IELTS Matching Information which paragraph contains what
Matching information asks which paragraph contains a specific piece of information. It is one of the slowest types in the paper because the questions are not in passage order and a paragraph can hold several answers, so it rewards leaving it until last.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Practise matching information questionsWhat the task asks
You are given statements describing information, and a passage with lettered paragraphs. You identify which paragraph each piece of information appears in. A paragraph may contain more than one answer, and some paragraphs may contain none.
The method
- 01
Do this type last
It requires the widest search of any reading task. Doing the ordered types first means you have already read most of the passage and know roughly where things are.
- 02
Classify what you are looking for
The statement usually names a KIND of information: an example, a comparison, a reason, a definition, a reference to a date. Knowing you are hunting for a comparison is faster than hunting for a topic.
- 03
Scan for the shape, not the words
A description of a cause looks like because, led to, resulted in. An example looks like for instance, such as. Those shapes are visible without reading closely.
- 04
Accept repeats
Unless the instruction says otherwise a letter can be the answer more than once, and often is.
Worked examples
Real questions from the practice bank with the reasoning written out. Cover the answer, decide, then read the explanation. Getting it right for the wrong reason is the thing that does not survive test day.
A reference to a self-reinforcing cycle between cooling demand and outdoor temperaturesshow
Answer: D
Paragraph D describes air-conditioning units 'ejecting indoor heat into the surrounding outdoor air, raising local temperatures and prompting further air-conditioning use, in what climatologists describe as a positive feedback loop.'
A product that reduces hospital infections without chemicalsshow
Answer: F
Paragraph F describes Sharklet, which 'reduced bacterial colonisation by up to 94 percent without using any chemical agents' and led to a '72 percent reduction in surface-transmitted infections' in hospitals.
A reference to the role of indigenous knowledge predating scientific discoveryshow
Answer: B
Paragraph B states 'Local people in the region had long been aware of the dense, fluttering colonies that appeared each November, but the precise locations had remained obscure to outsiders.'
An example of a policy that exploits present bias to encourage savingshow
Answer: G
Paragraph G describes the Save More Tomorrow programme, in which 'present bias works in favour of saving rather than against it' because contribution increases are scheduled for the future.
Where the marks go
Expecting passage order
There is none. Question 27 can be answered by paragraph A and question 28 by paragraph G.
Stopping at the first plausible paragraph
Several paragraphs may touch the subject. Only one contains the specific information described, so check that it is the full match before moving on.
Spending too long
This type eats time. If a question resists after a minute, mark your best guess, note it and come back if there is time left.
Frequently asked questions
Are matching information questions in passage order?+
No. That is what makes them slow, and it is why most teachers recommend leaving this type until the other question sets on the passage are done.
Can the same paragraph be the answer twice?+
Yes, unless the instruction says each letter is used once. Read the instruction line before you start.
How is this different from matching headings?+
Matching headings asks what a paragraph is mainly about. Matching information asks where a specific detail sits, and that detail is often not the paragraph's main point at all.
You know the method now. Do it under a clock.
Practise matching information questions in the real test layout, marked instantly, with the reasoning shown for every answer you get wrong.
Start practising