
How to Answer an IELTS True/False/Not Given Question Type
In your IELTS preparation, you'll need to practice a total of 11 IELTS reading question types. In this post, we'll look at the Identifying Information IELTS reading question type in detail and provide you with many IELTS reading Identifying Information practice questions.
First, join IELTS Instructor Tina below to learn how to approach an IELTS reading Identifying Information question. Click either General Training or Academic to watch the associated video lesson.
Table Of Contents
IELTS Reading Identifying Information Question Introduction
A lot of people also call this question type "TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN", because in this question type, you will see a lot of statements about factual information and your job is to figure out if the statement (fact) is true, false, or not given according to the reading passage. Simply put:
- If the fact matches the reading, then it is TRUE.
- If the fact contradicts the information in the reading in some way, then it is FALSE.
- If the fact is not mentioned or cannot be inferred in the reading, then it is NOT GIVEN.
This question type is one of the most difficult question types on the IELTS reading test because you need to spend time finding the correlating information in the reading passage. This tests your speed reading skills. In addition, you need to have strong logic in order to answer correctly. Even many native English speakers find this question type challenging because they cannot logically distinguish between "FALSE" and "NOT GIVEN". But don't worry! We will help you in this post.
3 common problems answering "TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN" questions
In general, there are 3 common problems students have when answering "TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN" questions.
Common problem 1
A common mistake students make is if the statement is similar to the information in the text, they think the answer is "TRUE". This is wrong. "True" means that the meaning is the same. If it is just similar, then it is "FALSE". Remember we are dealing with factual information, so there is no room for saying similar is true. The most common way IELTS examiners try to trick you is by adding qualifying words such as mainly, all, often, some, occasionally, and always. These words can completely change the meaning of a sentence. You need to be aware of them. Here is a typical example.
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. All glaciers exist near the north and south poles of the earth.
2. ...
The statement "All glaciers exist near the north and south poles of the earth." is FALSE because the sentence in the text is "The majority of the earth's glaciers are located near the poles."
You also need to be very careful about some small details. Here is an example.
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. Thirty percent of deaths in the United States are caused by smoking-related diseases
2. ...
In addition to being responsible for more than 85 percent of lung cancers, smoking is associated with cancers of, amongst others, the mouth, stomach and kidneys, and is thought to cause about 14 percent of leukemia and cervical cancers. In 1990, smoking caused more than 84,000 deaths, mainly resulting from such problems as pneumonia, bronchitis and influenza. Smoking, it is believed, is responsible for 30 percent of all deaths from cancer and clearly represents the most important preventable cause of cancer in countries like the United States today.
The statement is "Thirty percent of deaths in the United States are caused by smoking-related diseases". The correlating reading passage is: "Smoking, it is believed, is responsible for 30 percent of all deaths from cancer."
A lot of students might have quickly answered this question as a TRUE because the ignore the words "deaths from cancer". However, the correct answer is FALSE as only 30 percent of deaths from cancer in the United States are caused by smoking-related diseases. Some students might have answered this question as "NOT GIVEN". However, logically,  if smoking accounts for 30% of deaths from cancer, then it is responsible for less than 30% of total deaths from all diseases. So the answer is FALSE.
Common problem 2
The second scenario where people often go wrong is when the statement does not look like the information in the text at all, but the answer is still "TRUE". This is either because
- the statement paraphrases sentences from the text or
- the information in the statement is not explicitly stated on the texts. (You have to further infer a deeper meaning from texts)
In either case, you have to completely understand the text and use your logic in order to give the correct answer. Here is an example. In this example, the statement is implied information from the highlighted text. The answer is TRUE.
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. The amount of information that can be sent in a given time period is determined with reference to the signal strength and noise level.
2. ...
Here is another example. In this example, the statement is a paraphrase of highlighted texts. The answer is TRUE.
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. Rainforest species appear unable to adapt to frequent fires, but evidence from the past suggests that rainforests sometimes do burn.
2. ...
Common problem 3
A lot of students think if words match then it must be TRUE or FALSE. Not really! If the answer is NOT GIVEN, it means they don't have enough information to answer the question as a whole. Also, many students confuse NOT GIVEN with FALSE because they assume too much.
Here is a great example. The highlighted sentences show why the answer is "NOT GIVEN".
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. All large chilies grow high off the ground.
2. ...
From the highlighted sentence, we know that since small chilies tend to grow closer to the ground, we can then infer that many of the large ones are higher off the ground. However, the statements says 'all large chilies grow high off the ground'. We are not given any information to say all of them grow high off the ground, so the answer is NOT GIVEN. Many students might choose to answer "FALSE" because they assume too much.
Below is a sample practice. Give it a try! Remember to click either General Training or Academic based on the IELTS test you are taking or plan to take.
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spellcheck Answers1. TRUE
2. FALSE
3. NOT GIVEN
4. NOT GIVEN
5. FALSE
6. TRUE
Read the text below and answer Questions 9-14.
Community Education - Short Courses: Business
Business Basics
Gain foundation knowledge for employment in an accounts position with bookkeeping and business basics through to intermediate level; suitable for anyone requiring knowledge from the ground up.
- Code B/ED011
- 16th or 24th April 9am–4pm
- Cost $420
Bookkeeping
This course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of bookkeeping and a great deal of hands-on experience
- Code B/ED020
- 19th April 9am–2.30pm (one session only so advance bookings essential)
- Cost $250
New Enterprise Module
Understand company structures, tax rates, deductions, employer obligations, profit and loss statements, GST and budgeting for tax.
- Code B/ED030
- 15th or 27th May 6pm–9pm
- Cost $105
Social Networking – the Latest Marketing Tool
This broad overview gives you the opportunity to analyse what web technologies are available and how they can benefit your organisation.
- Code B/ED033
- 1st or 8th or 15th June 6pm–9pm
- Cost $95
Communication
Take the fear out of talking to large gatherings of people. Gain the public-speaking experience that will empower you with better communication skills and confidence.
- Code B/ED401
- 12th or 13th or 14th July 6pm–9pm
- Cost $90
-
spellcheck Answers1. FALSE
2. NOT GIVEN
3. FALSE
4. TRUE
5. NOT GIVEN
6. TRUE
7. NOT GIVEN
William Henry Perkin was born on March 12,1838, in London, England. As a boy, Perkin's curiosity prompted early interests in the arts, sciences, photography, and engineering. But it was a chance stumbling upon a run-downt, yet functional, laboratory in his late grandfather's home that solidified the young man's enthusiasm for chemistry.
As a student at the City of London School, Perkin became immersed in the study of chemistry. His talent and devotion to the subject were perceived by his teacher, Thomas Hall, who encouraged him to attend a series of lectures given by the eminent scientist Michael Faraday at the Royal Institution. Those speeches fired the young chemist's enthusiasm further, and he later went on to attend the Royal College of Chemistry, which he succeeded in entering in 1853, at the age of 15.
At the time of Perkin's enrolment, the Royal College of Chemistry was headed by the noted German chemist August Wilhelm Hofmann. Perkin's scientific gifts soon caught Hofmann's attention and, within two years, he became Hofmann's youngest assistant. Not long after that, Perkin made the scientific breakthrough that would bring him both fame and fortune.
At the time, quinine was the only viable medical treatment for malaria. The drug is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, native to South America, and by 1856 demand for the drug was surpassing the available supply. Thus, when Hofmann made some passing comments about the desirability of a synthetic substitute for quinine, it was unsurprising that his star pupil was moved to take up the challenge.
During his vacation in 1856, Perkin spent his time in the laboratory on the top floor of his family's house. He was attempting to manufacture quinine from aniline, an inexpensive and readily available coal tar waste product. Despite his best efforts, however, he did not end up with quinine. Instead, he produced a mysterious dark sludge. Luckily, Perkin's scientific training and nature prompted him to investigate the substance further. Incorporating potassium dichromate and alcohol into the aniline at various stages of the experimental process, he finally produced a deep purple solution. And, proving the truth of the famous scientist Louis Pasteur's words 'chance favours only the prepared mind', Perkin saw the potential of his unexpected find.
Historically, textile dyes were made from such natural sources as plants and animal excretions. Some of these, such as the glandular mucus of snails, were difficult to obtain and outrageously expensive. Indeed, the purple colour extracted from a snail was once so costly that in society at the time only the rich could afford it. Further, natural dyes tended to be muddy in hue and fade quickly. It was against this backdrop that Perkin's discovery was made.
Perkin quickly grasped that his purple solution could be used to colour fabric, thus making it the world's first synthetic dye. Realising the importance of this breakthrough, he lost no time in patenting it. But perhaps the most fascinating of all Perkin's reactions to his find was his nearly instant recognition that the new dye had commercial possibilities.
Perkin originally named his dye Tyrian Purple, but it later became commonly known as mauve (from the French for the plant used to make the colour violet). He asked advice from Scottish dye works owner Robert Pullar, who assured him that manufacturing the dye would be well worth it if the colour remained fast (i.e. would not fade) and the cost was relatively low. So, over the fierce objections of his mentor Hofmann, he left college to give birth to the modern chemical industry.
With the help of his father and brother, Perkin set up a factory not far from London. Utilising the cheap and plentiful coal tar that was an almost unlimited byproduct of London's gas street lighting, the dye works began producing the world's first synthetically dyed material in 1857. The company received a commercial boost from the Empress Eugenie of France when she decided the new colour flattered her. Very soon, mauve was the necessary shade for all the fashionable ladies in that country. Not to be outdone, England's Queen Victoria also appeared in public wearing a mauve gown, thus making it all the rage in England as well. The dye was bold and fast, and the public clamoured for more. Perkin went back to the drawing board.
Although Perkin's fame was achieved and fortune assured by his first discovery, the chemist continued his research. Among other dyes he developed and introduced were aniline red (1859) and aniline black (1863) and, in the late 1860s, Perkin's green. It is important to note that Perkin's synthetic dye discoveries had outcomes far beyond the merely decorative. The dyes also became vital to medical research in many ways. For instance, they were used to stain previously invisible microbes and bacteria, allowing researchers to identify such bacilli as tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax. Artificial dyes continue to play a crucial role today. And, in what would have been particularly pleasing to Perkin, their current use is in the search for a vaccine against malaria.
Now that you're familiar with the Identifying Information question type, it's time to teach you some IELTS reading tips & strategies for successfully answering a Identifying Information question.
How to Answer Identifying Information Questions
- Step 1: Read the First Question - Take a look at the first sentence. As you read the first question, underline any key words that you think will help you identify in the information in the text.
- Step 2: Scan for the first answer -
Now take a look at the passage and see if you can find the first answer. Because it's sequential order, once you find the first answer, you'll be in a good spot to scan and find the other answers.
Also pay attention to synonyms since they will be used in the passage. That means the words used in the statements most likely will not appear directly in the passage. - Step 3: Continue Reading the Statements and Scanning for Answers - Now that you completed the first answer, you will just need to keep reading the remaining statements, scanning the remaining parts of the passage, and answering the remaining statements. Again, as you answer each statement, make marks in the passage(such as a line or dot to signify where the answer can be found). This way you know what to reference when you want to double check if your answer is correct..
Using this strategy, you’re certain to find answers efficiently, saving yourself precious time ensuring you answer every question before time runs out.
Recap
Here are some brief tips to remember when approaching this question type:
Do:
- Read the first statement, underline key words, and scan. Do the following for the rest of the questions.
- Remember that answers will most likely come in order.
- Remember the difference between FALSE and NOT GIVEN.
- Make marks in your passage as to where you’ve found various answers.
- Skip a question if it is difficult and move on. Then, you should be able to better locate the answer to a difficult question in the text, since it will most likely be between some of your marked information.
- Write only TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN on your answer sheets.
Don’t:
- Read the entire passage first.
- Forget to scan for the key words from the statements.
- Confuse FALSE and NOT GIVEN.
IELTS Reading Identifying Information Practice List
Now it is time to practice! Check out the following Identifying Information practice questions.
Academic Reading - Identifying Information Questions Practice List
identifying information Practice 33 - 48 |
Practice 33Practice 34Practice 35Practice 36Practice 37Practice 38Practice 39Practice 40Practice 41Practice 42Practice 43Practice 44Practice 45 |
General Reading - Identifying Information Questions Practice List
identifying information Practice 17 - 32 |
Practice 17 |
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