You have found the right topic in a reading passage, but the statement still seems uncertain. Should you reject it, or is there simply too little information? The useful question is whether the text establishes the opposite of the claim.
The True / False / Not Given chapter in Jobin Thomas’s IELTS Academic Reading Book: 10 Authentic Test Sets with Answers, Tips, and Detailed Solutions focuses on text evidence. This guide develops that skill with an original fictional example rather than relying on background knowledge.
Read the whole claim, including its limits
A statement can match a topic but change a crucial detail: who did something, when it happened, how often it happened, or why. Underline the detail you must establish before you decide.
“The centre offered an evening workshop” differs from “The centre offered its first evening workshop.” The second statement introduces a historical claim. Evidence that one workshop happened does not establish whether earlier workshops existed.
Original reading practice
In March, the Westfield learning centre introduced an evening workshop. It ran on Tuesdays only. Twenty people registered, and twelve had previously attended a weekend class at the centre. The report did not explain why participants chose the evening workshop.
Look for evidence of the opposite
Consider “The March workshop ran on Thursdays.” The passage specifies Tuesdays only, so this claim conflicts with the text. You have a concrete reason for choosing False.
Now consider “The evening workshop cost less than the weekend class.” The passage gives no prices or price comparison. Neither the claim nor its opposite is established, so the answer is Not Given. A likely guess about evening-class prices would not supply the missing evidence.
Check three statements
1. Twelve participants had attended a weekend class at the centre.
2. All twenty participants had attended a weekend class at the centre.
3. Participants chose the workshop because it was cheaper.
Answers: 1 True: the passage states this number. 2 False: it gives twelve, not twenty. 3 Not Given: it explicitly leaves their reasons unexplained.
Do not treat a strong word as an automatic answer
Words such as “all,” “only” and “never” deserve attention because they narrow or strengthen a claim. They do not determine the answer by themselves. If the text supports an absolute statement, that statement can be true.
Likewise, “some” does not always explicitly mean “some but not all.” Read the surrounding information. A precise count, an exception or a direct restriction can establish a contradiction; a vague sentence may leave the stronger claim unresolved.
Separate missing evidence from a missed location
Not finding an answer immediately is not proof that the information is absent. Search for the relevant idea and its paraphrases, then read the surrounding sentences. A pronoun or contrast in the next sentence may contain the detail you need.
During practice review, write one short reason beside each answer: “supported by this detail,” “contradicted by this detail,” or “this comparison is not supplied.” This makes guessing visible and gives your next session a useful focus.
Explore IELTS Reading — Course 2 for the course connected to this book. For individual IELTS support, request online one-to-one dates and times around your duty shifts; your tutor confirms the lesson arrangements.
For the official task descriptions, see the IELTS Academic Reading format guide.
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IELTS Reading — Course 2
Explore the complete course outline and related practice topics.
Source: 9 IELTS Reading.epub, Jobins Training. Examples labelled original or illustrative were written for this article. Independent exam preparation; no affiliation with or endorsement by the examining body. Practice does not predict an official score.