TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN

Objectives: to practice answering IELTS True False Not Given questions.

This lesson explains how to answer True and False questions for IELTS. You also have a Not Given option with this type of task.

In this type of question, you are presented with a list of facts, and you have to look at the text in order to decide if the facts are true, false, or not given.

• If the fact you are given is clearly in the reading it is True
• If the reading says the opposite of the fact you’ve been given it is False
• If it is not true or false, it is Not Given

Strategies to answer the questions

• The questions follow the order of the text.
• Read the question carefully to make sure you fully understand what it is saying.
• Scan the text to find where the answer is using key words from the question
• When you find where the answer is, read the text carefully to identify if you think it is T, F or NG.
• The questions will probably use synonyms rather than the words in the text.
• Look out for controlling words such as “only”, “all’, “never” etc. For example, if the fact in the question says ‘some’ and the fact in the text says ‘all’, then it is F.
• Do not spend a long time looking for the answer to one question; it is probably NG, if you cannot find it.
• Make sure you use the correct code; ‘Yes’, ‘No’, ‘No Information’ is sometimes used (these question are slightly different and you look for opinions rather than facts).

Example:

Look at this statement, taken from the first sentence in the reading below:

Chiles originate in South America and have been eaten for at least 9,500 years.

Here are some example IELTS True False Not Given statements with answers:

• Chiles come from South America – T
• People began eating Chiles in the last few centuries – F
• South Americans were the first people to start eating Chiles – NG

Number one is clearly true. Notice the use of the synonym ‘come from‘ used instead of ‘originates‘. It is common to use different words.

Two is clearly false as it was 9,500 years ago, not a few 100 years ago.

Three is not in the text. Be careful about making assumptions then thinking it is true. It is quite probable the South Americans began eating Chiles first as they originated there; however, you can’t be sure of that and the text does not tell you that.

IELTS True False Not Given – Practice

Now, read the following text and answer the questions to the right of the reading using the drop down menu to choose True, False, or Not Given.

An explanation of the answers is provided below.

Do the following statements agree with the information in the text? Mark them:

• T if the statement agrees with the text
• F if the statement does not agree with the text
• NG if there is no information about this in the text

Chilies

Chiles originate in South America and have been eaten for at least 9,500 years. Organised cultivation began around 5,400BC. Christopher Columbus was the first European to encounter chilies, when he landed on the island of Hispaniola in 1492. He thought it was a type of pepper and called it the “red pepper”, a name still used today. After their introduction to Europe they were an immediate sensation and were quickly incorporated into the diet. From there they spread to Africa, India and East Asia.

The reason for the chili’s “hotness” lies in a chemical called Capsaisin. Capsaisin causes temporary irritation to the trigeminal cells, which are the pain receptors in the mouth, nose and throat. After the pain messages are transmitted to the brain, endorphins, natural pain killers, are released and these not only kill the pain but give the chili eater a short lived natural high. Other side effects include: an increased heart rate, a running nose and increased salivation and sweating, which can have a cooling effect in hot climates.

The reason for the presence of Capsaisin is thought to be to deter animals from eating the fruit. Only mammals feel the burning effects; birds feel nothing. As birds are a better method of distributing the seeds, which pass intact through their guts, Capsaisin would seem to be a result of natural selection.

The smaller chilies tend to be the hottest. This may reflect the fact that they tend to grow closer to the ground and are therefore more vulnerable to animals. The heat of a chili is measured on the Scoville scale. The hottest types such as the Habenero and the Scotch Bonnet rate between 100,000 and 300,000, the world famous Tabasco sauceÒ rates at 15,000 to 30,000, about the same as the Thai prik khee nu, while the popular Jalapeno is between 5,000 and 15,000. Powdered chili is 500 to 1,000 and the mild capsicins and paprikas can range between 100 and 0. (325words)

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IELTS True False Not Given – Answers Discussion

Question 1

Chilies became popular as soon as they were brought into Europe – T

After their introduction to Europe they were an immediate sensation and were quickly incorporated into the diet.

There two statements are clearly saying the same thing. Notice the use of synonyms:

• Became popular = sensation
• As soon as = immediately
• Brought into = introduced

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Question 2

Capsaisin damages the mouth – F

Capsaisin causes temporary irritation the trigeminal cells.

This is false as the statement says ‘damage‘. This is not the same as a ‘temporary irritation‘.

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Question 3

Chilies can be part of a birds diet – T

Only mammals feel the burning effects; birds feel nothing. As birds are a better method of distributing the seeds, which pass intact through their guts

This is true as this section in the reading clearly tells us birds feel nothing (when they eat them) and they distribute them around when it leaves their body. So clearly chiles are eaten by birds. In other words, they can be a part of a bird’s diet.

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Question 4

All large chilies grow high off the ground – NG

The smaller chilies tend to be the hottest. This may reflect the fact that they tend to grow closer to the ground and are therefore more vulnerable to animals.

We are told her that small chiles grow closer to the ground. It can be assumed then that many of the large ones are higher off the ground.

However, it says ‘all large chiles’. We are not given any information to say all of them grow high off the ground. It’s possible some don’t, so we don’t know which means it is Not Given.

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Question 5

People breed chilies for their heat – NG

The heat of a chili is measured on the Scoville scale.

Again, this is Not Given. We are given some information about heat in this sentence and those that follow.

But these are just descriptions about how they are hot. We are not told specifically that this is the reason they are breezing them.

Source: HOPECO