True False Not given reading tutorial and practice

Perhaps the question type that gives most pain to most IELTS candidates is the
True/False/Not given question type. Here are some pointers to help you improve your
IELTS band score with a link to some specific practice on this type of question.

The question types

In fact there are two question types here:

1.

True/False/Not given: fact based

2.

Yes/No/Not given: opinion based

In each case you need to decide if the information in the text agrees with the
information in the question. You should note that in the Yes/No/Not given questions,
you are normally asked to look for the writers opinions rather than facts.

Note the key skill

The key skill here is to understand that you are interpreting the text and the

question. This means that you need to read very closely and pay attention to
what the writer means. Dont think of it as a skimming question, rather a question
where you need to read the text and the question closely and decide what the
writer means.

How to get the answers right

True/Yes
There is information in the text that agrees exactly with the statement in the
question. Note that you will almost certainly need to look for synonyms here and
match meaning and not words.

False/No
There is information in the text that is directly opposite to or contradicts the
statement in the question. Again note that you will also need to think about meaning
here. You should pay careful attention to little words that qualify or change
meaning such as: some , all, often, occasionally

Not Given
This is the one that normally causes the most problems. Something is not given if
there is no information about it in the text. Do not spend ages looking for Not Given
answers because you will waste time.

Guessing intelligently

This is probably the hardest question type. Dont despair though you have a good
chance of guessing correctly. In fact the questions are hard because you have a one
in three chance of guessing! Here is my suggestion

1.

if you find information in the text about the statement in the question:
guess True or False but remember to read the whole question and not just
match words in it

2.

if you find no information in the text about the statement guess Not
Given - dont waste time. Typically, answer are Not Given when they match just
one or two words in the question

3.

if you have no idea, then guess Not Given. You have a one in three chance
of being right and you may have no idea because it isnt there!

Some examples of how the questions work

Macallan is one of the four top selling brands of malt whisky in the world. It is
made in barrels made of Spanish oak that have previously been used for sherry
because this adds sweetness to its flavour.
True
Macallan is globally successful.
This is true because top selling brands of malt whisky in the

world matches globally successful.

False
Macallan is made in metal containers.
This is false because the text says it us made in barrels of Spanish oak. Because
oak is a wood this contradicts the words int he question metal containers. Note that
you need to think about meaning

Not Given
Macallan is made in Spain.
There is no information about where it is made. Be careful of the trap of seeing the
words Spanish and made in the text. Usually with Not Given answers you will find
some words in the text that match words int he question without matching the
meaning of the whole question.

A difficulty Not Given

The Not Given variation is probably what makes this type of question so difficult.
How can you deal with this problem? You need to understand that:

Not given does not mean no words in the question are used in the text.

Typically, you will find some of words from the question in the text they simply
dont answer the whole question
You cannot add information that is probably true: you can only use the

information given in the text

Some practical tips

1.

Read the whole question. Do NOT focus on key words. Think about the
meaning of the question.

2.

Be especially careful with words such as often and some. They can
change the meaning of the question dramatically.

3.

Be careful with questions beginning The writer says: here you need to
think about the writers opinions and not about facts.

4.

The questions will follow the order of the text: if you cant find answer 12,
you know it must be somewhere between 11 and 13.

5.

Do not spend too long on any one question. If the answer is Not Given,
there may be nothing for you to find.

6.

One possibility is to mark all the True answers and all the False
answers and then guess Not Given for the others.

A suggested procedure
Here is my suggested procedure:

1.

Read the instructions carefully and note whether you are being asked to
look for facts or opinions.

2.

Look at all the questions and see what topics they ask about. You may
note key words here, but only to identify the correct part of the text to read.

3.

Skim the text to identify which paragraphs you need to read more closely.
Note that the questions will follow the order of the text and so the answer to
question 10 will follow the answer to question 11

4.

Mark on the question paper which paragraphs relate to which question:

eg, write 11 against paragraph E

5.

Refocus on the question and read the whole question: be careful with
tricky words like usually

6.

Underline the words in the text that give you the answer. This helps you
concentrate and also allows you to change your mind, if you find a better answer
later.
A variation is to mark the True answers first as they tend to be the easiest and
then go back to the False and Not given later.

Some practice questions

The majority of professional players on the ATP and the WTA tours now use polyester
strings made by Luxilon, a company that specialised in the past in manufacturing
fibres for female undergarments. The trend was started by the then little-known
Brazilian player Gustavo Kuerten who more or less by chance discovered that this
string was almost completely dead meaning that the players are able to swing
much harder at the ball and impart much more spin on it without it flying of
uncontrollably as it would do with a traditional gut string. Kuerten of course went on
to achieve much success and, in the clay court game at least, is regarded as one of
the modern greats. His most lasting legacy though may not be his titles, rather it
may be that his use of a material primarily made for womens bras allowed him and
successive champions to change how the tennis ball flew. Players were able to find
completely new angles on the court because, in the hands of a master, a shot hit
with a luxilon string that might look as if it were heading way out of court would
suddenly drop like a stone, describing an almost perfect parabola. This technological
innovation has revolutionised the way in which the game is now played. For example,
Roger Federer, a man who many regard as the greatest player of all time, may have
begun his career as an attacking all-court player, but in latter years he has been
forced become a much more defensively orientated player who chooses his time to
attack more carefully. Indeed, he is on record as saying that new string technology
has changed the face of the game and that he has had to adapt his game to counter
players who stand behind the baseline and produce winning shots from almost
nowhere.

True/False/Not Given - Luxilon

Question 1
Roger Federer uses luxilon to string his tennis racket.

A
B

True
False
Not Given

Question 2
The use of luxilon allowed players to hit new types of shots.

A
B
C

True
False
Not Given

Question 3
Roger Federer has always played an attacking game of tennis.

A
B
C

True
False
Not Given

Tip one Underline the part of the text that shows the
answer
A forgotten reading skill is to learning how to read intensively when you are
looking for the answer itself. Forget key words they only show where to find
the answer. Once you have found the right part of the text, read very carefully
you want to find something that says:
1.
2.

This agrees with the information in the question True

This contradicts the informnation in the question False
Do NOT read generally at this point. You want to find something you can
underline. If you cannot find anything specific that you can underline, then the
answer is likely to be Not Given.

Tip two refer back to the whole question and think about
its meaning
IELTS reading is designed how well you understand reading passages. This
means you always want to focus on meaning when you are looking for the
answer. Once you have found the right part of the text, forget key words. Its
quite possible to find words in the text that match words in the question, but the
overall meaning is quite diferent.
1.

Go back to the question and re-read it carefully focus on the little words
too (some, never, generally etc), these can change the meanings of questions
dramatically. Ask yourself if you are looking for something absolutely true or
something that is qualified in some ay.
2.
Re-read the text. Does it mean the same as the question? Make sure you
check the text and question against each other that they mean the same thing.