Overview
This lecture covered strategies for answering IELTS Reading questions of the types True/False/Not Given and Yes/No/Not Given, explaining techniques, differences, and sample questions.
Key Techniques for True/False/Not Given & Yes/No/Not Given
- Use the “keyword technique”: underline keywords in the question, search for them or synonyms in the passage, and compare details closely.
- Both question types require the same approach: decide if information is correct, incorrect, or missing.
- In True/False/Not Given, questions are fact-based; Yes/No/Not Given deals with the writer’s opinions or views.
- Don’t worry about the difference between “True/False” and “Yes/No”; approach both the same way.
Answering Strategies and Process
- Don’t read the whole passage first—instead, go directly to the questions.
- Underline strong, distinctive keywords in the question to make searching easier.
- Read the relevant passage section at normal speed; look for exact or very similar meaning.
- Answers are presented in the same order in the text as the questions appear.
Examples and How to Judge Each Type
- True/Yes: Passage clearly supports or matches the statement.
- False/No: Passage gives information that directly contradicts the statement.
- Not Given: Information is missing, incomplete, or there's no basis to answer.
Sample Questions from Sanitation Systems Passage
- Early sanitation systems became more intricate as city populations grew — True
- The ancient water management systems of the Indus Valley are still in use today — Not Given
- Some sewage networks built by the Romans in the UK were made out of wood — True
- Rome had the most developed of all ancient sanitation systems — Not Given
- By the time of Queen Elizabeth I, the majority of cities had built sewers for waste water — False
- Poor sanitation systems during the industrial era posed a significant health risk — True
- The world’s first complete sewage network was constructed in the USA — False
Key Terms & Definitions
- Keyword technique — Underlining and searching for important words or phrases in both question and passage.
- Not Given — Statement cannot be proven true or false due to lack of information.
- Inadequate — Another word for poor, used to describe insufficient sanitation systems.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Complete the provided worksheet using the keyword technique.
- Review and create a personal keyword table for practice.
- Prepare for the next lesson on paragraph headings questions.