IELTS Reading — Matching Features Band 9 Formula

📘 IELTS Reading — Matching Features Band 9 Formula

💡 Formula Name: 3R + 1L™

➡️ Read | Relate | Reconfirm | Link-Back

This 4-step method kills confusion, especially when names, years, or researchers repeat in multiple questions — which is where 90% of students lose marks.

---

💥 BAND 9 FORMULA: 3R + 1L™

---

🟦 1️⃣ READ the Question Column (R1)

→ Understand what exactly you’re matching.

Each question asks you to connect a feature (statement) to a name / theory / period / place.

📘 Example:

> “Which scientist believed intelligence is inherited?”

✅ Identify the feature = belief / claim / finding.

💬 Tip: Circle key idea (e.g., believed intelligence = inherited).

Don’t go for names yet — just understand what’s being looked for.

---

🟨 2️⃣ RELATE the Feature to Keywords (R2)

→ Now jump to the list (names / people / theories).

Scan quickly for synonyms or topic matches.

If you see:

> “Darwin – evolution and natural selection”

→ store mentally: “Darwin = evolution idea.”

This sets your keyword map for scanning later.

---

🟩 3️⃣ RECONFIRM in Passage (R3)

→ Go to the text and find where each name appears.

Now, read the 2 lines before and after each name.

That’s where the matching clue always hides.

🧠 Check:

Does this name believe / discover / oppose / support the statement idea?

Or is it someone else?

✅ If meaning matches → correct name

❌ If opposite or unclear → reject it.

---

🟪 4️⃣ LINK-BACK to Next (L)

→ Don’t get stuck!

Once you match one, check if the next statement is likely near the same section.

In 90% of real tests, answers for matching features follow order of names, not questions.

So link back to that same spot — most answers cluster together!

---

💎 3R + 1L™ IN ACTION

📘 Sample Passage: “Theories of Emotion”

> A

James suggested that emotions arise from physiological changes in the body. Cannon disagreed, arguing that bodily changes and emotions occur simultaneously. Later, Schachter proposed that emotions depend not only on physical arousal but also on cognitive interpretation.

---

❓ Questions (Match the theory with the scientist)

List of Scientists:

A. James

B. Cannon

C. Schachter

Features: 1️⃣ Believed feelings come after bodily reactions.

2️⃣ Claimed that emotions and body changes happen together.

3️⃣ Added that emotions involve thinking and interpretation.

---

✅ Answers (Using 3R + 1L™)

Step Feature Formula Logic Answer

R1 “after body reaction” Read: sequence = after physical change A. James

R2 “happen together” Relate: simultaneous = together B. Cannon

R3 “thinking + arousal” Reconfirm: both mind + body C. Schachter

💡 3R + 1L Insight:

Each name appears once. Answers are sequential.

The formula helped isolate meaning not just words.

🚫 Common Traps (The “Double Trouble Tricks”)

❌ Matching based on topic similarity instead of belief/action.

❌ Ignoring contrast words like however, whereas, unlike.

❌ Choosing answers too early — always reconfirm before final pick.

---

💬 Final Teacher Tip

> “Matching Features isn’t about who said what — it’s about who meant what.”

That’s why 3R + 1L™ = your secret Band 9 weapon for accuracy + speed.