LESSON 3
READING
Flow charts are also quite popular in IELTS Reading. This type of exercise is a
form of gap filling, so all the basic skills we learnt before are applicable here.
Flow charts are even easier than summary completion because of the
presence of ‘signposts’ that tell you where to locate the answers.
Read the following passage and complete the flow chart that follows. Choose
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER.
Occasionally, you will be asked to answer questions. These are called ‘short-
answer questions’ in IELTS. The trick to tackling them is to treat them like a
type of gap filling.
Before we proceed, let’s recap what we have learnt so far:
1. Look at the title, headings, subtitles, photos, captions in the passage
to get a general idea of its content.
2. Study the questions. Let the questions tell you where to locate the
answers in the passage (synonyms + signposts).
3. Read the passage with the goal of locating the answers.
4. Copy the words and/or number you need from the passage exactly.
5. The correct answer must fit in the gap perfectly both in terms of
grammar and meaning.
The ability to ‘know where to look for the answers in the passage’ is critical
to effective reading. Practice using the questions below. Read the questions
first, then quickly form a strategy for how to locate the answers in the
passage.
Now answer the following questions. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS
AND/OR A NUMBER from the above passage.
Now let’s move on to TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN. Before we go any further, it is important to know
what makes a statement TRUE OR FALSE OR NOT GIVEN in IELTS Reading.
For FALSE answers, the key word is ‘contradict’. Oxford Dictionary defines the verb as ‘deny the
truth of a statement by asserting the opposite’.
If statement A contradicts statement B, only one will be correct. In other words, A and B can
NEVER COEXIST. Either A is true (therefore, B is not) or vice versa.
NOT GIVEN AND TRUE answers allow both A and B to COEXIST!
Here is a quick exercise for you. Decide if the new statement can or cannot COEXIST with the
original statement.
Original statement: I have been a vegan all my life. This means I don’t consume any animal
products.
a. I had braised pork for lunch yesterday and it was yummy! => NOT COEXIST
b. I drink cow milk every now and then, especially after my workouts. => NOT
COEXIST
c. I used to be a meat eater, but 5 years ago, I switched to a plant-based diet. =>
NOT COEXIST
d. My diet consists of only vegetables, fruits and nuts. => COEXIST
e. I only eat carrots and beans. => COEXIST
f. Oranges and pears are my favorite fruits, so I eat them every day. => COEXIST
g. I hate pork so much since it is so unethical to kill pigs. Therefore, I have never had
pork and will never do! => COEXIST
h. I have never eaten any meat in my entire life. => COEXIST
i. I have never consumed any pork or chicken or beef or any products that are
made from animals or their body parts. => COEXIST
Now decide if the following statements are TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN according to the
information given in the passage.
Repeat that for the following statements, too.
VOCABULARY & WRITING
Now let’s work on your Vocabulary and a bit of Writing then.
Match the words below to either option a or option b, depending on the option’s proximity in
meaning to the words. Then write a short passage that contains all the words. Keep word form
the same.
Correct all the mistakes in the following sentences.
For the words and phrases in italics below, first make an educated guess as to what they mean.
Then using your grammar knowledge, deduce the part of speech. Finally, write a sentence for
each of the words. Keep part of speech the same.
Now it’s time to expose you (gradually of course) to IELTS Writing Task 2.
Study the following writing task and then decide whether the statements underneath it are
TRUE or FALSE.
Below is a sample answer (in terms of lexical resources, this won’t earn a high score, but I chose
this sample for another purpose). First, read the sample answer and then complete the essay
plan using the words and phrases provided.
Read the passage again and circle the correct words and phrases 1-8 in italics.
In IELTS Writing (just like any serious endeavor in life), it’s critical that a plan is developed and
revised before action is taken. Practice planning using the following topic. The plan doesn’t have
to be complicated. Just some quick bullet points will suffice.
MORE PRACTICE
You are going to read about an explorer named Patrick Malone. First, study the following flow
chart. Then predict the information that goes into each blank.
Now read the passage and fill in the gaps. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A
NUMBER.
Read the passage below (Patrick Malone – Part 2) and then complete the flow chart that
follows. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER.
Read the following passage (Sylvia Earle) and answer the questions that follow. Choose NO
MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER.
Decide whether the following statements are TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the
information given in the passage on Sylvia.
Fill the gaps with the words in the box. The simple past tense should be used here.
Complete the following sentences with words in the box. You will need to make some changes
to the words.
Complete the following sentence using the words in brackets. You will need to make some
changes to the words.
Fill the gaps 1-8 below using the words and phrases in the box.
Develop a plan for the following topic. Don’t write anything just yet. FOCUS ON PLANNING
ONLY. You will have plenty of time to write later, and corrections will be provided, so for now,
PLAN ONLY.
Use the words in the box to complete the sample answer below. Sample answers are for
reference only. Don’t treat them like a high-scoring essay!
