IELTS Reading - Diagram Completion

In this type of questions, you’re given a

descriptive text and a diagram or plan,
which you have to label according to the
text. Your diagram may be a technical
drawing, a description of something from
the natural world, a process or a plan of
something.

This is how the diagram completion

question may look like on IELTS Reading
test:

Label the parts of a leaf on the diagram

below. Choose ONE WORD from the
Reading Passage for each answer. Write
your answers in boxes 1-4 on your answer
sheet.
Answering strategy:

 Read the text, underlining the new

terms and important names.
 Look at the diagram and think which
parts of it you can label.
 Check your assumptions by looking
back at underlined terms and label
the parts you’re sure of/identify the
kind of words you are looking for.
 If there are some unlabeled parts
left, check the diagram for key
words. Then, scan the text for the
right answer.

Tips:

 Always underline new terms in the

text - 99% that they will be used in
the questions.
 The key words in the diagram may
help you to complete it.
 Check how many words you are
supposed to write, it will tell you in
the question. In the example above
you can only write ‘one or two
words’, any more than this and you
will lose marks. Remember
that numbers count as one word and
hyphenated words like ‘state-of-the-
art’ count as one word.
  Identify the type of word (noun,
verb, adjective) you need. This will
help you find the correct answer.
 The answers do not always come in
the same order that the paragraphs
are in.
 Do the easiest questions first. You
are more likely to get these correct.
If you cannot find the answer to a
difficult question, move on and
come back later.
 Try to predict the answer before you
read the text. This will help you find
the correct answer.

Example:

Label the parts of a leaf on the diagram

below. Choose ONE WORD from the
Reading Passage for each answer. Write
your answers in boxes 1-4 on your answer
sheet.

Remember this useful technique: underline

new terms as you read. In this example,
we've underlined all the new terms for you.

Leaves' structure

Plants play a very important role in our

surroundings. Trees provide us with fresh
air, shade in summers, food, and other
benefits without which we cannot even
think of living.

One of the most principal organs of a tree is

a leaf. The leaves are the organs
for photosynthesis- a process when carbon
dioxide is turned into oxygen. The
structures of leaves are adapted for efficient
photosynthesis.

Most leaves are broad and so have a large

surface area allowing them to absorb more
light. Also, they are thin, which means a
short distance for carbon dioxide to diffuse
in and oxygen to diffuse out easily.
The blade is the broad, flat part of the leaf.
Photosynthesis occurs in the blade, which
has many green food-making cells.

If you look closer at leaves, you will notice

networks of thin threads. Those networks
are called veins: they support the structure
of the leaf and transport substances to and
from the cells in the leaf. The main vein of a
leaf, running down the centre of the leaf, is
called midrib.

The area of some plants that connects the

plant's stem and leaf is called the petiole.
The petiole is the pipeline through which
the products of photosynthesis are moved
from individual leaves to the rest of a plant
and through which necessary chemicals and
nutrients from other parts of the plant are
brought to individual leave.
1

2.

3.

Answers and explanations

1. Arrow near the number 1 points to
the little threads in the middle of the
leaf. After you look at the
underlined words, you’ll see what’s
written in the fourth paragraph:
 If you look closer at leaves, you will
notice networks of thin threads.
Those networks are called veins.

So the correct answer

is: veins or vein.

2. The second arrow points to a large

vein in the centre of the leaf. The
last sentence of the fourth
paragraph says: The main vein of a
leaf, running down the centre of the
leaf, is called midrib. So the correct
answer is: midrib.
3. The bracket near number 3 captures
the main part of the leaf. The third
paragraph tells us that

The blade is the broad, flat part of

the leaf.

Thus, the correct answer is blade.

4. The fourth part you have to label is

the part of the leaf that connects it
to the plant’s stem. And once again,
you scan the text for the underlined
words and see this phrase in the last
paragraph:

The area of some plants that

connects the plant's stem and leaf is
called the petiole.

So the correct answer is petiole.