Identify the task target
Categorised comparison
IELTS Academic Reading · Question-type lesson
Table Completion: read rows and columns before the gap
Use column categories and row relationships to predict the missing information, then confirm a precise passage span within the word limit.
Short answer: Categorised comparison. Start from row label + column heading + passage detail, and control the main risk: reading the blank without its table context.
What this skill changes
Use it with a clear purpose
A useful reading skill changes what you notice, what you ignore and how you prove an answer.
Locate the right evidence
Row label + column heading + passage detail
Control the distractor
Reading the blank without its table context
WeLearn method
A repeatable process, not a shortcut
Follow these steps until the sequence becomes automatic under time pressure.
Read the instruction
Confirm whether answers come from the passage and record the limit.
Read table structure
Use row labels and column headings to define the missing category.
Locate the matching section
Find where the passage discusses that row or category.
Rebuild the cell
Check meaning, grammar and word count in the complete row.
Worked contrast
See the difference before you practise
Weak move
Choose a nearby phrase because it appears in the same paragraph.
Strong move
The row is “Design factor” and the column is “What to study”, so select the passage phrase that names the exact factor and fits the cell grammar.
Guided practice
Apply the method with immediate feedback
Make a decision first. Then use the explanation to compare your reasoning with the evidence.
Watch one · complete six
Passive cooling in public buildings
Reading passage
Passive cooling in public buildings
Public buildings in warm regions are increasingly being designed to reduce the need for mechanical air conditioning. Architects call these methods passive cooling because they lower indoor temperatures without relying mainly on powered machines. The approach is not new: older houses in many climates used courtyards, thick walls and shaded openings long before electric cooling became common.
One method is cross-ventilation. When windows or vents are placed on opposite sides of a room, moving air can carry heat away from occupants and surfaces. This works best when designers study the direction of prevailing winds before deciding where openings should go. If the openings face the wrong direction, the room may still feel still and humid.
Another method is thermal mass. Materials such as stone, concrete and brick can absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night. In schools and libraries, this can make indoor temperatures more stable, especially where nights are cooler than afternoons. However, thermal mass is less useful if the building cannot release stored heat after sunset.
Shading is also important. Deep roof edges, external screens and trees can block direct sunlight before it reaches windows. External shade is usually more effective than curtains because it stops heat before it enters the glass. The best shading design depends on the sun's angle, which changes with season and time of day.
Passive cooling is not a complete replacement for all mechanical systems. Hospitals, laboratories and data rooms may still need precise temperature control. But in many public buildings, passive methods can reduce energy demand and make indoor spaces more comfortable during ordinary use.
Cell 1 of 6
Complete the cell at this row-column intersection
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Cross-ventilation · How it works
Moving air carries away from people and surfaces.Source boundary: WeLearn is authorized to publish this guided-practice passage. The Australian Government page is candidate factual context and does not verify every simplified claim or license the WeLearn wording. Review the candidate source (opens in a new tab).
Independent practice
Transfer the method to a new passage
Complete the full set before feedback opens. This checks whether the process survives without step-by-step prompting.
Independent table · feedback closed
0/6 completeRain gardens in school grounds
Read all row and column headers, then complete all six cells before any key opens.
Reading passage
Rain gardens in school grounds
Rain gardens are shallow planted areas designed to collect water after heavy rainfall. Instead of sending all runoff into drains at once, the garden holds water temporarily and lets it soak slowly into the soil. Schools are starting to install them because playgrounds and car parks often create large amounts of surface water during storms.
The first design decision is location. A rain garden should sit below the area it drains, but it must not be placed where water already remains for days. If the soil is permanently wet, plant roots may rot and the garden will not absorb new water effectively. Designers also keep rain gardens away from building foundations so that water does not increase damp problems.
Plant choice matters as much as shape. Deep-rooted native plants are often recommended because they tolerate both wet and dry periods and help open channels in the soil. Decorative annual flowers may look attractive, but they usually need more maintenance and may not survive sudden flooding.
Schools often use rain gardens as outdoor classrooms. Students can measure rainfall, observe insects and compare how quickly different surfaces dry after a storm. Maintenance remains important: leaves must be cleared from inlet points, and litter should be removed before it blocks the flow of water. A well-managed rain garden reduces runoff while making drainage visible to students.
01Water management · Reason or benefit
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Water management · Reason or benefit
The garden holds water after heavy rain.02Water management · Condition or warning
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Water management · Condition or warning
It helps avoid sending all runoff into immediately.03Location · Reason or benefit
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Location · Reason or benefit
The garden should sit below the area it .04Location · Condition or warning
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Location · Condition or warning
Avoid soil that is permanently .05Planting and maintenance · Reason or benefit
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Planting and maintenance · Reason or benefit
Deep-rooted native plants open channels in the .06Planting and maintenance · Condition or warning
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Planting and maintenance · Condition or warning
Leaves should be cleared from points.One complete submissionEvery answer remains editable until you submit the full table.
Source boundary: WeLearn is authorized to publish this guided-practice passage. EPA material supports general rain-garden context, not universal performance or every school example. Review the candidate source (opens in a new tab).
Independent protocol
Repeat the set without weakening the evidence rule
- Complete one new Table Completion set without opening feedback.
- For every item, record the exact evidence used for the decision.
- Name the closest distractor and explain its specific failure.
- Repeat only the items where your evidence or reasoning was incomplete.
Mastery check
You are ready to move on when…
- you can state what Table Completion is testing before you search
- you can point to exact passage evidence for every answer
- you can explain why the closest alternative fails
- you preserve scope, polarity, logic and any stated word limit
Loading saved Table Completion progress…
Review and sources
How this Table Completion lesson was reviewed
This material was reviewed in August 2026 to keep the official IELTS Reading format separate from the WeLearn learning strategy used on this page.
Review focus
- Guided, independent and Progress Engine passage pools are separated.
- Every response is checked against both headers, literal evidence, rebuilt cell grammar and the displayed limit.
- The inherited cooling-cell ambiguity accepts all three reasonable exact spans.
- Publication authorization and candidate factual context remain explicitly distinct.
Sources used
Official IELTS Academic Reading format: Confirms completion tasks using words from the text or a supplied list and that any stated word limit is binding.
WeLearn practice blueprint: Defines coordinate-led search, held-back transfer, local persistence and the client-key security boundary.
Scope: these WeLearn exercises support academic-reading practice. They are not official IELTS questions and do not predict a band score by themselves.
FAQ en español
Preguntas frecuentes
Esta es la única sección de la lección que se conserva en español.
¿Qué es Table Completion en IELTS Reading?
Es un tipo oficial de IELTS Reading donde completas espacios en una tabla usando informacion del pasaje. La tabla organiza datos por filas y columnas, y las respuestas deben respetar el limite de palabras.
¿Como se diferencia Table Completion de Note Completion?
Note Completion organiza apuntes por encabezados o bullets. Table Completion exige comparar categorias en columnas y filas, por eso debes usar la estructura de la tabla para saber que tipo de dato falta.
¿Que hago primero en Table Completion?
Lee los titulos de columnas y filas antes del pasaje. Eso te dice si buscas material, fecha, funcion, causa, resultado o problema. Luego escanea la zona relevante y copia palabras exactas.
Continue your Reading pathway
Turn the skill into exam decisions
Table Completion is presented here as guided WeLearn practice. Answer keys reach the browser for feedback, so this is not a secure Exam or proctored mode. Candidate sources do not by themselves prove authorship or full factual verification.
- Official IELTS Academic Reading format — used to distinguish official task types from WeLearn strategy training.
- WeLearn original guided practice — explanations and distractors are designed for skill transfer, not copied from official questions.