Matching Paragraph Headings

On this page, we will learn about: What is Matching Paragraph Headings?, Examples of Matching Paragraph Headings, Strategies to Answer the Questions, Things to Beware of, and Yoruba Towns IELTS Reading Solution with Discussion.

What is Matching Paragraph Headings in IELTS?

This question type needs you to match the heading in the question to the appropriate paragraph or reading section in the text. There will always be more headings than paragraphs or sections, so those will not be used. This task type is utilized with texts that contain paragraphs that have clearly defined themes. It assesses your ability to understand the main idea in the paragraph and to identify supporting ideas.


Matching Paragraph Headings

Example of Matching Paragraph Headings:

IELTS Matching Paragraph Headings

In this lesson, you will learn about:

  1. Strategies of matching paragraph heading
  2. Some special tips of matching paragraph heading
  3. A complete reading text and some practice questions
  4. There is an explanation of how to find out which match it is at the bottom of the page.

Strategies to answer the questions:

  1. Read the paragraph headings quickly to understand what they have to say.
  2. Read the questions carefully. Think about the synonyms and paraphrase of the keyword.
  3. Then take a look at the introduction.
  4. Often, only the topic sentence needs to be carefully read because it contains the essential idea and the solution; you may simply need to skim the remainder.
  5. If you understand the answer to the question and think about how it can be paraphrased, it will be easy to get the answer.
  6. Read the paragraph quickly and try to understand the general meaning. Then read the question again and try to answer by understanding which option corresponds to that paragraph.
  7. However, occasionally the solution is not contained in the topic sentence, necessitating a closer reading of the entire paragraph.
  8. Proceed to the next match if the first one is not evident.
  9. If you are unsure between two answers, enter them both. You might be able to eliminate one answer later if it better fits another paragraph.
  10. If you are still stuck between two answers to a question, choose the one that best fits.

Things to beware of:

  1. When matching them, be careful because there are almost always more options for paragraph heads than there are paragraphs.
  2. Watch out for synonyms; frequently, the words used in paragraph headings and body text will not be the same.
  3. It's still important to carefully read the paragraph to make sure the nouns match, even if one of them is from a header.

One Paragraph Practice Exercise:

We'll practice reading one paragraph before you complete a full reading.

The first paragraph of the lengthy reading you will complete is this one. There are only five possible headings for the first paragraph (less than on the full reading).

Follow the steps outlined above, and then select what you believe to be the right response. The topic sentence is highlightedto draw your attention to it.

Yoruba Towns

Nigeria's Yoruba people divide their towns into two categories. Permanent towns with their own governments are referred to as "ilu," whilst transient communities built to assist labor in the nation are referred to as "aba." Despite the fact that ilu are often larger than aba, the difference is not one of size some aba is large, while decreasing ilu may be little. Although there isn't a "typical" Yoruba town, most towns share a few characteristics.


1. Decide which heading goes with which paragraph.

  1. Town facilities
  2. Colonization
  3. Urban divisions
  4. Architectural home styles
  5. Types of settlements

You can practice matching paragraph heads with a full text now that you are familiar with some tactics and have practiced with one paragraph.

Matching Paragraph Headings - Practice

Match the paragraph heads to their corresponding paragraphs after reading the content below and paying close attention to the main lines.

One was completed for you.

Questions 1-6

Seven paragraphs, from A to G, make up the reading passage.
From the list of headings on the right, pick the B-G paragraph headers that work best for your paragraph.
In the text fields beneath the titles, enter the pertinent numbers (i-ix).

NB You won't utilize every paragraph header because there are more than there are paragraphs.

Yoruba Towns

A. Nigeria's Yoruba people divide their towns into two categories.Permanent towns with their own governments are referred to as "ilu," whilst transient communities built to assist labor in the nation are referred to as "aba." Despite the fact that ilu are often larger than aba, the difference is not one of size some aba is large, while decreasing ilu may be little. Although there isn't a "typical" Yoruba town, most towns share a few characteristics.

B. Nigeria's Yoruba people divide their towns into two categories. Permanent towns with their own governments are referred to as "ilu," while transient communities built to assist labor in the nation are referred to as "aba." Despite the fact that “ilu” are often larger than aba, the difference is not one of size—some aba are large, while decreasing “ilu” may be little. Although there isn't a "typical" Yoruba town, most towns share a few characteristics.

C. The palaces were frequently enormous. The territory of Oyo's palace, which was 17 acres in size in the 1930s, was made up of a number of courtyards that were encircled by both private and public rooms. Many of the palaces were totally or partially destroyed after colonization. The emperors frequently used some of the palace grounds for governmental structures while also erecting two-story homes for themselves.

D. There are various sections of the town. These are more haphazard in some places with limited space than others. In some, they are regular, radiating out from the town center like spokes on a wheel. The various regions are further split into "ile" compounds. These range greatly in size from single homes to as many as thirty houses. In the North, they frequently become larger. Administrative buildings for the government occupy vast regions. The periphery of the town is typically where newer projects, such as industrial or commercial zones or apartment housing for government employees, are constructed.

E. There are various sections of the town. These are more haphazard in some places with limited space than others. In some, they are regular, radiating out from the town center like spokes on a wheel. The various regions are further split into "ile" compounds. These range greatly in size from single homes to as many as thirty houses. In the North, they frequently become larger. Administrative buildings for the government occupy vast regions. The periphery of the town is typically where newer projects, such as industrial or commercial zones or apartment housing for government employees, are constructed.

F. The rooms of the rectangular houses either open off a central corridor or feature a courtyard in the middle. In the courtyard, social interaction predominates. They are often made of hardened mud and have thatched or corrugated iron roofs in rural areas. Buildings made of this material are simple to modify, whether it is by removing rooms or by adding additional ones. And can be enhanced by applying cement to the walls. Richer individuals frequently construct their homes out of concrete blocks and, if they can, construct two-story homes. Within compounds there can be quite a range of building kinds. When compared to their elderly relatives, who may live in mud-walled structures and sleep on mats on the floor, younger, educated people may have homes that are comfortably equipped.

G. The room closest to the door or, in a two-story house, adjacent to the balcony is reserved for the builder or the most senior man. Usually, he has multiple rooms. Each junior man is given a room, while teenage boys and females have their own bedrooms. Younger kids usually snooze with their mothers. Any unoccupied space is used for storage, rental purposes, or, if it faces the street, for retail purposes.

H. There are different amenities. In certain towns, the majority of people utilize public water faucets, and the wealthy are the only ones with piped water; in other towns, piped water is more prevalent. While there are restrooms in some places, most people use bucket toilets, and a "night soil guy" collects their excrement. Water and electricity access are crucial political issues.

List of Paragraph Headings

  1. Town facilities
  2. Colonisation
  3. Urban divisions
  4. Architectural home styles
  5. Types of settlements
  6. Historical foundations
  7. Domestic arrangements
  8. City defenses
  9. The residences of the rulers
  10. Government buildings

Example: Paragraph A Answer: v

Paragraph Headings Answer Discussion:

Paragraph B

(vi) - Historical foundations

The majority of towns were severely fortified in the 19th century, and the walls' foundations are occasionally still visible. old town's rulers relied heavily on market fees as well as tolls for people to enter and leave through the walls.While there were permanent stands built of concrete or corrugated iron in large towns, marketplaces were typically located in the center of small towns. The local ruler's palace and the market were frequently adjacent.

The term "foundation" appears in the topic sentence of the first query. This does not necessarily imply that the response "vi" is the right one. It is an excellent reason to include this as a possibility, though. The main sentence's use of the word "19th century" in conjunction with the heading's mention of "history" informs us that the paragraph is about history. A cursory glance at the passage demonstrates this.

Paragraph C

(ix) - The residences of the rulers

The palaces were frequently enormous. The territory of Oyo's palace, which was 17 acres in size in the 1930s, was made up of a number of courtyards that were encircled by both private and public rooms. Many of the palaces were entirely or partially destroyed after colonization. The emperors frequently used some of the palace grounds for governmental structures while also erecting two-story homes for themselves.

It is likely to be ix since both the topic sentence and the title refer to the palaces, which are where the Yaruba rulers would most likely stay. The rest of the sentence reveals that the entire paragraph is a generic discussion of Yoruna's palaces. Don't be duped by the word "colonization" in the header. Only one sentence in the paragraph is being discussed here, not the entire paragraph. Therefore, rather than being the major notion, it is a supporting point.

Paragraph D

(iii) - Urban divisions

There are various sections of the town. These are more haphazard in some places with limited space than others. In some, they are regular, radiating out from the town center like spokes on a wheel. The various regions are further split into "ile" compounds. These range greatly in size from single homes to as many as thirty houses. In the North, they frequently become larger. Administrative buildings for the government occupy vast regions. The periphery of the town is typically where newer projects, such as industrial or commercial zones or apartment housing for government employees, are constructed.

The topic sentence serves as a clue to the solution. This should have been made clear to you by the word "split." Take note of the substitution of the word "urban" for "town." Synonyms are frequently used in IELTS reading questions about paragraph headings and other topics.

Paragraph E

(iv) - Architectural home styles

The rooms of the rectangular houses either open off a central corridor or feature a courtyard in the middle. In the courtyard, social interaction predominates. They are often made of hardened mud and have thatched or corrugated iron roofs in rural areas. Buildings made of this material are simple to modify, whether it is by removing rooms or by adding additional ones. And can be enhanced by applying cement to the walls. Richer individuals frequently construct their homes out of concrete blocks and, if they can, construct two-story homes. There can be a wide variety of building styles within complexes. When compared to their elderly relatives, who may live in mud-walled structures and sleep on mats on the floor, younger, educated people may have homes that are comfortably equipped.

As it analyzes houses and their styles, the main phrase begins to hint that 'iv' is the proper option of the paragraph headings. The next supporting sentences elaborate on this more.

Paragraph F

(vii) - Domestic arrangements

The room closest to the door or, in a two-story house, adjacent to the balcony is reserved for the builder or the most senior man. Usually, he has multiple rooms. Each junior man is given a room, while teenage boys and females have their own bedrooms. Younger kids usually snooze with their mothers. Any unoccupied space is used for storage, rental purposes, or, if it faces the street, for retail purposes.

Domestic in this case refers to or denotes the home; hence the header is referring to the interior design of the home. Once more, reading the topic sentence alone makes it clear that this paragraph is about living arrangements, and skimming the rest of it only serves to reinforce this.

Paragraph G

(i) - Town facilities

There are different amenities. In certain towns, the majority of people utilize public water faucets, and the wealthy are the only ones with piped water; in other towns, piped water is more prevalent. While there are restrooms in some places, most people use bucket toilets, and a "night soil guy" collects their excrement. The political challenges of access to electricity and water are crucial.

The word "facilities" is a synonym for "amenities," so this is the first indication that this could apply to this paragraph. However, you must continue on to find out whether this paragraph is actually describing the town's amenities, which it is.