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4 R - Introduction of IELTS reading, completion & true/ false/ not given (1)

READING

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Part 1: Easiest - part 2 or 3 can be the hardest part
Dễ: Cambridge Ôn từ 19 ngược về 10
Khó: Simulation Reading

14 IELTS Reading Question Types: A Comprehensive Overview

The IELTS Academic and General Reading test comprises 40 questions. Each question is of 1 mark. There are various reading types of questions used in the test to assess your skills. Now, let’s go through each question and the skills you will need for each one, as well as helpful tips.

1.
Matching Headings
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A list of headings marked with (i, ii, iii,..) and a passage with lettered paragraphs (A, B, C,...) are given. You must match the heading to the correct paragraph and write the appropriate number on the answer sheet. To make the task harder, there will be more headings than the number of paragraphs
Skills:
Understand the main idea of the text instead of the details.
Identify the difference between a main idea and supporting points
Read for the overall “gist” of the passage.
Tips:
Read the headings before you read the passage
Be aware of synonyms and look for them
Answers don’t come in order, so you cannot use the text’s order as a guide

2. Matching Paragraph Information

In this question type, there are several paragraphs labelled with different letters (A, B, C,...). You are supposed to match the information given in the question with the information found in one of the paragraphs. The task demands to write the letter of the correct paragraph on the answer sheet.
Skills:
Ability to scan a text to detect specific information
Understand specific supporting details in the text.
Read the questions first and underline the keywords.
Tips:
Think of some ways to paraphrase keywords
Start with the easiest question first
Think about the synonyms as you answer the questions.

3.
Matching Features
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In this question of IELTS Reading, you need to match a set of statements or a piece of information from the given options. These options are a group of features from the passage. There’s a possibility that some options will not be used while some may be used more than once
Skills:
Ability to determine relationships and connections between facts
Make sure you are aware of the scanning technique
High level of concentration
Tips:
Read the first two and last two sentences of the paragraph and skim the other text
Eliminate used headings to avoid confusion
Briefly sum up the main idea of the paragraph in your own words

4.
Matching Sentence Endings
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The first half of the sentence will be provided, and you will need to match it with the second half. To complete the sentence use the information from the passage.
Skills:
Understand the main idea within the sentence
Read the passage in detail
Look for important information
Tips:
Scan to find the location of the answer
Read the instructions carefully to avoid basic mistakes
All the sentences must be grammatically correct

5.
True/ False OR Not Given
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Among all the types of questions in IELTS reading, this is the most tricky one. You will see statements that you need to identify as True/False or Not Given. You need to understand that which information is in the passage, which is not, and which is not included.
Skills:
You should recognize the information conveyed in the passage
Spot the information in the text
Understanding the opinions of the writer
Tips:
Answers come in order
Make sure that you do not confuse “No” with “Not Given.”
Do not apply your knowledge about the passage

6.
Multiple Choice
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In this, you will see a question with a selection of options (in letter format from A-D). The format can be a question or completing the sentence with the correct option. You are required to choose the right option from the list.
Skills:
Get an overall idea of the passage
You must have a good reading speed
Scan the specific information
Tips:
First, read the questions and then the paragraph
Look for the distractions present in the question to confuse you
Read in detail

7. List Selection

Among the IELTS reading types of questions, this one is a little confusing as it resembles other variety of tasks in the reading section. In this, you will see a question and a list of possible answers, similar to the MCQs. Moreover, this question will tell you how many answers you will need to select, so you will need to select more than one answer.
Skills:
Grasp the details in the text, so that you can correctly answer the question
Focus on supporting details rather than the main idea
Scan the text for specific keywords
Tips:
You must select the exact number of options- (not more nor less)
Read the instructions carefully and follow them
While reading the answers, remember the keywords in each option.

8.
Choosing a Title
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In this question of IELTS Reading, you have to choose the best title for a passage, based on the information given in the passage.
Skills:
Identify the aim of a passage
Know the purpose of a piece of writing
Being able to skim-read
Tips:
Study the difference between a general idea and a specific detail.
Pay attention to the opening and closing paragraphs
Read the titles closely for detail

9.
Short Answer
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In IELTS reading question types, students find this question easiest to answer. You must answer the question using information from the text with a short phrase. Write your answers in specific words/numbers as per the given instructions.
Skills:
Look for the specific details in the text
Understand basic information
Paraphrase the text to grasp the question statements
Tips:
Understand the question words (Who, What, Where, When, Why)
Think about the grammar once you get an overview of the question
Check how many words you can use for the answer

10.
Sentence Completion
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In this question, you are asked to complete the sentence with a specific number of words. It may be ‘one word, two/three words, no more than three words/a number, and so on.
Skills:
Understand paraphrasing and synonyms
Choose the right word from the text
Scan the specific information
Tips:
Think about the grammar
Remember to double-check your spelling
Use the time cautiously.

11.
Summary Completion
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You will see a summary of a passage. To answer you must use the real text to complete it. The answers don’t need to appear in the same order as given in the passage.
Skills:
Have the potential to choose the correct words from a list of answers.
Scan for specific information
Ability to recognize a wide range of synonyms
Tips:
Words must be grammatically correct
Remember the parts of speech (nouns, adjectives, verbs).
Read through your completed summary to ensure that it makes sense.

12.
Table Completion
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You will notice a table with missing information. Your task is to complete the summary using one word from the list for each gap.
Skills:
Skim the text for a better understanding
Paraphrase the original text
Understand synonyms
Tips:
Answers might not come in order
Read the column headings in the table
Check back to the text to make sure you have the correct information

13. Flow Chart Completion

You will see a flow chart with misplaced information. You need to correctly fill the flow chart, and may or may not have a word bank. Flow Charts are typically considered “Most Difficult” in the IELTS Reading section.
Skills:
Locate the specific information in the text
Learn how to paraphrase details from the passage
Understand synonyms
Tips:
Don’t let the layout or image related to the flow chart confuse you
Always double-check your grammar
Use the direction of the arrows and boxes to follow the order of information

14.
Diagram Completion
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You will spot one or more diagrams with incomplete labels. Using information from the passage, you need to fill those gaps.
Skills:
Choose appropriate words
Locate information in the passage
Relate the details to the diagram
Tips:
Find the information in the passage
Identify the type of word you need for your answer (noun/verb etc)
Answers do not always come in order
Overall, these are the 14 types of questions in IELTS reading that you will be facing. Now let’s discuss in the next section the common challenges in the reading types of questions and how to overcome them.


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