IELTS Reading Ebook by KenyanNurse

KenyanNurse
IELTS – Reading Section E-Book Guide by KenyanNurse.
IELTS READING SECTION
IELTS Readings entails 3 passages from varied topics(you don't need to have specialized knowledge in
these topics). The three passages have a total of 40 questions, each passage having 10-14 questions and
these questions are designed to test a wide range of reading skills including reading for gist, reading for
main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding local argument and recognizing writers'
opinions, attitudes and purpose.
You'll be required to answer all the 40 questions *in 60minutes* . Note that not even a single minute
will be added during your exam. Therefore, you need to increase your reading speed and use methods
such as scanning and skimming, that will help you save on your time. Remember, these passages are
standard and nobody is trying to trick you. Most answers come in a specific order and you only need to
learn the tips and practice alot.
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General tips on getting a good score in this section
1. First, make sure you understand the instructions (for example: ‘Choose no more than TWO WORDS
from the passage for each answer’ ) Then start by skimming the text to get an idea of the topic. (less
than a minute)
2. Next, read the questions carefully and make sure you understand them.
3. Now, circle the keywords in the questions then locate their synonyms/paraphrase in the text. This is
where skimming and scanning comes in handy especially for passages 1 and 2.
4. Once you have a good idea of where the answer might be in the text, read the sentence before the
keyword and after the keyword. So you have to read in detail in the area of the text where the answer
could be. (in some questions like True False Not Given or Yes No Not Given, the answers come in order
in the text.)
5. Be aware of how sentences and words are paraphrased, this is a very important skill to practice,
especially in the IELTS reading section.
6. If you still can’t find the answer just guess and move on, do not go through the whole text looking for
the answer, you won’t have time. Don’t overthink it.
7. Time management: this is so important, I suggest around 15 minutes for section 1 and 2, but section 3
needs around 30 minutes as you will have to read in more detail in this section. Work on your time
management when doing mock reading tests, train yourself to complete the test in 60 minutes.
8. Paragraph heading questions: read the first two sentences and the last two sentences in the
paragraph, don’t bother reading the whole paragraph. Look out for synonyms and keywords here. For
True False Not Given questions click here for tips on those.
9. Do not keep doing IELTS practice tests over an over again. You need to find your weak points and
work on those, do not do the IELTS exam until you have found your weak areas and fixed those. How
would you answer these questions below?
Are you having trouble understanding paraphrasing?
Do you have poor time management?
Are you spending too much time on section 1 and 2?
Are you losing time looking for the answer to a NOT GIVEN question in TFNG?
Are you just skimming and not reading the area of the text in detail where the answer could be?
How are your stress levels? are you feeling overwhelmed, what can you do to calm down?
Have you learnt from your mistakes or are you constantly making the same mistakes?
Did you understand the instructions before reading? (for example: ‘Choose no more than TWO WORDS
from the passage for each answer’ )
10. When practicing reading (IELTS or non IELTS material) make a note of new vocabulary and notice
paraphrasing patterns.
Get to know how words collocate, collocations are key in developing your vocabulary.
Underline any difficult or new grammar structures you find while reading. Look them up online and
practice them.
Question types in Reading section
You will meet a variety of question types which may include:.
• Multiple choice questions
• Short answer questions.
• sentence completion.
• Notes/summary/flowchart/table completion
• Identification of writer`sviews, attitudes or claims. (Yes/No/ Not given).
• Identifying information (True, False, Not Given).
• Matching headings.
. Matching sentence ending
• Matching information
. Matching features.
. Diagram label completion.
TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN / YES, NO, NOT GIVEN
TFNG
You will be given a number of statements and asked: ‘Do the following statements agree with the
information in the text?’ They are then required to write ‘true’, ‘false’ or ‘not given’ in the boxes on their
answer sheets.
It is important to understand the difference between 'false' and 'not given'. 'False' means that the
passage states the opposite of the statement in question; 'not given' means that the statement is
neither confirmed nor contradicted by the information in the passage.
Students need to understand that any knowledge they bring with them from outside the passage should
not play a part when deciding on their answers.
The task focuses on Identifying information assesses the test takers’ ability to recognise particular points
of information conveyed in the text. It can thus be used with more factual texts.The number of
questions are usually variable.
YNNG
You will be given a number of statements and asked: ‘Do the following statements agree with the
views/claims of the writer?’ They are required to write ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘not given’ in the boxes on their
answer sheet.
It is important to understand the difference between 'no' and 'not given'. 'No' means that the views or
claims of the writer explicitly disagree with the statement, i.e. the writer somewhere expresses the view
or makes a claim which is opposite to the one given in the question; 'not given' means that the view or
claim is neither confirmed nor contradicted.
Students need to understand that any knowledge they bring with them from outside the passage should
not play a part when deciding on their answers.
This type of task assesses the test takers’ ability to recognise opinions or ideas, and so it is often used
with discursive or argumentative texts.The number of questions are also variable.
TFNG/YNNG
The reading section in IELTS contains many types of questions and a lot of IELTS students have problems
with two types of questions, *True False Not Given* and *Yes No Not Given* .
Surprisingly, once you understand the techniques and practice this type of question then you will realise
they are a lot easier than you think. However, you really do need to have good vocabulary to get a good
score here.
The IELTS reading test actually tests your vocabulary such as *synonyms* , *collocations* and
*paraphrasing* . TFNG questions are based on factual statements in the text and there are some tips I
will outline below.
The techniques are the same for *Yes No Not Given* questions but *Yes, No, Not Given* texts deal only
with the writers opinions, not facts.
Key point: There are no traps or tricks to these kinds of tasks, IELTS is testing your language and not
trying to trick you.
What exactly does “True, False, Not Given” mean?

True = The statement agrees with the information in the passage.
False = The statement contradicts or is opposite to the information in the passage.
Not Given = There is no information in the passage and there is no way to know.
Key Point: if the information in the text is similar or close in meaning then it is not true, this kind of
passage only deals with facts, not maybes or similarities. It is also important to know what Not Given
means. If it is impossible to find the information in the area of the passage then it will be Not Given.
Common Problems
The biggest problem here is the ‘not given’ option. Most students are not used to answering questions
like this and it causes them lots of problems because they are not sure what to look for. They also spend
too much time making sure that it is ‘not given’ and this affects the rest of their test.
Students also fail to understand exactly what each statement means and therefore cannot identify if it is
true or false. Many focus on keywords instead of understanding what the statement as a whole means.
Another common mistake is identifying keywords in the statements and then trying to find words that
exactly match them in the text. You can do this, but more often the words will be synonyms.
Finally, some students fail to understand exactly what true, false and not given actually mean and get
confused.
Now let’s look at solving these common problems.
What do TRUE, FALSE and NOT GIVEN mean?
The most important thing to remember is what the words ‘true’, ‘false’ and ‘not given’ actually mean
and therefore what IELTS wants you to write.
If the text agrees with or confirms the information in the statement, the answer is TRUE
If the text contradicts or is the opposite to the information in the statement, the answer is FALSE
If there is no information or it is impossible to know, the answer is NOT GIVEN
True means that the meaning is the same. It is just *similar* then it is FALSE. Remember that we are
dealing with *factual information* so there is no room to say it is similar or nearly the same.
There is no ‘kind of the same’ with these questions, only facts.
Very important- Just because an answer is NOT GIVEN does not mean there are no words in the
statements that match words in the text. This is something that confuses people, if words match then it
must be TRUE or FALSE, right? Not really. This is not a good way to think about these questions because
there probably will be matching words for NOT GIVEN answers, they just don’t have enough information
to answer the question as a whole.
Tips for TFNG/YNNG
1.Ignore anything you already know about the topic and don’t make assumptions. Base your answers on
the text only.
2.Identify any words that qualify the statement, for example, some, all, mainly, often, always and
occasionally. These words are there to test if you have read the whole statement because they can
change the meaning. For example, ‘Kenya Breweries has always made its drinks in Kenya.’ has a
different meaning from "Kenya Breweries has mainly made its drinks in Kenya.MAINLY AND ALWAYS
HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGS .Most students would fail this since they would assume the two words
and just pick "Kenya Breweries" and "Made its drinks"’and assume the two statements are exactly the
same.
3.Be careful when you see verbs that qualify statements, such as suggest, claim, believe and know. For
example, ‘The man claimed he was a Kenyan citizen,’ and ‘The man is a Kenyan citizen’ mean two
different things.
4.There will be at least one of all three answers. If you don’t have at least one ‘true’, ‘false’ or ‘not given’
you have at least one answer wrong.
5.Don’t skim and scan the text to find the final answer. You will have to read the appropriate part of the
text very carefully in order to understand what the author means.
6.Don’t look for words that exactly match those in the statements. You should also look for synonyms or
paraphrased statement.
7. Remember that you are *matching meaning, not words.*
If you can’t find the information you are looking for, then it is probably ‘not given’. Don’t waste time
looking for something that is not there.
8.If you have no idea what the answer is put ‘not given’. You probably have no idea because the answer
is not there.You could be looking for information that is not there so put Not Given
9.Answers are in the same order they appear in the text. Do not waste time going back. Keep on
reading.Donot get back to look for answers for the questions to follow you will always find them below
each other in that order.
10.YES/NO/NOT GIVEN questions are slightly different because they deal with opinion. TRUE/FALSE/NOT
GIVEN questions deal with facts.Be Keen on instructions because if given to write True or False and you
write Yes and No then you'll definitely fail the question.
True, False, Not Given Strategy
This is my suggested strategy. There are many different strategies and you should use the one you feel
comfortable with. You can also adapt this strategy to what suits you.
Always read the instructions carefully and make sure you know if it is a TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN or
YES/NO/NOT GIVEN question.
Read all the statements carefully, trying to understand what the whole sentence means rather than
simply highlighting keywords...Note that we are matching information (meaning ) not words .
Watch out for qualifying words such as some or always.
Try to think of what synonyms might be in the text. This will help you identify the matching part of the
text.
Match the statement with the correct part of the text.
Focus on the statement again and then carefully read the matching part of the text to establish if it is
true or false. Remember the meaning should *exactly* match that of the statement if it is true.Donot
just look at few words and think the statements are matching.
Underline the words that give you the answer, this will help you focus and you can check back later.
Again, be careful there are no *qualifying words* in the text.
If you can’t find the answer, mark it as ‘not given’ and move on to the next question.
If you are really unsure or can’t find the answer, mark it as ‘not given’.
NB.. Nothing like the statements are similar .The must be exactly the same
Don't waste time going back.Answers flow in that order.
Illustration
NB: The technique for TFNG is the same as that for Yes, No, NG...so we'll just discuss one of them.
TRUE
True means the statement in question has the same meaning as the statement in the passage. To mean
the statement is actually mentioned in the passage and whatever the question statement is saying
matches very accurately what is in the passage.
Note that synonyms can be used, and thus, it is very important to know the meaning of both statements.
We are not matching key words, we are matching meaning.
An example:
Question statement : Public communication is an ordinary daily activity.
Passage: Is public speaking an unusual activity reserved for special occasions and restricted to the
lectern or the platform? Hardly. Rather it is, and should be developed as, an everyday activity occurring
in any location people gather together.
From our question, my keywords would be _public communication_.... _ordinary_.... _daily activity_
And from the passage, I found key words relating to that. I then read carefully to get the meaning in the
passage. And the meaning is 'Public speaking is, and should be developed as _an everyday activity
occurring..._
This makes the two statements have the same meaning.
This our statement is *True*
Note that we didn't match the words. We read the statement to find it's meaning.
FALSE
False means the statement in question directly contradicts or opposes what is in the passage.
Example:
Question statement: Tasmanians only eat food that they kill themselves.
Passage: Though a formidable predator, it is mainly a scavenger, feeding on whatever is available from
cow carcasses to reptiles, amphibians and other small mammals.
Our key words from the quetion could be _only eats_... _food_... _kill themselves_
Find the area in the passage that talks about this and then read to understand the whole statement. And
it says, that they are _mainly scavengers_. Scavengers means that they eat what is already dead. And
this is a direct opposite of what our statement says. Thus making the statement *False*
NOT GIVEN
Not Given means the passage has not mentioned anything about the statement in question.
Therefore we have no way of knowing whether it is true or false.
Example:
Question statement: Second class passengers will be allowed to book their hotel rooms before arrival.
Passage: First class passengers will be allowed to book their hotel rooms before arrival.
In this case, our key words would be, _second class_... _allowed_... _book... hotel_ _rooms....before
arrival_
So after searching, you note that we have nowhere in the passage where *second class passengers* are
mentioned.
We only see first class passengers. But that is not what our question is asking. So we actually do not
know what will happen to the second class passengers. Maybe they'll be allowed too. Maybe not. But
because the writer doesn't mention it, we also choose to remain silent about it.
So the answer is *Not Given*
Matching information questions
Test takers are required to locate specific information within the lettered paragraphs/sections of a text,
and to write the letters of the correct paragraphs/sections in the boxes on their answer sheet.
They may be asked to find: specific details, an example, a reason, a description, a comparison, a
summary, an explanation. They will not necessarily need to find information in every paragraph/section
of the text, but there may be more than one piece of information that test takers need to locate in a
given paragraph/section. When this is the case, they will be told that they can use any letter more than
once.
This type of task can be used with any text as it tests a wide range of reading skills, from locating detail
to recognising a summary or definition.
Matching information assesses the test takers’ ability to scan for specific information. Unlike Matching
headings, it is concerned with specific information rather than with the main idea.
Matching features
Test takers are required to match a set of statements or pieces of information to a list of options. The
options are a group of features from the text, and are identified by letters. Test takers may, for example,
be required to match different research findings to a list of researchers, or characteristics to age groups,
events to historical periods, etc. It is possible that some options will not be used, and that others may be
used more than once. The instructions will inform test takers if options may be used more than once.
Matching features assesses the test takers’ ability to recognise relationships and connections between
facts in the text and their ability to recognise opinions and theories. It may be used both with factual
information, as well as opinion-based discursive texts. Test takers need to be able to skim and scan the
text in order to locate the required information and to read for detail.The number of questions are
usually variable
Matching headings
Test takers are given a list of headings, usually identified with lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc,).
A heading will refer to the main idea of the paragraph or section of the text. Test takers must match the
heading to the correct paragraphs or sections, which are marked alphabetically. Test takers write the
appropriate Roman numerals in the boxes on their answer sheets. There will always be more headings
than there are paragraphs or sections, so that some headings will not be used. It is also possible that
some paragraphs or sections may not be included in the task. One or more paragraphs or sections may
already be matched with a heading as an example for test takers. This task type is used with texts that
contain paragraphs or sections with clearly defined themes.
Matching headers tests the test takers’ ability to recognise the main idea or theme in the paragraphs or
sections of a text, and to distinguish main ideas from supporting ones.The number of questions are
variable for each test.
Matching heading please note that they are not meant to confuse you or to consume your time.They are
very considerate on the one hour and they only try to find out if you can easily summarize the general
information of the passage by picking the heading.Analyze the first sentence critically,pick all the
headings that seems to fit.You'll then eliminate those that only picks few information this is after you
quickly scan the passage.Anytime you find it difficult finding an heading just get to the next paragraph
and at the end you'll find it easier to choose from the remaining few.First, read each heading.
Circle key words within the headings.
Any similarities or differences between the headings should be noted.
Read the first and last sentence of the paragraph.
The heading that is most suitable for the paragraph should be chosen.Note that you are picking the
most suitable heading that covers all the information in the passage,not part of it.Note that some
headings will be confusing but you have to pick that which covers the information.There are always
more choices of paragraph headings on the list than paragraphs, so be careful when matching them.
Watch out for synonyms - often words in the paragraphs and paragraph headings will not be the same;
they will be synonyms.
Having a noun from a heading that is in the paragraph does not guarantee they match - you still need to
read it carefully to check.
Illustration on matching headings
Yoruba Town
A. The Yoruba people of Nigeria classify their towns in two ways. Permanent towns with their own
governments are called “ilu”, whereas temporary settlements, set up to support work in the country are
“aba”. Although ilu tend to be larger than aba, the distinction is not one of size, some aba are large,
while declining ilu can be small, but of purpose. There is no “typical” Yoruba town, but some features
are common to most towns.
B. In the 19th century most towns were heavily fortified and the foundations of these walls are
sometimes visible. Collecting tolls to enter and exit through the walls was a major source of revenue for
the old town rulers, as were market fees. The markets were generally located centrally and in small
towns, while in large towns there were permanent stands made of corrugated iron or concrete. The
market was usually next to the local ruler’s palace.
C. The palaces were often very large. In the 1930’s, the area of Oyo’s palace covered 17 acres, and
consisted of a series of courtyards surrounded by private and public rooms. After colonisation, many of
the palaces were completely or partially demolished. Often the rulers built two storey houses for
themselves using some of the palace grounds for government buildings.
D. The town is divided into different sections. In some towns these are regular, extending out from the
center of the town like spokes on a wheel, while in others, where space is limited, they are more
random. The different areas are further divided into compounds called “ile”. These vary in size
considerably from single dwellings to up to thirty houses. They tend to be larger in the North. Large
areas are devoted to government administrative buildings. Newer developments such as industrial or
commercial areas or apartment housing for civil servants tends to be build on the edge of the town.
E. Houses are rectangular and either have a courtyard in the center or the rooms come off a central
corridor. Most social life occurs in the courtyard. They are usually built of hardened mud and have roofs
of corrugated iron or, in the countryside, thatch. Buildings of this material are easy to alter, either by
knocking down rooms or adding new ones. And can be improved by coating the walls with cement.
Richer people often build their houses of concrete blocks and, if they can afford to, build two storey
houses. Within compounds there can be quite a mixture of building types. Younger well-educated
people may have well furnished houses while their older relatives live in mud walled buildings and sleep
on mats on the floor.
F. The builder or the most senior man gets a room either near the entrance or, in a two storied house,
next to the balcony. He usually has more than one room. Junior men get a room each and there are
separate rooms for teenage boys and girls to sleep in. Younger children sleep with their mothers. Any
empty room are used as storage, let out or, if they face the street, used as shops.
G. Amenities vary. In some towns most of the population uses communal water taps and only the rich
have piped water, in others piped water is more normal. Some areas have toilets, but bucket toilets are
common with waste being collected by a “night soil man”. Access to water and electricity are key
political issues
List of Paragraph Headings
i. Town facilities
ii. Colonisation
iii. Urban divisions
iv. Architectural home styles
v. Types of settlements
vi. Historical foundations
vii. Domestic arrangements
viii. City defenses
ix. The residences of the rulers

x. Government buildings
Match the heading with the paragraph
Example: Paragraph A
Answer: v
1. Paragraph B
2. Paragraph C
3. Paragraph D
4. Paragraph E
5. Paragraph F
6. Paragraph G
Correct answers:
Paragraph Headings Answer Discussion
Paragraph B
(vi) - Historical foundations
B. *In the 19th century most towns were heavily fortified and the foundations of these walls are
sometimes visible*. Collecting tolls to enter and exit through the walls was a major source of revenue
for the old town rulers, as were market fees. The markets were generally located centrally and in small
towns, while in large towns there were permanent stands made of corrugated iron or concrete. The
market was usually next to the local ruler’s palace.
In this first question, the word 'foundation' is in the topic sentence. This does not automatically make 'vi'
the correct answer. However, it is a good reason to flag this up as a possibility. The heading also refers
to 'history', so the reference to '19th century' in the topic sentence tells us the paragraph is about the
history. A quick skim of the paragraph confirms this.
Paragraph C
(ix) - The residences of the rulers
C. *The palaces were often very large*. In the 1930’s, the area of Oyo’s palace covered 17 acres, and
consisted of a series of courtyards surrounded by private and public rooms. After colonization, many of
the palaces were completely or partially demolished. Often the rulers built two storey houses for
themselves using some of the palace grounds for government buildings.
The topic setence mentions the palaces, which is where the rulers of Yaruba would likely live, and the
heading mentioned the homes (residences) of the rulers, so it is likely to be ix. Reading the rest of the
paragraph confirms that the whole paragraph talks generally about the palaces in Yoruna. Don't be
tricked by the 'colonisation' heading. This only refers to one sentence in the paragraph, not the whole
paragraph. It is therefore a supporting point rather than the main idea.
Paragraph D
(iii) - Urban divisions
D. *The town is divided into different sections*. In some towns these are regular, extending out from
the center of the town like spokes on a wheel, while in others, where space is limited, they are more
random. The different areas are further divided into compounds called “ile”. These vary in size
considerably from single dwellings to up to thirty houses. They tend to be larger in the North. Large
areas are devoted to government administrative buildings. Newer developments such as industrial or
commercial areas or apartment housing for civil servants tends to be build on the edge of the town.
The answer is first seen in the topic sentence. The word 'divided' should have flagged this up to you as a
possibility. Notice the use of the synonym 'urban' to replace 'town'. It is common to see synonyms in
paragraph headings questions and other IELTS reading questions.
Paragraph E
(iv) - Architectural home styles
E. *Houses are rectangular and either have a courtyard in the center or the rooms come off a central
corridor*. Most social life occurs in the courtyard. They are usually built of hardened mud and have
roofs of corrugated iron or, in the countryside, thatch. Buildings of this material are easy to alter, either
by knocking down rooms or adding new ones. And can be improved by coating the walls with cement.
Richer people often build their houses of concrete blocks and, if they can afford to, build two storey
houses. Within compounds there can be quite a mixture of building types. Younger well-educated
people may have well furnished houses while their older relatives live in mud walled buildings and sleep
on mats on the floor.
The topic sentence starts to give you a clue that 'iv' is the correct choice of the paragraph headings as it
discusses houses and their styles. This is then discussed further in the supporting sentences that follow.
Paragraph F
(vii) - Domestic arrangements
F. *The builder or the most senior man gets a room either near the entrance or, in a two storied house,
next to the balcony*. He usually has more than one room. Junior men get a room each and there are
separate rooms for teenage boys and girls to sleep in. Younger children sleep with their mothers. Any
empty room are used as storage, let out or, if they face the street, used as shops.
In this context, 'domestic' means of or relating to the home, so the heading is referring to the
arrangements within the home. Again, just by reading the topic sentence you can see that this
paragraph is discussing home arrangements and skimming through the rest of the paragraph confirms
this.
Paragraph G
(i) - Town facilities
G. *Amenities vary. In some towns most of the population uses communal water taps and only the rich
have piped water, in others piped water is more normal*. Some areas have toilets, but bucket toilets are
common with waste being collected by a “night soil man”. Access to water and electricity are key
political issues.
'Facilities' is a synonym of 'amenities' so this is the first clue that this could fit this paragraph, but you
need to read on to confirm that the paragraph is discussing the facilities of the town, which it is.
I hope you've seen how simple you can easily pick headings.Also note that you will be given extra
headings than you will need to use so be careful when picking an heading.Donot just see a few words in
the paragraph and pick an heading.You are looking for a statement that covers the whole information.
Matching sentence endings

Test takers are given the first half of a sentence based on the text and asked to choose the best way to
complete it from a list of possible options. They will have more options to choose from than there are
questions. Test takers must write the letter they have chosen on the answer sheet. The questions are in
the same order as the information in the passage: that is, the answer to the first question in this group
will be found before the answer to the second question, and so on. This task type may be used with any
type of text.
Matching sentence endings assesses the test takers’ ability to understand the main ideas within a
sentence.The number of questions are variable for each test
Sentence completion Questions
Test takers complete sentences in a given number of words taken from the text. They must write their
answers on the answer sheet. The instructions will make it clear how many words/numbers test takers
should use in their answers, e.g. ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage’,
‘ONE WORD ONLY’ or ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS’. If test takers write more than the number of
words asked for, they will lose the mark. Numbers can be written using figures or words. Contracted
words will not be tested. Hyphenated words count as single words. The questions are in the same order
as the information in the passage: that is, the answer to the first question in this group will be found
before the answer to the second question, and so on. This task type may be used with any type of text.
Matching sentence endings assesses the test takers’ ability to locate detail/specific information.The
number of questions are variable for each test
Summary, note, table, flow-chart completion
Test takers are given a summary of a section of the text, and are required to complete it with
information drawn from the text. The summary will usually be of only one part of the passage rather
than the whole. The given information may be in the form of: several connected sentences of text
(referred to as a summary), several notes (referred to as notes), a table with some of its cells empty or
partially empty (referred to as a table), a series of boxes or steps linked by arrows to show a sequence of
events, with some of the boxes or steps empty or partially empty (referred to as a flow-chart).
The answers will not necessarily occur in the same order as in the text. However, they will usually come
from one section rather than the entire text.
There are two variations of this task type. Test takers may be asked either to select words from the text
or to select from a list of answers.
Where words have to be selected from the passage, the instructions will make it clear how many
words/numbers test takers should use in their answers, e.g. ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A
NUMBER from the passage’, ‘ONE WORD ONLY’ or ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS’. If test takers write
more than the number of words asked for, they will lose the mark.
Numbers can be written using figures or words. Contracted words are not tested. Hyphenated words
count as single words. Where a list of answers is provided, they most frequently consist of a single word.
Because this task type often relates to precise factual information, it is often used with descriptive texts.
Summarising assesses the test takers’ ability to understand details and/or the main ideas of a section of
text. In the variations involving a summary or notes, test takers need to be aware of the type of word(s)
that will fit into a given gap (for example, whether a noun is needed, or a verb, etc.).The number of
questions are variable for each test.
Fill in blanks questions
1. Before answering any question, check the required word count. Check how many words it asks you to
write. If it says ‘no more than two’, you can write one or two words. If it says ‘no more than three’, you
can write one, two or three words. Remember that numbers are written numerically, such as 72, count
as one word and hyphenated words, such as state-of-the-art, count as one word.
2. The answers use top to down approach, thus limit the search area for each answer. The answers
appear in the same order as the questions. The answer to number 1 will be above number 2, and the
answer to number 3 will be below the answer to number 2. Do not search in the area of answer1 for
answer2 as answer2 will always be in the area of the paragraph where you found answer1. Find where
the answer is located in the text before you try to answer the question.
3. Check if it fits in the blank or not. Remember that your answer should be grammatically correct.
Check the type of word that fits in the space. Is it a verb, noun, adjective or adverb? This will help you
answer the question correctly.
4. Read the question patiently before searching for an answer. Read the questions before reading the
text as it will provide you with the context and search area in the paragraphs.
5. The answer may be paraphrased. When scanning for your answer, make sure you are thinking about
paraphrasing and synonyms.
6. Check your spellings while writing your answer. Even if you find the correct answer and do not spell it
correctly, it will not be considered as a correct answer.
7.Most importantly, note whether the question is asking you to use exact words from the passage or
you need to pick synonyms that are given to you besides the questions.If you use synonyms ensure they
have exact meaning with those in the passage.If you are asked to use words from the passage ,pick them
from the passage.Do not insert synonyms.
Diagram label completion Questions
Test takers are required to complete labels on a diagram, which relates to a description contained in the
text. The instructions will make it clear how many words/numbers test takers should use in their
answers, e.g. ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage’, ‘ONE WORD
ONLY’ or ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS’. If test takers write more than the number of words asked for,
they will lose the mark. Numbers can be written using figures or words. Contracted words will not be
tested. Hyphenated words count as single words. The answers do not necessarily occur in order in the
passage. However, they will usually come from one section rather than the entire text.
The diagram may be of some type of machine, or of parts of a building or of any other element that can
be represented pictorially. This task type is often used with texts describing processes or with
descriptive texts.
Diagram label completion assesses the test takers’ ability to understand a detailed description, and to
relate it to information presented in the form of a diagram.The number of questions are variable for
each test.
The instructions are a key element of testing. Therefore GO THROUGH THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.
They will make you know of the exact requirements for the answers to be correct. They will always tell
you of the number of words required hence making you not to miss a mark.
STUDY THE QUESTION DIAGRAM BEFORE READING THE PASSAGE. by doing this you will know what
exactly is required thereby making it easy to identify them while scanning. This is called objective
reading of the passage because you know what you are looking for.
Try to PREDICT the answers even before reading the text if the diagram looks familiar. If it doesn't look
familiar, just scan for the answers in the passage. DONT ASSUME ANYTHING. Simply make sure every
answer is confirmed from the text.
IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF WORDS THAT SUITS as an answer. This is based on context and grammer. Also
pay attention to collocations because some words might be juxtaposed to become even more accurate.
Always DO THE EASIEST QUESTIONS FIRST. This is because not all the parts have complex answers. Some
parts of the diagrams might be simple and answer easily spotted while scanning. Always get done with
then first.
ANSWERS MAY NOT COME IN ORDER. You have to look for the answers across the whole passage
because you never know how they are scattered. This needs proper scanning after going through the
question diagram.
Multiple choice Questions (MCQs)
Test takers are required to choose the best answer from four alternatives (A, B, C or D), or the best two
answers from five alternatives (A, B, C, D or E), or the best three answers from seven alternatives (A, B, C,
D, E, F or G). Test takers write the letter of the answer they have chosen on the answer sheet. The
questions may involve completing a sentence, where they are given the first part of a sentence and then
choose the best way to complete it from the options, or could involve complete questions; with the test
takers choosing the option which best answers them.
The questions are in the same order as the information in the text: that is, the answer to the first
question in this group will be located in the text before the answer to the second question, and so on.
This task type may be used with any type of text.
Multiple choice tests a wide range of reading skills, including detailed understanding of specific points or
an overall understanding of the main points of the text.The number of questions are variable for each
test.
The first and most important thing to do is READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY AND UNDERSTAND
THEM WELL. This will make you know what exactly is required of you. You will be able to give the
correct answers depending on the number of options that you are supposed to give. Remember that in
some MCQs, more than one options are required. This will make you not to get confused incase you see
more than one options being correct in accordance with the context of the passage. Instructions are the
most important piece of information when facing an exam.
READ QUESTIONS FIRST BEFORE READING THE PASSAGES. This is very crucial in scoring this type of
questions. By reading the questions first, you are able to know exactly what information to look for in
the passages. This will give you an objective when reading which will make it easy to locate the
appropriate part to derive the answers from. By understanding the requirements of the questions, you
will be able to differentiate between the main ideas and specific ideas which are not relevant in getting
the question right.
When going through the questions, TRY TO PREDICT THE CORRECT ANSWER even before reading the
passages. This is very possible especially in questions that talks about facts. Remember that this is just a
prediction and can never be the correct answer untill oscertained by the info in the passages. The
prediction simply involves removing the options which obviously don't seem like answers and remaining
with those that looks like answers according to perspective.
READ THE QUESTIONS CAREFULLY. This is crucial to understanding the specific information that you are
to locate. Then SKIM THE TEXT to get the general meaning. This is done by reading the passage but not
all the words comprehensively. SCAN THE TEXT by underlining any key words keeping in mind the use of
synonyms. The art of skimming and scanning are crucial because of TIME MANAGEMENT. When the
part where the answers lies is located, READ THE PART OF THE TEXT CAREFULLY in order to get to
understand the specific idea in the part. This will make is easy to make the correct choice because you
will have gotten the correct information.
After reading the part of the text carefully, go to the answers and ELIMINATE the options that obviously
look like not the correct ones. You will remain with the ones that seems to be correct. The remaining
options are then analyzed keenly in order to make the correct option stand out. REPHRASING of the
remaining options is key to cracking the puzzle and making the correct choice.
DONT BE TRICKED BY DISTRACTORS. These are words that makes the options seem correct but in reality
they are wrong. These words comes from the part where the answer comes from. They are meant to
confuse you since they are in the came location with the answer in the passage. The only way to avoid
falling into such traps is by carefully reading the part where the answer lies very carefully. The examiner
used them purposely to separate the sharp minds from the minds which are not critical thinkers.
In some cases, you might encounter topics that you know nothing about. This might make one to panic
which renders the exam not doable. In such situations, DONT PANIC. Simply relax because the answers
are based in the passage given. If you know nothing about the topic then you will have been presented
with an opportunity to learn something about the unfamiliar topic and hence stand a bigger chance of
getting the answers right. Always PREPARE FOR BOTH FACTS AND OPINION QUESTIONS.
When about to settle for an answer, always do CLOSE READING. This is the process of reading the part
where the answer is for the last time very carefully in order to ascertain that the answer you are settling
for is truly correct without any doubts.
These types of questions are very tricky especially where options given are more. This is because most of
those options might seem like correct choices when they are wrong. Therefore BE CAREFUL OF FALSE
ANSWERS. These answers simply confuses most candidates and therefore one has to pay very close
attention. The types of false answers in MCQs include;
1. Answers with incorrect information. They mostly contain distractors to confuse candidates
2. Answers with opposite information to the question at hand.
3. Answers related to the question but not the text.
4. Answers with information from the same paragraph as the correct answer.
MCQs have their answers In SAME ORDER AS THE QUESTIONS SYSTEMATICALLY. The answers in this
case follows the top-down approach. The correct part where the answer for the first question is lies
towards the begging of the passage. Thereafter the answers for the other questions follow suit
systematically in accordance with the order of the questions till the last question whose answers lies
towards the end of the passage.
In some cases, you might have gone through the passage well without finding the answer and you feel
like time is running out. In such situations, it doesn't hurt to give a WILD GUESS. This gives you 25%
chance of getting it right and hence BLANK SPACES AVOIDED.
Short-answer questions
Test takers answer questions, which usually relate to factual information about details in the text. This is
most likely to be used with a text that contains a lot of factual information and detail.
Test takers must write their answers in words or numbers on the answer sheet. Test takers must write
their answers using words from the text. The instructions will make it clear how many words/numbers
test takers should use in their answers, e.g. ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from
the passage’, ‘ONE WORD ONLY’ or ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS’. If test takers write more than the
number of words asked for, they will lose the mark.
Numbers can be written using figures or words. Contracted words are not tested. Hyphenated words
count as single words. The questions are in the same order as the information in the text.
Short answer questions assess the test takers’ ability to locate and understand precise information in
the text. The number of questions are variable for each test.
TIME MANAGEMENT
In your exam, note that you're required to transfer your answers to your answer booklet during the time
allowed for the test(60 minutes). No extra time is allowed for transfer of answers(unlike in Listening). So
you had better written each answer on the answer booklet after finding it. You won't have time to
transfer.
The official advice from IELTS is to spend 20 minutes per text in the IELTS Academic Reading test .But I
know that many IELTS candidates spend too long on one text/section and don’t have enough time to
answer all of the 40 questions in one hour.
If you’re worried about spending too long on one text/section in the IELTS Reading test, here are some
suggestions on how to manage your time.
1. *Start with the text that’s easiest for you*.
A good way to manage your time in the IELTS Reading test is to start with the text that’s easiest for you.
If you start with one of the more difficult texts/sections, you’ll probably spend longer than 20 minutes
on it and have less time for the other texts/sections.
In the IELTS Academic reading test, you don’t have to start with the first of the three texts you are given;
it may not be the easiest one.
What you could do is take a quick look at all the texts and/or questions; (I mean a really quick look, i.e.
no more than one minute)
choose the text and/or questions that you feel most confident with and start there
2. *Don’t get stuck on the difficult questions*
As you probably know, some of the 40 questions are more difficult than others.
What you may not know is that each of the 40 questions is worth the same number of points.
The easiest question is worth one point and the most difficult is worth one point.
Because each question is worth the same, it’s important that you spend most of your time answering
the questions you do understand because they are the ones you’re most likely to get right.
So, if you’re faced with a reading question that you don’t understand, just leave it and move on to the
next question. If you have time at the end of your test, you can have another look at the question(s) you
haven’t answered. If you haven’t got enough time, just guess the answer(s).
3.*And don’t forget to keep an eye on the clock!*
I suggest you follow the advice from IELTS and spend around 20 minutes on each reading text/section.
4. *Don't read every sentence*
Skimming. Skimming is when you read a text quickly in order to get the general idea. But how does
skim-reading actually work? One technique is to keep your eyes moving forward and avoid
‘backskipping’ when you find a word you don’t know. Another technique is to look for main ideas, which
are usually near the beginning of each new paragraph. Once you’ve found this idea, you don’t need to
read all of the supporting sentences. A quick glance at the final sentence can help you to confirm if that
main idea was the correct one.
5 *This next tip is related to scanning,* but it’s something you can do while reading and before you start
answering the questions. If you find the name of a person, place or organisation, underline it. That’s
because these names will almost certainly appear in the questions and you’ll be searching for them later.
That’s also the case for technical terms, which usually come with a definition in the text. You can save
yourself time by multitasking and marking these words for later reference. Other words that aren’t as
specific will probably be paraphrased in the questions.
6.*After previewing the questions, you can start on the passage itself* . I recommend spending no more
than five minutes on this stage.What is the best way to approach the passage? I suggest you read the
introduction first, and then skip the body to read the conclusion.The principle is the same as for . It’s
easier to read the body when you know in advance where it’s going. As long as you’ve read both the
introduction and the conclusion, it’s not essential to read all paragraphs in the body.
While reading, your brain is working hard to create a picture of what the passage is about. You can save
your brain the trouble by reading the questions quickly, before you start reading the passage. The
questions provide you with an outline of the contents of the passage, which then allows you to read
more quickly because you know what to expect. However, don’t be tempted to start answering the
questions immediately without taking the time to skim-read the passage.

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IELTS – Reading Section E-Book Guide by KenyanNurse.

IELTS READING SECTION

Are you having trouble understanding paraphrasing?

Do you have poor time management?

Are you spending too much time on section 1 and 2?

• Multiple choice questions

• Short answer questions.

• Identification of writer`sviews, attitudes or claims. (Yes/No/ Not given).

• Identifying information (True, False, Not Given).

. Matching sentence ending

. Diagram label completion.

What exactly does “True, False, Not Given” mean?

False = The statement contradicts or is opposite to the information in the passage.

Now let’s look at solving these common problems.

If there is no information or it is impossible to know, the answer is NOT GIVEN

There is no ‘kind of the same’ with these questions, only facts.

Tips for TFNG/YNNG

7. Remember that you are *matching meaning, not words.*

True, False, Not Given Strategy

Watch out for qualifying words such as some or always.

Match the statement with the correct part of the text.

Again, be careful there are no *qualifying words* in the text.

Don't waste time going back.Answers flow in that order.

Question statement : Public communication is an ordinary daily activity.

This makes the two statements have the same meaning.

This our statement is *True*

Therefore we have no way of knowing whether it is true or false.

So the answer is *Not Given*

Matching information questions

Circle key words within the headings.

Any similarities or differences between the headings should be noted.

Read the first and last sentence of the paragraph.

List of Paragraph Headings

iii. Urban divisions

iv. Architectural home styles

vi. Historical foundations

vii. Domestic arrangements

viii. City defenses

ix. The residences of the rulers

Match the heading with the paragraph

Paragraph Headings Answer Discussion

(vi) - Historical foundations

(ix) - The residences of the rulers

(iii) - Urban divisions

(iv) - Architectural home styles

(i) - Town facilities

Matching sentence endings

Sentence completion Questions

Diagram label completion Questions

Multiple choice Questions (MCQs)

2. Answers with opposite information to the question at hand.

3. Answers related to the question but not the text.

1. *Start with the text that’s easiest for you*.

2. *Don’t get stuck on the difficult questions*

3.*And don’t forget to keep an eye on the clock!*

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7. Remember that you are matching meaning, not words.

Again, be careful there are no qualifying words in the text.

This our statement is True

So the answer is Not Given

1. Start with the text that’s easiest for you.

2. Don’t get stuck on the difficult questions

3.And don’t forget to keep an eye on the clock!