IELTS Reading

True, False, Not Given questions

True/False/Not Given questions give you statements about the facts in a passage. You decide whether each statement agrees with the passage (True), contradicts it (False), or whether the passage doesn't say (Not Given). The questions follow the order of the passage.

Most mistakes come from mixing up False and Not Given. False means the passage says the opposite; Not Given means you can't tell from the passage, even if the statement sounds likely.

What the question looks like

True/False/Not Given. “Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Choose TRUE if the statement agrees with the information, FALSE if the statement contradicts the information, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.”

Try real-format questions

This question type is in our free practice test: Passage 1 (“The Folding Umbrella: A Compact Idea”), questions 1–5. Open the practice test →

How to answer

True, False or Not Given

What exact claim must you judge? Keep the statement’s key information in mind.
Which sentence in the passage deals with that claim? Use it as your evidence.
Does the evidence support the statement, or does it say something different?
Is there enough information to decide? Choose True if supported, False if contradicted, and Not Given if the passage does not say.

Example: A statement about a research panel. Passage: The panel was formed to advise a public library on its reading programme. It has six members. Statement: The panel was formed in 2018. The claim is about when the panel was formed, but the passage gives no date. The answer is Not Given: there is not enough evidence to decide.

Matching Meaning for True

For a True statement, match each key idea to equivalent wording in the passage.
Look for paraphrases: a phrase such as “began operating” can mean “started working”.
Check that the statement keeps the passage’s meaning, not just one familiar word.
Read the whole statement against the passage before choosing your answer.

Example: Worked example: matching a statement to a passage. Passage: Most letters in the archive were sent in winter. Statement: More than half of the letters were dispatched during winter. Answer: True. “Most” means more than half, and “sent” means the same as “dispatched”.

Spotting Contradictions

A False statement conflicts with information the passage clearly gives; it is not merely unsupported.
Find the passage’s main claim, then compare the statement with it.
Look for an opposite result or conclusion, not just different wording.
Choose False only when the passage and statement cannot both be true.

Example: Worked example: a study of shade and soil temperature. Passage: A field study found that shaded soil stayed cooler than nearby soil in direct sunlight. The researchers concluded that shade reduced soil temperature. Statement: Shade made the soil warmer. This is False because it directly reverses the passage’s central claim.

Separating False from Not Given

False needs a direct clash: the passage must state something that cannot be true alongside the claim.
Not Given means the passage leaves the claim unanswered; missing detail is not a contradiction.
Do not fill gaps with what seems likely or with outside knowledge.
Ask whether the passage gives enough evidence to reject the claim, not just whether it sounds unusual.

Example: Worked example: passage and two statements. Passage: The survey included 120 households. It recorded water use in spring. Statement A: The survey included 200 households. False: the passage gives a different number. Statement B: Volunteers carried out the survey. Not Given: the passage does not say who carried it out.

Testing Qualifiers

Check the quantity word before judging the whole statement.
“All” means every member; “some” means at least one, not necessarily only a few.
If the passage says only part of a group meets a condition, a claim about “all” conflicts with it.
If the passage says “all”, a claim about “some” can still be true.

Example: Worked example: checking a quantity word. Passage: Five of the 20 seedlings grew new leaves. Claim: All 20 seedlings grew new leaves. “All” conflicts with the passage because it says only five seedlings did.

Practise

Short items from the ielts.coach lessons. Answer them, then check to see why each answer is right.

A field study examined how coastal marshes affect waves. Researchers found that the marsh plants reduced the force of incoming waves. This effect may help protect nearby shorelines.

1The statement says marsh plants can reduce wave force. How does it compare with the passage?

A library archive stored its paper records in dry rooms. Staff found that high humidity increased damage to the records. Keeping humidity lower slowed this damage.

2The statement says high humidity protects paper records from damage. How does it compare with the passage?

A survey asked 240 adults how they travelled to work. Walking was the most common method among those who lived within two kilometres of their workplace. The survey did not include people who worked from home.

3The statement says walking was the most common method among people living within two kilometres of their workplace. Answer True, False or Not Given.

Researchers tested whether short breaks affect word learning. Participants who took a five-minute pause between study sessions recalled more words the next day than participants who studied continuously. The researchers repeated the task with the same word list.

4Which statement expresses the same information as the passage?

A greenhouse trial compared seedlings grown under blue and white lamps. Seedlings under blue light developed shorter stems, while their leaf number was similar in both groups. The trial lasted four weeks.

5Which statement expresses the same information as the passage?

A field study compared bee activity in garden plots. Plots containing several flower types received more bee visits than plots containing a single type. Observers counted visits for the same length of time in every plot.

6Complete the paraphrase: Plots with a variety of flowers recorded ______ visits by bees than single-type plots.

In a three-year wetland study, plots planted with native reeds showed a rise in insect numbers. Unplanted plots showed no clear change. The researchers concluded that reed planting supported more insects.

7Which statement directly contradicts the passage?

A laboratory test compared two roof materials under the same heat conditions. The reflective coating kept indoor temperatures lower than the dark coating. The report described the reflective coating as effective at reducing heat gain.

8Which statement is directly contradicted by the passage?

Test hacks

Answers usually follow passage order

For most question types (True/False/Not Given, gap-fill, multiple choice) the answers appear in the same order as the passage.

Why it works: Once you find answer 3, answer 4 is almost always after it. You'll search a much smaller area.

False vs Not Given

False means the passage says the opposite. Not Given means the passage doesn't say either way. Don't use your own knowledge.

Why it works: Confusing False and Not Given is an easy trap: choosing False when the passage simply says nothing about the point.

Eliminate before you choose

In multiple choice, cross out options that are false, not mentioned or only partly true. The last one standing is usually right.

Why it works: Distractors are designed to look tempting; ruling them out is more reliable than spotting the answer.

Practise with feedback on every answer

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