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IELTS® Academic Reading Practice 86

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This reading practice simulates one part of the IELTS General Reading test. You should spend about twenty minutes on it. Read the passage and answer questions 1-12.

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In its most general sense, prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community. The view is propounded especially in relation to grammar and vocabulary, and frequently with referenc...
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Questions 1-8
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE   if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE   if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN   if there is no information on this.

1. There are understandable reasons why arguments occur about language.

2. People feel more strongly about language education than about small differences in language usage.

3. Our assessment of a person's intelligence is affected by the way he or she uses language.

4. Prescriptive grammar books cost a lot of money to buy in the 18th century.

5. Prescriptivism still exists today.

6. According to descriptivists, it is pointless to try to stop language change.

7. Descriptivism only appeared after the 18th century.

8. Both descriptivists and prescriptivists have been misrepresented.

The answer is TRUE. In the first paragraph, the passage explains that arguments about language are understandable because different people have different views on which variety of a language is considered correct, as shown in: "Prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community." The existence of competing views is the underlying reason arguments occur.

Associated Text:
Prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community.

The answer is FALSE. There is no information suggesting that people feel more strongly about language education than about small differences in language usage. In fact, the passage focuses on disputes about usage, not education. Therefore, the statement contradicts the information in the text.

Associated Text:

The answer is NOT GIVEN. The passage does not mention anything about our assessment of a person's intelligence being affected by their language use. Thus, there is no information on this.

Associated Text:

The answer is NOT GIVEN. There is nothing in the passage about the cost of prescriptive grammar books in the 18th century. The text focuses on the principles and approaches of prescriptive grammar, not its price.

Associated Text:

The answer is TRUE. In the first sentence of the fifth paragraph, the passage states: "These attitudes are still with us, and they motivate a widespread concern that linguistic standards should be maintained." This shows that prescriptivist attitudes still exist today.

Associated Text:
These attitudes are still with us, and they motivate a widespread concern that linguistic standards should be maintained.

The answer is TRUE. Paragraph five explains the descriptivist view: "it is the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change." This indicates descriptivists believe it is pointless to try to stop language change.

Associated Text:
This approach is summarised in the statement that it is the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change.

The answer is FALSE. The passage asserts that descriptivism already existed in the second half of the 18th century: "In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley..." Therefore, it did not appear only after the 18th century.

Associated Text:
In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language!

The answer is TRUE. The beginning of the sixth paragraph mentions: "the opposition between descriptivists and prescriptivists has often become extreme, with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other." This demonstrates that both sides have been misrepresented.

Associated Text:
the opposition between descriptivists and prescriptivists has often become extreme, with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other.

Questions 9-12
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-I, below.
  1. descriptivists
  2. language experts
  3. popular speech
  4. formal language
  5. evaluation
  6. rules
  7. modern linguists
  8. prescriptivists
  9. change

According to , there is only one correct form of language. Linguists who take this approach to language place great importance on grammatical . Conversely, the view of , such as Joseph Priestley, is that grammar should be based on .

The answer is H. The summary asks for the group that believes there is only one correct form of language. According to the passage, "prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community." Thus, (H) prescriptivists is correct.

Associated Text:
prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community.

The answer is F. The question refers to what prescriptivists place importance on, which the passage identifies as "the rules of grammar." Thus, (F) rules is correct.

Associated Text:
The authoritarian nature of the approach is best characterized by its reliance on the rules of grammar.

The answer is A. The summary describes the opposing viewpoint to prescriptivists. According to the passage, "there is an alternative point of view that is concerned less with standards than with the facts of linguistic usage" and further in paragraph five, it refers to "descriptivists." Therefore, (A) descriptivists is correct.

Associated Text:
Nevertheless, there is an alternative point of view that is concerned less with standards than with the facts of linguistic usage.

The answer is C. The summary refers to Joseph Priestley's view that grammar should be based on what people actually use when they speak. The passage says, "the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language," which means (C) popular speech is the correct choice.

Associated Text:
the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language

Answer Sheet
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
N/A
14
N/A
15
N/A
16
N/A
17
N/A
18
N/A
19
N/A
20
N/A
21
N/A
22
N/A
23
N/A
24
N/A
25
N/A
26
N/A
27
N/A
28
N/A
29
N/A
30
N/A
31
N/A
32
N/A
33
N/A
34
N/A
35
N/A
36
N/A
37
N/A
38
N/A
39
N/A
40
N/A
Score Summary
0 / 1
Multiple Choice
Matching Sentence Endings
Note Completion
Table Completion
Flow Chart Completion
Summary Completion
Multiple Selection
Short Answer
Matching Headings
Matching Features
Matching Information
Identifying Information
Identifying Viewer Claims
Sentence Completion
Diagram Labelling
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Tips to improve your reading speed
To get a high score on the IELTS reading section, you need to have a fast reading speed. To have a fast reading speed, you need to improve your vocabulary and practice dissecting sentences. One strategy to dissect a sentence is to look for the subject and verb of the sentence. Finding the subject and verb will help you better understand the main idea of said sentence. Keep in mind, a common feature of a IELTS reading passage is to join strings of ideas to form long compound sentences. This produces large chunks that students have a hard time absorbing. Do not get overwhelmed by its length, just look for the subject and verb, the rest of the ideas will flow.

Keep in mind, having a slow reading speed makes skimming or scanning a reading passage more difficult. The process of quickly skimming through a reading passage for specific keywords or main ideas is a requirement for you to employ successful reading strategies to improve your IELTS reading score. In other words, skimming and scanning are critical skills to ensure you complete all questions in the allotted time frame.
IELTS Reading Strategies
Once you can read and comprehend a passage with a rate of, at least, 220 words per minute, you'll be ready to start implementing our strategies. All too often, students spend too much time reading the passages and not enough time answering the questions. Here is a step by step guide for tackling the reading section.

  1. Step 1: Read questions first

    One of the most common mistakes that candidates make when approaching the reading exam is reading every single word of the passages. Although you can practice for the exam by reading for pleasure, "reading blindly" (reading without any sense of what the questions will ask) will not do you any favors in the exam. Instead, it will hurt your chances for effectively managing your time and getting the best score.

    The main reason to read the questions first is because the type of question may determine what you read in the passage or how you read it. For example, some question types will call for the "skimming" technique, while others may call for the "scanning" technique.

    It is important to answer a set of questions that are of the same question type. You'll need to determine which question type you want to tackle first. A good strategy would be to start with the easier question type and move on to more difficult question types later. The Easiest question types are the ones where you spend less time reading. For example, the Matching Heading question type is an easier one because you only need to find the heading that best describes the main idea of a paragraph. An example of a difficult question type would be Identifying Information. For this question type, you'll need to read each paragraph to find out if each statement is TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the passage.

    Here is a table that lists the difficulty levels for each question type. Use this table as a reference when choosing which question type you want to tackle first.

    Difficulty level Question Type
    Easy Sentence Completion
    Short answer
    Medium Matching Features
    Multiple choice
    Matching Headings
    Summary, Table, Flow-Chart Completion
    Difficult Matching Sentence Endings
    Matching Information
    Identifying Information (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)
    Identifying Viewer's claims (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN)

  2. Step 2: Read for an objective

    After you've read the questions for the passage, you will be able to read for an objective. What does this mean? For example, if you come across a question that includes the year "1896", you can make a note of when this year comes up in the text, using it to answer the question later on. There are two reading techniques that will help you stay on track with reading for an objective. The first one, skimming, is best defined as reading fast in order to get the "gist", or general idea, or a passage. With this technique, you are not stopping for any unfamiliar words or looking for specific details. The second technique, scanning, is best defined as reading for specific information. With this technique, you are not reading for the overall gist, but rather, specific information. Notice how each of these techniques has a specific objective in mind. This will help you find information more quickly.

  3. Step 3: Take notes

    As you're reading for an objective, you should also be making notes on the margins of the passage, placing stars next to key information, or underlining things that you believe will help you answer the various questions. This will make it easier for you to check back when you are asked certain things in the questions. Choose whichever note-taking system is right for you - just make sure you do it!

  4. Step 4: Answer wisely

    After you've read the questions, read the passage, and have taken any appropriate notes, you you should have located the part of the text where you where you need to read carefully. Then just read carefully and think critically to determine the correct answer.

IELTS Reading Question Types

The IELTS reading test contains many different question types:

Matching HeadingsIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Headings
Matching InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Information
Matching FeaturesIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Features
Summary CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Summary Completion
Identifying InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Information
Identifying Writer's claimsIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Writer's claims
Multiple ChoiceIELTS Reading Lesson: Multiple Choice
Short AnswerIELTS Reading Lesson: Short Answer
Match Sentence EndingIELTS Reading Lesson: Match Sentence Ending
Sentence CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Sentence Completion
Table CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Table Completion
 
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