IELTS Reading - Matching Type Questions

Matching type questions come in almost all Reading Sub-test of the IELTS Exam. Here are some strategies you can implement in sorting out the Matching type questions.

1. Quickly read through the paragraph headings so you can see what they say. Then look at the first paragraph.

2. Often only the topic sentence needs to be read carefully because the main idea and answer are there - you may be able to just skim the rest of the text.

3. Sometimes, however, the answer is not in the topic sentence and the whole paragraph needs to be read more carefully.

4. If a match is not immediately obvious, move on to the next one. Don’t waste your valuable time.

5. If you are unsure between two answers at first, put them both in. You may be able to eliminate one answer later if it fits another paragraph better.

6. If, at the end you are still stuck between two answers for a question, pick which fits best.

IELTS Reading Strategies !!

Here are some steps recommended to approach the IELTS READING TEST.

1.         First of all, glance through all the passages, get an idea of the subject matter and then decide which passage to attempt first. First of all read the tile and heading of the passage to understand the general idea about the passage topic. The heading of the passage is very important to provide you information about structure of the passage.

2.         Before attempting the questions, read the instructions carefully and follow them religiously. Carelessness may cost you marks. (Many students ignore this, but be careful in reading the instructions).

3.         Don’t waste your time by reading whole paragraph, look at the questions quickly and find out the required information of the questions in the passage through skim and scan skill. In the reading part, one has to read & understand, THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PASSAGE.

4.         Don't panic if the subject matter is not of your choice. All the answers are in the passage, so try and attempt the questions by reading the passage. In difficult passages, go for a ' skim and scan' approach -- read the questions and try finding out the answers by locating keywords. Try to answer the simplest questions at first. If you are not sure about any question, skip that question, move on to the next question and then come back to the question later.

5.         Circle key words on the QUESTIONS like dates, names, places etc. This is so that you can have an idea of the type of information you will be looking for & when you are reading the passage these key words/triggers will ring a bell.

6.         The most important step is to set a time limit for every passage and attempt that in the specified time only.

7.         If you are not able to answer any question or say are stuck in one question, don't waste your time. Move to the next question. Later, if you have some extra time, make a guess as there is no negative marking. You are advised not to leave any question unanswered.

8.         Write your answers directly on the answer sheet to save you time. No extra time is given to transfer answers. Also transfer answers very carefully, as any carelessness may cost you marks.

9.         Be very careful with spellings. Wrong spellings mean wrong answers.

Here are some books that you might want to have in order to score better on your READING SUBTEST.
    

IELTS Speaking - Part 2 (Recommended Video)

Here's a recommended video for the IELTS Speaking (Part 2). Part 2 is a monologue where you are expected to talk continuously for 2 minutes. Please take notes from this video. The tips and strategies shared in the video is quite helpful.

IELTS Speaking - Part 2 & 3 - (second)

Here are some more Topics that can be asked in your IELTS Speaking Part 2 and 3. Prepare them well in advance.

OPINION

Describe a time when you were asked to give your opinion in a questionnaire or survey. You should say:
          what the questionnaire/survey was about

          why you were asked to give your opinions

          what opinions you gave

and explain how you felt about giving your opinions in this questionnaire/survey.

Part 3.
ASKING QUESTIONS
What kinds of organisation want to find out about people’s opinions?
Do you think that questionnaires or surveys are good ways of finding out people’s opinions?
What reasons might people have for not wanting to give their opinions?

QUESTIONNAIRES IN SCHOOL
Do you think it would be a good idea for schools to ask students their opinions about lessons?
What would the advantages for schools be if they asked students their opinions?
Would there be any disadvantages in asking students’ opinions?

* * * * *

OPEN AIR MARKET

Describe an open air or street market which you enjoyed visiting. You should say;

          where the market is

          what the market sells

          how big the market is

and explain why you enjoyed visiting this market.

Part 3
SHOPPING AT MARKETS
Do people in your country enjoy going to open-air markets that sell things like food or clothes or old objects? Which type of market is more popular? Why?
Do you think markets are more suitable places for selling certain types of things? Which ones? Why do you think this is?
Do you think young people feel the same about shopping at markets as older people? Why is that?

SHOPPING IN GENERAL
What do you think are the advantages of buying things from shops rather than markets?
How does advertising influence what people choose to buy? Is this true for everyone?
Do you think that any recent changes in the way people live have affected general shopping habits? Why is this?

* * * * *

EXCITING

Describe something you did that was new or exciting.

          You should say:

          what you did

          where and when you did this

          who you shared the activity with

and explain why this activity was new or exciting for you.

Part 3
Doing new things
Why do you think some people like doing new things?
What problems can people have when they try new activities for the first time?
Do you think it’s best to do new things on your own or with other people? Why?

Learning new things
What kinds of things do children learn to do when they are very young? How important are these things?
Do you think children and adults learn to do new things in the same way? How is their learning style different?
Some people say that it is more important to be able to learn new things now than it was in the past. Do you agree or disagree with that? Why?

* * * * *

JOURNEY

Describe a journey (e.g. by car, plane, boat) that you remember well.

          You should say:

          where you went

          how you traveled

          why you went on the journey

and explain why you remember this journey well.

Part 3

Reasons for daily travel
Why do people need to travel every day?
What problems can people have when they are on their daily journey, for example to work or school? Why is this?
Some people say that daily journeys like these will not be so common in the future. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Benefits of international travel
What do you think people can learn from travelling to other countries? Why?
Can travel make a positive difference to the economy of a country? How?
Do you think a society can benefit if its members have experience of travelling to other countries? In what ways?

* * * * *

HELPFUL PERSON

Describe a person who has done a lot of work to help people.

          You should say:

          who this person is/was

          where this person lives/lived

          what he/she has done to help people

and explain how you know about this person.

Part 3
Helping other people in the community
What are some of the ways people can help others in the community? Which is most important?
Why do you think some people like to help other people?
Some people say that people help others in the community more now than they did in the past. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Community Services
What types of services, such as libraries or health centres, are available to the people who live in your area? Do you think there are enough of them?
Which groups of people generally need most support in a community? Why?
Who do you think should pay for the services that are available to the people in a community? Should it be the government or individual people?

IELTS Speaking - Part 1 (Recommended Video)

IELTS Speaking Part 1 is an easy task to attempt. You'll be spending 4-5 minutes, talking on different topics. The topics are related to general day-to-day life. 

Here's a video that I recommend to learn the basics about Speaking Part 1. 

IELTS Speaking - Recommended Video

Recommended Video for the IELTS Speaking Test.

IELTS Speaking - Part 2 & 3 (first)

Here are some Topic Clue questions for the Monologue section of the IELTS exam. Prepare them in advance. You can expect similar questions in your Speaking test.


BEAUTIFUL PLACES
Describe a beautiful place to visit in your country. You should say,
                where it is
                how to get there
                what there is to do when you are there
And explain why you recommend this place

Part 3
Attitudes to tourism
Why do you think people like to travel to different places in their free time?
How do you see tourism changing in your country in the future?
Conserving the countryside
Why is it important to protect the countryside?
In what ways is the countryside in danger in your country?
Historic buildings and monuments
Why are historic buildings and monuments important to a city?
Is it better to keep old buildings or build new modern ones?

* * * * *

FAMILY 

Describe the person in your family who you most admire. You should say,
                What their relationship is to you
                what they have done in their life (to you or themselves)
                what they do now
And explain why you admire them so much.

Part 3
Attitudes to family
In what ways have families in your country changed in recent years?
Should husbands and wives have different roles within the family? Why (not)?
Family or friends
Which is more important to you: your family or your friends?
What conflicts can arise between a person’s family and a person’s friends?
Family responsibilities
What responsibilities do parents have towards their children?
What responsibilities do children have towards their parents?

* * * * *

SHOPPING

Describe your favourite shop. You should say:
                Where it is
                what things it sells
                what sort of people are its customers
And explain why you like the shop so much.

Part 3
Things to buy
What typical things can visitors to your country buy?
What things do young people like to buy in your country?

Money
Is it a good idea to save money? Why (not)?
Do you think that people are happier if they have money? Why (not)?
Shopping
What can shops do to make shopping more pleasant for their customers?
Do you think that in the future people will do most of their shopping using the Internet? Why?/ Why not?

* * * * *

EATING AND FOOD 

Describe a special occasion when you had a really enjoyable meal. You should say:
                What the occasion was
                who was at the meal
                what you ate
And explain why the meal was so enjoyable.

Part 3
Attitudes to food
What do you think a healthy diet consists of?
Which do people in your country prefer: traditional food or fast food such as hamburgers or pizzas?
Learning about food
Do you think children should be taught about healthy diets and cooking at school? Why (not)?
At what age do you think children should be taught to cook?
Food aid
What can be done to prevent poor people in the world going hungry?
Should rich countries help poor countries with more than just food?

* * * * *

TRAVELLING 

Describe a memorable journey you have made. You should say:
                Where you were going
                how you were travelling
                why you were making the journey
And explain what made the journey so memorable.

Part 3
Travelling and learning
What do people learn from travelling?
Do you think the growth of international tourism is a good thing? Why (not)?
Tourism and culture
How has tourism changed the way people live in your country?
How should tourists behave when they visit your country?
Ways of travelling
What do you think is the best way for a tourist to travel if they want to learn about your country?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by plane?

* * * * *

SCHOOL
Describe a school which you went to. You should say:
                When you went there
                how many people studied there
                how long you spent there
And explain what you liked and disliked about it.

Part 3
Attitudes to education
How has education changed in your country in the last ten years?
Is a good education more important to a boy or a girl? Why?
The focus of education
How well do you think schools prepare young people for working life?
Do you think schools should teach subjects like art, music and dancing? Why (not)?

Education and technology
How important is it for schools to have computers for their students?
Is the Internet a valuable educational tool?

* * * * *

ADVENTURE
Describe an exciting experience in your life. You should say:
                When the experience took place
                where the experience took place
                what happened exactly
And explain why the experience was so exciting.

Part 3
Safety and danger
In what ways is life becoming safer, and in what ways is it becoming more dangerous?
Should people always avoid danger, or is it a good idea sometimes to take risks?
Taking risks
What risks should people try to avoid?
Do you think people take fewer risks as they grow older? Why (not)?
Adventure
How important is it to have adventure in our lives?
What do people learn about themselves from having adventures?

* * * * *

NEWSPAPERS 

Describe a newspaper or magazine you enjoy reading. You should say:
                What kind of newspaper or magazine it is, e.g. fashion
                how often you buy it
                what articles and information it contains
And explain why you enjoy reading it.

Part 3
Attitudes to newspapers
In what ways are newspapers better for learning about the news than listening to the radio or watching television?
Do you think newspapers should be completely free to say whatever they want?
Tastes in reading
What do people enjoy reading in your country?
Do you think it is important for people to read a lot? Why (not)?
Public and private lives
What sort of stories do newspapers and magazines publish about well-known or famous people in your country?
Do you think the media should be allowed to publish stories about the private lives of public figures?

* * * * *

WORK/COLLEGE

Describe an idea you had for improving something at work or college. You should say:
                when and where you had your idea
                what your idea was
                who you told about your idea
and explain why you thought your idea would make an improvement.
               

Part 3.
IDEAS AND EDUCATION
Some people think that education should be about memorising the important ideas of the past. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Should education encourage students to have their own new ideas? Why?
How do you think teachers could help students to develop and share their own ideas?
IDEAS IN THE WORKPLACE
Should employers encourage their workers to have new ideas about improving the company? Why?
Do you think people sometimes dislike ideas just because they are new? Why?
What is more difficult: having new ideas or putting them into practice? Which is more important for a successful company?

IELTS Speaking - Part 1 (Topics)

Here are some topic questions that you can expect in your Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking Test. Preparing them in advance will certainly help you become more confident.

                                

NAME
Can you tell me your full name please?
Does your name have any special meaning?
Is your name important to you?
Have you ever changed your name? If yes, why and if not, why not?
Do Nepali people like changing their names? If yes, why? If not, why not?
               
STUDY
What are the advantages of studying instead of working?
What do you study? Where do you study? What’s your major?
Why did you choose this subject?
What do you find the most interesting aspect about your subject?
What do you dislike about your subject/study?
What do you hope to do after your graduation?
What are your ambitions for the future?

WORK
Where do you work?
Can you describe your job to me?
How long have you been working there?
What’s your daily routine on a working day?
Can you describe one of your typical working days?
Why did you choose to do that job?
What things do you enjoy about your work? Why?
What do you think is the attraction of your job/work?
Do you want to change your current job? Why or why not?
What are your plans for the future?

YOUR TOWN
Where are you from? Tell me something about your hometown.
Can you describe some important places to visit in your hometown?
What is the name of the street you live in? What kind of street do you live on?   
What do you like about your town? What is the weather like in your town?
Which are the best places to eat out in your hometown.
What kind of jobs do people do in your hometown?
How has your hometown changed over the last five years?
What changes have taken place in your hometown in recent years?

FREE TIME
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
How much time do you have each week for doing these activities? Why do you like doing these activities?
How did you start doing these activities at first? Is there any other hobby or sport you would like to try?

HOLIDAYS
What do you do when you have a holiday?
Who do you usually spend your holiday with?
Where do you like to spend your holidays? Why?
Why are holidays important to you?
What do people usually do during holidays and in your town?

TRANSPORT
How did you come here today?
What is public transport like in your town?
Do you think people should use public transport more? Why (not)?

SHOPPING
Do you enjoy shopping? Why (not)?
How much time do you spend shopping every week?
What is your favourite shop and why do you like it?

YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
Can you describe the house where you live?                
What is there to do in the area where you live?
What do you like about the area where you live?
Do you think it is better to live in the centre of the town or outside the town?

NEIGHBOURS.
How well do you know the people who live next door to you?
How often do you see them? Why/Why not?
What kinds of problem do people sometimes have with their neighbours?
How do you think neighbours can help each other?

READING
Do you enjoy reading? If yes, why? If not, why not?
What sort of books do you read? Tell me something about your favourite book.
What are the advantages of reading instead of watching television or going to the cinema?

SPORTS AND GAMES
What is your favourite sport? Do you play any sports?
What sports are popular in your country?
Do people like to play sports or watch them on TV?
What are the benefits of playing sports?
Has the kind of sports people like changed over the years?

NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES.
Which magazines and newspapers do you read? Why?
What kinds of article are you most interested in? Why?
Have you ever read a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language? When/Why?
Do you think reading a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language is a good way to learn the     language? Why/Why not?

TELEVISION.
How often do you watch television? Why/Why not?
Which television channel do you usually watch? Why/Why not?
Do you enjoy the advertisements on television? Why/Why not?
Do you think most programs on television are good? Why/Why not?

GAMES
What games are popular in your country? Why?
Do you play any games? Why/Why not?
How do people learn to play games in your country?
Do you think it’s important for people to play games? Why? Why not?

TELEPHONING
How often do you make telephone calls? Why? Why not?
Who do you spend most time talking to on the telephone? Why?
When do you think you’ll next make a telephone call? Why?
Do you sometimes prefer to send a text message instead of telephoning? Why? Why not?

BICYCLES
How popular are bicycles in your home town? Why?
How often do you ride a bicycle? Why? Why not?
Do you think that bicycles are suitable for all ages? Why? Why not?
What are the advantages of a bicycle compared to a car? Why?

GIVING GIFTS
When do people give gifts or presents in your country?
Do you ever take a gift when you visit someone in their home? Why? Why not?
When did you last receive a gift? What was it?
Do you enjoy looking for gifts for people? Why? Why not?

NEIGHBOURS
How well do you know the people who live next door to you?
How often do you see them? Why? Why not?
What kinds of problem do people sometimes have with their neighbours?
How do you think neighbours can help each other?

NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES
Which magazines and newspapers do you read? Why?
What kinds of article are you most interested in? Why?
Have you ever read a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language? When? Why?
Do you think reading a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language is a good way to learn the language? Why? Why not?

FLOWERS
Do you like to have flowers in your home? Why? Why not?
Where would you go to buy flowers? Why?
On what occasions would you give someone flowers?
Are flowers important in your culture? Why? Why not?

TELEVISION
How often do you watch television? Why? Why not?
Which television channel do you usually watch? Why?
Do you enjoy the advertisements on television? Why/Why not?
Do you think most programmes on television are good? Why/Why not?

KEEPING IN CONTACT WITH PEOPLE
How do you usually contact your friends? Why?
Do you prefer to contact different people in different ways? Why?
Do you find it easy to keep in contact with friends and family? Why/Why not?
In your country, did people in the past keep in contact in the same ways as they do today? Why/Why not?

LAUGHING
What kinds of thing make you laugh?
Do you like making other people laugh? Why/Why not?
Do you think it’s important for people to laugh? Why/Why not?
Is laughing the same as feeling happy, do you think? Why/Why not?

COLD WEATHER
Have you ever been in very cold weather? When?
How often is the weather cold where you come from?
Are some parts of your country colder than others? Why?
Would you prefer to live in a hot place or a cold place? Why?

TRAVELLING TO WORK OR COLLEGE
How do you usually travel to work or college? Why?
Have you always travelled to work/college in the same way? Why/Why not?
What do you like about travelling to work/college this way?
What changes would improve the way you travel to work/college? Why?

DANCING
Do you enjoy dancing? Why/Why not?
Has anyone ever taught you to dance? Why/Why not?
Tell me about any traditional dancing in your country.
Do you think that traditional dancing will be popular in the future? Why/Why not?

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Which instruments do you like listening to most? Why?
Why you ever learned to play a musical instrument? Which one?
Do you think children should learn to play a musical instrument at school? Why/Why not?
How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a teacher? Why?

TRAFFIC WHERE YOU LIVE
How do most people travel to work where you live?
What traffic problems are there in your area? Why?
How do traffic problems affect you?
How would you reduce the traffic problems in your area?

YOUR FRIENDS
Do you prefer to have one particular friend or a group of friends? Why?
What do you like doing most with your friends?
Do you think it’s important to keep in contact with friends you knew as a child? Why/Why not?
What makes a friend into a good friend?

YOUR COUNTRY
Which part of your country do most people live in?
Tell me about the main industries there?
How easy is it to travel around your country?
Has your country changed much since you were a child?

COLOUR
What’s your favourite colour? Why?
Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were younger? Why/Why not?
What can you learn about a person from the colours they like?
Do any colours have a special meaning in your culture?

ENTERTAINMENT
Do you prefer relaxing at home or going out in the evening? Why?
When you go out for an evening, what do you like to do?
How popular is this with other people in your country?
Is there any kind of entertainment you do not like? Why/ Why not?

CLOTHES
How important are clothes and fashion to you? Why/Why not?
What kind of clothes do you dislike? Why?
How different are the clothes you wear now from those you wore 10 years ago?
What do you think the clothes we wear say about us?

FRIENDS
Are your friends mostly your age or different ages? Why?
Do you usually see your friends during the week or at weekends? Why?
The last time you saw your friends, what did you do together?
In what ways are your friends important to you?

FOOD AND COOKING
What kinds of food do you like to eat?
What kind of new food would you like to try? Why?
Do you like cooking? Why/Why not?
What was the last meal you cooked?
Do you prefer home-cooked food or food from restaurants? Why?

LEISURE
Do you have any hobbies or interests? What are they?
How did you become interested in (whatever hobby/interest the candidate mentions)?
What is there to do in your free time in (candidate’s home town/village)?
How do you usually spend your holidays?
Is there anywhere you would particularly like to visit? Why?

YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE
What place do you most like to visit? How often do you visit this place?
Why do you like it so much? Is it popular with many other people?
Has it changed very much since you first went there? In what way?

FAMILY
Do you have a large family or a small family? Can you tell me something about them?
How much time do you mange to spend with members of your family?
What sorts of thing do you like to do together? Did/Do you get on well with your family? Why?

FESTIVALS
Tell me about the most important festival in your country?
What special food and activities are connected with this festival? What do you most enjoy about it?
Do you think festivals are important for a country? Why?

VISITORS
What would you suggest a visitor should see and do in your country?
Are there any traditional arts or music you would recommend?
Tell me about the kind of foreign visitors or tourists who go to your country.
In what ways has tourism changed your country?

DAILY ROUTINE
What would you like to change in your daily routine?
Are all your days the same?
Tell me about your typical weekday and your typical weekend.
What is the balance of work/study and free time in your normal day?

IELTS Writing Task 1 - Recommended Video

IELTS Writing - Task 1
(Recommended Video )

Well, YouTube has always been great in providing us valuable resources. Here's a video that I recommend to Students who are wondering about scoring good in the Task 1 of the Writing Module.

This video gives you an overview of the Introductory section of the Task 1.