IELTS Reading Yes/No/Not Given vs True/False/Not Given: When You'll See Each
Quick answer: True/False/Not Given is used when the passage states facts (descriptive or explanatory passages). Yes/No/Not Given is used when the passage states opinions or arguments (review or debate passages). Both use the same decision tree, but YNNG requires you to verify the writer's stance, not external truth.
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How IELTS chooses TFNG vs YNNG
TFNG appears with descriptive passages: how the Antikythera mechanism worked, why coral reefs are bleaching, the history of glass-making. The statements you must verify are factual claims about the world.
YNNG appears with argument-led passages: a writer's review of educational technology, a critique of urban planning policy, an analysis of language acquisition theories. The statements verify the writer's beliefs, not facts.
On test day you'll see one type per passage at most, and only in some passages. Read the question instruction line carefully — it explicitly says "Do the following statements agree with the information given" (TFNG) or "with the views of the writer" (YNNG).
Why the distinction matters strategically
For TFNG you can rely on stated facts. For YNNG you must locate where the WRITER expresses their stance and ignore views the writer is merely reporting.
Reported views often appear with verbs like "argue", "claim", "suggest", "contend" attributed to a third party. The writer may agree, disagree, or remain neutral on these views — the question tests YOUR ability to detect which.
Writers signal their own views with phrases like "in my view", "the evidence overwhelmingly suggests", "this is misguided because", or by extended endorsements/refutations of a position.
Decision tree adapted for YNNG
Step 1: locate the topic of the question statement.
Step 2: identify whose view the passage attributes that topic to. Is it the writer's own, or someone the writer is reporting?
Step 3: if the writer endorses the position, and the statement matches → Yes. If the writer refutes the position → No. If the writer reports without endorsing or refuting → Not Given.
Underline reporting verbs (argue, claim, suggest) and compare their subject — the writer or a third party — every time you see them in a YNNG passage.
Worked example
Passage extract: "Pinker argues that language is innate, citing the cross-cultural similarities of grammar acquisition. While this position has dominated cognitive linguistics for two decades, recent corpus evidence has begun to undermine it."
Statement A: "Pinker believes language is innate." → Yes (the writer reports Pinker's view).
Statement B: "The writer believes language is innate." → No (the writer signals reservation through "has begun to undermine it").
Statement C: "Innateness theories have been refuted." → Not Given (the passage says they have been undermined, not refuted; this is a scope difference).
Common errors specific to YNNG
Error 1: confusing reported view with writer's view. If the passage attributes the view to a third party and the writer doesn't endorse it, the writer's view is Not Given.
Error 2: assuming silence equals disagreement. If the writer doesn't discuss a view, the answer is Not Given, not No.
Error 3: relying on tone alone. "While this position has dominated" sounds neutral; it requires further reading to detect the writer's actual stance.
Practice approach for YNNG
Find argument-led passages in past Cambridge tests (typically Passage 3, where the topic is humanities or social science).
Highlight every reporting verb and its subject. Then highlight the writer's first-person or evaluative language.
Drill 4–5 YNNG blocks and compare your error pattern. Most candidates over-pick No when they should pick Not Given — a fixable bias once recognised.
Practice this with WitPrep
Reading about IELTS only gets you so far — band gains come from rubric-graded practice. Open the IELTS Reading drills to drill this exact skill with band-by-band feedback. If you have not yet baselined your level, start with the free IELTS diagnostic (free, ~10 min).
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do TFNG and YNNG appear together in the same passage?
No. A passage uses one or the other, never both.
Can the same answer be both False and No?
No. False is for fact-based contradiction; No is for opinion-based contradiction. The instruction line tells you which framing to apply.
How do I know if a passage will use YNNG?
Look at the passage type: opinion essays and reviews use YNNG; descriptive science/history articles use TFNG.
Is YNNG harder than TFNG?
Marginally yes, because attribution adds a step. But the same 3-step decision tree works for both.
Are YNNG and TFNG marked equally?
Yes. One mark each, no negative marking.
Are answer codes Y/N/NG and T/F/NG interchangeable?
No. Use Y/N/NG for YNNG and T/F/NG for TFNG. Wrong code style is marked wrong.
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