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Pick TwoActivity

Multiple matching: how to write one

B1–C1Updated Live examples

Multiple matching sets a list of questions against a small set of labelled texts or people. Unlike ordinary matching, an option can answer more than one question, or none at all, which removes elimination as a strategy. It is the standard long-reading task in the Cambridge papers and a genuine test of scanning.

Also called

The same task goes by several names: match the texts, which person says, reading part 7, matching statements to texts. They all describe the exercise below, and this page uses multiple matching throughout.

What one item is made of

The options
Three to six short texts, or people, labelled A to F. They should be similar enough that the answer is not obvious from the topic.
The questions
Statements or questions, more numerous than the options. Ten questions against four people is typical.
The reuse
Options are used more than once, or not at all. Say so in the instruction or students will assume one each.
The paraphrase
Each question rewords its text. A question sharing the text's words is answered by word-spotting, not reading.

When to use it

Works well at B1–C1. Reach for it when:

  • You are teaching scanning: finding specific information in a long text under time pressure.
  • You have several short texts on one topic — reviews, profiles, adverts, opinions.
  • Your class is preparing for the reading paper at B1 and above.

Choose something else when:

  • The texts are on obviously different topics. Then it is a sorting task with extra reading.
  • You want intensive reading. Multiple matching rewards skimming, which is a different skill and sometimes the wrong one.

How to write a multiple matching exercise

  1. Step 1:

    Write the texts on one topic

    Four people describing the same holiday, four reviews of the same kind of product. Similarity is what makes the task work.

  2. Step 2:

    Plant the answers as you write

    Decide which text answers which question while writing the texts, and give at least one text two answers and one text none.

  3. Step 3:

    Paraphrase every question

    Never reuse the text's own wording. Word-matching is the failure mode of this task type.

  4. Step 4:

    Say that options repeat

    Put it in the instruction. Students who assume one answer each will second-guess correct answers.

  5. Step 5:

    Check for double answers

    Read each question against every text, not just the intended one. Two defensible answers is the standard flaw here.

Mistakes teachers make

  • Not thisFour questions, four people, one each

    BetterEight questions, four people, some reused, one unused

    A one-to-one mapping turns the task back into ordinary matching and hands students elimination.

  • Not thisText: “I loved the food.” Question: Who loved the food?

    BetterQuestion: Who was impressed by the meals?

    Repeating the text's words tests eyesight. Paraphrase every question.

  • Not thisTexts about a museum, a football match, a recipe and a train

    BetterFour texts about four different weekend trips

    Different topics let students match on subject alone, without reading the detail.

Try it: multiple matching examples

Real items, not screenshots. Answers are checked in your browser and never sent to us, so you can share this page with a class exactly as it is.

Four people talk about their weekend. Each person can be chosen more than once.

1Which person…?

  • ASofia: I stayed in and finished the book I started in July. I did not leave the flat once, and I regret nothing.
  • BTomas: We drove to the coast on Saturday morning. It rained the whole time, so we mostly sat in a cafe and watched the sea.
  • CAmara: I had planned to go walking, but a friend called and we ended up cooking all afternoon instead.
  • DBen: I was at my desk. There was a deadline on Monday and I lost the weekend to it.
6 to go

Variations worth knowing

Who says what
Four people, ten statements. The most common classroom shape and the easiest to write from a coursebook page.
Match headings to paragraphs
One text split into parts, plus a list of headings with one spare. Tests main idea rather than detail.
Against the clock
Set four minutes and discuss the strategy afterwards. Scanning is a skill that needs pressure to develop.

Grammar topics that suit this task

Where it appears in the Cambridge levels

Pick Two Activity is independent and not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. These pages describe the level you are teaching towards; always check the official site for the current format.

Exam practice in this format

Frequently asked questions

How is multiple matching different from matching pairs?

In matching pairs each item has exactly one partner, so the last pair is free. In multiple matching an option can answer several questions or none, which removes elimination and forces students back to the text.

How many questions and options should I use?

Roughly twice as many questions as options: eight to ten questions against four to six texts. Fewer questions makes reading each text uneconomical.

Why must the questions be paraphrased?

Because a question that reuses the text's wording is answered by spotting a matching word. Paraphrase forces the student to understand the sentence before they can match it.