IELTS Reading: True, False or Not Given Explained

"True / False / Not Given" is one of the most feared question types in IELTS Reading. Students often say the passage is easy but the answers feel random. They are not random: this task follows strict logic, and once you understand it, your accuracy will improve quickly.

What you are being asked

You read a list of statements. For each one you decide whether it agrees with the information in the passage:

• TRUE: the passage says the same thing, usually in different words.
• FALSE: the passage says the opposite, or something that makes the statement impossible.
• NOT GIVEN: the passage does not tell us whether the statement is true or false.

A close relative of this task is Yes / No / Not Given, which asks about the writer's opinions or claims rather than facts. The logic is the same.

The key rule: judge only by the passage. Your general knowledge, even if correct, does not matter.

The difference between FALSE and NOT GIVEN

This is where most marks are lost. Ask yourself one question:

"Does the passage give me information that contradicts this statement?"

• If yes, the answer is FALSE.
• If the passage simply does not mention the point, or mentions the topic but not this specific detail, the answer is NOT GIVEN.

FALSE needs evidence. NOT GIVEN is the absence of evidence. If you cannot put your finger on a sentence that proves the statement wrong, be very careful before choosing FALSE.

Watch the small words

Statements are often built around one "trap" word. Circle these when you read a statement:

• Quantity words: all, most, some, only, never, always
• Comparisons: more than, the first, the largest
• Time words: before, after, since, until
• Certainty words: proved, suggested, may, definitely

A passage that says a method "may reduce" costs does not support a statement that it "definitely reduces" costs.

Worked example

Read this invented mini-text:

The riverside town of Kalinpur opened its first public library in 1962. For the first decade the library was run entirely by volunteers, most of whom were retired teachers. In 1973 the local council began paying a small team of staff, and the opening hours were extended to include evenings. Today the library lends more e-books than printed books, although printed children's books remain its most borrowed category.

Now decide on these statements.

1. Kalinpur's library was the first library of any kind in the town. The text says "first public library". It says nothing about private or school libraries. NOT GIVEN.

2. All of the original volunteers were retired teachers. The text says "most of whom were retired teachers", so not all. This contradicts the statement. FALSE.

3. Paid staff were introduced about eleven years after the library opened. 1962 to 1973 is eleven years, and the council "began paying a small team of staff". TRUE.

4. Evening opening was popular with local students. Evening hours were added, but the passage says nothing about who used them or whether they were popular. NOT GIVEN.

5. Printed books are no longer borrowed more than e-books in every category. Overall, more e-books are lent, but printed children's books are the most borrowed category. The statement matches this. TRUE.

Notice how statements 1 and 4 use words that feel connected to the text. That feeling is exactly what makes NOT GIVEN answers tricky.

A step-by-step method

1. Read the statement first and underline the keywords and any trap words.
2. Scan the passage for the keywords or their synonyms. Answers normally appear in the same order as the questions.
3. Read the matching sentence carefully, plus the sentence before and after.
4. Compare meaning, not words. Ask: same, opposite, or missing?
5. Decide and move on. Do not spend more than about 90 seconds on one statement.

Common mistakes

• Using outside knowledge. If you know that a fact is true in real life but the passage does not say it, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
• Choosing FALSE because the exact words are missing. Paraphrase is normal. Look for meaning.
• Writing the wrong format. If the instructions ask for TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN, do not write YES/NO. Abbreviations such as T/F/NG may be accepted in some formats, but writing the full words is the safest habit.
• Over-thinking. Do not invent a chain of logic ("if the library had paid staff, it must have been rich..."). Stay with what is written.

Closing tip

When you check your practice answers, do not just count your score. For every mistake, find the exact sentence that proves the correct answer and write down why your choice was wrong. After twenty or thirty such corrections, you will start to see the same traps again and again, and this question type will change from your weakest to one of your most reliable.