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Macmillan Education
Between Towns Road, Oxford OX4 3PP
Contents
A division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
Companies and representatives throughout the world Reading summary - page 5
ISBN-13: 978-1-4050-9616-4 Golden rules - page 5
ISBN-lO: 1-4050-9616-0
Techniques to increase your speed - page 6
Text © Sam McCarter 2006
Design and illustration © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2006 Skimming - page 7
First published 2006
Scanning - page 9
All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form, or by any means,
Matching headings to paragraphs - page 12
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without Matching sentences/phrases to paragraphs - page 14
the prior written permission of the publishers.
Completing summaries with and without a wordlist - page 14
Note to students and teachers Answering multiple-choice questions - page 15
Photocopies may be made for classroom use of pages 62-64 without Completing sentences - page 17
the prior permission of Macmillan Publishers Limited. However, please
note that the copyright law, which does not normally permit multiple Completing tables, flowcharts and diagrams - page 18
copying of published material, applies to the rest of this book.
Matching names/dates to ideas - page 18

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Designed by eMC Design Matching stems to sentences - page 19
Cover design by Andrew Oliver Matching questions to sentences - page 19
The author and the publisher would like to thank Liz Hunt, Roger Answering True, False, Not Given questions - page 19
Townsend, Paula Nelson and Susan Hutchison for their help and
Answering Yes, No, Not Given questions - page 21
contribution.

Writing summary - page 22

Task 1 Golden rules - page 23
Graphs - page 24
How to compare and contrast - page 26
Bar charts - page 27
Pie charts - page 28
Tables - page 29
Processes - page 29
Tenses and voice - page 30
Maps - page 30

Printed and bound in Spain by Cayfosa-Quebecor, Barcelona .

2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
 Task 2 Golden rules - page 32
Reading
How to write the introduction - page 34
How to write a paragraph - page 34
How to organize a paragraph - page 35
Exam summary
How to speed up your writing and make it more flexible - page 36 • The academic reading module takes 60 minutes.
Common mini sequences of functions - page 36 • There are three reading texts with a total of 1500-2500 words.
How to express your opinion - page 38 - The texts can be on a range of different topics .
How to link your sentences - page 38
- At least one of the texts will contain a detailed logical argument.

- The texts become progressively more difficult to understand.

Listening summary - page 42
• There are usually 40 questions. These questions become progressively more
Golden rules - page 42 difficult.
Develop your skills - page 43 • The reading component is weighted . The standard is the same on each test day.
Types of questions - page 46 However, to reach a specific band , the number of correct answers required is
different in each exam.

Speaking summary - page 53

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Golden rules
Golden rules - page 53
• Answer the questions quickly and accurately. If you can't do a question quickly, leave it
Part 1: Introduction and interview - page 54 and come back to it later.
Part 2: Individual long turn - page 55
• As the passages are long, you don't have to read them in detail. Skim and scan them to
Part 3: Two-way discussion - page 59 find the relevant information.
Developing ideas - page 60 • The level, the texts and the tasks become progressively more difficult. Therefore, do
Breathing - page 61 the earlier questions as quickly as possible, to give yourself more time for the difficult
questions.

Tips for IELTS Skills Checklists - page 62-64 • You have roughly one and a half minutes for each question.

• Do not panic if you can only do maybe three questions out of seven. Go through them
again and again, but quickly.

• When you finish one passage, check your answers and try to fill any gaps.

• The questions generally follow the order of the information in the text. However, the
questions in one section can overlap another and they may be jumbled.

• The questions are usually paraphrases of the text so look for the meaning in the text,
not the exact words.

4 5
• The questions test general understanding [G] and specific detail [S] : Skimming

Matching headings [G] Basic skimming techniques

Multiple-choice questions [G and S] Skim the title and the questions. They give you a summary of the passage.
2 Skim the content words only, i.e. the nouns, main verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Do not
Summary/flow-chartltable completion [G and S]
look at words like the, a, in, is, etc. Underline the content words in a few paragraphs.
- Classification [G and S] Then read them again.

Matching sentences from a suitable list [G and S] 3 Skim only the basic structure of the sentences/clauses: the subject, verb, and the object
(if there is one). Don't look at adverbs and adjectives.
- Answering Yes, No, Not Given [G and S]
4 Without reading the text, mark the connecting words, e.g . moreover, in addition,
- Answering True, False, Not Given [G and S] however, etc. Practise until you can see the connecting words automatically when you
look at a paragraph. Then you do not need to mark them.
Matching stems to sentences endings [S]
5 Skim so that you recognize common types of paragraph organization, like effects,
Sentence completion [S]
causes, methods, etc. See Matching headings to paragraphs on page 12.
- Short answer questions [Sj
6 Skim only the nouns in the text to give you a general picture. Be clear about the
• Some question types are used to see how you deal with specific information and general differences between: a noun, verb adjective and adverb. Learn to recognize them and
meaning. For example, a mUltiple-choice question can test for detail or understanding know what their function is in the sentence.

•
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of a whole text.

The questions do not test your knowledge of English, but your ability to use your
English . The exam is testing whether you can use your English to find your way around
a written English text.
Intermediate skimming techniques
7 Read the first sentence of a paragraph and then skim the beginning of each sentence
in the paragraph . This will show you the general theme of the paragraph . ~~ See Text
organization below. For example:

His career was rather chequered, spanning a period of 30 years. He ... After
Techniques to increase your speed resigning, he ... Not long after he ... Van Damme then ....

Learn to use the following techniques separately, to switch automatically and to use several The referring word he carries the information through the subsequent sentences.
at one time : 8 Ignore and do not underline words you do not know. Focusing on words you do not
know will slow you down.
• Skimming . Skim the text to obtain general information . Think about the general
information and not the detail. Don't underline. 9 Skim the verbs in each sentence. This shows you if the content of the text is changing.

• Scanning . Scan for specific detail only; don't concentrate on the meaning of the text. If 10 Start at the verb in each sentence and look at everything after that. The verb usually
you start to read, or even to skim, you will find it more difficult to locate your words. marks the beginning of new information in the sentence.
11 Cover the left hand or right hand side of a text and skim. This stops you concentrating
• Skim and read. Skim a text, and stop at particular points to look at the meaning. Use
too hard on the meaning.
the questions to guide you around the text.
12 Skim a text to understand a theme. This can be factual or ideas. For example, skim
• Scan and skim. When you scan a text for a specific word, your eye touches the other a text line by line without looking at the meaning and pick out words that form a
information lightly. Because your focus is on the scanning, your eye skims the text patternl picture or that have something in common . As you skim, remember writers
naturally and does not slow you down . You need to practice to build your confidence. have to avoid repetition so they have to use synonyms to create a theme .

6 7
Advanced skimming techniques Scanning
13 Skim the text forwards or backwards and note words which form a general picture:
airports, passengers, lounge, fly. Choosing scanning words in the questions
14 Locate the focus of the paragraph. It is not always at the beginning. ~~ See Writing • Choose your scann ing words carefully. For example, with True, False, Not Given, read
page 35 for words like problems, ideas that help you. all the statements and look for words that occur frequently. These are likely to be the
general subject of the passage, so they will not help you scan.
15 Use your own knowledge of different types of sentences and paragraph organzations
to predict and move around the passage. ~~ See Writing, How to organize a • Look for words that relate to the general subject. They can be nouns, names, dates, etc.
paragraph page 35.
• Keep in mind the basic structure of a sentence: Subject, Verb, Object. Anything extra
16 Look at a central point in a paragraph and then allow your eye to wander around the
qualifies the sentence, e.g. additional clauses, adjectives, adverbs, negative words,
paragraph skimming the nouns, verbs for the general idea.
comparisons. These words/phrases help you understand the focus of the statement. For
17 Use the questions to help you navigate text. ~~ See Writing, Analysing the essay example, you should notice a negative word like ignore immediately. It is probably not a
questions and understanding the rubric on page 33. scanning word, but a word that tests your understanding of the text.

Seven skimming tricks • Look for words and ideas that help you navigate the text. This is a very efficient
tool. Look at the questions together and not in isolation. The questions can often
Use a pencil to help you skim. This helps train your eye.
be subdivided: two relating to one area of text; three to another, etc. Connect the
2 Skim each sentence from left to right. questions, group them and use this to help you to jump around the text.

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3 When you develop confidence, skim left to right and then right to left and so on.
How to scan slowly
4 Move a pencil vertically down through the centre of the text forcing your eye to look
quickly at the text on either side. • Scan from left to right, left to right. You must look only for your chosen scanning
words. If you do not, this will be a slow and ineffective technique.
5 Skim diagonally through the text - top left to bottom right. You could also go
backwards diagonally or vertically.
6 Jump in different directions through the text. Then stop now and again and read.
fexlfexlf€xlfexlf€xlfeAt
7 Skim the ends of sentences. A sentence is basically divided between information which
refers back to the previous sentence and information which is new. Information which
refers generally comes at the beginning and new ideas at the end. Skim the end of the How to scan quickly
sentences. Example: A man walked into a shop. The man picked up a newspaper. The • To stop yourself from reading every word, start at the end of each line or paragraph.
newspaper ... Scan from right to left, right to left backwards through the text. This prevents you from
At all times try not to get caught up in the detail. reading the text.

.e)(t "Fe)(t Te)(t "Fe)(t Te)(t Text

~extfextfextfexlfextfext

8
Q
 Alternatively, scan diagonally through the text from bottom right to top left, or How to mark the text when you skim or scan
vertically, from the bottom to the top. • Use a pencil so you can rub out mistakes.

• Only underline key words: scanning words from the questions and organizing words.

• Underline as little as possible. Too much underlining makes it difficult to find essential
information. Remember more is less.

Compare :

• Move through the text in a zigzag backwards. This stops you from reading . Move faster
The effects of lack of investment can be seen clearly in the state of the trains and
each time you practise .
the stations. The carriages are old-fashioned and generally in a bad state of repair,
factors which put people off using public transport. People are often frightened to
Tey ~ Text Tey ~ Text travel at night because there are no guards on the trains and the stations deserted ...
Xext Text~kxt Text~t
The effects of lack of investment can be seen clearly in the state of the trains and
You can also scan forward, but you must stop yourself reading the text. the stations. The carriages are old-fashioned and generally in a bad state of repair,
factors which put people off using public transport. People are often frightened to
Texj..Jiex'tJext Texj..Jiext....T ext travel at night because there are no guards on the trains and the stations deserted ...

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~t Text mt~t Text ~t

When you have gained confidence, scan forwards left to right, right to left and so on.
You do not have to waste time going to the beginning of a line each time!
•

•
Develop a simple I:lnderlining code . Use a box I Ifor focus words like
measures, etc. Underline main ideas. Use a zigzag line / " V for detail.
If you are fast, use this code in the exam . If not, just underline. It helps you focus on the
organization of the text.
"Fext Text Text Text Text Te ...
~ext Text Text Text Text Text Completing the answer sheet
• Fill in the answer sheet carefully. Use a pencil.
• Very efficient readers can look at the centre of a paragraph and do not allow their eye
• Mark the end of the first two passages on the sheet with a short line. Aim to complete
to move. They then take everything in around the central point. If a paragraph is long,
one stage at a time.
do it in stages.
• Fill in the answers directly onto the sheet and in the correct order.
Text Text Text Text Text Text • Write clearly. Give only one answer unless the instructions require more.
Text Text Text Text Text Text • Write in the correct spaces and keep within them.
Text Text Tex. ext Text Text
• Check your spelling, especially common words and follow the word limit.
Text Text Text Text Text Text
• Do not copy words from the question stem or paraphrases from the text. The answer
Text Text Text Text Text Text
will be marked incorrect.

You will pick up meaning as you scan . You are then becoming an efficient reader! • Skim/check you r answers when you finish. Choose answers at random to check, or
check them backwards. Also check your answers against the questions to make sure
the grammar is correct.

10 11
Matching headings to paragraphs Technique 2: search for connections between headings
• Matching headings with paragraphs tests your ability to understand general • Headings are usually connected with each other.
information.
• Check for a heading that looks specific; it could be a detail in a paragraph and
• Look always for the most general heading. This may be the first paragraph or the therefore a distracter for a general heading. If you removed this detail from the
conclusion . paragraph, would it still remain intact?

• Always do exercises with headings first, as the headings summarize the text. They help • A heading that looks specific could be a heading for paragraph describing just one
you scan the answers to the other questions. detail.

• Look at any titles with the passage. • Check for headings that relate to each other: cause/effect; problem/solution .

• Look at the example, if there is one. Don't just cross it out. It may be the introduction, • Check for headings with adjectives, which qualify nouns. Make sure the heading
which organizes the other headings. covers all aspects of the paragraph . Don't forget about the adjective or other qualifying
phrases.
• The example may be of the second or another paragraph. Still use the heading to
predict the headings next to it. • Headings can have two pieces of information where one is referring back to the
previous paragraph .
• If there are only a few paragraph headings to match there will probably not be an
example.
Advanced techniques

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• Read the instructions. Check if you can use a heading more than once. • Read the headings and skim a paragraph quickly. Make a decision quickly.
• Sometimes there are more paragraphs than headings, so you need to skim quickly. • Expand the heading into a sentence. This might make the meaning clearer.
• If the list of headings is long, reveal them one at a time to stop panicking. • When you find the general theme or focus of the paragraph, stop skimming and match
quickly.
Technique 1: analyse the grammar and vocabulary in the headings
• Once you have matched the headings, read them in order and see if the sequence
• Distinguish between the two types of words used : information specific to the
makes sense .
paragraph and organizing words.
• Organizing words like plural countable words are common, e.g. causes, reasons, • When you check, avoid looking at the detail, as it can make you change your mind.
advantages, drawbacks, difficulties, responses, problems, effects, solutions, factors, • Predict a possible sequence of headings before you look at the text.
dangers, examples, etc. Learn to recognize how these are expressed in a text. Be aware
• If a paragraph is difficult, use the various skimming techniques focusing on text
of similar words.
development. Always look for change of direction in a text.
Note that the specific information about the paragraph is added on to these organizing
words: [causes] of poverty in urban areas; [different levels] of urban poverty Note how • Skim each paragraph in turn and then decide very quickly what it is about. Make your
the phrases in italics narrow the meaning of the organizing words in brackets. own heading in a couple of words. Then look at the list of headings and match.
Use this division of information to help you skim/scan paragraphs. Look for paragraphs
that describe effect, levels, problems, etc. Then see if they contain the specific
information in the rest of the heading.
• Plural organizing words indicate the paragraph has more than one idea or a list of ideas
probably with an introduction.
• A paragraph can be organized around uncountable words : damage, etc. It can be
organized around countable singular nouns where the paragraph is describing one
item : a comparison, impact, development, etc.
12 13
Matching sentences/phrases to paragraphs Stage 2
• ~~ See Matching headings to paragraphs on page 12 and follow the same basic • Use collocation of words and ideas where possible to predict the answer and then
techniques. check the text.

• As there are usually more paragraphs than sentences/phrases, you need to scan quickly. • Try to predict the answer by giving your own word. It is easier to match your own word
than an empty space.
• The sentences can relate to specific detail in a text. Look for general nouns, which
summarize, like description, references, cause, effect, importance, etc. The words can • Predict using general words. For example, you may know that the blank is a person.
be both singular and plural. Look for this in the passage .

• As well as phrases linked to a general noun, there may be clauses introduced by how or • The more aware you are of the general idea of the text, the closer your answer will be.
statements of fact: the fact that ....
• If you are asked to complete with up to three words, try to think of a general word.
• Plural words are likely to indicate that the phrase/sentence covers a whole paragraph,
so it is like a heading. A singular noun can also cover a whole or a part of a paragraph. Stage 3

• If the phrases look like headings or lists, then look for a series of points. • Look at the text and match your words with words in the passage .

Use the technique of skimming/scanning a paragraph for the organization as described • Be careful with any changes in the grammatical form of a word.
in Technique 1 on Page 12. • Skim the summary again with your words in place to check the overall meaning and
then, if you have time, skim the text.

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a fact
D
D ~ ....___----=~~ a process effects/
• When you put the answers in the Answer Sheet check the spelling is correct.
L-.J method etc
• If you have a wordlist, note the words/phrases in the list will usually have letters
D attached, A. B, C. etc. So you will only have to write a letter in the Answer Sheet.
a reference D
• Read the list and insert the words/phrases one at a time, isolating the relevant grammar.
This helps you see if the items are correct and fill the other blanks .
• When you have found the information, check that the focus of the phrase paraphrases/
summarizes the text. Answering multiple-choice questions
• In some cases, there may be five alternatives (A-E) rather than four. If there are five
Completing summaries with and without a wordlist alternatives, you may have to choose one or more answers.

Stage 1 • Multiple-choice questions are like True, False, Not Given questions. One of the
• Check the instructions to find the word limit. It is usually one/two or three words alternatives creates a statement, which is True. The other three are either contradictions
- always keep this in mind. or Not Given.

• Also check if you can use a word/phrase more than once. • Multiple-choice questions test specific detail where you are asked to analyse one part of
a text, e.g. a fact.
• Skim the summary first to get an idea of the overall meaning .
• A multiple-choice question can test your understanding of the whole text, e.g. a
• Work out the grammar needed to fill in each space. question at the end about the purpose of the passage or with possible titles or
• When you are working out the answers, say the word blank for the space. Don't jump summaries.
across to the word on the other side of the blank. For example, if you read Candidates
need to pay to detail, it is more difficult to feel what the missing word is. If you
read Candidates need to pay blank to detail, it is easier to predict the missing word.

14 15
 I ~ ~~
I .... I

Stage 1 Other strategies

• Skim read all the questions for the passage to get the general picture . • When you predict the answer by matching the stem with an alternative, think about
which information logically fits together. Keep in mind the logic of the other questions
• As you practise, and in the exam itself, cover the alternatives (A-D) with a pencil or a
and the passage.
piece of paper and read the stem only.
• Read the answers to the multiple-choice questions you have done. Check that they
• Focus on content words like nouns, names, verbs, etc. and also words that qualify the
form a logical picture.
part of the sentence. Distinguish between the general topic of the passage and specific
scanning words. • Do not answer the questions in isolation from each other.

• Words that help qualify the stem help you to match it with an alternative and vice A variation of the standard multiple-choice question is where you chose two items
versa . So look for words like more, usually, modals like should, etc. and words that add mentioned by the writer from a list of five. The same techniques apply.
qualities.

• Predict the answer where you can and try to complete the stem yourself. If the stem Completing sentences
contains a cause, then you probably want an effect at the end of the sentence . • Sentence completion exercises test your ability to extract specific detail from a text.
~~ See Reading page 20 for general tips about prediction in reading.
• Skim all the questions in the section.
• Reveal the first alternative and think about it quickly. Again focus on content and
• Work out what information is being tested .
qualifying words.

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• Check the word limit in the instructions.
• Read the stem again and reveal each of the alternatives in turn . It is easy to forget
about the stem by the time you get to alternative D! • Read the stem of the sentence for completion and try to understand the meaning.

• Underline words that will help you as you scan. • Note any words that help you scan the text for the answer.

• Decide the grammar that you need to finish the sentence; most of the time it is a nounl
Stage 2
noun phrase .
• Group the alternatives. Look for information that the alternatives have in common or
that is different. • Predict whether the answer contains an adjective only; an adjective and a noun; a
gerund and a noun; or a gerund, an adjective and a noun.
- The alternatives may all be variations of the same basic detail with one piece of
information that is different. • Try to look for more than one answer at the same time .

- There may be two alternatives that are similar and two that are very different.
Answering questions
- There may be two alternatives that contradict each other. • ~~ See Completing sentences above and Completing tables, flowcharts and diagrams

• Remember that if alternatives are the same, neither can be the answer. on page 18 and follow the same procedures.

• Keeping in mind the general picture of the passage, read the alternatives and predict • Look at the grammar of the question .
the answer. Scan the passage to locate the answer and check your prediction . • Check what the question word at the beginning is. WhatlWhichlWholWhere need
• To prevent panic, think about the question and the text separately. nouns as answers. The word How may need : by + -ing, etc. or an adverb .

• When you are checking your prediction with the text, read the relevant part of the text
and look away from the page when you are thinking .

16 17
Completing tables, flowcharts and diagrams Matching stems to sentences
• >->- See Completing sentences on page 17 and follow the same procedures. • Skim the instructions, the sentence stems and the ends of sentences.

• Make sure you skim the whole flowchart to get the overall meaning. • Read through the stems to understand the meaning and underline only essential words .

• Tables are often quite long. Don't panic - remember, if a set of questions looks long, it • Try to predict which ending matches the stem. To help you, reveal them one at a time .
is usually because it is easy.
• Even if you cannot predict any of the answers, practise the technique of prediction.
• Check the grammar of the table/flowchart/diagram, i.e. is it in note form? With practice, you will be able to see that ideas, like words in phrases/collocations, fit
together. Knowing this will help you.
• The chart is usually in columns with headings. Check the types of words of the other
items in each column . • If you have difficulty dealing with the information, break up the ideas and see if each
part matches. Always think about meaning rather than words .
• If you have a wordlist, follow the same procedure as for summaries. With diagrams find
a reference point and work slowly round the diagram.
Matching questions to sentences
Matching names/dates to ideas • >->- See Matching stems to sentences above and follow the same procedures.

• You may be asked to match : • If the list of alternatives to choose from is long, reveal them one at a time .

- catagories, names or dates with statements which are paraphrases of the text.
Answering True, False, Not Given questions

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- sentences which are paraphrases of particular items in a list.
• In True/False exercises, False covers False and Not Given. If a statement is not True
In all cases, the basic techniques are the same. according to the text, it is classed as False. The statement can be False

• >->- See Matching sentences/phrases to paragraphs on page 14 and follow the same because it contradicts the information in some way.
procedures.
because there is no information about the statement in the passage.
• Check if any name, catagory, etc. matches with more than one item .
These two aspects of False can then become separate items False and Not Given .
• Read the names etc. and the statements.
• A False statement contradicts the information in a passage:
• Note anything you are already aware of from reading the other questions.
because it is the direct opposite of the original text, e.g . the text says North, but the
• Read all the statements rather than just one at a time. You may then be able to match statement says South .
more than one at a time.
because it is the negative of the meaning in the original text.
• If the list is long, reveal each item one at a time using your pencil to help you focus.
because it is neither of these, but it is not the same as the information in the text.
• Scan the passage for the names etc. Mark all of them first. Put a box around them to
make it easier to distinguish between the names etc. and other underlined words.

• If you cannot find one name etc., quickly go on to the next. You may find the one you
have missed while you are looking for something else.

• When you have finished, check you have entered your answers correctly and skim
check the answers in the names and answers in the text.

• Make sure you do not contradict the other answers you have made .

18 19
Technique 1: analysing the statements • If you read the statement, the text and then the statement again, you may get the
• If you read the statements in sequence, you can sometimes see where the information wrong answer. For example:
moves from relating to one paragraph to the next paragraph . Practise reading this type Text: The price will fall soon.
of statement without the text to see the development.
Statement: The price will go down.
• Turn the statement into a question. You then have to answer Yes/No . If you can't, the
answer is Not Given. Answer: True.

• Find the central or focal point of the statement. Imagine you are reading the statement Compare this with the following :
aloud - where is the likely stress in the sentence? Text: The price will go down.
• Look for words that qualify the sentence or make the sentence restrictive like only. Statement: The price will fall soon.
little, not many. sometimes, usually. largely. etc. or agents like by the police, etc. or
impersonal phrases like it is suggested. Answer: Not Given.

• Look for words that are negative, e.g. ignore, refuse, deny, reject or words that are • When you have finished, read the statements again in sequence and see if your
positive like cover, help, like, favour, etc. answers fit the overall picture you have of the passage.

• Look for comparisons of any kind.

Answering Yes, No, Not Given questions
• Check for further/previous plans/projects/ideas, etc. Maybe no information is given • The principles are the same as for True, False, Not Given . This type of question is used

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about 'others'. to analyse the claims or opinions of a writer.
• Reveal the statements one at a time to help you focus on them. • You need to make sure that the opinions that are given are those of the writer and not
opinions of others reported by the writer.
Technique 2: predicting and checking
• Questions can contain statements which pass a judgement on or evaluate a situation
• When you are thinking about the statement, use common sense to predict the answer.
which is described in the text.
Check your prediction in the text.
• Always check for comparisons . Comparisons are simple ways to make a comment
• Understand the statement before you look at the text. Don't just underline the words
and pass judgement. For example, in the statement Swimming is more relaxing than
that help you to scan for the answer in the text.
walking, a judgment is being made about the two items because one is put above the
• When you find the information, analyse the text without thinking about the statement. other.
This will stop you getting confused . Then read the statement carefully, look at the text
• Always check for any adjective that judges a situation, e.g. sensible, difficult
and decide.
demanding . Any adjective can pass a judgement, even simple adjectives like big: That
• When you are making your decision, follow the process of reading the statement, then building is big. Another person may not agree!
the text.
• Check always for adverbs in the question like never, always, frequently. carefully. etc as
they will also change the meaning of a basic statement.

• Check for questions which contain reasons: because, as, since, etc.

• Check for any mention of development progression change .. . increasing/increasingly/

rapidly ... is improving ... Ask yourself if change is taking place.

• Check for contrast with numbers, e.g . a solution in the question as opposed to a range
of solutions in the text. Distinguish between general and specific.

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