Executive Summary
True / False / Not Given (T/F/NG) questions test your ability to evaluate specific factual claims against a reading text.
Understanding the exact definition of each option is key:
- TRUE: The text explicitly confirms the statement.
- FALSE: The text explicitly contradicts the statement.
- NOT GIVEN: The text does not contain sufficient information to confirm or contradict the statement.
The Sequence Rule
In IELTS Reading, T/F/NG questions follow the text order. The answer to Question 2 will be located in the text between Question 1 and Question 3.
Step-by-Step Solving Methodology
- Underline Key Terms: Identify proper nouns, dates, and core concepts in the question.
- Scan Text Region: Locate the matching text passage using the sequence rule.
- Compare Meaning: Compare the complete statement against the text meaning.
Download our Free Reading Keywords Map and check our public IELTS Reading Guide.
Practise Reading questions with instant answer keys on our AI IELTS Practice Platform.
Decide From the Text, Not From Probability
The statement may sound scientifically or socially plausible, but outside knowledge is irrelevant. Your task is to compare its complete meaning with the passage.
- TRUE: the passage supports the statement.
- FALSE: the passage contradicts it.
- NOT GIVEN: the passage does not provide enough information to decide.
“Not mentioned in exactly the same words” does not mean Not Given. IELTS frequently uses paraphrase.
Worked TRUE Example
Statement:
The research team repeated the experiment in colder conditions.
Passage:
The investigators conducted the trial again after lowering the laboratory temperature.
Mappings:
- research team → investigators;
- repeated → conducted again;
- colder conditions → lowering the temperature.
The meaning is confirmed, so the answer is TRUE.
Worked FALSE Example
Statement:
Every participant completed the final questionnaire.
Passage:
Although most volunteers returned the final questionnaire, six participants withdrew before it was distributed.
“Every” is contradicted by the six withdrawals. The answer is FALSE, not Not Given.
Worked NOT GIVEN Example
Statement:
The six participants withdrew because the experiment was too time-consuming.
Passage:
Six participants withdrew before the final questionnaire was distributed.
The passage confirms withdrawal but gives no reason. The statement adds unsupported causal information, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
Watch Scope and Qualification
Small words can change the claim:
- some versus all;
- may versus will;
- before versus after;
- primarily versus exclusively;
- more than versus at least;
- cause versus association.
Underline qualifiers before searching the passage. A sentence may match the topic while contradicting the degree or timing.
Use the Sequence Principle Carefully
These questions normally follow passage order. After locating Question 1, search forward for Question 2 rather than restarting at the beginning. However, do not assume that every sentence contains an answer; evidence may span more than one sentence.
A Meaning-Comparison Routine
- Simplify the statement into subject, claim, and qualifier.
- Locate the passage region through names, dates, or paraphrases.
- Read the complete sentence and nearby context.
- Ask whether the passage confirms, contradicts, or does not decide the claim.
- Record the answer and move forward.
Do not treat “I cannot find it quickly” as proof of Not Given.
Common Traps
Same words, different relationship
Statement and passage may share vocabulary but reverse cause and effect.
Partial agreement
One half of a statement is supported while another is absent or contradicted. The whole statement must be evaluated.
Writer versus other people
The passage may report a critic’s opinion without endorsing it. Track who holds the view.
Comparison without a basis
If the statement says one method is better but the passage describes both without comparing effectiveness, the answer is Not Given.
Timed Practice
After completing a set, record evidence in a table:
| Statement | Evidence | Relationship | Answer | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | all volunteers finished | six withdrew | contradiction | FALSE | | withdrawal due to time | no reason stated | insufficient | NOT GIVEN |
This forces evidence-based review and reveals whether errors come from location, paraphrase, or logic.
Final Checklist
- I evaluated the entire statement.
- I identified absolute and comparative language.
- I used passage evidence rather than general knowledge.
- I distinguished contradiction from missing information.
- I checked who expressed the opinion.
- I moved forward with the sequence of questions.
The most reliable question is: “What evidence in the passage proves my decision?” If you cannot point to confirming or contradicting evidence, reconsider whether the answer is Not Given.
Mini Drill
Passage:
The museum opened its new wing in May. Visitor numbers increased during the summer, although the museum has not established whether the expansion caused that rise.
Statements:
- The new wing opened before the summer increase. TRUE—May precedes the summer period.
- The new wing caused visitor numbers to rise. NOT GIVEN—the passage explicitly says causation has not been established.
- Visitor numbers fell after the new wing opened. FALSE—the passage reports an increase.
For each practice answer, underline the exact words that confirm the time, quantity, comparison, or uncertainty. This habit prevents topic matching from replacing logical comparison.