What does incomplete mean?
Word: Incomplete
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Incomplete means not finished, or with some parts missing.
Synonyms: unfinished, partial
Antonyms: whole
How do you spell incomplete?
Syllables: in - com - plete
Tricky part: Near the end comes a long e sound. Children write ee or ea because that is how the sound is usually spelt.
Watch out for: incompleet, incompleat
Memory tip: An athlete who stops halfway leaves a race incomplete, and the two words end the same way.
Incomplete in a sentence
Example 1: My homework is incomplete because I ran out of time.
Example 2: The jigsaw stayed incomplete: three pieces had rolled under the sofa.
Example 3: An incomplete form will be sent back to the office.
Fun Fact
One of the best-loved works in music is incomplete: the composer Franz Schubert left his Symphony No. 8 with just two finished movements, and it is known as the Unfinished Symphony.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the prefix that completes the word:
____complete
a) im
b) un
c) in
d) dis
Show answer
c) in. This root takes the prefix that gives the sense of not, just as in correct.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
tepmolnice
a) incredible
b) inclined
c) incomplete
d) incorrect
Show answer
c) incomplete. The m and p in the jumble rule out the other three, none of which has either letter.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
inc_m_lete
a) o, p
b) u, p
c) a, p
d) o, b
Show answer
a) o, p. The middle beat is com, and a p follows it.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
incommplete
a) c
b) p
c) l
d) m
Show answer
d) m. Complete has one m, and adding in does not change that.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is incomplete?
a) a sentence with no verb
b) a team with all its players
c) a book with every page
d) a cake with all its candles
Show answer
a) a sentence with no verb
2. Ravi's report card says Science project: incomplete. What should he do?
a) start next year's project
b) hand in the work still due
c) thank the teacher for top marks
d) ask for a new report card
Show answer
b) hand in the work still due
