IELTS Reading: paragraph questions

There are 2 types of questions that ask you about paragraphs:

1. Paragraph headings - match the sub-headings with the paragraphs.
2. Specific information - which paragraph contains the following information? Try an example: IELTS Reading: Which paragraph?

• For 'paragraph headings' questions, you need to find the main idea of each paragraph. I usually recommend starting with the shortest paragraph first.

• For 'specific information' questions, remember that one paragraph can contain more than one piece of information (e.g. "paragraph A" could be the answer for questions 1 and 2). Some paragraphs may not contain any information, so it doesn't help to start with the shortest one.

Both types of question are easier if you do the other question sections first (gap-fill, true/false/not given etc.). You will then be more familiar with the text, and you might even remember where some of the 'paragraph' answers are.

Comments

[Rashida Perveen]

Hi Simon!
I am going to take part in this conversation first time.My IELTS EXAM is due on October 13.I searched your website a few days ago.It seems to be quite useful to approach and fulfill the requirements of exam.My answers are given below,
1-C
2-B
3-A
4-D

[Thang Huynh]

my answer is 1C 2B 3A 4D

[Maya]

My answers are
1-c
2-b
3-a
4-d

[manisha]

MY ANSWERS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
C
B
A
D

[Ali]

Hey,
My answers are:
1C 2B 3A 4D

[Neha Kaur]

My Answers are
C
B
A
D

[JDP]

Hi Simon,

Find my answers as below:

1 - C
2 - B
3 - A
4 - D

I enjoyed the exercise. Thanks for the effort that you put up to make it available to us.

JDP

[Pul]

A-3
B-2
C-1
D-4
E-3

OR

1-C
2-B
3-A&E
4-D

[Maram]

1.C
2.B
3.A
4.D

[tariq]

1.c
2.b
3.a
4.d

[Veeryday lifestyle]

C,B,A,D

[Srinivas Reddy]

CBAE

[veda]

c,b,a,d

[Linh]

Hi Simon,

Could you tell me a technique to do this type of questions and heading matching questions? I followed your advices and I find that they are really helpful, I got more right answers than before but still a lot of wrong answers in heading matching questions sector.

Thanks a lot

[Candy]

1.C
2.B
3.A
4.D

[NORA]

my answer is
1- C

2- AB

3- E

4- D

[Linh]

Dear Simon,

I'm very sorry because I post a question about writing here but I am going to take IELTS test at this weekend so I can't wait until next writing lesson.

Can I use "take me an example" in writing piece?

[Tereza]

1.C
2.B
3.A
4.D

[Reema Boufis]

1C,2B,3A,4D

[NORA]

Hi Simon,

I will take IELTS at this weekend..

would you mind giving me advise

what should i do in next three days before

Ielts??

I am sorry because I post my question here..

[Ryan]

Hi Simon,

1,c.2,a.3,b.4,d
I would like to clarify,is it true that most of the imformation could be find at the beginning of two sentences????thank you so much simon,i would say that you are a brilliant online instructor I ever found.

[gurjeet]

I will take IELTS at this weekend..

would you mind giving me advise

what should i do in next three days before

[Marleen Dangelo]

I'm very sorry because I post a question about writing here.

[Simon]

CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

C
B
A
D

...

Hi Linh,

Apart from what I suggested in the lesson above, the best advice is just to keep practising! Don't write "take me an example".

...

Hi Nora and Gurjeet,

Here's my advice for the week before your test:

http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2011/05/ielts-advice-the-week-before-your-exam.html

...

Hi Ryan,

No, that's not always the case unfortunately. You might need to read the whole paragraph in some cases.

[Linh]

Dear Simon,

Thank you so much for your help.

Linh

[NORA]

Thank you so much Mr Simon for your help

[Dorian]

Hi Simon,

I've gone through almost all the reading lessons you've posted.I'm mainly bothered with the False or Not Given type questions, and I think most students are.
Can you give a lesson on this type of questions?

Thanks!

Dorian

[thuybean]

1.c
2.b
3.a,e
4.a,d

[Nga Nguyen]

I have wondered on this question, please help me answer it. T/F/NG "Knowledge structures in adults decrease with age". And the sentence that I think most related to that question is "Additional research from developmental and gerontological perspectives has also shown that various aspects of adult intellectual functioning are greatly determined by knowledge structures and less influenced by the kinds of process measures which have been shown to decline with age over adult development"
Sorry if I posted on wrong topic. Thank you!

[Dominque Jolley]

I posted on wrong topic. Thank you.

[uru]

Dear Simon,
For the 2nd type of questions, shoud i start with reading specific information or paragraph? Tks!

[Mike]

A method that helped me a lot to answer these types of questions is reading each paragraph one by one and choosing the best title/topic from the list. If you go the other way you have to read all paragraphs for first title/topic and all but one for second and ...
But using this method only one time you read the paragraph.
This can also be applied to multiple choice topic matches.
Hope this helps.

[farhana]

c
b
a
d