How To Solve True, False Not Given in IELTS Reading

Step by step techniques to solve True, False, Not Given questions in IELTS reading module.  Sometime it is hard to figure out the right answer for Yes/No/Not Given or true false not given question.

How to answer True, False, Not Given questions

• In True/False exercises, False covers False and Not Given. If a statement is not True according to the text, it is classed as False. The statement can be False
>> because it contradicts the information in some way.

>> because there is no information about the statement in the passage.

These two aspects of False can then become separate items False and Not Given .

• A False statement contradicts the information in a passage:
>> because it is the direct opposite of the original text, e.g. the text says North, but the statement says South.
>> because it is the negative of the meaning in the original text.
>> because it is neither of these, but it is not the same as the information in the text.

Strategies 1: Analysing the statements
• If you read the statements in sequence, you can sometimes see where the information moves from relating to one paragraph to the next paragraph. Practise reading this type of statement without the text to see the development.
• Turn the statement into a question . You then have to answer Yes/No. If you can’t, the answer is Not Given .
• Find the central or focal point of the statement. Imagine you are reading the statement aloud – where is the likely stress in the sentence?
• Look for words that qualify the sentence or make the sentence restrictive like only, little, not many, sometimes, usually, largely, etc. or agents like by the police, etc or impersonal phrases like it IS suggested.
• Look for words that are negative, e.g. ignore, refuse, deny, reject or words that are positive like cover, help, like, favour, etc.
• Look for comparisons of any kind.
• Check for further/previous plans/projects/ideas, etc. Maybe no information is given
about ‘others’.
• Reveal the statements one at a time to help you focus on them.

Strategies 2: predicting and checking
• When you are thinking about the statement, use common sense to predict the answer. Check your prediction in the text.
• Understand the statement before you look at the text. Don’t just underline the words that help you to scan for the answer in the text.
• When you find the information, analyse the text without thinking about the statement. This will stop you getting confused. Then read the statement carefully, look at the text and decide.
• When you are making your decision, follow the process of reading the statement, then the text.

• If you read the statement, the text and then the statement again, you may get the wrong answer. For example:
Text: The price will fall soon.
Statement: The price will go down.
Answer: True.
Compare this with the following:
Text: The price will go down.
Statement: The price will fall soon.
Answer: Not Given.
• When you have finished, read the statements again in sequence and see if your
answers fit the overall picture you have of the passage.

IELTS Reading Questions Solution: 

> True False Not Given

>>  Short Answer Questions

>>  Factor Matching Questions

> > Classification Question

>> Information Matching Question

>> Completing summaries

>> List of Heading or Heading Matching

>> Multiple Choice Questions

>> Sentence Completion Questions

>> Notes/Table/Form/Summary/Flow Chart/Diagram Completion