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IELTS Matching Information: find which paragraph contains it

You are given statements such as "a reason why the method was abandoned" and must say which paragraph contains that information. Unlike matching headings, this is about a detail inside a paragraph, and a paragraph can be the answer more than once.

Module
Academic & General
Typical count
4–6 statements
Order
Not in passage order
Repeats
Paragraphs can repeat

How it's scored

One mark per statement. This task is often the hardest on the paper because the statements paraphrase the passage and the answers are scattered, so leave it until after the ordered question types.

Strategy & template

  1. 1Turn each statement into a type of information: a reason, an example, a comparison, a date, a description of a process.
  2. 2Scan for that type, not for keywords: a reason is signalled by because, since, due to; an example by such as, for instance, one case.
  3. 3Answer the most specific statements first (names, numbers, dates are easy to scan) and leave vague ones for elimination.
  4. 4Do this task after matching headings or the ordered questions so you already have a map of what each paragraph covers.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Treating it like matching headings and looking for the paragraph's main idea instead of a detail.
  • Assuming each paragraph can only be used once when the instructions say otherwise.
  • Matching on a repeated keyword when the passage uses a synonym for the actual answer.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between matching headings and matching information?

Matching headings asks for a paragraph's main idea and each heading is used once. Matching information asks which paragraph contains a specific detail, the answers are out of order, and a paragraph can be the answer to more than one statement.

Should I do matching information first?

No. Do the ordered question types first so you know what each paragraph covers, then come back to this task with a map of the passage.

Practise Reading: Matching Information

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Practice IELTS Reading