Complete the Statement

These questions give you an incomplete sentence. The stem ends with a colon (:) and the four answer options each finish the sentence. You're looking for the completion that matches the passage.

They look like this:

• "According to the passage, the researcher demonstrated their findings by:"
• "The key advantage of the new system is that it:"
• "The cheetah population declined because:"

The colon is your signal. If you see it, you're dealing with a Complete the Statement question (sometimes called an "Incomplete Statement").

These are closely related to According to Passage questions and use the same core technique. The only difference: the correct answer must logically complete the sentence as well as being true according to the passage.

Five steps, target 20-30 seconds:

1. Read the stem. Identify what the sentence is about. What kind of completion does it need - a reason, a method, a result?
2. Pick your keyword from the stem. Same rules as Lesson 1.2.
3. Scan → find → read 2-3 sentences around the keyword.
4. Form your own answer. "Based on the passage, this sentence ends with…"
5. Check each option. Mentally attach each option to the stem. Does it (a) create a true statement per the passage, and (b) read as a grammatically correct sentence? Both must be true.

The completion check in Step 5 is what separates this from a standard According to Passage question. An option might be a true fact from the passage but not logically complete the sentence. Read the full sentence (stem + option) in your head - if it doesn't make sense as a sentence, it's wrong.

Question: "According to the passage, the person responsible for making coffee demonstrates their expertise by:"

Step 1: The stem asks for a method - how the person shows expertise. The completion needs to describe an action.

Step 2: Keyword: "expertise" or "coffee" + "demonstrates" - scan for "expertise" first (more distinctive).

Step 3: Find the relevant sentence in the passage.

Step 4: Suppose the passage says: "The barista demonstrates their expertise through intricate pouring techniques that create layered patterns in the cup."

Step 5: Check options by attaching each to the stem:

Answer: B

All four options are grammatically fine. But only B matches what the passage actually says. The completion check here mostly catches edge cases - the real work is the same Keyword-to-Sentence process from Lesson 1.4.

Sometimes the passage gives you numbers, and the correct completion requires basic arithmetic. This is a valid inference in VR. You won't need a calculator - it's always simple mental maths.

Worked Example 2: Cheetah Population

Passage: "The cheetah population declined from 25 million to 2.5 million over the period."

Question: "According to the passage, the cheetah population:"

Answer: B

What counts as fair maths in VR:

Rule of thumb: If the passage gives you the numbers in the same sentence, the maths is fair game.

Common trap with maths: Confusing the remaining amount with the change. 2.5M is 10% of 25M (remaining), but the decrease is 90%. Always be clear about what you're calculating.

Trap 1: Option Is True but Doesn't Complete the Sentence

The option might state a true fact from the passage, but when you attach it to the stem, it doesn't answer the right question. If the stem asks "because:" the answer needs to be a reason, not a description.

Trap 2: Grammatical Mismatch

Rare, but it happens. If the stem says "by:" the answer should start with a gerund (an -ing word). If it says "because:" the answer should state a cause. Read the full sentence in your head.

Trap 3: Multiple True Options

Just like in standard According to Passage questions, several options might contain facts from the passage. Only one completes the specific sentence the stem started. Go back to the stem and check: what exactly is it asking for?

Next lesson: What happens when the question asks about the author's opinion - and there's no keyword to scan for? You need a different approach entirely.