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How to Answer the Read and Complete Question on the Duolingo English Test

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How to Answer the Read and Complete Question on the Duolingo English Test
Photo by Brett Jordan / Unsplash

The Read and Complete section of the Duolingo English Test is one of the trickiest parts: you’re given a paragraph filled with broken words, and only three minutes to make it right.

At first, this feels stressful. But the truth is, this task follows patterns — and once you know the tricks, you can save valuable points. Let’s go step by step with five strategies and real examples.

1. Read the Title, First Sentence, and Last Sentence

Before touching any blanks, read the title, the first sentence, and the last sentence.

Why? These three parts usually reveal the main idea — and sometimes the exact missing word.

Example:

  • Title: Chemistry in Our Lives
  • Last sentence: baking soda fully written out.
  • Early blank: b___ soda
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Answer: baking soda — Duolingo gave it away!

2. Use Context Clues

Context is everything. Don’t panic when you see a blank — instead, read the sentence as a whole.

Example:

  • Sentence: The boat sank and everybody had to swim to shore.

Imagine you don’t know the words sank or shore.

  • You still understand that people left a boat and started swimming.
  • Logically, the boat must have gone down → sank.
  • People wouldn’t swim out to the ocean, they swim back to land → shore.
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Even without a dictionary, context tells you the meaning.

3. Watch for Repeated Words

Duolingo often hides answers in plain sight by repeating words.

Example:

  • Middle of the passage: affect us.
  • End of the passage: affects the

Same with smaller words like a or we.

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Always scan the entire text before filling blanks. The answer may already be written elsewhere.

4. Use Good Grammar

Sometimes you’ll know the right word but lose points if you choose the wrong form.

Example:

  • Correct: would be difficult
  • Incorrect: would be difficulty

The second one breaks the grammar rule. Always check verb tense, singular/plural, and adjective/adverb form.

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Grammar makes the difference between partial credit and full credit.

5. Don’t Use the Arrow Keys

This is a practical but critical warning: arrow keys don’t work in this task.

Use only:

  • Tab → move forward
  • Backspace → delete mistakes
  • Mouse → click into blanks

✅ Get comfortable with this. Wasting time fighting the keyboard can cost you points.

Final Thoughts

The Read and Complete question may seem stressful, but with these strategies it becomes predictable:

  • Read the title, first and last sentence
  • Use context clues
  • Watch for repeated words
  • Apply good grammar
  • Don’t use the arrow keys

👉 Want thousands of practice questions with instant scoring? Check out DET Study, where you can sharpen your skills and feel confident on test day.