IELTS Reading- Matching Paragraph Headings
Matching paragraph headings is one of the common types of questions in the IELTS Reading section where you will be required to select headings from a list and match them to the paragraphs in the text. Generally, the number of questions may vary but, you will be provided with five to nine headings. You should note that there will be more choices of headings on the list than the paragraphs and the headings will not be used more than once. Overall, this question type measures candidates’ ability to identify the main idea of each paragraph.
Additionally, it is highly recommended that you do the matching paragraph headings questions first if you have several question types for the same passage as this will help you save a lot of time. As this question type will require you to understand the main idea in each paragraph, you will be easily able to spot or locate your answers in the reading text for other question types.
Generally, there are two major strategies suggested to deal with these question type: Reading the Headings first or, Reading the text first.
STRATEGY ONE: READ THE HEADINGS FIRST
In this strategy, you read the headings on the list first and then the text. You should focus on the meaning of each heading as a heading is the summary of the main idea of the paragraph. You should then underline or circle the key words in the headings which could be names, numbers, places, dates or other nouns which may help you identify and connect the headings to its appropriate paragraph. The headings on the list may often be very similar with similar meaning or completely opposite and you should note any similarities or differences in the headings.
You should then read the first and the last sentences of the first paragraph to identify the main idea. However, it is important that you quickly skim read the other sentences to confirm as main ideas may not always be very clear in the first or last sentences. When you identify the main idea of the paragraph, you should select the most suitable heading for the paragraph. Crossing off options may be really helpful to shortlist the headings but, it is always better to consider all the headings for all the paragraphs because one mistake could lead on to many other mistakes if you match one heading incorrectly. Seeing a word in the heading that matches to a word in the paragraph may not always be the correct match and you should always be careful of synonyms.
STRATEGY TWO: READ THE TEXT FIRST
In this strategy, skim through the text first, reading each paragraphs to understand its main idea. Some candidates often summarize the main idea in their own words by coming up with a heading or a short sentence which they usually write beside each paragraph.
The next step is to read the headings on the list to understand its meaning and match it to the one which is close in meaning to the heading written beside the paragraph. You should consider all the headings for all the paragraphs because selecting a heading without considering all the headings may not always be a perfect match. You could take help of the keywords however; you should remember that you cannot afford to spend too much time reading the text.
GENERAL STARTEGIES
It is recommended that students try both the strategies and stick to one that best fits them as it is possible that one strategy may suit you better than another.
You should be aware of the synonyms as using synonyms and paraphrasing are very common in the reading section. Irrespective of the type of strategy you prefer, you should remember that there will be more headings than the paragraphs and having a noun in the heading that matches a noun in the paragraph does not always guarantee a correct match.
This question type may be time consuming which is why you should manage your time efficiently. There is often too much information in the text and you should focus on understanding the main idea of each paragraph rather than wasting time trying to understand every detail. Some headings may have similar meaning which could be confusing. In such a case, you should try to identify the differences in the headings and select the one that is more suitable. DO NOT get stuck if you cannot decide on the heading. The best is to move on and come back to the confusing one at the end.
Additionally, you shouldn’t worry about some words that you do not understand as you should rather focus on the meaning of the whole paragraph and not on individual words.
REMEMBER! PRACTICE IS THE KEY!
