IELTS Reading: Dealing with Difficult Question Types (Part 1)
The IELTS Reading test, in both Academic and General Training, has 40 questions. A wide range of reading skills are tested using a variety of question types, some of which are much more challenging than others.
In this part, we’ll take a closer look at a particular question type that most candidates feel is the hardest – identifying information (True/False/Not Given).
Here’s a simplified version of this question type to help us understand how best to deal with it.
| Reading text
Mr Farrell, a revered professor at the university, walked into the room in a huff that day. Dressed in a pair of dark trousers, light-coloured shirt and red tie, his dapper appearance seemed to be in stark contrast with the foul mood he was in. |
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading text?
Write:
| TRUE | if the statement agrees with the information given in the text |
| FALSE | if the statement contradicts the information given in the text |
| NOT GIVEN | if there is no information on this |
- The Professor was wearing a black shirt.
- The Professor was wearing a blue shirt.
- The Professor was wearing a pastel shirt.
So what do you think are the answers?
Tips to answer
| Choose TRUE when you find information in the text that agrees with the statement in the question. | |
| Example: | 3. The Professor was wearing a pastel shirt. |
| Explanation: | Since pastel shades are pale or light-coloured, it’s safe to conclude that the statement agrees with the text. |
| Choose FALSE when you find information in the text that contradicts the statement in the question. | |
| Example: | 1. The Professor was wearing a black shirt. |
| Explanation: | Black isn’t a light colour so this statement contradicts the information in the reading text. |
| Choose NOT GIVEN when you don’t have sufficient information to choose either TRUE or FALSE. | |
| Example: | 2. The Professor was wearing a blue shirt. |
| Explanation: | The colour blue is available in different hues, both light and dark. There simply isn’t sufficient information in the statement to choose either True or False so the answer is Not Given. |
Remember, statements that are TRUE are the easiest to find; perhaps start with them and then move on to the others.
Discover further reading preparation and tips for the IELTS test here.
Happy reading!