In a diagram labeling task, you are going to see a picture of a diagram—obviously—and pretty much like matching you are going to connect the information you hear with the picture you see on paper. Before you get ahead of yourselves saying “There’s going to be a picture? Great! That would be easy!” Let me inform you that diagram (and map) labeling tasks can be rather tricky.
• First of all, you have to be familiar with the vocabulary used to describe where things are located. The following vocabulary is very useful:
| at the top
on your right North West above outside right hand side |
at the base
on your left South East below inside left hand side |
• These words and phrases by themselves are easy and I am sure you all know them, but you are going to hear them along with new names of locations that you have to connect with everything you see in the picture so make sure not to get confused.
Here’s an example of diagram labeling:
SECTION 2 Questions 11 – 20
Questions 11 – 16
Label the diagram below.
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A – H, next to questions 11 – 16.
THE PYRAMID OF EGYPT
| A King’s chamber
B Grand gallery C Subterranean chamber D Descending passage |
E Queen’s chamber
F Entrance chamber G Ascending passage H Satellite pyramid |
• Read the title and the instructions carefully in order to get an idea of what the task is about.
• There will be more options than the questions.
• Read well your options from A – H so as to be alert when you hear them.
• The listening will follow the order of the questions: For example, the answer to the question number 11 is the first you are going to hear and so on so forth.
• It is really helpful to pay attention to what is already there in the diagram to guide you. It may be a phrase already written or in this case a distinctive landmark like this little tower in the middle.
A diagram labeling task could also look like this:
Questions 16 – 20
Label the diagram draft below.
Write the correct letter A – G next to the questions below.
6–star new luxurious hotel draft: Clepsydra, Dubai
| 16 parking | |
| 17 shopping mall | |
| 18 outdoors restaurant | |
| 19 conference space | |
| 20 5 star hotel |
- Again, the letters (your options) will be more than you will need.
- The recording of the listening will follow the order of the questions and not the letters.
- Use the phrases you see already written as a guide. In the above example: basement level, base, middle, and roof-top.
Another example of a diagram labeling task is this one:
Questions 16 – 20
Label the diagram below. Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD for each answer.
The Mall
- In this example, there are no letters. You will be asked to fill in the gaps with words and phrases you will hear. (Similar to a note-completion task).
Check out the video:
