IELTS General Reading Matching Sentence Endings

Table of contents

1. IELTS General Reading Matching Sentence Endings
2. IELTS general reading matching sentence endings - Strategies & tips to solve
3. Skills required to solve matching sentence endings
4. Common challenges faced while answering matching sentence endings
5. Matching sentence endings practice exercise 1 
6. Matching sentence endings practice exercise 2
7. Answers for practice exercises
8. Conclusion

The IELTS general reading matching sentence endings is one of the challenging questions in the IELTS general reading test. Read the given tips to solve matching sentence endings effortlessly. In this task, you will be given a passage followed by a list of incomplete sentences taken from the passage. Your task is to write the possible endings from the given different options. 

The IELTS general reading matching sentence endings question appears with two lists - a list of sentences with no endings and a list of possible endings (labelled as A, B, C…) You need to match them based on the passage’s information. Your understanding, vocabulary and grammar will be assessed in this task.

In the IELTS general reading question types, matching sentence endings is one of the inevitable questions. To make you familiar with this question type, we’ve covered everything about the IELTS general reading matching sentence endings question type. Be sure to read the entire article if you intend to get a high score on the IELTS general reading exam.

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IELTS general reading matching sentence endings - Strategies & tips to solve

Find some expert proven IELTS general reading matching sentence endings tips and strategies listed below to solve this question type effectively.

1. Read the given passage and grasp the main idea. This will help you to locate answers later.

2. Read the incomplete sentence and then go through the list of options labelled as A, B, C,...

3. You will find some options that do not suit the incomplete sentences either grammatically or logically, i.e. do not make any sense. Such options can be rejected at this point.

4. Now, with the help of keyword(s) and the meaning of this incomplete sentence, locate the relevant place in the passage.

5. Read this portion carefully. You may find that there are more than one options in the list which contain keywords or information from this place. But, they may be partially correct or irrelevant. 

6. Note the keywords like dates, places, names, etc… This will be really helpful for you to find answers quickly.

7. Do not read the options for a long time, it is a waste of time. Simply scan to see if it completes the incomplete sentence or not.

8. Do not match the exact keyword(s) with the passage. Look for the synonyms and paraphrasing.

9. The correct option will make the completed sentence grammatically correct and true based on the information in the passage.

10. Repeat the procedure with other questions of this set. The questions are in order but the options are not necessarily in order.

Follow all the IELTS general reading matching sentence endings tips and strategies mentioned above to solve the questions in less time. 

Also, read IELTS reading tips

Skills required to solve matching sentence endings

Regardless of the type of question, if you have the necessary skills and strategies, you can easily answer all the questions ahead of schedule. Find some needed skills below,

• Skim read
• Quick grasping skill
• Identifying keyword(s)
• Predicting answers logically and
• grammatically.
• Finding synonyms, paraphrasing
• Time management 

Common challenges faced while answering matching sentence endings

• Not paying proper attention to instructions
• It is good to predict the answers logically and grammatically. But, answering only on the basis of your prediction without reading the text will not work.
• Again, wasting the time by reading the whole text is also one of the major cons 
• Matching the exact keyword(s) with the passage. Look for the synonyms and paraphrasing
• Choosing the option only because it contains keyword(s) or related words. Options like this may be added to trick you. 
• Not considering the grammatical structure

Matching Sentence Endings Practice Exercise 1

Answer questions 1- 5 which are based on the reading passage below.

The Iron Bridge Reading Passage

In Coalbrookdale, in the west of England, the Iron Bridge connects the River Severn. Despite the reality that the Chinese were expert iron-casters many millennia earlier, it was the first cast-iron bridge to be successfully erected and the first major cast-iron building of the industrial era in Europe.

Rivers were once the transportation equal of today's roadways. The River Severn is the largest navigable river in the United Kingdom, starting in the Welsh mountains and terminating in the sea between Cardiff and Bristol. It was excellent for transportation, and specially made boats were constructed to navigate the waterways. The Severn River was one of Europe's busiest rivers by the middle of the 18th century.

The river was also used to carry local items such as coal, iron products, wool, maize, and cider. Sugar, tea, coffee, and wine were among the luxuries that made their route upward. The riverbanks were lined with wharves in certain areas, and the river was frequently congested with ships loading or unloading goods.

Basil Brooke developed a steel-making method and created a furnace at Coalbrookdale in 1638. This was later bought by Abraham Darby.  Darby had opened a company in Bristol after finishing an apprenticeship in Birmingham, but he relocated to Coalbrookdale in 1710 with the thought that coke made from coal may be a more cost-effective replacement to charcoal as a fuel for ironmaking. Because of its vast supply of coal, iron, and limestone in the area, ironmaking grew cheaper and better.

Questions 1-5

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A–G, below.
Write the correct letter, A-G, as your answer to each question. 

1. Iron Bridge was the first cast-iron bridge to be 

2. Specially made boats were constructed 

3. The river was frequently congested with ships 

4. Darby had opened a company in Bristol 

5. Due to the vast supply of coal, iron, and limestone in the area, ironmaking 

1. loading or unloading goods
2. successfully erected
3. grew cheaper and better.
4. more cost-effective replacement
5. to navigate the waterways
6. after finishing an apprenticeship in Birmingham
7. industrial era in Europe

Check answer for this exercise

Matching Sentence Endings Practice Exercise 2

Answer questions 1- 5 which are based on the reading passage below.

Virgin London Marathon Reading Passage

Thousands of people from all over the UK attend the NSPCC's London Marathon running team each year, collecting essential cash for needy children in the UK.

Fill out our online form to show your interest in running in the Virgin London Marathon in the support of the NSPCC. On application, there will be a £100 registration fee. As we select applicants based on the strength of their applications, we will want you to provide as much data as possible. Qualified candidates must promise to raise at least £2,000 in order to be deemed.

If you won a place in the ballot or another Virgin London Marathon entry process and still want to run for the NSPCC, we'd be happy to have you on board! Join as an individual place runner then you'll get the similar support as our charity place runners; only we ask that you make as much money as possible for vulnerable kids. Join the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children today.

As a member of the NSPCC team, you will have complete support throughout your marathon adventure, including:

• An exclusive marathon training day in January with marathon training professionals.
• Effective training plans for persons of all levels of skill.
• The NSPCC Runners Facebook page, where you may interact with your teammates.
• The NSPCC has an unique London Marathon team on hand to provide first-class fundraising support, as well as a large team of NSPCC supporters encouraging you during the route.
• After you've passed the final destination, a good massage and some refreshments are given.

Every money collected as a part of your involvement in this incredible event will go towards giving support and advice to poor children in the UK who want our support. Through services like ChildLine and the NSPCC helpline, we strive to protect society's most poor kids while also being there for every child who needs us.

Questions 1-5

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A–G, below.
Write the correct letter, A-G, as your answer to each question. 

1. We will want you to provide as much 

2. Join as an individual place runner then you'll get the similar support as our 

3. Join the National Society for the Prevention of 

4. An exclusive marathon training day in January with 

5. Every money collected will go towards giving support and 

1. charity place runners
2. advice to poor children
3. to raise at least £2,000
4. Cruelty to Children today.
5. marathon training professionals.
6. some refreshments given
7. data as possible

Check answer for this exercise

Answers for Practice Exercises

Find the answers with explanations given below for the above two practice exercises and check your answers. 

The Iron Bridge Reading Answers

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the regular font explains the answer in detail.)

1. B

Explanation: Paragraph 1 -  … it was the first cast-iron bridge to be successfully erected and the first major cast-iron building of the industrial era in Europe.

2. E

Explanation: Paragraph 2 - It was excellent for transportation, and specially made boats were constructed to navigate the waterways. 

3. A

Explanation: Paragraph 3 - The riverbanks were lined with wharves in certain areas, and the river was frequently congested with ships loading or unloading goods.

4. F

Explanation: Paragraph 4 - Darby had opened a company in Bristol after finishing an apprenticeship in Birmingham, but he relocated to Coalbrookdale in 1710 with the thought that coke made from coal may be a more cost-effective replacement to charcoal as a fuel for ironmaking. 

5. C

Explanation: Paragraph 4 - Because of its vast supply of coal, iron, and limestone in the area, ironmaking grew cheaper and better.

Virgin London Marathon Reading Answers

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the regular font explains the answer in detail.)

1. G

Explanation: Paragraph 2 -  As we select applicants based on the strength of their applications, we will want you to provide as much data as possible. 

2. A

Explanation: Paragraph 3 - Join as an individual place runner then you'll get the similar support as our charity place runners;

3. D

Explanation: Paragraph 3 - Join the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children today.

4. E 

Explanation: Paragraph 4 - An exclusive marathon training day in January with marathon training professionals.

5. B

Explanation: Paragraph 5 - Every money collected as a part of your involvement in this incredible event will go towards giving support and advice to poor children in the UK who want our support. 

Also check IELTS general reading matching features

Conclusion

The provided tips, strategies, and skill building exercises will help you improve your knowledge about IELTS general matching sentence endings question type. We believe that practicing the mock test given in this blog will be useful for you to attain a good band score in the IELTS general reading tasks.