IELTS True, False, Not Given practice: 8 questions with evidence
Practise with two original English passages and eight True, False or Not Given questions. Check your answers and review the evidence and explanations.
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Two passages, eight questions: find the evidence
Choose TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN using only the passage. Check your answers, then open the evidence and explanations below each passage.
These are fictional learning passages, not an official test or a band assessment. The passages and worked answers remain readable without JavaScript.
A community garden
The Brook Street garden opened in May 2022 on land previously used as a car park. During its first year, it was open only on Saturdays, from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon. In March 2023, the organisers added Sunday opening, with the same hours. Visitors do not pay an entrance fee. People who want their own growing space pay an annual charge. Twelve growing spaces were available when the garden opened; by the end of 2023, the number had risen to twenty. The organisers have not published information about the ages of the people renting these spaces.Answers, evidence and explanations
1. TRUE
Evidence: on land previously used as a car park
The past use of the site is stated directly. “Parking” paraphrases “car park”.
2. FALSE
Evidence: During its first year, it was open only on Saturdays
“Only” excludes Sunday during the first year. Sunday opening was added later.
3. FALSE
Evidence: Visitors do not pay an entrance fee.
The charge is for renting growing space, not for entering as a visitor.
4. NOT GIVEN
Evidence: have not published information about the ages
No ages or majority age group are provided. The number of spaces does not answer this question.
A repair workshop
A neighbourhood repair workshop began in a school hall in September 2024. Its volunteer team meets on the first Wednesday of each month. Residents book an appointment online before bringing an item; people without a booking cannot be seen that evening. The volunteers offer advice and help with simple repairs, but they do not repair microwave ovens. The service itself is free. If a replacement part is needed, the resident buys it. In January 2025, the team introduced a second session each month, on the third Wednesday. The organisers record the number of appointments but have not collected data on how much money residents save.Answers, evidence and explanations
5. TRUE
Evidence: Residents book an appointment online before bringing an item
The following sentence also confirms that visitors without a booking cannot be seen.
6. FALSE
Evidence: they do not repair microwave ovens
The text explicitly excludes microwave ovens. This is a contradiction, not missing information.
7. TRUE
Evidence: In January 2025, the team introduced a second session each month
The original first-Wednesday session was joined by a third-Wednesday session.
8. NOT GIVEN
Evidence: have not collected data on how much money residents save
No savings amount or average is given. A free service does not establish this numerical claim.
Many True, False and Not Given mistakes come from reading more into a passage than it says. You are not judging whether a statement is generally believable. You are identifying its relationship with the information actually provided.
Match the meaning of the whole claim
True means the information agrees with the statement. False means it contradicts the statement. Not Given means there is not enough information to establish agreement or contradiction. A missing identical keyword does not prove Not Given, because the passage may express the idea differently.
Check comparisons, time references, quantities and words such as all, only and always. A statement may contain an accurate first clause followed by an unsupported addition. Decide on the complete claim rather than matching a few familiar words.
Try an original example
Imagine a passage says that the university library is open from nine in the morning until eight in the evening on Saturdays. A statement saying it is open at seven on Saturday evening agrees. Saying it closes at six that evening contradicts it. Its Sunday closing time cannot be decided from that sentence.
Knowing what libraries usually do cannot answer the Sunday question. Similarly, access to a bus service does not establish how many students actually use it. Access, use and a majority are different claims. These examples were written for this guide and are not official exam questions.
Record evidence as part of review
After answering, identify the phrase that supports your decision. Label each error: paraphrase, number, time or an extra inference. If you marked False but cannot find a contradiction, reconsider whether you confused it with Not Given.
Practise one repeated error type without time pressure before trying a fresh timed passage. Repeating a remembered answer is not evidence of improved reading. Look for accuracy on new material and the ability to explain your answer using the text.
For your next session
- Read the complete statement.
- Find contradictory evidence for False.
- Do not use outside assumptions for Not Given.
- Describe the cause of each error.
A common question
Can a generally true statement still be Not Given?
Yes. Your answer depends on the passage, not on what you know about the wider world.
Sources and further reading
Check test-format information against the official sources below. Practice methods and examples in this guide are original suggestions.
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