True/False/Not Given questions test whether a statement matches the information in the passage. The hard part is the difference between False and Not Given.

The one question to ask

Ask yourself: does the passage say the opposite? If it clearly contradicts the statement, the answer is False. If the passage simply does not say, the answer is Not Given - even if the statement seems likely.

A four-step routine

  1. Underline the key words in the statement, especially qualifiers like all, only, always and most.
  2. Scan the passage for the matching section - questions follow the order of the text.
  3. Compare meaning, not words. The passage will paraphrase.
  4. Decide: same meaning, opposite meaning, or no information.

Beware of your own knowledge

If a statement is true in real life but the passage does not mention it, the answer is still Not Given. Answer only from the text.

#reading#tfng
Farhana Rahman

Writes for the Nexus Elite Language Academy blog.