Paragraph(Matching) readings

Paragraph(Matching) readings
Matching paragraph information questions are another type of question that comes up regularly in the IELTS Reading test. Unless you have a good strategy for tackling this kind of task, you can easily lose a lot of time on it.
The information on this page will help you to be well prepared for exam day. Here’s what it covers:

• 
  Explanation of this question type
  

• 
  Skills needed
  

• 
  Key tips
  

• 
  The strategy
  

• 
  Examples from real test papers
  

Explanation of this question type

• 
  You will be given a set of 3 to 6 statements.
  

• 
  You are required to match the information in each statement to matching information in a paragraph in the reading text.
  

The type of information included in the statements can vary widely. You could, for example, be asked to match:

• 
  facts
  

• 
  descriptions
  

• 
  opinions
  

• 
  predictions
  

• 
  definitions
  

• 
  explanations
  

• 
  reasons
  

• 
  challenges
  

Here’s an example of instructions and statements taken from a past test paper.

Source: Cambridge English Past Test Paper 


Skills needed
This type of question tests your ability to:

• 
  Skim read for general meaning 
  

• 
  Scan for specific information
  

• 
  Read in detail to find answers
  

• 
  Identify synonyms & paraphrasing
  

Matching information questions are a real test of your paraphrasing skills as the information will be expressed in different ways in the statements and in the text. Many synonyms will be used and sentence structures often altered.