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Match items (e.g. statements) to a list of options like people or places.
You'll get a list of statements and a list of options (people, theories, places). Match each statement to the correct option.
Three biologists have published on the kakapo. Smith argues the bird's slow breeding cycle, not predation, is the main extinction risk. Jones, by contrast, insists predator control is the single most effective intervention; she dismisses the breeding-cycle argument as a distraction. Patel agrees with Jones on predator control but adds that genetic diversity is now the bigger long-term problem.
Which researcher believes predator control is the single most effective intervention?
Matching Features asks you to connect a list of statements (1-6) to a set of options (A-D), typically people, theories, places, time periods, or studies. Begin by reading the option list and noting how many options there are versus how many statements; options may be reused or unused depending on instructions. Underline the option labels (e.g., names of researchers) in the passage with a pencil mark, since they act as signposts. The trick is that the relevant information about each option is usually scattered across the passage rather than in one block.
Read each statement and identify the key claim or attribute being matched, paraphrasing it in your own words. Then locate the relevant person/option in the passage and read the sentences around their name carefully. Be alert to reported speech and attribution verbs ('argued', 'proposed', 'claimed', 'denied'), as these signal whose view is whose. Watch for negative attribution: a passage might say 'unlike Smith, Jones believed...', meaning the belief belongs to Jones, not Smith.
Do not assume the first researcher mentioned near a topic is the answer; read for who actually holds that view. The questions are usually not in passage order, so plan to scan back and forth. Answer the easiest items first to remove options from contention. Spend around 60-75 seconds per question.
If two options seem possible, look for explicit cues like 'according to X' or direct quotes. Always transfer the option letter exactly; if instructions say letters may be used more than once, do not feel obliged to use each one.
One mark each, with all items contributing to the 40-mark Academic Reading total. There is no partial credit and no penalty for incorrect answers, so guess if needed. Answers are letters (A, B, C, D), so spelling does not apply, but capitalisation should match the option list. Read the rubric for whether options may be reused. On the band conversion, 30/40 is Band 7, 27/40 is Band 6.5, 23/40 is Band 6, and 19-22/40 typically falls in Band 5-5.5 in Academic Reading.
Tactical content is original synthesis based on these public IELTS prep resources.