful for table completion?
Select 3.
- 8
Box summary gap: 'The scheme made recycling ……… for all households.' The text says: 'every household is now required to recycle'. Which box word is correct?
- 9
Gap (ONE WORD ONLY): 'Production is concentrated in the ……… regions.' The passage says: 'the cotton-growing regions of the south'. What do you write?
Answer every question to check.
Key takeaways
Vocabulary from the passage
Saved as flashcards with a free accountbiodegradable
adjective/ˌbaɪəʊdɪˈɡreɪdəbl/
able to be broken down naturally by bacteria and other living things, so it doesn't harm the environment
প্রাকৃতিকভাবে পচনশীল
Jute bags are biodegradable, so they break down naturally instead of blocking drains like polythene.
drawback
noun/ˈdrɔːbæk/
a disadvantage or problem that makes something less attractive
অসুবিধা; ত্রুটি
The main drawback of the new method is its high initial cost.
scarce
adjective/skeəs/
existing only in small amounts and not enough for what is needed
দুষ্প্রাপ্য; অপ্রতুল
Clean drinking water becomes scarce in many coastal areas during the dry season.
revival
noun/rɪˈvaɪvl/
a process in which something becomes popular, active or important again
পুনরুজ্জীবন
The city has seen a revival of interest in traditional crafts such as nakshi kantha.
enforcement
noun/ɪnˈfɔːsmənt/
the act of making sure that people obey a law or rule
(আইন) প্রয়োগ
Stricter enforcement of traffic laws could reduce accidents in Dhaka.
adoption
noun/əˈdɒpʃn/
the decision to start using a new method, idea or technology
গ্রহণ (নতুন পদ্ধতি বা প্রযুক্তি)
The adoption of mobile banking has been remarkably fast in rural Bangladesh.
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