IELTS Reading Tips | T/F/NG and Yes/No/Not Given Questions

How to master the T/F/NG and Y/N/NG Questions

• True/False/Not Given is considered to be one of the most confusing question types in IELTS reading section. Another variation is of this question type is Yes/No/Not Given. Candidates often find it challenging to differentiate between False and Not Given. One more concern they have is how to locate the sentence for comparison in the text.

• Objective: You must identify if information in the questions is actually expressed in the text which convey the same meaning or opposite meaning.
• Skills Used: You will need to look for specific content in the text. You will need to scan the text and understand the content.
• The questions will be statements – in other words, sentences that mention information that may or may not be expressed in the text. Fortunately, they come in order, so it is easier to locate them within the text!

You can follow the steps below:

• Make sure you understand what the answers mean
• True >> The information in the question is expressed in the text.
• False >> The information in the text contradicts the question.
• Not Given >> The information in the question is not expressed in the text.
• Read and understand the questions
• Because you are looking for specific information, it essential that you read the True/False/NG questions carefully and understand what they mean, so that you can tell whether the meaning is mentioned in the text, is contrary to what the text is saying or is not there at all.
• Paraphrase the questions
• Paraphrasing the questions means saying what they mean in different words, focusing particularly on their keywords and/or phrases. For example:
• 'The life span of a Monarch butterfly is between 2 and 6 weeks.'
  In other words: 'A Monarch butterfly can live for 2 to 6 weeks.'
• If you explain the questions, in other words, you make sure you understand them better, and you can see more easily whether the meaning is expressed in the text, is contradicted of is not mentioned at all.
• Scan the Text for Information
• To scan a text means to read it quickly while looking for specific information. You don’t need to read or understand every single word, as long as you are able to identify (or not, depending on the question) specific information and details that help you answer the question.
• Choose the Correct Answer
• After you made sure you understood the question, and you have scanned the text for specific information, you can choose whether the meaning of the statement in the question is expressed, is contradicted or is not mentioned at all.

Useful Tips:

• Read all the questions first. Because some of the information is not given in the text and the answers come in order, you want to make sure you know what topics you are expected to look for in the text before answering the questions. This will help you make the most of your time.
• When paraphrasing the statements in the questions, think of synonyms to key words and/or phrases in the statements. For example:
• 'The life span of a Monarch butterfly is between 2 and 6 weeks.'
• lifespan = live for, duration of life, time on earth
  
• You do not need to understand all the words. If you identify specific information in the text, read around it to get the meaning and decide whether it is True or False.
• Remember the questions are in order, so there is no need to jump back and forth in the text to look for the answers.
• Now is the time to practice this type of question:

• Choose TRUE if the statement agrees with the information given in the text, choose FALSE if the statement contradicts the information given in the text, or choose NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
  Topic 1 ( ... The life span of a Monarch butterfly is between 2 and 6 weeks.)
  1. Monarch butterflies typically live for two to six weeks. Choose TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN

• Topic 2 ( ... The Statue of Liberty was given to the USA by the Spanish.)
  2. France offered a sculpture to the USA, the Statue of Liberty. Choose TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN

• Topic 3 ( ... The surface of the Earth is covered mostly in water.)
  3. Earth comprises of vast areas of land and water. Choose TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN