IELTS Reading

Matching information questions

These questions describe a piece of information, such as 'a reason why early attempts failed', and ask which lettered paragraph contains it. Unlike headings, they point to one detail, not the main idea, and they are not in passage order. You may use a letter more than once.

Because the answers jump around the passage, do these after questions that follow passage order, when you already know the passage well.

What the question looks like

matching information. “The passage has lettered paragraphs. Which paragraph contains the following information? You may use any letter more than once.”

How to answer

Matching Information to Paragraphs

Read the whole question and identify the exact detail, example or explanation you need to find.
Scan for key words, then look for synonyms or related phrases in the passage.
Check the sentence around a possible match; a shared key word alone does not prove it is correct.
Choose the paragraph that contains the information, not one that only discusses the same general topic.

Example: Find the paragraph explaining how rooftop gardens can reduce pressure on drains.. Paragraph A says rooftop gardens can provide habitats for insects. Paragraph B explains that the soil absorbs rain, so less water reaches drains at once. Paragraph C describes how researchers compare plant species. Answer: Paragraph B. The question asks how the gardens affect drains, and paragraph B gives that explanation.

Matching Statements Across Paragraphs

Read the whole statement first and identify its key meaning, not just one keyword.
Search for synonyms and paraphrases; the passage may use different words from the statement.
Check that the evidence supports every part of the statement, including contrasts or results.
Statements may appear in a different order from their evidence. Keep searching if an early paragraph does not match.

Example: Worked example: matching a statement to evidence. Passage: The first design was costly to repair. A later model used fewer separate parts, so technicians could fix it more quickly. Statement: The later model was easier to repair. Evidence: "technicians could fix it more quickly". This supports the statement even though the wording is different.

Handling Unordered Information

In paragraph-location tasks, questions may not follow passage order. Treat each question independently.
Reduce each statement to its key meaning, then anticipate paraphrases rather than searching only for identical words.
Scan all paragraphs for a match. Check nearby contrasts, causes and conditions to avoid choosing a partial match.
Confirm that the whole statement matches the paragraph before recording your answer; do not assume the next answer is nearby.

Example: Find the paragraph that explains why a sound travelled further. A. A research team placed acoustic sensors at several depths. B. They found that low-frequency calls travelled further in cold water. C. A second analysis linked this longer range to slower sound absorption at lower temperatures. Question: Which paragraph gives the reason for the greater range? Answer: Paragraph C. The question asks for a reason; C gives the mechanism, even though the finding appears in B.

Practise

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

A Seed banks keep seeds cool and dry to slow ageing. B Some collections include wild barley gathered from dry hillsides, giving researchers an example of plants stored for future study. C Staff test small samples every few years to check whether they can still grow.

1Which paragraph gives an example of a plant stored for future study and where it was gathered?

A Researchers are studying how light affects plant growth. B They keep temperature and water levels equal so that any change is more likely to result from light alone. C Plants under brighter lamps grew taller during the study.

2Which paragraph explains why the researchers kept temperature and water levels equal?

A Researchers count tree rings to estimate a tree's age. B Dry conditions can produce narrow rings similar to those caused by cold conditions, so the cause can be difficult to identify. C Records from tree rings can also help researchers study past rainfall.

3Which paragraph states a limitation of using tree rings?

(A) Early coastal maps were often drawn from ships and left out small inlets. Later, surveyors walked the shore and recorded these features. (B) Their maps took longer to make, but they showed more detail.

4Which words provide evidence for the statement “Walking the shore improved map detail”?

(A) A food centre tested reusable containers for storing vegetables. (B) Produce in the containers stayed fresh for two extra days. Workers, however, spent longer washing the containers.

5Which option gives evidence for the statement “The containers kept vegetables fresh for longer but added to the workers’ tasks”?

(A) Researchers compared shaded plots with open plots during a summer trial. (B) At midday, soil under the shade cloth was 3 degrees cooler.

6The statement is “Shade lowered the soil temperature.” Type the three-word phrase that gives direct evidence.

A. Researchers mapped the wetland monthly and found that reed cover expanded near the river mouth. B. Although the sensors were inexpensive, their readings drifted after prolonged exposure to heat. C. Before each survey, the team checked the instruments against a fixed reference value, reducing measurement error.

7Which paragraph describes a procedure used to reduce measurement error?

8Which paragraph reports a change in vegetation in a particular location?

Test hacks

Matching headings: think main idea

A heading sums up the whole paragraph, not one detail. Read the first and last sentences, then decide the main point before looking at the list.

Why it works: Wrong headings usually match a single detail word in the paragraph.

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.

Practise with feedback on every answer

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