Lesson 1 of 4 · Reading: Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life and Read an Academic Passage (25%)
Complete the Words: restoring missing letters in academic paragraphs
9 min read · about 1 h 30 min with practice3 quick checks≈10% of the testCore: Core: tested on most papersAI-generated · reviewed
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This is the highest-volume task in TOEFL iBT Reading: Complete the Words usually makes up about 30 of the 50 Reading items, so getting good at it is one of the fastest ways to lift your Reading band. In the adaptive Reading section, strong performance here matters especially in the routing module, because it helps send you to the harder second module needed for the top bands.
By the end you’ll be able to
Apply the deletion rule to predict what each gap needs. Deletion starts at the second word of sentence two and hits every second word. The first half of the word is kept, and odd-length words lose their longer half (mi_ _ _ → might), so the number of blanks shows how many letters are missing
Use the grammatical frame around a gap (article, auxiliary, preposition, subject–verb agreement, required part of speech) to decide the missing word’s form and ending
Use the paragraph’s topic, collocations and logical connectors to choose among candidate words that share the same first letters (th_ _ → that / this / then / them)
Spell high-frequency function words and academic words accurately, including doubled consonants, silent letters and suffixes such as -tion, -ment, -ness, -ive and -ally
Complete a 10-gap paragraph in about 2–2.5 minutes, then re-read the whole paragraph to check grammar and meaning
What the exam asks
You see a 70–100-word academic paragraph. The first sentence is complete. From the second sentence onward, the test removes the second half of every second word until there are 10 gaps. You type the missing letters.
This task checks four things at once:
word knowledge
grammar
spelling
reading for meaning
A strong target is to finish each 10-gap paragraph in about 2 to 2.5 minutes, then use a few seconds to reread the whole paragraph.
Core ideas
Know the deletion rule
The rule is predictable:
keep=⌊n/2
vii.Check your understanding
3 questions on complete the Words: restoring missing letters in academic paragraphs. Every option is explained once you answer.
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So if a word has n letters, the test keeps the first half and removes the second half. For odd-length words, the longer half disappears.
Full word
Length
What you see
What you type
this
4
th__
is
might
5
mi___
ght
water
5
wa___
ter
because
7
bec____
ause
movement
8
move____
ment
Why this matters:
the number of blanks is a hard limit
many wrong ideas die immediately if the length does not fit
the visible first letters often narrow the choice to a small family of words
For example, th__ could be that, this, they, them, then or than in theory. The grammar and meaning must choose the right one.
Use the grammatical frame first
Your first question for every gap should be: What part of speech must fit here?
Usually, the words around the gap tell you this before the topic does.
Cue around the gap
What it usually tells you
article + gap
probably a noun or adjective + noun sequence
subject + gap
usually a verb
modal verb + gap
base form verb (can move, may cause)
be + gap
adjective or past participle
preposition + gap
noun, pronoun, or -ing form
singular subject
singular verb or singular noun reference
plural subject
plural verb or plural noun reference
gap + noun
adjective, determiner, or number
Typical grammar decisions:
Subject–verb agreement: the system (operates / operate)
Verb form: can reduce, not can reduced
Article choice: a, an, the can often be predicted from meaning
Connectors: because, although, however, therefore shape logic
Pronouns/determiners: their, these, those, which are common
Use topic, collocation, and logic
After grammar, use the paragraph’s meaning.
Start with the first full sentence. It gives you the field: biology, history, economics, art, psychology, and so on. Then use nearby words to predict likely collocations.
Examples of useful academic collocations:
play a role
lead to
result in
a source of
evidence suggests
over time
in contrast
for example
as a result
Suppose you see:
estimate h__ much t__ original surface...
Grammar allows how and the; the topic of measurement and description confirms them.
This is the key order:
length
grammar
meaning/collocation
spelling
Spell endings accurately
A lot of lost points come from almost-right spelling. The word is correct, but the typed ending is wrong.
Watch these patterns:
Pattern
Example
Risk
-tion / -sion
reaction, expansion
missing a letter or choosing the wrong ending
-ment
movement, treatment
forgetting the full suffix
-ness
darkness, usefulness
typing only part of the suffix
-ive
active, adaptive
confusing with -ion or -ity
-ally
finally, naturally
missing one l
doubled consonants
different, occur, summer
dropping one consonant
silent-letter words
though, whole, knowledge
spelling from sound only
Also check simple endings carefully:
plural -s / -es
past -ed
-ing
comparative -er
adverb -ly
For this task, American spelling is safest.
Work in a fixed 4-step routine
A reliable routine beats inspiration.
Read the first sentence for topic.
Do the easy grammar gaps first: articles, pronouns, auxiliaries, common verbs, connectors.
Solve the content words using topic and collocation.
Reread the whole paragraph once for grammar and sense.
If one gap is stubborn, skip it and come back after later gaps. The paragraph often becomes clearer once most of it is complete.
Worked examples
Exam technique
Recognize this task instantly: one academic paragraph, intact first sentence, 10 partial words. Then use a fast, repeatable method.
Best order under time pressure
Read the first sentence only for topic.
Fill the obvious grammar words first.
Do the easy collocations next.
Leave hard content words for the end.
Reread once, quickly.
Time savers
Treat the blank length as non-negotiable.
Use the visible first letters to reduce options fast.
Trust common academic language; the answer is usually ordinary, not rare.
When two words share the same start, let the grammatical frame decide.
What expert test-takers do
They solve function words very fast: that, they, the, and, which, because.
They notice structure words like can, to, by, more, than, which predict the next form.
They check endings carefully, because one missing letter still means wrong.
Because Reading is adaptive, these are high-value points. Complete the Words is one of the most trainable tasks in the whole test, so accuracy here can strongly help your Reading band.
Common mistakes
Quick recap
Complete the Words is the biggest Reading task by item count, so it deserves serious practice.
The rule is predictable: from sentence two onward, the test removes the second half of every second word.
Use this order: letter count → grammar → meaning/collocation → spelling.
The best clue is often the grammatical frame around the gap.
The first full sentence gives the topic and helps predict vocabulary.
Common correct answers are ordinary academic words, connectors, articles, pronouns, and verb forms.
Aim for about 2 to 2.5 minutes per 10-gap paragraph, then reread once.
Always type the missing letters with exact spelling.