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True / False / Not Given questions look easy, yet they cost more marks in Academic Reading than almost any other type. The problem is rarely English. It is the difference between False and Not Given.
The one question to ask
For every statement, ask yourself: does the passage say the opposite?
- If the passage says the same thing, the answer is True.
- If the passage says the opposite, the answer is False.
- If the passage does not say it either way, the answer is Not Given.
Tip: Not Given does not mean "I could not find it". It means the writer never gives this information.
An example
The passage says: "The first graphite deposit was found in Borrowdale in the sixteenth century."
| Statement | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Graphite was discovered in Borrowdale. | True | The passage says exactly this. |
| Graphite was first found in the eighteenth century. | False | The passage gives a different century. |
| The Borrowdale deposit was the largest in Europe. | Not Given | Its size is never mentioned. |
Three traps to avoid
- Using your own knowledge. Only the passage counts, even if you know a fact is true in real life.
- Words like all, only, always. One small word can turn a True statement into a False one.
- Similar words, different meaning. Some scientists believe is not the same as scientists have proved.
Practise it
Every Reading test on Mockfy marks your score by question type, so you can see exactly how you do on True / False / Not Given. Open Recommendations after a test to find the question types to work on next.