IELTS Academic Reading – Task Type 10 – Matching
Task Description
What are candidates required to do?
In this task type, candidates are given a number of options, for example, names of people, and are required to match them with, for example, a theory, discovery or statement credited to them, and to write the letters of the correct options in the boxes on their Answer Sheets. It is possible that some options may go unused, and that others may be used more than once. The instructions will inform candidates if an option may be used more than once.
What variations are there of this task type?
Many variations of this task type are possible as far as the type of options to be matched are concerned – for example, events or discoveries could be matched against periods; artists against the techniques they used; earthquake scientists against their theories on earthquake prediction or plants against their genetic characteristics.
What skills are tested in this task type?
This task type is designed to test the candidates’ ability to recognise opinions or theories.
What sort of texts are used with this task type?
It is often used with discussion texts, or those where current opinions on a controversial topic are reported. However, it may sometimes be used with other text types as well.
Understanding the Task
To see an example of this task type please click on the link below
To understand better how candidates need to approach this task, it may help you to do the task yourself and analyse what you had to do to find the right answer.
Look at this Sample Task Type 10. Complete the task, thinking about how you are doing it.
Sample
Task Type 10 Task (PDF)
Answers
Things to consider
Now look at these questions about how you approached the task and consider your answers.
- Did you read the whole passage carefully before beginning?
- How did you begin the task?
- What skills did you use to complete this task?
- How can you help your students to develop these skills?
