True/False/Not Given: Mastering a Tricky Question

"True/False/Not Given" (or "Yes/No/Not Given") is widely considered the most difficult question type in the IELTS Reading test. Students often lose marks because they rely on their own knowledge or over-analyze the text.

The key to mastering this is understanding exactly what IELTS means by these three terms. It is a logic test, not just a reading test.

1. TRUE (or YES)

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  Definition: The statement agrees 100% with the information in the text.
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  The Check: Can you find a sentence in the text that means the exact same thing, even if the words are different (synonyms)?
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  Example:

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    Text: "The majority of the population relies on agriculture."
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    Statement: "Most people depend on farming."
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    Answer: TRUE ("Majority" = "Most", "Relies on" = "Depend on", "Agriculture" = "Farming").

2. FALSE (or NO)

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  Definition: The statement contradicts the information in the text. The text says the opposite or something mutually exclusive.
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  The Check: Does the text prove the statement is wrong?
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  Example:

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    Text: "The birds migrate south in the winter."
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    Statement: "The birds stay in the same place all year."
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    Answer: FALSE (Migrating is the opposite of staying).

3. NOT GIVEN

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  Definition: The information is simply not there. You cannot know if it is true or false based only on the text.
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  The Trap: Students often think "But that is probably true in real life!" Stop. If it is not in the text, it is Not Given.
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  The Check: Does the text mention the topic but NOT the specific detail in the statement?
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  Example:

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    Text: "Dr. Smith discovered the cure in 1995."
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    Statement: "Dr. Smith was happy when he discovered the cure."
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    Answer: NOT GIVEN (The text tells us when and who, but it says nothing about his emotions. He might have been happy, but we don't know).

Common Traps to Watch

1. •
   Qualifiers: Watch for words like all, some, mostly, rarely, never.

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     Text: "Some people like tea."
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     Statement: "All people like tea."
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     Answer: FALSE.
2. •
   Comparison:

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     Text: "Coffee is popular in Brazil."
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     Statement: "Coffee is more popular in Brazil than in Chile."
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     Answer: NOT GIVEN (The text mentions Brazil, but does not compare it to Chile).

Conclusion

To succeed, be a robot. Don't assume, don't guess, and don't use outside knowledge. Ask yourself: "Does the text say YES, NO, or NOTHING?" Once you treat it as a logic puzzle, your accuracy will soar.

Check out our other IELTS resources and practice tests to help you achieve your target band score!