Complete the word questions appear in almost every GL-style verbal-reasoning paper. Fill missing letters to complete a word in context. Like every VR type, they stop being hard the moment your child has a fixed method — here it is.
What the question looks like
Fill missing letters to complete a word in context. Papers typically include 3–5 of these per test, worth the same marks as any other question — which makes fast, reliable technique on the common types the highest-value preparation there is.
The method
Read the whole sentence first — context narrows the word before you look at the letters. Then fit the given letters around the gap and run the alphabet on the missing slots.
Worked example
'The chef sh_rp_ned his knife' → sharpened.
The traps
Solving the letters without the sentence and producing a real-but-wrong word.
How to practise this type
Little and often wins: five questions of this type daily for a week beats fifty in one sitting. Our free verbal-reasoning worksheets are organised by exact question type, and the Arena's VR mode gives instant feedback with XP. When the type feels automatic, fold it back into full timed mock papers so pacing develops alongside accuracy. For the full landscape, see the 21 VR types overview.