Identifying Information

True False Not Given

COMMON MISTAKES
Common mistakes

Mistake 1
▪ Spending too much time reading the passage in detail

Tips
▪ Don’t waste too much time searching the passage for an answer
(it may be NOT GIVEN).
▪ Remember that the answers are in the same order as the
questions.
Common mistakes
Mistake 2
▪ Confusing information which is similar, but not the same
▪ Choosing the answer TRUE too quickly without reading in detail
Tips
▪ Read the passage carefully and compare it with the words in
the question.
▪ Remember that:
• the meaning must be exactly the same in order to choose TRUE
• if they are different in meaning then choose NOT GIVEN.
Common mistakes
Mistake 2

Example
Question: Some indigenous people do not want to speak their local
language.
Text: In essence, younger generations are not being taught how to
speak their local language or dialect and many indigenous
communities have resorted to speaking the dominant language.

Note: The phrases in bold may seem similar as they both contain ‘not’ and the
verb ‘speak’, but there is no information on whether indigenous people want to
speak the language or not. So the answer must be NOT GIVEN.
Common mistakes
Mistake 3
▪ Not paying attention to limiting words or quantifiers (e.g. only,
all, mainly, often)

Tip
▪ Watch out for limiting words as they carry important meaning.
▪ Know them well as some can be tricky (e.g. few=not many, a few
= two or three).
Common mistakes
Mistake 3

Example
Question: A small number of indigenous people now use the
dominant language.
Text: In essence, younger generations are not being taught how to
speak their local language or dialect and many indigenous
communities have resorted to speaking the dominant language.

Note: These limiting words, ‘a small number’ and ‘many’, contradict each
other; therefore, you need to choose the answer FALSE.