Deepika from Raipur treated “Which paragraph contains a reference to…?” like a headings task. She looked for main ideas when the question wanted one small detail.

Matching information asks you to find the paragraph that contains a specific piece of information, such as an example, a reason or a comparison, not the paragraph’s main idea. Decide what kind of detail you need, then scan for it.

Matching Information vs Matching Headings

Both tasks refer to lettered paragraphs or sections, but they test different skills:

Feature Matching information Matching headings
What you find A specific detail inside a paragraph The main idea of a whole paragraph
Skill on the official page Scanning for specific information Telling a main idea from a supporting idea
Reuse Allowed only if the instructions say so No heading is used more than once

For the main-idea task, see our matching headings guide.

What the Official Page Says About the Task

You choose the correct paragraphs from the options on screen. The official format page lists the kinds of information you may have to find: specific details, an example, a reason, a description, a comparison, a summary or an explanation.

Not every paragraph may be used. When a paragraph may be used more than once, the instructions say so: “You may choose any paragraph (or section) more than once.” The General Training page words it “You may use any letter more than once.”

The official page gives the order of the text for multiple-choice, sentence-completion and short-answer questions, but not for this type. Do not assume the questions follow the text from top to bottom.

A 3-Step Strategy for Finding Details

This method is our advice, not an IELTS rule:

  1. Name the information type: is the question asking for an example, a reason, a comparison, a description or a plan?
  2. Predict the rewording: think how the text might express that idea without the question’s words; our paraphrase spotting guide shows how questions reword the text.
  3. Scan for signals: look for words such as for instance, because, than or will, as in our skimming and scanning guide.

Practice passage (written for this post)

A To curb recurring foodborne illness, the city’s health department introduced a mandatory licensing scheme for mobile food stalls. Officials noted that uninspected roadside carts accounted for a sharp rise in stomach infections treated at public clinics.

B Under the scheme, licensed vendors receive stainless steel food covers and digital thermometer probes. For instance, dosa and kothu parotta sellers must monitor oil temperatures continuously and display QR codes that link customers to their latest inspection report.

C Reviews of the first year show that licensed hawkers earn thirty percent more per week than unlicensed operators. Customers also express greater trust in stalls displaying municipal ratings, which suggests that food-safety standards stimulate trade rather than depress it.

D From next quarter, the city corporation plans to set up mobile testing laboratories in night markets to check cooking water on site. Authorities will also offer interest-free loans to help vendors upgrade from wooden pushcarts to solar-refrigerated kiosks.

Questions

Which paragraph contains the following information? Choose the correct letter, A–D.

  1. an example of a task that licensed vendors must carry out
  2. a reason why the city introduced the scheme
  3. a comparison between the incomes of licensed and unlicensed vendors
  4. a future plan to improve inspection at evening markets
Show answers
  1. B — an example: “For instance, dosa and kothu parotta sellers must monitor oil temperatures continuously”.
  2. A — a reason: the scheme aims to “curb recurring foodborne illness”, and uninspected carts “accounted for a sharp rise in stomach infections”.
  3. C — a comparison: licensed hawkers “earn thirty percent more per week than unlicensed operators”.
  4. D — a future plan: the corporation “plans to set up mobile testing laboratories in night markets” from next quarter.

Common Traps to Avoid

Incorrect: “Looking for the paragraph’s main idea.”

Correct: The question names a type of detail, such as a reason or a comparison, so scan for that detail wherever it sits in a paragraph.

Tip

When this task appears first in a passage, answer the other question types first, so you already know the text before searching for details.

Key Takeaways

  • Matching information asks for specific information, not a paragraph’s main idea.
  • A paragraph may be used more than once only when the instructions say so.
  • Do not assume the questions follow the order of the text.
  • Name the information type first: example, reason, comparison, description or plan.

The bottom line: Once you pick a paragraph, check that it holds the detail itself, not just the same topic.