Lesson 16 · Lesson guide
Reading: Matching Information to Paragraphs
Hello, my dear student!
Hello! In this Reading task you get a list of statements such as “a reason why the gig economy has grown” or “a prediction about job losses”, and you write the letter of the paragraph that contains each one.
It feels difficult for two reasons. First, the questions are not in the order of the passage. Second, the statement describes a type of information (a reason, an example, a definition) in different words from the text. And remember: one paragraph can be the answer more than once.
Today you will learn to recognise the type of information, to scan for clues such as names and numbers, and to avoid paragraphs that only share a word with the statement.
See you in the exercises,Your teacher
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How the task works
Step 1
Name the type of information
Is the statement asking for a reason, an example, a number, a definition, a suggestion or a prediction?
- a reason why… → because, due to
- a suggestion → should, ought to
- an example → for example, such as
Step 2
Scan for easy clues
Do the statements with names, numbers and dates first: they are quick to find.
- the name of an early machine → a capital letter
- a figure for… → a number
Step 3
Check the whole idea
A paragraph that contains the same word is not always the answer. It must contain the same information.
- “a criticism of the policy” ≠ a paragraph that only describes the policy
Remember!
Not in order. A letter can be used twice. Match the idea, not the word.
Types of information and their signals
a reason: because, due to, as a result of
an example: for example, such as, for instance
a suggestion: should, ought to, it would be better to
a prediction: will, may, is likely to, in the future
a definition: is a word for, means, describes
a comparison: more than, unlike, whereas
Common mistakes
Not: I never use the same letter twice.Say: I use a letter twice if the information is there.
The instructions often say “You may use any letter more than once.”
Not: The statement says “salary”, so I chose the paragraph with “salary”.Say: I chose the paragraph with the same idea, even with different words.
Matching words is a trap; matching meaning is the skill.
Check yourself
Are the statements in the order of the passage?
“Managers ought to listen to staff.” What type of information is this?
Now it’s your turn!
8 short parts, each a little harder than the one before. Take your time: mistakes are how we learn.
— Your teacher