Two versions of the same task
The summary retells one section of the passage in new wording. Answers usually come from that section, though not always in passage order. The instruction tells you which version you have:
- “Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.” You copy from the text.
- “Complete the summary using the list of words, A–I, below.” You choose from a box, usually with more options than gaps; on paper, you write the letter.
- “ONE WORD ONLY” is stricter: a two-word answer is wrong.
Words from the passage: the rules
Here the answer is checked against the text itself:
- Copy words in the form the passage uses; the summary is built to fit it.
- “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS” allows one or two; three are wrong, even with the right word among them.
- Articles count: “the results” is two words; hyphenated “long-term” is one.
- A misspelled answer is wrong, so copy letter by letter.
Try one: a passage about composting
Read this practice passage, also recorded on this page. Instruction: NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.
- “Community composting often begins with an unused corner of a shared garden. Residents establish collection points for uncooked plant waste and appoint volunteers to inspect each container. Ventilation prevents excess moisture, while a cover limits heat loss during cold weather. After several months, the material becomes dark compost that can regenerate tired soil. Poorly sorted waste, however, may introduce plastic and slow the process. Clear guidance therefore contributes to cleaner inputs and more reliable results.”
Predict each gap from the words around it
Decide what kind of word each gap needs, then find the idea the summary paraphrases. The full five-gap summary, with each clue:
- “Projects may use an ___ corner.” “An” before “corner” calls for an adjective starting with a vowel sound: “unused”.
- “A cover limits ___.” The verb needs an object: “heat loss”.
- “The waste becomes dark ___.” The adjective needs a noun: “compost”.
- “Incorrect sorting may add ___.” “Add” paraphrases “introduce”: “plastic”.
- “Clear guidance creates more reliable ___.” A plural noun fits: “results”.
Follow the links, not the nearest noun
The phrase next to your keyword is not always the answer. “Excess moisture” comes just before “a cover”, but the passage gives that job to ventilation. Linking words show the logic: “while” contrasts, “after” marks time, “however” flags a problem, “therefore” a result.
Academic passages also signal who claims what; each card on this page has a recording:
- “According to …” credits a claim to a named report or person: “According to the field report, noise fell after the barrier was installed.”
- “Since …” marks a starting time or a cause: “Since the wetland reopened, bird counts have risen.” Here it is time, hence the present perfect.
- “Further studies show …” adds later research: “Further studies show that shade also reduces water loss.”
Choosing from a word list
In the list version, several options fit the grammar, so meaning decides; options are often paraphrases. A second recorded practice passage compares trees, fabric canopies and pale road surfaces for cooling streets.
The word list: immediate, long-term, glare, mixed, expensive, narrow.
- “Canopies provide ___ shade”: “immediate”; canopies worked immediately and cost less, so not “expensive”.
- “Trees support ___ cooling after they mature”: “long-term”.
- “Pale surfaces … can cause ___”: “glare”, the only noun in the list.
- “The final plan is a ___ approach”: “mixed”; “a” also rules out “expensive”.
Mistakes that cost marks
Label each wrong answer in practice:
- A correct paraphrase where the instruction says “from the passage”.
- Going over the limit or repeating a word printed in the summary.
- Copying the phrase next to the keyword, not the one linked to the gap.
- Changing the form: “result” for “results”.
- Searching the passage for a list word, when the list paraphrases it.
A 20-minute exam routine
Three times a week, with one summary task from a practice test:
- Underline the version and the word limit.
- Label each gap: noun or adjective, singular or plural.
- Find the section, match the paraphrase, copy exactly.
- Reread the summary and count each answer’s words.
- After checking, note why each wrong answer failed.
What comes next
Next, apply the same evidence habit to Yes, No, Not Given questions about the writer’s views, or go back to True, False, Not Given if you still mix up False and Not Given. Writing Task 1 then asks the opposite: reporting a line graph in your own words.