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Tips & Strategies To Solve IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given Type Questions


IELTS True False and Not Given Type Questions are given in both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training Reading Section. This is one of the challenging tasks to solve. In it, the candidate is given a bunch of 5-6 statements related to a given passage and you will need to mark each statement either True, False or Not Given. This is not easy as it sounds easy, the statements might be presented in a tricky way or it could have rephrased sentences.

So today’s blog is to make the True, False, or Not given question types of the IELTS reading module easy. In this article, you will get to know about the pattern of these questions, common mistakes that students commit, strategies to solve them like a pro, some tips to solve these types of questions, and sample question types that a candidate can refer to for skills enhancement.

Check out: Download free IELTS reading practice test - 20 pdf with answers

Let’s Begin with the General Meaning:

True When a statement is absolutely correct and matches with the information given in the passage then it is marked as TRUE.
False When the statement contradicts the information given in the passage then it is marked as FALSE.
Not Given When a certain piece of statement or text is not given in the passage or you can’t find enough information in the passage to mark it as true or false then it is marked as NOT GIVEN.

Different Patterns of True/False/ Not Given Questions

Here are some difficulties faced by many candidates due to different patterns of True/False/Not Given Questions. So, understanding the pattern of questions is very important.

1. Paraphrasing

Students are prepared to match the words in the given sentence with the words in the paragraph but sometimes the sentences come in a rephrased form which means you really need to strengthen your vocabulary in order to excel in this section.

2. Synonyms Or Antonyms Used

The best way to crack these questions is to understand the meaning of the sentence first. Many candidates try to find the same words in the passage but often synonyms and antonyms are used in the sentences. This can only be solved by understanding the meaning of the sentences first.

There might a situation where the same words are used in the sentence but the meaning of the statement is the opposite so it is suggested that understand the meaning of the words.

3. Confusion Between Not Given/False

Don’t mix up the concept of not given statements or false statements.

Remember Not Given is used for the statement related to which text is not found in a paragraph or the information given in the paragraph is not enough to state the text true or false.

On the other hand, False is used for the statement that completely contradicts the text given in the passage.

Common Mistakes Made by Candidates While Solving these Questions:

  • Not understanding the difference between Not Given/False Questions
  • Answering Questions on the basis of prior knowledge
  • Giving an answer by just seeing similar words in the statement
  • Least understanding of the meaning of statement due to not-so-strong vocabulary

5 Step Process To Solve IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given Question

STEP-I: Identify and underline the keywords provided in the statement

STEP-II: Mark the similar words related to the keywords in the passage

STEP-III: Match the keywords and the similar words

STEP-IV: Now, evaluate whether the keywords and similar words are the same, synonyms, opposites or if there’s no match

STEP-V: At last, decide whether the statement is True, False or Not Given

100% Proven Strategies for IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given Question

Adapt the given top 5 strategies in order to excel in IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given Question types

  • Read the given instructions carefully with the understanding of TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN meaning.

  • Read the paragraph carefully after reading all the statements wherever you identify a similarity, mark it instantly.

  • Try to identify the synonyms of the keywords present in the text in order to identify whether the statement is mentioned in the passage or not.

  • In case you are unable to find the answer or you are unsure about your decision just mark it as not given and move to the next question rather than just wasting your precious time on one question.

  • Make sure that you are matching the statement with the right part of the passage otherwise you can make a wrong decision

  • Relate the keywords with the synonyms of the words present in the text this will help you to identify whether the statement is True/False/Not Given.

  • Read complete sentences and try to understand the meaning of the statement rather than just matching the keywords in the statement.

Top 10 Tips To Solve IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given Question

  • Don’t rely on your prior knowledge about the topic that leads you to make assumptions. So base your answers on the given passage only.
  • Make sure you identify the words that qualify the statement in order to select the accurate answer for the given statement. Some common examples of qualifying words are some, all, often, always, mainly, and so on. These words can completely change the meaning of the statement.
  • Ensure to see verbs that qualify the statement such as belief, know, claim, know, etc. For an instance, ‘The man claimed he was an Indian citizen,’ and ‘The man is an Indian citizen’ mean two different things.
  • It is obvious that the answer is from three given options i.e., True/False/Not Given. If you are unable to decide on one then you lose a mark. However, we would suggest you at least make a guess.
  • YES/NO/NOT GIVEN questions are a little bit different from TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN questions as they deal with opinions but on the other hand TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN questions deal with facts.
  • The order of answers and statements is the same as given in the passage so don’t waste time looking for the answers in an inappropriate place.
  • If you are very unsure about your answer or you don’t have any idea about the answer then might be the statement is Not Given, so it is suggested to mark it as Not Given. So don’t waste your time in search of information that is not present in the passage.
  • Don’t look for the exact matching keywords in the passage and sentence, the statement might have synonyms or rephrasing of the text.
  • Don’t opt for the technique of skim and scan in order to find the right answer. Spend adequate time to read the text carefully and understand the meaning of the given statement in order to find an accurate answer.

Wrapping Up the Concept

With the given list of tips and strategies to solve IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given Type Questions, one can excel in this section. Adapt the given skills for improving your skills. It might take some time to get perfection in solving these types of questions but with practice, you can achieve desired band score in your IELTS exam.

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Dr. Roma

Content Writer