Matching information and matching features

Matching information and matching features are two IELTS Reading question types that many students confuse. Both ask you to connect statements to parts of the passage, but they work in different ways. Once you understand what each one is really testing, you can stop reading the passage again and again and start scanning with purpose.

Matching information

In this task, the passage has paragraphs labelled A, B, C and so on. You get a list of statements, and you must find which paragraph contains each piece of information. For example:

Which paragraph contains the following information? 14. a reference to the cost of a failed project 15. an example of cooperation between two countries

Key facts about matching information:

• The statements are not in passage order. This is what makes the task difficult.
• A paragraph may contain the answer to more than one statement, and some paragraphs may not be used at all. The instructions tell you "You may use any letter more than once" when that is allowed.
• The statements describe a type of information ("a reference to", "an example of", "a comparison between", "a reason for"), not a main idea. That makes this task very different from matching headings.

Strategy for matching information

1. Underline the key content word and the information type in each statement. In "an example of cooperation between two countries", the content is cooperation between countries, and the type is an example.
2. Do not try to answer in order. Read paragraph A carefully once, then check it against all the statements. Then read paragraph B and do the same.
3. Leave the most general statements until last. Specific ones (with numbers, names or unusual words) are easier to locate.

Matching features

In matching features, you match statements to a list of features, such as people, researchers, companies, places or dates. For example:

Match each statement with the correct researcher, A, B or C. A Dr Farhana Kabir B Professor Lim Wei Jie C Dr Hassan Idris

Key facts:

• The statements are usually not in passage order, but the names are easy to find because they stand out.
• The statements paraphrase what each person said or found.
• One feature can match several statements.

Strategy for matching features

1. Scan for each name first and circle every place it appears. Researchers are sometimes mentioned in more than one paragraph.
2. Read the sentences around each name closely. Note in the margin, in a few words, what that person claims.
3. Then read the statements and match by meaning. Your margin notes save you from rereading.

Worked example

Passage extract:

"Dr Farhana Kabir, who studied river erosion in northern Bangladesh, argues that planting native grasses is cheaper than building concrete walls. Professor Lim Wei Jie disagrees, pointing out that grasses take three years to become effective. Meanwhile, Dr Hassan Idris has tested both methods along the Pahang River and found that a combination works best."

Statements:

1. Natural solutions cost less than engineered ones.
2. Mixing two approaches produces the best results.
3. One method is too slow to protect land quickly.

Answers:

1. "Cost less" paraphrases "cheaper". A (Kabir).
2. "Mixing two approaches" matches "a combination works best". C (Idris).
3. "Too slow" matches "take three years to become effective". B (Lim).

Notice that none of the statements repeat the passage's words exactly. Also notice that statement 3 is a criticism, and it belongs to the person who disagrees, not the person who proposed the idea.

Common mistakes

• Matching a word, not an idea. A statement mentioning "grasses" is not automatically about Dr Kabir. Check who makes the claim.
• Confusing who said what. Passages often report one expert's view and then another's response. Read the reporting verbs carefully: argues, claims, disagrees, found, suggests.
• Treating matching information like matching headings. You are looking for one detail, not the paragraph's main idea. The detail might be a single sentence in the middle of a long paragraph.
• Spending too long on one statement. If you cannot find it after two minutes, move on. It often becomes clear once other statements are placed.
• Forgetting that letters can be reused. Do not assume each option is used only once unless the instructions say so.

Practice idea

Take a feature article with several quoted experts. Write one paraphrased sentence for each expert's opinion, shuffle them, and wait a day. Then try to match your sentences back to the experts without rereading the whole article. This builds exactly the skill the test rewards.

Quick tip

For matching information, write the question numbers in the margin next to each paragraph as you find them. At the end, a quick look at the margins shows which statements are still missing and which paragraphs you have not checked closely.