How to Identify Key Words in IELTS Reading in 2023?

The IELTS Reading test is designed to evaluate your ability to understand and analyze complex texts in English. To excel in the test, you need to develop the skill of identifying key words or phrases in a text that help you locate information and comprehend the main idea of the passage. In this blog post, we will discuss seven proven strategies that can help you identify key words in IELTS Reading and boost your score.

1. Read the title and introduction carefully: The title and introduction of a text provide valuable information about the main topic and purpose of the passage. They can help you identify the key words or phrases that are likely to appear in the text. Therefore, take your time to read them carefully before diving into the text.
2. Skim the text: Skimming is a quick reading technique that helps you get a general idea of the text's content. Skim through the text and pay attention to the headings, subheadings, bolded or italicized words, and other keywords that stand out. This will give you a better understanding of the text's structure and main ideas.
3. Pay attention to synonyms: The IELTS Reading test often uses synonyms or words that have similar meanings to the key words in the text. For example, if the key word is "happy," the text might use words like "content," "pleased," or "satisfied" instead. Therefore, be on the lookout for such synonyms and related words to identify the key words.
4. Look for repetition: Repetition is a common feature of many texts, and it often indicates the main ideas or key words in a text. If a word or phrase is repeated several times, it is likely to be a key word. Therefore, pay attention to the repeated words and phrases to identify the key words.
5. Identify words that are essential to the meaning of the sentence: Essential words are words that cannot be removed from a sentence without changing its meaning. For example, in the sentence "The cat chased the mouse," "cat" and "mouse" are essential words. Identifying these essential words can help you understand the meaning of the sentence and the key words in the text.
6. Use context: Context is the information that surrounds a word and helps to give it meaning. Pay attention to the words and phrases that come before and after a key word to help you understand its meaning in the given context.
7. Use the IELTS Reading question types: The IELTS Reading test includes various question types that require you to identify key words in a text. For example, matching headings or matching sentence endings questions will require you to identify the key words that summarize each paragraph or sentence. Therefore, practicing with different question types can help you identify the key words more efficiently.

Identifying key words in IELTS Reading is a crucial skill that can help you improve your score on the test. By following the seven strategies we discussed in this blog post, you can identify the key words more efficiently and comprehend the main ideas of the text more effectively. Practice these strategies regularly, and you'll be well on your way to achieving success on the IELTS Reading test.