IELTS Reading Question Types Decoded | Part 5: Matching Sentence Endings

“I was stuck between two options. Both of them looked correct!”

If you’ve ever felt this way while attempting the IELTS Reading test, you’re not alone.

Matching Sentence Endings is one of those question types where the wrong answers aren’t obviously wrong. In fact, they’re designed to sound convincing. That’s why many students end up choosing an option that feels right but isn’t actually supported by the passage.

The good news is that once you understand what IELTS is really testing, this question type becomes much easier to tackle.

In this article, I’ll walk you through a simple strategy, the most common mistakes students make, and two worked examples from an official Cambridge IELTS practice paper to show you exactly how to approach these questions.

If you’ve missed the earlier blogs in this series, you may also want to read:

• Part 1: True, False, Not Given and Yes, No, Not Given

• Part 2: Matching Headings

• Part 3: Matching Information

• Part 4: Matching Features

What Are Matching Sentence Endings Questions?

In this question type, you’ll be given the beginning of a sentence and a list of possible endings. Your task is to choose the ending that correctly completes the sentence based on the information in the passage.

Sounds straightforward.

The challenge is that more than one ending may appear to fit. However, only one of them accurately reflects the writer’s ideas in the passage.

That’s exactly what IELTS is testing.

Why Do Students Lose Marks?

Over the years, I’ve noticed that students tend to make the same mistakes. They choose the first option that sounds right. One option may seem logical, but IELTS isn’t testing logic. It’s testing whether the completed sentence is supported by the passage. They focus on keywords. Finding similar words is useful for locating the relevant paragraph.

Choosing the correct answer depends on understanding the meaning. They don’t read the completed sentence.

Always read the sentence from beginning to end before selecting your answer. A sentence can be grammatically correct but factually incorrect.

Strategy

Step 1: Read the sentence beginnings first.

Before looking at the answer options, read only the sentence beginnings. Ask yourself:

• Is the sentence looking for a reason?

• A result?

• An opinion?

• A comparison?

You don’t need to predict the exact answer. You simply need to know what kind of information you’re looking for.

Step 2: Find the relevant part of the passage.

Use the keywords from the sentence beginning to locate the correct paragraph. Once you’ve found it, don’t stop reading. Very often, the answer is found in the sentence before or after the keyword.

Step 3: Compare meanings, not keywords.

This is where most students lose marks. IELTS loves paraphrasing. The correct ending may use completely different words while expressing exactly the same idea. At the same time, an incorrect ending may repeat words from the passage but change the meaning.

Step 4: Read the completed sentence.

Before you move on, read the entire sentence. Ask yourself:

“Does this sentence accurately reflect what the passage says?”

If the answer is no, keep looking.

Watch out for these on test day:

• Choosing the first answer that sounds reasonable.

• Matching words instead of ideas.

• Ignoring paraphrasing.

• Forgetting to read the complete sentence before answering.

Being aware of these traps can save you several marks.

Let’s Solve One Together

Let’s look at the passage and two examples from an official Cambridge IELTS practice paper. Before reading the explanations, have a go at Questions 1 and 2 yourself.

Reading Passage

Three leaders in their fields answer questions about our relationships with robots When asked 'Should robots be used to colonise other planets?, cosmology and astrophysics Professor Martin Rees said he believed the solar system would be mapped by robotic craft by the end of the century. "The next step would be mining of asteroids, enabling fabrication of large structures in space without having to bring all the raw materials from Earth....I think this is more realistic and benign than the ... "terraforming"* of planets' He maintains that colonised planets 'should be preserved with a status that is analogous to Antarctica here on Earth.'

On the question of using robots to colonise other planets and exploit mineral resources, engineering Professor Daniel Wolpert replied, 'I don't see a pressing need to colonise other planets unless we can bring [these] resources back to Earth. The vast majority of Earth is currently inaccessible to us. Using robots to gather resources nearer to home would seem to be a better use of our robotic tools.'

Meanwhile, for anthropology Professor Kathleen Richardson, the idea of "colonisation' of other planets seemed morally dubious: 'I think whether we do something on Earth or on Mars we should always do it in the spirit of a genuine interest in "the Other" , not to impose a particular model, but to meet "the Other".'

This led on to the third question, 'Should we be scared by advances in artificial intelligence!

To this question, Rees replied, 'Those who should be worried are the futurologists who believe in the so-called "singularity" ** ... And another worry is that we are increasingly dependent on computer networks, and that these could behave like a single "brain" with a mind of its own, and with goals that may be contrary to human welfare. I think we should ensure that robots remain as no more than "idiot savants" lacking the capacity to outwit us even though they may greatly surpass us in the ability to calculate and process information:

Wolpert's response was to say that we have already seen the damaging effects of artificial intelligence in the form of computer viruses. 'But in this case,' he says, 'the real intelligence is the malicious designer. Critically, the benefits of computers outweigh the damage that computer viruses cause. Similarly, while there may be misuses of robotics in the near future, the benefits that they will bring are likely to outweigh these negative aspects.'

Richardson's response to this question was this: 'We need to ask why fears of artificial intelligence and robots persist; none have in fact risen up and challenged human supremacy.' She believes that as robots have never shown themselves to be a threat to humans, it seems unlikely that they ever will. In fact, she went on, 'Not all fear [robots]; many people welcome machine intelligence.'

Questions 1-2

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-D, below.

Write the correct letter, A-D, in boxes 1-2 on your answer sheet.

1. Richardson and Rees express similar views regarding the ethical aspect of

2. Wolpert disagrees with Richardson on the question of

   
   

A. robots to explore outer space.

B. advances made in machine intelligence so far.

C. changes made to other planets for our own benefit.

D. the harm already done by artificial intelligence.

Answer and Explanation

Answer 1

Correct Answer: C

This question is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t rush to the answer options. The important words here aren’t actually Richardson or Rees. They’re “express similar views”. Your task is to compare what both people believe. When you read Richardson’s response, she describes colonising other planets as “morally dubious” and questions whether humans have the right to impose their own model on another world.

Now compare that with Rees’ response. He discusses terraforming and argues that colonised planets should be preserved rather than altered simply because humans have the technology to do so.

Different words. Same idea.

Both are questioning whether humans should alter another planet for their own benefit. That’s why Option C is the correct answer.

Many students are tempted by Option A because both researchers are talking about space exploration. But that’s not what the question is asking. It’s asking what ethical issue they agree on. Always compare ideas, not just the topic being discussed. 

Whenever IELTS asks whether two people agree or share similar views, stop looking for matching words. Compare the opinions instead.

Answer 2

Correct Answer: D

Notice the word “disagrees”. That tells you exactly what your job is. You need to compare both opinions and identify where they differ. Richardson argues that robots have never posed a genuine threat to humans.

Wolpert, on the other hand, says that we’ve already experienced the damaging effects of artificial intelligence, giving computer viruses as an example.

So where is the disagreement? It’s not about whether artificial intelligence exists. It’s not even about how advanced it has become. It’s about whether artificial intelligence has already caused harm.

That’s exactly what Option D says.

This question catches a lot of students because Option B looks convincing. After all, both speakers are discussing artificial intelligence. But look carefully. The sentence doesn’t ask what they’re are discussing.

It asks what they disagree about. Richardson isn’t commenting on the level of technological progress.

She’s arguing that artificial intelligence hasn’t yet become a threat to humans.

Wolpert believes the opposite. He argues that harm has already been done.

That’s why Option D is the better answer.

If you’re stuck between two options, ask yourself which one is directly supported by the passage. IELTS rewards evidence, not educated guesses.

Both examples teach exactly the same lesson. The correct answer wasn’t the one with the most familiar keywords.

It was the one that accurately reflected the meaning of the passage. That’s why I always tell my students:

Keywords help you find the right paragraph. Meaning helps you find the right answer.

If you can remember that one sentence, you’ll avoid many of the traps IELTS sets in Matching Sentence Endings questions.

Now it’s your turn. Pick up an official Cambridge IELTS practice book and attempt a few Matching Sentence Endings questions using the strategies we’ve discussed in this article. As you practise, don’t just check whether your answer is correct. Take a moment to understand why the correct answer is right and why the other options are wrong.

Next week, we’ll look at Summary Completion questions and explore how grammar, paraphrasing and context can help you find the correct answers.

Until then, feel free to reach out for personalised guidance and assessment.