Lesson 6 · Lesson guide
Reading: True / False / Not Given
Hello, my dear student!
Hello! TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN appears in almost every IELTS Reading test, and many students lose three or four marks on it every time.
The problem is rarely the English. It is the method. Students guess from what they know about the world, or they choose FALSE when the text simply says nothing.
Today you will learn a simple method: find the part of the text, compare the meaning, then decide. And you will learn the one question that separates FALSE from NOT GIVEN.
See you in the exercises,Your teacher
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Find, compare, decide
Step 1
Find the place
Choose a keyword that is easy to see: a name, a number, a date. The answers come in the same order as the text.
- “In 2010” → look for 2010 in the text.
Step 2
Compare the meaning
The statement uses different words (a paraphrase). Ask: is the meaning the same, the opposite, or missing?
- Text: “Most pupils dislike homework.” Statement: “The majority of students do not enjoy homework.” → TRUE
Step 3
Decide
TRUE: the text says the same. FALSE: the text says the opposite. NOT GIVEN: the text does not tell us.
- Never use your own knowledge, only the text.
Remember!
Does the text say the opposite? → FALSE. Does the text say nothing about it? → NOT GIVEN.
Small words that change everything
Most traps are in one small word. Read it carefully in both the statement and the text.
How many
all, most, some, few
Text: “some schools”. Statement: “all schools” → FALSE.
- Some schools have banned phones.
How often
always, usually, sometimes, never
Text: “usually”. Statement: “always” → FALSE.
- Students usually start school at seven.
Comparison
more than, the first, the only
If the statement compares or says “the first / the only”, the text must say that too, or it is NOT GIVEN.
- Finland was the first country to… (Does the text say “first”?)
Common mistakes
Not: I know that exercise is healthy, so it’s TRUE.Say: Only the text counts. If it doesn’t say it, it’s NOT GIVEN.
Your own knowledge is not evidence.
Not: The text doesn’t mention it, so it’s FALSE.Say: The text doesn’t mention it, so it’s NOT GIVEN.
FALSE needs the opposite in the text.
Not: The same word is in the text, so it’s TRUE.Say: Check the meaning, not the word.
The words can match while the meaning is opposite: “did not increase”.
Check yourself
Text: “Few students walk to school.” Statement: “Most students walk to school.”
Text: “The school opened in 1990.” Statement: “The school was expensive to build.”
Now it’s your turn!
8 short parts, each a little harder than the one before. Take your time: mistakes are how we learn.
— Your teacher