IELTS Reading

Diagram label completion

You label parts of a diagram, often a machine, a structure or a natural process, using words from the passage. The passage describes the object in detail, usually in one or two paragraphs.

Find the paragraph that describes the object, then follow the description part by part, matching words like 'above', 'beneath' and 'at the end of' to the drawing.

What the question looks like

diagram label completion. “Label the diagram. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.”

How to answer

Labelling Diagram Parts

Start at the arrowhead: it shows the exact part the label names, even if the diagram is rotated or simplified.
Use spatial clues such as above, beneath, inside, beside and at the tip to locate the part.
Read nearby text for the part’s name; use its function to confirm that you have matched the right feature.
Copy the exact noun phrase needed, and check whether the label requires a singular or plural form.

Example: A thermometer diagram has an arrow pointing to the thin passage above the bulb. Nearby text: “The coloured liquid rises through a narrow capillary tube.”. Write “capillary tube”. The arrow points to the passage above the bulb, and the nearby text names that passage.

Predicting Completion Grammar

Read the words immediately before and after the gap before searching the passage.
Ask: what part of speech does the sentence need—a noun, verb, adjective or adverb?
Ask: do nearby words require a particular number, tense or verb form?
Predict the grammatical form first; then search for information that fits it.

Example: Predicting the form for a sentence gap. Gap: “The solution was ___ before testing.” The word “was” signals a passive structure, so predict a past participle. Then look for a passage word that fits.

Practise

Short items from the ielts.coach lessons. Answer them, then check to see why each answer is right.

A sand filter contains a coarse gravel base, a fine sand layer above it, and a carbon layer near the top. As water passes downwards, the fine sand traps suspended particles.

1In a diagram, label B points to the middle layer, between the gravel base and the carbon layer. Which words complete the label?

Many leaves have tiny pores called stomata, found mainly on their lower surface. Guard cells border each pore and help control its opening.

2A diagram shows the underside of a leaf. Label C points to the tiny openings, not to the cells around them. What is the label?

In a flower, the stigma sits at the top of the pistil, while the ovary is at its base. The style is the slender stalk linking the stigma to the ovary.

3Label F points to the slender connector between the stigma and the ovary. Type the correct part name.

In a laboratory study, researchers compared three methods of drying plant samples. The samples were ___ before being weighed, so their mass could be compared.

4Before searching for the missing word, which grammatical form should you predict?

A monitoring system uses several sensors to track water temperature. Each of the sensors ___ a separate reading every minute.

5Which grammatical form fits the gap after “Each of the sensors”?

Test hacks

False vs Not Given

False means the passage says the opposite. Not Given means the passage doesn't say either way. Don't use your own knowledge.

Why it works: Confusing False and Not Given is an easy trap: choosing False when the passage simply says nothing about the point.

Answers usually follow passage order

For most question types (True/False/Not Given, gap-fill, multiple choice) the answers appear in the same order as the passage.

Why it works: Once you find answer 3, answer 4 is almost always after it. You'll search a much smaller area.

Hunt for synonyms, not the same words

Questions paraphrase the passage. Look for words with the same meaning, not identical words.

Why it works: Matching exact words often leads to the distractor; the real answer is usually paraphrased.

Practise with feedback on every answer

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