- IELTS Listening Matching Questions
- IELTS Listening Multiple Answer Multiple Choice Questions
- IELTS Listening Diagram Labelling
- IELTS Listening Short Answer Questions
- IELTS Listening Maps and Plans
- IELTS Listening Multiple Choice Questions
- IELTS Listening Flow Chart Completion
- IELTS Listening Table Completion
- IELTS Listening Note Completion
- IELTS Listening Sentence Completion
- IELTS Listening Form Completion
IELTS Listening Matching Questions
Matching questions can come up in any part of the IELTS listening test, although I have more often seen them in section 3. They can be tricky because you need to look at two different lists while also listening to the recording.
In matching questions, you will have a lettered list of options and will need to choose one option for each question. Depending on the setup of the question, you may need to use a different option for each question or you may be able to repeat the same option for more than one question.
Strategy
To be successful on this task you need to read the options before listening, so that you can quickly recognise when one of them has been paraphrased by a speaker. You also need to make sure that you move on to the next question when you hear the speakers have done so, even if you haven’t managed to answer the question before.
Step 1: Check the Instructions
Before we jump into this task, there is one useful thing we need to check from the instructions. As I mentioned above, it may be possible to use each option only once, or several times.
There are two situations when you may be able to use an option more than once. The first is if the instructions tell you so. In this case you will see something like this:
NB You may use each letter more than once.
The second situation is where you have fewer options than questions. For example, if there are only three options (A, B or C), but you have five questions to answer, then you must use two letters twice, or possibly even one letter three times.
Step 2: Read the Questions and Options
Now you know whether you can repeat an option, you can now turn to the questions and list of options. You will likely find that these are both single words or short phrases. This means there will be little to be gained from looking for keywords.
Remember that the audio will follow the order of the questions, i.e. they will talk about question five before question six. You will definitely hear at least one word from each question.
The options on the other hand can be mentioned in any order. They also will not necessarily contain any of the words in the list of options, but instead be paraphrased versions of the list.
Step 3: Listen and Answer
Once the recording begins you are listening for the option to match with the first question. As soon as you hear the next question being spoken about, you will need to move on to that question.
If the task does not allow you to use each letter more than once, and you are doing the paper-based version of the exam, cross out the options as you use them. This will mean that you don’t accidentally use the same letter twice.
Practice
Questions 25-30
Which personal meaning do the students decide to give to each of the following pictures?
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-H, next to questions 25-30.
| Personal meanings |
|---|
| A a childhood memory |
| B hope for the future |
| C fast movement |
| D a potential threat |
| E the power of colour |
| F the continuity of life |
| G protection of nature |
| H a confused attitude to nature |
Pictures
25 Falcon (Landseer)
26 Fish hawk (Audubon)
27 Kingfisher (van Gogh)
28 Portrait of William Wells
29 Vairumati (Gauguin)
30 Portrait of Giovanni de Medici
25 D
26 C
27 A
28 H
29 F
30 G
Step 4: Check your Answers
Once the recording finishes, check you have an answer to each question. If you don’t make sure you guess an answer.
Once you have an answer to all the questions, start reading the next set.
Acknowledgement
The listening audio and multiple choice questions used here are taken from Cambridge Academic IELTS 16. The full book can be purchased here.
