True, False or Not Given: follow the evidence
Separate a contradiction from missing information with an original reading example.
Compare one precise claim
Begin with the statement rather than your knowledge of the topic. Identify its subject, action and limits. Words such as only, all, always and more than can change the claim. Locate the relevant sentence, then read the surrounding sentences. Matching a keyword alone does not establish an answer.
Three outcomes, three reasons
True means the passage supports the statement. False means it contradicts the statement. Not Given means the passage does not provide enough information to establish whether the statement is true or false. A plausible claim can still be Not Given. Your experience outside the passage is not evidence.
Test the difference
Passage: “Trees cool their surroundings through two distinct processes: shade and transpiration.” Statement: “Trees cool their surroundings only by providing shade.” The answer is False: only excludes transpiration, which the passage explicitly includes. Now consider “Shade cools the air more effectively than transpiration.” That comparison is Not Given in this short passage. Two processes are named, but their effectiveness is not compared.
Check your reasoning
Underline what makes the statement specific. Find the evidence. Paraphrase both claims, keeping quantities and conditions intact. Ask whether they agree, conflict, or cannot be compared. For False, explain the contradiction. For Not Given, name the missing information.
Review the reason for each mistake
After a rehearsal, inspect the evidence beside each answer. Did you overlook a limit, confuse absence with contradiction, or rely on outside knowledge? Practise similar questions again and explain each answer in one sentence. Review is most useful when it changes how you approach the next question.
Check the official IELTS Academic Reading format for current exam information.
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