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Home » IELTS Reading- Short Answer Questions
This post will help you answer short answer questions more effectively by looking at a
sample question, identifying common problems and giving you a strategy to use on
exam day.
Despite this, there are some common problems that cause students to make mistakes
and throw away marks.
Common Problems
1. Synonyms and paraphrasing are the biggest problems. Students who are
unaware of these tend to look for keywords in the text that directly match those
in the questions. This wastes lots of time and good time management is
2. Word limit can also cause people to throw away easy marks. If you write over the
3. You don’t have to read every word of the text. These questions test your ability to
skim and scan for specific information. You also won’t have time to read every
word.
4. Students often see a word they don’t understand in the question or text and either
5. Some students try to write full sentences. Your answers don’t have to be
Skills Tested
1. Ability to skim the passage quickly and understand the overall meaning.
4. Identify keywords.
2. Look at and understand the questions first before you start reading the text. What
3. You will probably be given a word limit, for example ‘NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER.’ Make sure you don’t go over this limit.
4. As stated above, the answers do not need to be grammatically correct, just short
answers.
7. When you find your keywords always think synonyms and paraphrases.
Strategy
1. Read the instructions carefully and note the word limit.
2. Read and understand the questions. Think about the information you will need to
find.
7. Read the section containing the answer carefully and identify answer.