Problem: three question types cause most Reading losses — headings (detail-traps), multiple choice (distractor polish), True/False/Not Given (NG blindness). Answer in brief: each has a decision rule: headings match paragraph jobs, multiple choice eliminates three distractors with evidence, TFNG separates false (contradicted) from Not Given (absent). This guide teaches all three rules with a worked TFNG drill, and IELTS Reading — Course 2 trains the trio across 15 topic sections.
Matching headings: jobs, not details
Summarise each paragraph’s function in five words (“argues cities need density”, “describes experiment method”), then match functions to headings. Detail-matching (“mentions bicycles → heading about transport”) fails because details illustrate jobs rather than naming them. Unused headings exist — expect them, never force-fit. First and last sentences carry jobs most often; middle carries evidence.
Multiple choice: eliminate with evidence
Read the stem, predict the answer direction, then eliminate three options with passage evidence quoted per elimination. Distractors come in flavours: true-but-irrelevant (passage says it, question does not ask it), extreme (always/never vs passage’s qualified claim), half-right (first clause true, second invented). Elimination with evidence beats selection by feeling every time.
Master the trio supervised? The full IELTS Reading — Course 2 teaches matching headings, multiple choice and True/False/Not Given across 15 topic sections with 57 lessons and practice tests. Explore the course →
True/False/Not Given: the separation rule
True: passage states it (paraphrased). False: passage contradicts it — find the contradicting words. Not Given: passage neither states nor contradicts — the information is absent. The NG blindness: writers choose False for absent information. Test: can you point at contradicting text? Yes → False. No → Not Given. Comparatives and quantities (“most”, “all”, numbers) flip True to False most often — check them first.
Worked TFNG drill (4 statements)
Fictional passage lines, newly written (urban trees): (1) “Trees were planted in 2010” vs passage “planting began in 2010” → True (paraphrase). (2) “All streets now have trees” vs “most central streets…” → False (all ≠ most — contradicting quantifier). (3) “The programme cost £2m” vs no cost mentioned → Not Given (absent, not contradicted). (4) “Residents opposed the scheme” vs “residents welcomed…” → False. Four decisions, four pointed evidences — the separation rule applied.
FAQs
What order for the trio?
TFNG first (sequential, confidence-building), multiple choice second, headings last (needs whole-paragraph view). Within passages, follow the paper’s order — jumping wastes relocation time.
Why is Not Given so hard?
Brains prefer deciding to suspending. Train suspension explicitly: practice sets of pure NG items until absence-recognition feels as decisive as contradiction-spotting.
What is in the course?
Fifteen topic sections on matching headings, multiple choice and True/False/Not Given, 57 lessons and practice tests.
The matching course
IELTS Reading — Course 2 rules the decision trio: jobs, elimination, separation — 15 topic sections, 57 lessons, practice tests. If these three types leak marks, seal them here.
Sources and note
- IELTS Reading format per ielts.org — Reading format. Check current guidance before the test.
- Course details verified from its public staging page (read-only): 15 topic sections, 57 lessons, practice tests.
- Examples are newly written; other valid structures exist.
Put this into practice
Compare these course outlines and choose the practice that matches your next goal.
