IELTS Reading Matching Information: Which Paragraph Contains…?

Matching information questions describe a piece of information, such as a reason for a decision or an example of a failed experiment, and ask which paragraph contains it. You answer with a paragraph letter, A, B, C and so on.

They appear in both Academic and General Training Reading. The descriptions are general, so you look for the kind of information, not for a word you can scan.

What it tests

• Scanning for detail across a whole passage, not just one part.
• Recognising the function of information: a reason, an example, a comparison, a prediction, a definition, a problem.
• Matching general descriptions to specific content written in different words.

Step-by-step strategy

1. Check the instructions. Note whether a paragraph letter can be used more than once (in this type, it usually can).
2. Read every description and note its function. Write a one-word tag: reason, example, number, warning, comparison.
3. Do the other question sets on this passage first if there are any. By the time you return, you will know the passage well.
4. Read one paragraph at a time and check it against all the descriptions. This is faster than searching the whole passage for one description at a time.
5. Look for the exact match. A paragraph may be about the right topic but not contain the specific type of information described.
6. Answer the easy ones first. Descriptions that include a number, a date or a name are quick to locate.
7. Flag and return to any description you cannot place, then check the paragraphs that are still unused.

Common traps

• Same topic, wrong function. Two paragraphs discuss the same subject, but only one gives the reason, the example or the result the description asks for.
• Word matching. A paragraph repeats a word from the description but does not contain the information described.
• A mention, not a description. One paragraph names something briefly; another explains it in detail. The description may ask for the explanation.
• Assuming one answer per paragraph. Students avoid using a letter twice and change a correct answer. Repeats are allowed when the instructions say so.
• Plural details. A description such as examples of needs a paragraph with more than one example.

Try it: mini-example

This passage is original practice material written for Bee English.

A Green roofs, covered in soil and plants, have been used for centuries in parts of northern Europe, where turf helped keep homes warm.

B In modern cities, their main appeal is different. Planted roofs soak up heavy rain that would otherwise flood drains, and they lower the temperature of the air around buildings during summer heatwaves.

C The technology is not without problems. A roof must be strong enough to carry wet soil, so many older buildings need costly reinforcement first. Some early projects also failed because the chosen plants could not survive strong winds.

D One city now offers owners a grant to cover part of the installation cost, and planners expect the number of green roofs there to double within ten years.

Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A to D. You may use any letter more than once.

1. a reason why some buildings are expensive to convert
2. a historical use of planted roofs
3. a financial incentive for building owners
4. two environmental benefits of green roofs in cities
5. an explanation of why some projects were unsuccessful

Answers and explanations

1. C. Older buildings "need costly reinforcement first" because the roof must carry wet soil. Paragraph D also mentions cost, but it describes help with paying, not a reason the work is expensive. That is the same topic, wrong function trap.
2. A. Turf roofs were used "for centuries" to keep homes warm.
3. D. A grant covering part of the cost is a financial incentive.
4. B. The paragraph gives two benefits: absorbing rain and cooling the air.
5. C. Some plants "could not survive strong winds". Paragraph C is used twice, which the instructions allow.

Related guides

• IELTS Reading: complete guide
• Matching headings
• Matching features
• Listening matching

Sources

• IELTS, Academic Reading format and question types
• IELTS, General Training Reading format