Guide
Matching Headings
Choose the heading that sums up the whole paragraph — not just one sentence.
What you have to do
Match each paragraph with a heading from a list. There are always more headings than paragraphs.
Step by step
- Read the list of headings first. Notice how they differ from each other.
- Read the first and last sentences of the paragraph — the main idea is usually there.
- Ask: "What is this whole paragraph about?" Say it in 3–5 words.
- Pick the heading that matches your summary. Cross it off.
- Leave difficult paragraphs until the end — fewer headings will be left.
Common traps
- Word matching. A heading that repeats a word from the paragraph is often a trap. The right heading usually uses different words with the same meaning.
- Detail vs main idea. A heading may match one example in the paragraph, but not its main point.
Try one — show answer
Paragraph: "Early phones were heavy and expensive. Only businesses could afford them. By the 2000s, however, prices had fallen so much that most families owned one."
A. The weight of early phones B. How phones became affordable C. Phones in business
Answer: B. A and C describe details; the paragraph as a whole describes change over time — phones becoming cheaper.