True False Not Given Drill

The hardest IELTS Reading task type. This drill trains the critical distinction: Not Given means the text does not confirm or deny the statement, while False means the text actively contradicts it.

Procedure

1. The three tests (5 min briefing):
   • TRUE: the text explicitly or implicitly confirms the statement.
   • FALSE: the text explicitly or implicitly contradicts the statement.
   • NOT GIVEN: the text does not address whether the statement is true or false. Your outside knowledge doesn't count.
2. Contrast exercise (10 min): pairs analyse 3 worked examples per category. Discuss why each is what it is.
3. Independent drill (10 min): a fresh 8–10 item set, timed.
4. Error diagnosis: students sort their wrong answers into three types:
   • Confused FALSE with NOT GIVEN (most common)
   • Confused TRUE with NOT GIVEN
   • Missed a direct contradiction
5. Re-do the wrong ones, finding textual evidence.

Critical Distinctions

Statement	Text says	Answer
The factory was built in 1920.	The factory was built in 1925.	FALSE
The factory was built in 1920.	The factory opened in the early twentieth century.	NOT GIVEN (no exact date)
Workers were well paid.	The factory paid above-average wages.	TRUE
Workers were well paid.	The factory had many employees.	NOT GIVEN
Workers were well paid.	The factory was known for poor conditions.	NOT GIVEN — conditions ≠ pay

Why It Works

• Named traps: the "NOT GIVEN feels wrong but is right" gap trips almost every learner. Seeing it named reduces the temptation.
• Evidence discipline: "Because the text does not say so" becomes a legitimate answer, not a failure.
• Error typology: sorting mistakes by type reveals whether a student's problem is comprehension or confidence.

Variations

• Defend your answer: for each item, students write where in the text the evidence is. Can't cite = Not Given.
• Class consensus first: pairs agree on all answers before teacher checks. Arguments before the answer key is where learning happens.
• Make-your-own items: after a practice text, students write 3 new T/F/NG items and exchange with partners.

Tips

• Train the reflex: "my outside knowledge does not matter here." IELTS penalises it heavily.
• Common rescue phrase: "Can I find the evidence in the text? No → Not Given."
• Use real IELTS-style passages from Cambridge test books. Practice materials from random sources often have imprecise items.