IELTS Reading

Short-answer questions

Short-answer questions are What, Which, How or When questions about specific facts. You answer with words from the passage, keeping to the word limit, usually NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER. They follow the passage order.

The question word tells you what to look for: 'When' needs a time, 'How many' a number, 'What' usually a noun. Write only the answer, not a full sentence.

What the question looks like

short-answer questions. “Answer the questions. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.”

How to answer

Writing Short Answers

Locate the passage detail that answers the question, then use its key words.
Give the smallest phrase that fully answers the question; do not add background information.
Keep necessary modifiers, such as a material, place or time, if they make the answer precise.
Follow the stated word limit and check that your phrase answers the question asked.

Example: Passage and question. Passage: A new pavement material was tested on several footpaths. It was made mainly from recycled glass and remained stable after repeated rainfall. Question: What was the material made mainly from? Answer: recycled glass.

Checking Answer Form

Read the instruction first: “ONE WORD ONLY” and “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS” set different limits.
Count the words in your final answer. Remove unnecessary words if they take you over the limit.
Check that the words you copy fit the question’s grammar: articles, singular or plural forms, verb tense and prepositions.
Copy words in the same form as the passage. If they do not fit the gap, you have probably found the wrong words.

Example: Task: “What reduced evaporation? NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.” Draft: “a layer of mulch.”. Write “mulch”: it is one word, within the limit, and names the material stated in the source.

Practise

Short items from the ielts.coach lessons. Answer them, then check to see why each answer is right.

Urban trees absorb water through their roots. In a study of young trees, most water entered through fine roots close to the soil surface. The leaves lost water to the air.

1Which part of the trees took up most water?

A medieval archive contains records of land exchanges between local families. Most documents were written to record ownership boundaries, although a few also mention harvests. The records were kept in a dry room.

2What was the main purpose of most documents?

A laboratory compared single and double glazing in a small test room. Double-glazed windows reduced heat loss more effectively during cold nights. The room's wall material stayed the same throughout the tests.

3What feature reduced heat loss?

In dry regions, researchers tested several ways to reduce water loss from soil. A layer of mulch reduced evaporation by shading the soil. The effect was strongest during the hottest weeks.

4Which material reduced evaporation? NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.

Some urban trees release compounds that attract insects. In a field study, trees beside busy roads attracted fewer pollinators than trees in quieter areas. The researchers linked this difference to air pollution.

5Complete the sentence using ONE WORD ONLY: In the study, the trees beside busy roads ____ fewer pollinators.

In a controlled experiment, seedlings received different amounts of water. Those given less water wilted earlier. The researchers identified limited water supply as the cause.

6Complete the sentence using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage: The cause of wilting was ____.

Test hacks

Answers usually follow passage order

For most question types (True/False/Not Given, gap-fill, multiple choice) the answers appear in the same order as the passage.

Why it works: Once you find answer 3, answer 4 is almost always after it. You'll search a much smaller area.

False vs Not Given

False means the passage says the opposite. Not Given means the passage doesn't say either way. Don't use your own knowledge.

Why it works: Confusing False and Not Given is an easy trap: choosing False when the passage simply says nothing about the point.

Hunt for synonyms, not the same words

Questions paraphrase the passage. Look for words with the same meaning, not identical words.

Why it works: Matching exact words often leads to the distractor; the real answer is usually paraphrased.

Practise with feedback on every answer

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