Follow reasons and recommendations
Identify why a claim is limited and what follows.
The idea
The writer may qualify a finding because the study cannot isolate a cause. Recommendations often address the limitation identified earlier.
A method to try
- Connect each recommendation to the problem it addresses.
- Avoid stronger claims than the writer makes.
Follow the reasoning.
A report says a new filter reduced dust in one room, but the room’s windows were also kept closed during the trial. It recommends testing the filter with window use held constant. Why?
- Window use is another condition that could affect dust. The original trial changed more than one factor.
- Holding that condition constant would make the filter comparison more informative. The recommendation responds to a limitation rather than denying the observed reduction.
- When a question asks why an author proposes a next step, look back for the problem the step would address. The connection between limitation and recommendation is often more useful than a repeated word.
Think it through first.
Does a cautious recommendation necessarily mean the first study found no improvement?
Show the explanation
No.
A study can observe an improvement while remaining uncertain about what caused it.
Make it your own
After reading, explain the method in your own words and identify the condition that makes it valid. Then try the linked starter practice without referring back to the worked example. Review the reasoning behind an error before repeating the same item; remembering an answer is different from being able to solve a new problem.
This lesson is one part of a short starter pathway. It does not cover the full exam syllabus or establish a predicted score.
Official references
These provider and publisher links explain the exam or underlying concepts. Our lessons and questions are original, independent practice.
View 3 references and checked dates
- IELTS: Academic test (opens in a new tab)Checked 2026-09-20
- IELTS: Academic Reading format (opens in a new tab)Checked 2026-09-20
- IELTS: official sample tasks (opens in a new tab)Checked 2026-09-20