IELTS Reading. Matching paragraph headings

Truth be told, I know very few people who, at first, could do the paragraph headings matching task correctly, fast and effortlessly. Almost everybody complained that some of the headings sounded exactly the same to them. In some cases two headings, although very different, seemed to fit the same paragraph and at times, when future test takers checked their answers against the key, they still couldn’t understand what their mistake was.

Why does this task appear to be so hard? Well, first and foremost, the answers to this task are interrelated, which means that if you get one of them wrong, it’ll most likely affect at least another one; so, instead of one incorrect answer you’ve got two or more. Secondly, some headings are intentionally made to look similar. Also, two headings may address different ideas within one paragraph (but only one of them can be the correct heading for this paragraph).

Luckily, there are a few steps that help deal with this mess, so let me walk you through them:

1. Order the headings without referring to the text. I suggest that you start with putting the headings in the order that seems most logical to you (I’ll explain why later). In doing this, rely on your common sense; you can begin with headings that are suitable for the introduction and conclusion. Working on the main body headings, you can sometimes find a certain relation, like cause (goes first) and effect (goes second) or problem (goes first) and solution (goes second) – these can also help you arrange the headings.
2. Look for general information in each paragraph and find the corresponding heading. For every paragraph, identify its general idea (usually expressed in the first two sentences and/or the last one) and find the heading that matches it best. A heading that has a specific idea in it might be there to distract you from finding the general meaning, or relate to a paragraph that’s solely devoted to a particular issue. At this stage, there are a few tips that can help:
• pay attention to organizing words (widely used words that help organize thoughts and ideas within a text, e.g. advantages, disadvantages, problems, reasons, etc.): if you see a word like advantages in a heading, the chances are good that you’ll come across its synonym, like pros, in one of the paragraphs. If you do, and if the specific information in that heading is consistent with the message of the paragraph, you’ve got a match;
• mind the grammar of a heading: if the latter has an organizing word that is expressed as a singular noun, the matching paragraph should address only one issue;
• beware of seemingly similar headings: there has to be some difference. For instance, a qualifying adjective before a noun or a time marker; use it to make the right choice.
3. Compare the results of Step 1 and Step 2. If you’ve done everything correctly, they should match (except for a little variation within reason, usually for the main body headings).

In conclusion, if you learn to use this approach, there’s actually very little chance for you to make a mistake (provided that your level of English is high enough, though). Remember, all you need is to follow the right strategy – yes, it’s THAT simple.