Most candidates fear this type because False and Not Given feel identical. They are not. Get this one rule and the panic disappears:
- TRUE - the passage states or clearly implies the statement.
- FALSE - the passage states something that contradicts the statement.
- NOT GIVEN - the passage does not say, one way or the other.
The trap is your own brain: if a statement sounds plausible or matches your world knowledge, you want to mark it True. Ignore what you know. Only the passage counts - you are testing the statement against the text, not against reality.
The decision procedure
- Read the statement and find its testable claim. Underline the strong words: all, only, never, first, more than, because, the same, mainly. These qualifiers are usually where the answer lives.
- Locate the matching lines. Statements follow the passage order, so the next answer is usually below the last. Scan for a noun, name or number from the statement.
- Compare meaning, not words. The text will paraphrase the statement. Decide whether the idea matches, opposes, or is absent.
- Apply the test, in order:
- Does the text say the same thing? → TRUE - Does the text say the opposite? → FALSE - Is the text silent on this exact claim? → NOT GIVEN
The decision in one table
| If the text… | and you can… | the answer is |
|---|---|---|
| agrees with the statement | quote a confirming line | TRUE |
| conflicts with the statement | quote a contradicting line | FALSE |
| never addresses the claim | quote nothing either way | NOT GIVEN |
The golden test for Not Given: if you cannot put your finger on a line that confirms or contradicts the statement, it is Not Given. False is never a guess - it requires a real contradiction in black and white.
Worked example 1 - all three answers from one paragraph
Sample text: Honeybees communicate the location of food through a "waggle dance". The angle of the dance indicates direction relative to the sun, and its duration signals distance. Researchers have observed the dance in all known honeybee species, though its precision varies between them.
Statement 1 - "The waggle dance shows other bees where food is." The text says the dance "communicate[s] the location of food". Same claim, just reworded → TRUE.
Statement 2 - "Every honeybee species performs the dance with the same accuracy." The text says precision "varies between them" - the opposite of "the same accuracy" → FALSE. (The strong word same gave it away.)
Statement 3 - "The waggle dance is learned by young bees from older bees." Plausible, perhaps even true in real life - but the passage never mentions learning. Silent → NOT GIVEN.
Worked example 2 - the FALSE / NOT GIVEN borderline
Sample text: The first underwater photographs were taken in 1893 by Louis Boutan, using a bulky camera sealed in a copper case. The equipment was so heavy that an assistant in a diving suit was needed to carry it across the seabed.
Statement A - "Boutan took the first underwater photographs without any help." The text says "an assistant... was needed to carry it" - that directly contradicts "without any help" → FALSE.
Statement B - "Boutan's underwater photographs were the first to be published in a scientific journal." The text says nothing about publication or journals at all. Tempting if you assume early photos must have been published, but there is no line to confirm or deny it → NOT GIVEN.
Notice how A and B feel similar, yet A has a contradiction in the text and B has only silence. That single difference decides the mark.
Common mistakes
- Adding information. Statement 3 and statement B are the classic NG: they introduce a new idea (learning, publication) the text never raised. If you can't point to the line, it's Not Given.
- Strong-word reversals. A statement that says "all experts agree" is FALSE if the text says "most experts agree". Watch all / always / never / only / the same / first.
- Confusing FALSE with NG. False needs a contradiction you can quote. No contradiction and no confirmation = Not Given. When in doubt between the two, ask: "Can I quote the line that proves this wrong?" If not, choose NG.
- Using world knowledge. "The Sahara is hot" may be true on Earth, but if the passage doesn't state it, it is Not Given. Park what you already know.
- Yes/No/Not Given. Identical procedure - it just tests the writer's opinion or claim instead of facts. Look for opinion verbs (argues, believes, suggests) rather than dates and figures.
Try it
At /ielts/reading, do a TFNG set and, for each answer, write the exact words from the passage that justify it in one column and your reasoning (same / opposite / silent) in another. If you can't quote a line for True or False, the answer is almost certainly Not Given.
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