Complete IELTS Academic Reading Guide – How to Choose the Most Suitable Title

🎯 Choosing the Most Suitable Title

This question type in IELTS Reading tests whether you know what the passage is about or not. If you choose the correct one, you get a point. But, if you fail to do so, you lose a point.
🎲 Now, the choice is yours.

🤔 HOW DOES IT WORK??

Well, picture this:
The passage is in front of you. You read it carefully. Then you see some options of titles (which are usually 3 to 5).
Then, on the basis of the passage and what it indicates, you pick the most suitable title (which matches the passage as a whole).
That is when you get a perfect score. ✅

📝 SOME TIPS TO REMEMBER

🔹 Do not get distracted by the insignificant details.
Your attention should be more on finding the key points which reflect the whole passage. This way, it will get easier to find the suitable title.

🔹 The words used in the titles might be different from the words used in the passage.
Therefore, be mindful to understand the idea behind the words.

🔹 Do this question at the end. Always.
By then, you will have attempted each question, and that is why you will be able to give a title to the whole passage—because you will have an idea of what it is about.
Doing this first will only waste your time—a lot of time—and this, along with any other question, carries one mark anyway.

🔹 Pay attention to similar options.
They are there to trick you. Make sure you understand the tiniest differences between them.

🔹 At first, each title can seem to match the whole passage...
But once you have attempted all other questions in the passage, you will be able to eliminate few or all incorrect answers easily.

🔹 I wish I could say that just reading the first or last sentence of the passage (as we do in Matching Headings) would work...
But here, it is about the aim of the whole passage, so read through the entire passage. 📖

🔹 Your answer will be a letter, not words. ✉️

📚 EXAMPLE OF A PASSAGE (A short one just for example)

“Global Warming is greatly impacting the planet. Many countries are suffering from its repercussions. The rise in temperature has resulted in massive heat-waves and deadly droughts that are affecting lives and livelihoods. Moreover, the melting of glaciers is leading to water scarcity in many states. Therefore, global collaboration is required to cope with this detrimental environmental challenge.”

❓ QUESTION: What is the most suitable title?

OPTIONS:

🅰️ The Rise of Global Warming in the 21st Century
🅱️ The Impact of Global Warming upon the States
🅾️ Water Scarcity due to Global Warming
🆎 The Loss of Lives and Livelihood

✅ CORRECT ANSWER:

Option B – The Impact of Global Warming upon the States
(Because the passage is more focused on showing the impacts of global warming upon the countries.)