# IELTS Matching Features: who said, found or claimed what Matching features asks you to match statements to a list of features from the text, such as researchers or dates. Options can be used twice or not at all. Three worked items and the method. ## Exercises Exercises marked (free) are open to everyone; a free account opens the rest. - [Robots and us, questions 27-33](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/robots-and-us) (free) - [Motivational factors and the hospitality industry, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/motivational-factors-and-the-hospitality-industry) (free) - [The power of play, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-power-of-play) (free) - [How baby talk gives infant brains a boost, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-baby-talk-gives-infant-brains-a-boost) (free) - [Flawed Beauty: the problem with toughened glass, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/flawed-beauty-the-problem-with-toughened-glass) (free) - [Tackling Air Pollution, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/tackling-air-pollution) (free) - [AIRPORTS ON WATER, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/airports-on-water) (free) - [CHILDREN'S THINKING, questions 28-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/childrens-thinking) (free) - [Right and left-handedness in humans, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/right-and-left-handedness-in-humans) (free) - [Why we need silence, questions 22-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-we-need-silence) - [Return of the elm: reintroducing the beloved tree to Britain, questions 19-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/return-of-the-elm-reintroducing-the-beloved-tree-to-britain) - [Adapting to the effects of climate change, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/adapting-to-the-effects-of-climate-change) - [A new role for livestock guard dogs, questions 32-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-new-role-for-livestock-guard-dogs) - [The global importance of wetlands, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-global-importance-of-wetlands) - [Deep-sea mining, questions 18-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/deep-sea-mining) - [Forest management in Pennsylvania, USA, questions 19-21](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/forest-management-in-pennsylvania-usa) - [Conquering Earth's space junk problem, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/conquering-earths-space-junk-problem) - [Materials to take us beyond concrete, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/materials-to-take-us-beyond-concrete) - [The growth mindset, questions 17-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-growth-mindset) - [A second attempt at domesticating the tomato, questions 19-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-second-attempt-at-domesticating-the-tomato) - [The future of work, questions 35-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-future-of-work) - [What is exploration?, questions 33-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/what-is-exploration) - [Should we try to bring extinct species back to life?, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/should-we-try-to-bring-extinct-species-back-to-life) - [The concept of intelligence, questions 7-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-concept-of-intelligence) - [Why being bored is stimulating - and useful, too, questions 20-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-being-bored-is-stimulating-and-useful-too) - [Oxytocin, questions 18-20](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/oxytocin) - [MAKING THE MOST OF TRENDS, questions 32-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/making-the-most-of-trends) - [Whatever happened to the Harappan Civilisation?, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/whatever-happened-to-the-harappan-civilisation) - [The risks agriculture faces in developing countries, questions 4-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-risks-agriculture-faces-in-developing-countries) - [Reducing the Effects of Climate Change, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/reducing-the-effects-of-climate-change) - [Raising the Mary Rose, questions 5-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/raising-the-mary-rose) - [Research using twins, questions 5-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/research-using-twins) - [Gifted children and learning, questions 18-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/gifted-children-and-learning) - [Second nature, questions 19-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/second-nature) - [Venus in transit, questions 18-21](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/venus-in-transit) - [Young children's sense of identity, questions 20-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/young-childrens-sense-of-identity) - [A Chronicle of Timekeeping, questions 5-8](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-chronicle-of-timekeeping) - [THE LITTLE ICE AGE, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-little-ice-age) - [Collecting Ant Specimens, questions 31-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/collecting-ant-specimens) - [Why pagodas don't fall down, questions 5-10](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-pagodas-dont-fall-down) - [Population movements and genetics, questions 22-25](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/population-movements-and-genetics) - [European Forests: Challenges, Functions, and Policy Responses, questions 34-39](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/european-forests-challenges-functions-and-policy-responses) - [EFFECTS OF NOISE, questions 35-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/effects-of-noise) - [AUSTRALIA'S SPORTING SUCCESS, questions 8-11](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/australias-sporting-success) - [Advantages of public transport, questions 11-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/advantages-of-public-transport) - [Motivating Employees under Adverse Conditions, questions 25-27](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/motivating-employees-under-adverse-conditions) - [The Search for the Anti-aging Pill, questions 33-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-search-for-the-anti-aging-pill) - [Early Childhood Education, questions 5-10](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/early-childhood-education) - [Children's Ideas About Rainforests, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/childrens-ideas-about-rainforests) - [Lost for Words, questions 5-9](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/lost-for-words) - [Play is a Serious Business, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/play-is-a-serious-business) - [The Problem of Scarce Resources, questions 32-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-problem-of-scarce-resources) - [THE ROCKET - FROM EAST TO WEST, questions 7-10](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-rocket-from-east-to-west) - [The Risks of Cigarette Smoke, questions 22-24](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-risks-of-cigarette-smoke) - [The Risks of Cigarette Smoke, questions 25-28](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-risks-of-cigarette-smoke) - [Governments and Environmental Management, questions 19-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/governments-and-environmental-management) - [THE DEPARTMENT OF ETHNOGRAPHY, questions 7-12](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-department-of-ethnography) - [Measuring Organisational Performance, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/measuring-organisational-performance) - [What is a Port City?, questions 31-34](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/what-is-a-port-city) - [THE KEYLESS SOCIETY, questions 34-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-keyless-society) - [In search of the holy grail, questions 33-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/in-search-of-the-holy-grail) - [A spark, a flint: How fire leapt to life, questions 9-15](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-spark-a-flint-how-fire-leapt-to-life) - [Architecture - Reaching for the Sky, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/architecture-reaching-for-the-sky) - [Tourism, questions 38-41](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/tourism) - [GLASS, questions 9-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/glass) - [Why some women cross the finish line ahead of men, questions 20-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-some-women-cross-the-finish-line-ahead-of-men) - [Population viability analysis, questions 32-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/population-viability-analysis) - [IS PHOTOGRAPHY ART?, questions 35-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/is-photography-art) - [Dawn of the robots, questions 20-23](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/dawn-of-the-robots) - [The rise of the agribots, questions 22-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-rise-of-the-agribots) - [Science in Space, questions 31-35](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/science-in-space) - [Fatal Attraction, questions 19-22](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/fatal-attraction) - [WANT TO BE FRIENDS?, questions 33-36](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/want-to-be-friends) ## The short answer Matching features gives you a set of statements and a list of options taken from the text, such as researchers, places or dates. You match each statement to the option it belongs to. IELTS's own example is matching descriptions of inventions to the people who invented them. Some options may not be used, and others may be used more than once. Each statement is one mark out of 40, in both Academic and General Training. ## Key facts - **Paper:** Reading - **Module:** Academic and General Training - **Marks:** 1 per statement, out of 40 - **Options:** Features from the text: people, places, dates - **Reuse:** Some options used twice, some not at all - **What it tests:** Connections between facts, and opinions and theories Formats, timings and marking come from IELTS's own test-format pages, checked 27 September 2026. ## How it's scored IELTS says this type tests whether you can recognize relationships and connections between facts in the text, and recognize opinions and theories. Most sets come down to who said, found or claimed what. When an option can be used more than once, the instructions say so: "You may use any option more than once." Look for that line, and never cross out an option just because you have used it. > Find the options in the text first, not the statements. Names and dates are quick to scan for, and each one sits next to the claim it belongs to. ## Matching features examples Worked examples written for this page. Answer each one before you open the model response: memorizing a response is scored as an irrelevant answer in the real test. **Example 1 -- a finding with a number** > Why do some people sleep better than others? Early studies by Dr Ruiz linked poor sleep to screen use in the evening. Professor Okafor later argued that screens mattered less than the time people went to bed, which he found varied far more than most people admit. Dr Lin's work pointed in another direction: she measured bedroom temperature and found that a room above 22°C cut deep sleep by a fifth. Okafor has since accepted that temperature plays a part, but he still sees bedtime as the main factor. > > Which researcher found that a warm bedroom reduces deep sleep? {1} > Which researcher linked poor sleep to screens? {2} Prompt: Choose Ruiz, Okafor or Lin for each statement. You may use any option more than once. - Blank 1: Ruiz / Okafor / Lin -- Lin - Blank 2: Ruiz / Okafor / Lin -- Ruiz Model response: Lin; Ruiz. Why it scores: "A warm bedroom" paraphrases "a room above 22°C", and "reduces deep sleep" paraphrases "cut deep sleep by a fifth". Okafor also mentions screens, but only to argue that they matter less. **Example 2 -- the option used twice** > Why do some people sleep better than others? Early studies by Dr Ruiz linked poor sleep to screen use in the evening. Professor Okafor later argued that screens mattered less than the time people went to bed, which he found varied far more than most people admit. Dr Lin's work pointed in another direction: she measured bedroom temperature and found that a room above 22°C cut deep sleep by a fifth. Okafor has since accepted that temperature plays a part, but he still sees bedtime as the main factor. > > Which researcher believes bedtime matters more than screens? {1} > Which researcher accepted part of another researcher's finding? {2} Prompt: Choose Ruiz, Okafor or Lin for each statement. You may use any option more than once. - Blank 1: Ruiz / Okafor / Lin -- Okafor - Blank 2: Ruiz / Okafor / Lin -- Okafor Model response: Okafor; Okafor. Why it scores: One name answers both, which the instruction allows. The text shows it: Okafor argued one thing, then accepted Lin's point about temperature. **Example 3 -- how, not what** > Why do some people sleep better than others? Early studies by Dr Ruiz linked poor sleep to screen use in the evening. Professor Okafor later argued that screens mattered less than the time people went to bed, which he found varied far more than most people admit. Dr Lin's work pointed in another direction: she measured bedroom temperature and found that a room above 22°C cut deep sleep by a fifth. Okafor has since accepted that temperature plays a part, but he still sees bedtime as the main factor. > > Which researcher took measurements of the sleeping environment? {1} > Which researcher's work came first? {2} Prompt: Choose Ruiz, Okafor or Lin for each statement. You may use any option more than once. - Blank 1: Ruiz / Okafor / Lin -- Lin - Blank 2: Ruiz / Okafor / Lin -- Ruiz Model response: Lin; Ruiz. Why it scores: "Sleeping environment" is the bedroom, and "measured" is the verb that decides it. "Early studies" and "later" place Ruiz first, even though no date is given. **Three questions is a warm-up, not practice** 10,000+ IELTS practice questions, 20+ full mocks and 20+ sectional tests, with AI band feedback on writing and speaking. One full IELTS mock and one sectional test per skill are free, with question-bank practice and 100 AI scoring coins a month. No card required. [Start practicing free](https://app.testmigo.com/register) ## Common mistakes | What costs marks | Do this instead | | --- | --- | | Crossing out an option once it is used. | Check the instructions. If any option may be used more than once, one name can answer several statements. | | Matching on a shared word. | Match on meaning. The name next to a repeated word may be the one arguing against it. | | Missing a change of view. | Read to the end of each person's part of the text. Researchers revise and accept, and the statement may describe the later view. | | Confusing a finding with a claim. | Check the verb: found, measured, argued, accepted. It tells you whether you need a result or an opinion. | **Know what the marks are worth** Reading and Listening are 40 marks each. The band calculator turns a mark out of 40 into a band, and four skill bands into your overall. [Open the IELTS band calculator](/ielts/band-score-calculator) ## How to practice 1. Before reading the statements, scan the text for every option and underline it. Note one word beside each for what that person says. 2. Do a set and circle the verb in every statement. Then check that the verb in the text matches it: found is not argued. 3. Keep a count of how often an option was used twice in your practice sets. Seeing it happen stops you crossing names out. ## Common questions ### Can you use an option more than once in matching features? Sometimes. IELTS says some options may not be used and others may be used more than once. When reuse is allowed, the instructions say "You may use any option more than once". ### What are the features in matching features? A group of things named in the text: most often people, but also dates, places or organizations. IELTS's example is matching descriptions of inventions to their inventors. ### Is matching features in General Training? Yes. IELTS names it on both the Academic and the General Training Reading format pages. **Sources** - [IELTS: Academic Reading test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-academic-format-reading) - [IELTS: General Training Reading test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-general-training-test/ielts-general-training-format-reading) [Practice Matching features free](https://testmigo.com/ielts)