What is the difference between Yes/No/Not Given and True/False/Not Given?

True/False/Not Given tests factual information — events, data, and descriptions of how the world is. The question asks: 'Do the statements agree with the information in the passage?' Yes/No/Not Given tests the writer's personal opinions, views, and recommendations. The question asks: 'Do the statements agree with the claims of the writer?' The answer method is different. For T/F/NG, look for facts. For Y/N/NG, look for the writer's expressed opinion.

How do I know if I'm looking at Y/N/NG or T/F/NG?

Read the instruction box above the questions. T/F/NG says: 'Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?' Y/N/NG says: 'Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer?' The word 'information' = facts = T/F/NG. The word 'claims' = opinions = Y/N/NG. Never assume — always check the instruction.

What counts as the writer's opinion in Y/N/NG?

The writer's own opinion is expressed through: evaluative adjectives (significant, problematic, vital, effective), recommendation language (should, must, needs to), and opinion verbs (argues that, believes, contends, maintains). Crucially, if the writer reports what someone ELSE thinks (researchers claim that, critics argue that), that is NOT the writer's opinion — it is attributed opinion, which usually leads to a NOT GIVEN answer.

Can Y/N/NG and T/F/NG appear in the same test?

Yes — they can appear in the same paper, even in the same passage. Each question group has its own instruction box. Read each one. It is possible to have one group asking for True/False/Not Given and a second group in the same passage asking for Yes/No/Not Given.

What is the most common mistake in Y/N/NG?

Treating a third-party opinion as the writer's own. If the passage says 'Professor Smith argues that carbon taxes are counterproductive,' and a statement says 'The writer believes carbon taxes are counterproductive,' the answer is NOT GIVEN — because the writer reports Smith's view without endorsing it. Only statements where the writer themselves directly evaluates or recommends something can be YES or NO.

Reading11 min read·Updated June 5, 2026

IELTS Reading Yes No Not Given: How to Spot the Writer's Opinion

Yes/No/Not Given tests the writer's opinions, not facts. Learn the exact difference from True/False/Not Given, how to find opinion signals, and practise 6 questions.

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IELTS Reading Yes No Not Given strategy showing writer opinion signals and practice questions

Written by mockDe Editorial Team· IELTS preparation specialists

Last Updated June 5, 2026

11 min read

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IELTS Reading Practice

Key Takeaways

YES/NO/NG tests the writer's opinions. TRUE/FALSE/NG tests facts. They need different strategies.
The instruction box tells you which type you have: 'information' = T/F/NG. 'claims of the writer' = Y/N/NG.
YES: the statement agrees with the writer's own expressed view.
NO: the statement directly contradicts the writer's view.
NOT GIVEN: the writer does not express a view on the specific claim — or the claim is attributed to someone else.
Reported opinions ('researchers claim that...') are NOT the writer's own view — they usually lead to NOT GIVEN.

What is Yes No Not Given in IELTS Reading?

Yes/No/Not Given tests whether statements agree with the writer's personal opinions, recommendations, or claims — not objective facts. YES means the writer agrees. NO means the writer disagrees. NOT GIVEN means the writer doesn't express a view on that specific point.

Look for the writer's own evaluative language: significant, problematic, should, must, argues
Reported views ('critics say...') are NOT the writer's opinion
NOT GIVEN is correct when the writer does not personally address the claim
Always check the instruction box — 'claims of the writer' confirms Y/N/NG

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Part of the IELTS Reading cluster

IELTS Reading: The Complete Blueprint

What is Yes / No / Not Given?

An IELTS Reading question type where you decide whether statements agree with the writer's own opinions and claims. YES = agrees with the writer's view. NO = contradicts it. NOT GIVEN = the writer does not address the specific claim.

This is different from True/False/Not Given, which tests factual information. Y/N/NG only appears in passages where the writer expresses personal views — essays, opinion articles, and analytical texts.

What Is Yes No Not Given?

Yes/No/Not Given looks almost identical to True/False/Not Given. Same format, same layout, same number of questions. But it tests something completely different.

T/F/NG asks: does the passage state this fact? Y/N/NG asks: does the writer personally agree with this?

The difference matters because a passage can contain facts the writer disagrees with, and opinions that cannot be verified as facts. Using the T/F/NG method on a Y/N/NG question leads to consistent errors.

Yes/No/NG vs True/False/NG: The Exact Difference

Verified: IELTS.org — Question Types

Feature	True / False / Not Given	Yes / No / Not Given
What it tests	Facts, data, events, descriptions	The writer's opinions, recommendations, beliefs
Instruction wording	'...agree with the information...'	'...agree with the claims of the writer...'
Appears in	Any passage type	Opinion articles, analytical essays, argument texts
Key question	Did the passage state this fact?	Does the writer personally hold this view?
Reported views	Can be True/False depending on what's reported	Views reported from others = usually NOT GIVEN
Hedging language	Important for False vs Not Given	Critical — 'may' vs 'must' changes YES to NO

For True/False/Not Given strategy including modal verb traps, see our dedicated True False Not Given guide.

How to Tell Which Type You Have

Before you answer anything, read the instruction box above the questions. It will say one of these two things:

True / False / Not Given

"Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?"

Key word: INFORMATION

Yes / No / Not Given

"Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer?"

Key word: CLAIMS OF THE WRITER

The 4-Step Method

1. Read the instruction — confirm it is Y/N/NG

Check for 'claims of the writer.' If you see it, you are in Y/N/NG mode. Change your mental approach from 'find the fact' to 'find the writer's own expressed view.'

2. Identify the specific claim in the statement

Underline the evaluative part — what position the statement is attributing to the writer. Is it a recommendation? A value judgment? A prediction the writer endorses?

3. Find the writer's own voice in the passage

Scan for evaluative language: adjectives like 'significant', 'problematic', 'effective'. Recommendation verbs: 'should', 'must', 'needs to'. Opinion verbs used in the first person or by the writer directly: 'argues that', 'believes', 'contends'.

4. Compare — but check attribution

If the writer directly expresses the view → compare to statement → YES or NO. If the view is attributed to someone else ('critics argue that...') → the writer has not personally endorsed it → usually NOT GIVEN.

How to Find the Writer's Opinion

Writers signal their own opinions with specific language patterns. Learn these and Y/N/NG becomes much easier.

Evaluative adjectives

significant, problematic, essential, vital, counterproductive, misguided, sound, effective, unnecessary

The writer evaluates something — this is their opinion.

Recommendation language

should, must, needs to, ought to, it is necessary that, it is important that

The writer recommends an action — this is their view.

Direct opinion verbs

I argue, I believe, I maintain, the author contends, in my view, it is clear that

Explicit markers of the writer's personal stance.

Concession + counter

While X may be true, Y is more important. Although critics argue X, the evidence suggests Y.

The Y clause after the contrast is the writer's actual view.

Attribution (NOT the writer's view) ⚠ trap

researchers claim that, critics argue that, some suggest that, proponents believe that

These report someone else's view. NOT GIVEN if the writer doesn't endorse it.

Practice: 6 Questions With Reveal

This passage is an opinion article — the writer's own views are clearly expressed. For each statement, decide: does it agree with the writer's opinion (YES), contradict it (NO), or is it not addressed (NOT GIVEN)?

Passage

The future of urban public transport

The proliferation of ride-hailing apps has undoubtedly transformed urban mobility. Yet the assumption that these services represent a net improvement in city transport deserves serious scrutiny. The evidence increasingly suggests that ride-hailing increases total vehicle kilometres travelled rather than replacing private car ownership, and contributes to congestion rather than alleviating it. City planners who view these platforms as partners in sustainable transport are, in my view, making a significant strategic error.

Investment in mass rapid transit — metro systems, light rail, and high-frequency bus services — remains the only proven mechanism for moving large numbers of urban residents efficiently and with low per-passenger emissions. Scandinavian cities demonstrate this clearly: Oslo and Stockholm have maintained car ownership rates well below the European average precisely because their public transport networks make car ownership largely unnecessary.

Cycling infrastructure, while politically contentious in many cities, deserves far greater prioritisation than it currently receives. The health benefits to cycling commuters are well-documented, and the infrastructure cost per commuter is a fraction of that required for equivalent road or rail capacity. Resistance from existing road users should not be allowed to obstruct what is clearly a sound long-term investment.

The argument that behaviour change is unrealistic — that people will never voluntarily give up private cars — underestimates the power of well-designed incentive structures. Congestion pricing, when introduced in cities including London and Stockholm, produced measurable and sustained reductions in private vehicle use. Governments that dismiss such mechanisms as politically unacceptable are prioritising short-term electoral concerns over long-term urban wellbeing.

Statement 1

"Ride-hailing apps have had a negative effect on urban traffic congestion."

Statement 2

"City planners generally view ride-hailing platforms as harmful to city transport."

Statement 3

"Oslo has a lower car ownership rate than most other European cities."

Statement 4

"Opposition from car users should be given serious consideration before expanding cycling infrastructure."

Statement 5

"Congestion pricing schemes have been implemented in more than ten cities worldwide."

Statement 6

"Governments that reject congestion pricing are putting short-term politics ahead of urban residents' long-term interests."