IELTS Reading Essential Skills and Strategies

IELTS Reading Strategies Summarized

Reading is a test of two skills:

1. Scanning 2. Comprehension Fill the Blank

1. Question goes in ORDER 2. Read through questions and spot easiest to

do first. 3. Underline key words in questions 4. Scan and find matching sentence to your 1st

easiest question. 5. Find the language in the passage sentence

that matches the language before/after blank line. 6. Write the answer.

Sentence Completion

1. Question goes in ORDER (mainly) 2. Read through questions and spot easiest to

do first. 3. Underline key words in questions 4. Scan and find matching sentence to your 1st

easiest question. 5. Read sentence and look in book for answer

with language that completes sentence. 6. Heavily uses synonym language

Short Answer

1. Question goes in ORDER 2. Read through questions and spot easiest to

do first. 3. Underline key words in questions 4. Scan and find matching sentence to your 1st

easiest question. 5. Find the language in the passage sentence

that answers the question. 6. Write the answer.

Flow Chart (Fill Blank)

1. Question goes in ORDER 2. Read through questions and spot easiest to

do first. 3. Underline key words in questions 4. Scan and find matching sentence to your 1st

easiest question. 5. Find the language in the passage sentence

that matches the language before/after blank line. 6. Write the answer. Multiple Choice

1. Question goes in ORDER 2. Read through questions and spot easiest to

do first. 3. Underline key words in questions 4. Scan and find matching sentence(s) to your

1st easiest question. 5. Note: sometimes for MC can use 2

sentences from passage 6. Find the language in the passage

sentence(s) that matches the language of one of the answer choices. 7. Write the answer.

Yes, No, Not Given (True, False, Not Given)

1. Question goes in ORDER 2. Read through questions and spot easiest to

do first. 3. Underline key words in questions 4. Scan and find matching sentence to your 1st

easiest question. 5. Compare the passage sentence and the

question sentence that is matches. 6. You are comparing the question to the

passage. NOT the passage to the question. Note: True: all of the essential information from question is in the passage. Synonym Lang. False: essential language from the question has been changed, made opposite, or is different in the passage. Not Given: Info from the question is missing or maybe/maybe not when comparing into to the passage sentence.  Watch for starting point sentences…..  Watch for “;” and compound sentences

This applies to all In-Order Questions

Summary Question

1. Basically is a Fill Blank Question 2. Difference: Sentences can come from

multiple paragraphs. 3. Difference: most of the time in order 4. Read through questions and spot easiest to

do first. 5. Underline key words in questions 6. Scan and find matching sentence to your 1st

easiest question. 7. Find the language in the passage sentence

that matches the language before/after blank line. 8. Write the answer.

Paragraph Location Question

1. DO LAST if in a set. For general exam

mainly in passage 3. 2. Underline keywords in question statement. 3. Pay attention to Topic Sentences as very

often these point to if that paragraph has that question statement information. 4. Question can be time consuming, which is

why you should do other questions first so you can see a lot of the passage. 5. Note: underline the keywords before

moving on to other questions.

Matching Question

1. Note if instructions say name in box can be

used more than once. 2. Note: some names can appear more than

once in a passage. 3. Locate names in passage. 4. Do the names that only appear once first. 5. Read the sentence where you see

name….look for what said or position of person. 6. Look at sentences and see which one the

information in passage for that person matches. 7. Synonym Language

Which section are the following statements true for? Classification Question. (General)

1. Basically …