Reading multiple choice
IELTS Reading multiple choice: eliminate options systematically, beware of true-but-irrelevant options, and handle ‘writer’s purpose’ questions.
In this lesson you will
- Eliminate wrong options with evidence
- Spot true-but-irrelevant and partly-correct options
- Answer questions on purpose and main idea
Learn
Question first: underline the key words in the question stem (not just the options). Locate the relevant part of the passage.
Eliminate: for each option, find evidence. Common wrong options: (a) true but doesn’t answer the question; (b) partly correct (one wrong detail); (c) too extreme (always, completely); (d) uses passage words with the wrong meaning.
Main idea / purpose questions (What is the writer’s main purpose in paragraph 3?): use verbs like to explain, to compare, to criticise, to describe, to suggest. Skim the whole paragraph.
The answer must be supported by the passage — not by what seems logical or what you know.
Examples
- Too extreme: “Scientists have completely solved the problem.” (passage: “made progress”)
- Partly correct: “The bridge opened in 1920 in London” (passage: 1920, Manchester).
- Purpose: “to contrast two approaches”
Vocabulary
stem
the question part before the options
eliminate
remove
extreme
too strong
irrelevant
not connected to the question
purpose
the reason for writing
In real life
Read the paragraph.
Although electric scooters are often promoted as an environmentally friendly way to travel, their benefits depend heavily on how they are used. When scooters replace car journeys, emissions fall. However, studies in several cities found that most scooter trips replaced walking or public transport, not cars. In addition, shared scooters are frequently collected at night by vans for charging, which adds emissions. Newer schemes with swappable batteries and longer-lasting scooters appear to reduce this impact.
Practice
What is the writer’s main purpose?
Lesson quiz
What appears to reduce the impact, according to the paragraph?
Review
Key points
- Read the stem carefully.
- Eliminate with evidence.
- Watch: irrelevant, partly correct, extreme.
- Purpose questions: explain/compare/criticise…
What you learned
- ✓ I can answer reading multiple choice.
- ✓ I eliminate traps.
- ✓ I identify writer’s purpose.