IELTSReadingidentifyingwritersclaims

In this lesson, we will cover the Identifying Writer's Views/Claims question type, which will test your ability to decide whether or not the writer’s opinion (or another person or group of people’s opinion) in the question statements can be found in the passage. While this type of question is similar to the “Identifying Information with Changes” question (which features TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN as answer choices), there are some important differences to take into consideration between the two.

While the section, “Identifying Information” will ask test takers to understand whether or not factual information in the question statements are TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN in the passage. “Identifying Viewer’s Claims”, on the other hand, asks test takers to decide whether or not the author of the passage agrees with various question statements. In this section, the answer choices are YES, NO, or NOT GIVEN. You can link YES to TRUE and NO to FALSE.

Similar to the “Identifying Information” section, it is extremely important that test takers do not call upon “outside knowledge” of various subjects when answering these questions. In other words, even if you are aware of information that may pertain to the topic at hand, you must only answer these questions based on information presented in the text. Remember: your job with this question type is to decide if someone’s opinion matches up with the statements at hand.

You will see the following type of layout for this question, which is similar to the “Identifying Information” section:


22. SETI scientists are trying to find a life form that resembles humans in many ways.
23. The Americans and Australians have cooperated on joint research projects.
24. So far SETI scientists have picked up radio signals from several stars.
25. The NASA project attracted criticism from some members of Congress.
26. If a signal from outer space is received, it will be important to respond promptly.

First of all, if an answer is YES, it means the author (or group specified in the statement) would agree with that information, and there is something in the passage to back up this claim.

Where many students make mistakes is the difference between NO and NOT GIVEN. If an answer is NO, it means that the statement explicitly contradicts the views of the writer, based on the passage. If the answer is NOT GIVEN, it means that it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this statement, and therefore it is impossible to answer YES or NO. The confusion between these two options is one of the most common problems for test takers during this question type.

Keep in mind that the test will include synonyms instead of providing the exact wording in both the statement and passage. Therefore, another common problem that test takers face is not finding the information they are searching for from the statement in the passage itself, and selecting NOT GIVEN instead of YES. The best remedy to this problem is to use logic and remember to look out for synonyms while reading.

Please be aware that although you are looking for opinions in this section, opinions are hardly ever directly given in the passage. You will need to be able to determine and interpret what the author wants to convey through the statements you read. Think of it as finding hidden meanings between the sentences that you have to discover. This is why skimming is important in this section, even more so than the “Identifying Information” section.

Also, the amount of questions for this specific task can vary, but the answers will usually appear in sequential order in the passage.

Common problem 1

One common problem is that many students confuse "NOT GIVEN" with "NO". Here’s an example.

Passage
If someone told you to picture a perfect caterpillar, chances are we would all think of a very similar type of insect. Interestingly enough, based on a UK survey, more than 90% of participants who were asked this question came up with the same distinct image of the monarch caterpillar in its larvae form. Monarch caterpillars have a distinct yellow, brown, and green coloring and is considered to be one of the most ordinary insects in the world. However, you might be surprised that not all creatures are drawn to these colors. In fact, animals see this mix as a warning sign that the insect could potentially kill them and be poisonous


Note that the question statement is: “Most people come up with the same idea of a monarch caterpillar due to educational standards in the UK.” Now, look at the highlighted sentences “more than 90% of participants who were asked this question came up with the same distinct image of the monarch caterpillar in its larvae form” Nothing in the passage suggests that this is due to the educational standards in the UK. However, nothing contradicts this information, either. For example, nothing in the passage states a different reason why 90% of participants came up with the same answer. Therefore, the information is simply NOT GIVEN.

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 "YES".

Test takers face are not “finding” the information they are searching for from the statement in the passage itself, and selecting “NOT GIVEN” instead of “YES”. This is because the test will include synonyms instead of providing the exact wording in both the statement and passage. Additionally, the information may be paraphrased and force test takers to infer a deeper meaning from the text. The best remedy to this problem is to use logic and remember to look out for synonyms while reading.

let's look at an example.

Passage
What most find to be the most amazing aspect of these creatures is the annual flight, once the caterpillars develop into butterflies. The fact that this does not occur year-round is what makes it so special. Each year during the winter, these creatures take a three-month journey from their homes in China and Japan to Australia. At their fastest speeds,they can travel between one hundred and one hundred and fifty kilometers per day. As a sort of ritual, these insects migrate to the same forests each year. This process dates as far back as the 1700s, when it was first marked by zoologists.


When scanning for the key words, “butterflies”, “journey”, and “once a year” you should notice the statement, “What most find to be the most amazing aspect of these creatures is the annual flight, once the caterpillars develop into butterflies. The fact that this does not occur year-round is what makes it so special.” Afterwards, the passage includes information showing that this journey takes three months to complete. The question posits that this journey happens once a year, which is in line with the information in the passage. So the answer is "YES". Note how the words “annual” and “not year-round” were used rather than “once” and “yearly”, which would be closer to the vocabulary used in the passage. This is why understanding synonyms is so important for the exam!

Common problem 3

Another common mistake students make is if the statement is similar to the information in the text, they think the answer is "YES". This is wrong. "YES" means that the meaning is the same. If it is just similar, then it is "NO". Remember we are dealing with factual information, so there is no room for saying similar is "YES".

Let's look at one more example.

Passage
When it comes time to find a partner, these butterflies will find a perfect mate during the winter months, unlike the autumn months when they prepare for their voyage. It is somewhat of a bittersweet ritual, however, as most of the male monarchs die soon after the mating process. Although their female counterparts will travel back to the northern area, they will also die on the way. Perhaps the consolation prize is the fact that the eggs hatch along the way, where they have been dropped off during the journey. With this, the amazing process begins again--the famous caterpillars become butterflies and continue their journey to the north. bronchitis and influenza.


When scanning for the key words, “annual”, “journey”, and “bittersweet”, you will probably be drawn to the statement, “It is somewhat of a bittersweet ritual, however, as most of the male monarchs die soon after the mating process.” Although the key word “bittersweet” is used, these two statements do not mean the same thing. In fact, the statement in the passage provides a different reason for why the journey could be considered bittersweet. Therefore, the answer is NO, since there are two pieces of contradictory information. In other words, the writer would agree with the information in the passage and not that in the question statement.

Now let’s look at some tips on how to approach this section and what not to do when approaching this type of question on the exam. Please note that we will provide the reasoning and tips on confronting the logic of the exam in our example, but the following is a simplified strategy to take when approaching this question type. The strategy is almost equivalent to the strategy used for the Identifying Information Section. The only true difference is that this section calls for test takers to understand the writer’s claims.

What To Do:
1. Read the First Statement and Scan – As the answers are most likely to appear in the text in the same order as the statements are written, test takers should pay close attention to the first statement above all. If you start looking for information in the text starting with the first statement, you’re more likely to provide yourself with a more solid path towards finding the correct answers in less time. As you read the first statement, underline any key words that you think will help you identify in the information in the text. Once you have a good idea of where the answer to the first statement is, answer it according to the directions, using YES, NO, OR NOT GIVEN.

Quick Tip: Pay close attention to “absolute” words in these statements. These words include many adverbs of frequency and words that generalize ideas. The most common include: mainly, all, some, sometimes, often, usually, occasionally, hardly ever, never, only, and always. When these words are included in a statement, it is usually harder to disprove or prove. For example: If the statement is: “All research was completed in 1871.” but the passage includes “The majority of the research was finished in 1871.”, these two statements are not the same, since “all” is an absolute term.

An optional part of this step (and something that we will do for practice in this exercise) is to familiarize yourself with potential synonyms and different ways to say what is listed in the questions. Why? Remember: the information presented in the questions will most likely be re-stated in a different way in the passage. Pay close attention to finding synonyms for the verbs in this case.

2. Continue Reading the Statements and Scanning – If you have successfully found the information necessary to answer the first statement, you have found the section of the passage in which the remaining information can be found. Making marks in the passage (such as a line or dot to signify where the answer can be found) will most likely be helpful, so that you know what to reference when answering the question.

Quick Tip: If you are “stumped” by any given question, it is possible that the information is “NOT GIVEN”. Skip the difficult question and move on. If, for example, you cannot find the answer to Question #3, but have found the answer for Question #4, it is possible that Question #3 is “NOT GIVEN”. Remember, the answers will most likely come in sequential order for this section.

3. Skim Read as Necessary – As we detailed above, this section will require test takers to interpret statements in order to understand the author’s claims and opinions. It is likely that you may have to read a statement a few times in order to truly understand the opinion of the writer.

As you may have noticed, this section calls for more of a logical approach to answering the questions, rather than relying heavily on strategy and preparation work. As such, it is always a good idea to brush up on synonyms and vocabulary in order to recognize common tips and tricks, which we will explore in our example.

What Not To Do:
Do not read the entire passage. As a general rule for the Reading section, it is not necessary and actually time-restrictive to read the entire passage, word for word. Be sure to use the scanning technique, first and foremost, and then the skimming technique as necessary.

Do not get confused if the text includes synonyms of the information that is originally presented in the questions. This section is known for using synonyms and presenting information in different ways, which is why it’s important to brush up on your vocabulary for this exam.

Do not write anything other than YES, NO, or NOT GIVEN in your answer sheet.

Do not be confused by the tricky words that can completely change the meaning of sentences. These include mostly adverbs of frequency: mainly, all, some, sometimes, often, usually, occasionally, hardly ever, never, only, and always. Ordinal numbers are also part of this group (first, second, third, etc.)

Using these tips, let’s look at an example of a passage with this specific question type.

Identifying Writer’s Views/Claims Recap

In this section, we examined the Identifying Writer’s Views/Claims section of the IELTS Academic Reading section. 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 NO 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 YES, NO, 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 NO and NOT GIVEN.