IELTS Reading Yes / No / Not Given: Strategy, Traps and Practice

YES / NO / NOT GIVEN questions give you statements and ask whether each one agrees with the views or claims of the writer. They look like True / False / Not Given, but the focus moves from facts to opinions.

You will meet them on passages that present an argument. In Academic Reading that is often the last and most demanding passage, which usually has a set of five to seven of these statements.

What it tests

• Recognising the writer's position, not just the topic.
• Separating the writer's view from other people's views that the writer reports.
• Noticing how strongly the writer holds a view: certain, cautious, partly in agreement.
• Recognising paraphrase of opinions, which are often expressed through evaluative words rather than direct statements like "I think".

Answer	Meaning
YES	The statement agrees with the writer's views or claims.
NO	The statement contradicts the writer's views or claims.
NOT GIVEN	It is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this.

Step-by-step strategy

1. Confirm the instructions say YES / NO / NOT GIVEN. If so, you are hunting for opinions.
2. Skim the passage for the writer's overall stance. The introduction and conclusion usually show it most clearly.
3. Underline the key words and the attitude words in each statement, such as should, unfortunately, overestimated, the main reason.
4. Locate the part of the passage. Statements follow passage order.
5. Identify whose voice it is. Is this sentence the writer speaking, or a report of what researchers, critics or the public believe?
6. Compare both the opinion and its strength. A writer who says something is partly responsible does not agree that it is the main cause.
7. Choose NOT GIVEN when the writer discusses the topic but never reveals a view on the exact point in the statement.

Common traps

Traps that make a statement NOT GIVEN:

• Someone else's opinion. The statement matches the view of a person quoted in the passage, but the writer never says whether they share it.
• The right topic, a different question. The writer gives a view on the topic, but not on the specific claim in the statement, such as its cost, timing or who is responsible.
• An unsupported comparison. The writer praises something; the statement says it is better than or the best.
• A prediction the writer never makes. The writer comments on the present; the statement claims the writer expects something in the future.

Traps that make a statement NO:

• The view the writer rejects. The passage mentions a common belief, then argues against it. The statement repeats the belief.
• A changed strength of opinion. The writer is cautious (may help, in some cases); the statement is absolute (is the solution).
• A reversed evaluation. The writer calls a policy well-meant but ineffective; the statement says the writer thinks it works.

Try it: mini-example

This passage is original practice material written for Bee English.

The four-day week

Supporters of a four-day working week often point to trials in which staff reported feeling less stressed. Some economists go further and claim that shorter weeks will raise national productivity. I find the first finding convincing; the second seems to me premature. Most trials have been run by firms that volunteered, and such firms are likely to be well organised already. What the trials do show is that many office tasks fill whatever time is available. That alone is a good reason for managers to question long hours, although a four-day week is unlikely to suit every industry.

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer? Choose YES, NO or NOT GIVEN.

1. The reports of lower stress in trials are believable.
2. There is already enough evidence to say that shorter weeks raise national productivity.
3. The firms in most trials may not be typical of all companies.
4. The government should make the four-day week a legal requirement.
5. A four-day week will work in every industry.

Answers and explanations

1. YES. The writer says "I find the first finding convincing".
2. NO. This is the economists' claim. The writer calls it "premature", meaning the evidence is not yet strong enough. This is the view the writer rejects trap.
3. YES. The writer notes that most trial firms volunteered and are "likely to be well organised already", which means they may not represent all companies.
4. NOT GIVEN. The writer talks about what managers should question, but says nothing about laws or government. This is the right topic, a different question trap.
5. NO. The writer says a four-day week is "unlikely to suit every industry". The statement makes the opposite, absolute claim. This is the changed strength of opinion trap.

Related guides

• IELTS Reading: complete guide
• True / False / Not Given
• Reading multiple choice
• Writing Task 2 essays

Sources

• IELTS, Academic Reading format and question types
• IELTS, General Training Reading format