Makshud.

Reading · Unit 3: Core strategies

R29: Diagram labelling

Target band 6.5 to 7

Sometimes IELTS Reading gives you a picture: a machine, a building, a plant or a piece of equipment. Some parts are labelled with gaps, and you fill them with words from the passage. Many students panic because the topic looks technical. But diagram questions are usually concentrated in one or two paragraphs, and the language is about position. Once you find the right paragraph, the answers are close together.

Why this matters

Diagram questions don't appear in every test, but when they do, they're often a block of three to five marks. If you know the method, these can be quick marks.

The method

  1. Study the diagram first. What is it? Which parts are labelled? Which parts have gaps?
  2. Find the paragraph that describes it. Scan for the name of the object or for words that are already labelled on the diagram.
  3. Follow the position words. The passage describes where things are.
  4. Copy the exact words within the word limit.

Position words to know

at the top, at the base, above, below, inside, attached to, connected to, next to, on the left/right, in the centre, leads to, flows into, surrounds

A worked example

Imagine a simple diagram of a house with a rainwater collection system. Labels with gaps point to five parts: the edge of the roof, a pipe going down, something at the top of a tank, the tank, and something at the bottom of the tank.

Rainwater harvesting is increasingly common in rural Bangladesh, where groundwater in some areas contains arsenic. In a typical system, rain falls on a sloping roof and flows into a gutter that runs along its lower edge. From there, the water travels down a vertical pipe. Before entering the storage tank, it passes through a fine mesh filter, which stops leaves and insects. The tank itself is usually made of plastic or concrete and is covered to keep out mosquitoes. A tap at the bottom of the tank allows the family to collect clean water.

Label the diagram. Write ONE WORD ONLY.

  1. Water collects in a __________ along the edge of the roof.
  2. It runs down a vertical __________.
  3. A __________ removes leaves and insects.
  4. The tank has a __________ at the bottom.
Show the answers

1) gutter. 2) pipe. 3) filter (the passage says mesh filter, but the limit is one word, and filter is the part's name). 4) tap.

Why this is easier than it looks

  • All four answers were in one paragraph.
  • They followed the path of the water, from top to bottom.
  • No technical knowledge was needed. Just position words and careful copying.

Tips

  • Look at labels that are already filled in. They help you match the diagram to the text.
  • Follow a direction. Many diagrams describe a flow: top to bottom, left to right, or input to output.
  • Don't worry about unknown words. If mesh is new to you, it doesn't matter. Treat it like a name.

Honest note

Occasionally, a diagram's answers aren't in perfect order. If you can't find one, look at the paragraph before or after.

Your task today

Find a diagram question in a Cambridge book. Before reading, describe the diagram in two sentences using position words.

All reading lessons