📘 IELTS Reading: How to Answer True / False / Not Given & Yes / No / Not Given
🎯 What’s the Difference?
| Question Type | What it's Testing |
|---|---|
| True / False / Not Given | Factual statements in the passage |
| Yes / No / Not Given | The writer’s opinions or claims |
🧠 Strategy: Step-by-Step
✅ 1. Understand the Statement
Read each statement carefully. Think about its meaning—not just individual words.
✅ 2. Turn it into a Yes/No Question
Rephrase the statement as a question you can answer with Yes or No.
Example:
📄 Statement: Many bees do not live in hives.
❓ Rephrased: Do all bees live in hives?
→ Answer: No (because some bees are solitary)
✅ 3. Scan the Passage for the Relevant Part
Find the part of the passage that relates to the keywords. Then read that section carefully.
✅ 4. Choose: TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
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TRUE / YES = The statement agrees with the text
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FALSE / NO = The statement contradicts the text
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NOT GIVEN = The information is not mentioned at all (even partly)
⚠️ Common Mistake:
If you can’t find a clear match or contradiction, the answer is usually NOT GIVEN—don’t assume or guess based on background knowledge.
📝 IELTS-Style Reading Text (Approx. 800 words)
Title: The Urban Fox
Foxes have long been associated with rural landscapes, weaving silently through forests and farmland. But in the last 50 years, a remarkable shift has occurred. Red foxes are now a common sight in cities across the UK, particularly in London, where their numbers are estimated to exceed 10,000. While many city-dwellers are surprised or even delighted to see foxes trotting along quiet streets or digging through garden compost bins, others are less enthusiastic.
Urban environments offer many advantages to foxes. Gardens, parks, and bins provide abundant food. Foxes are highly adaptable omnivores, capable of eating everything from insects and berries to discarded takeaways and pet food. Because of their flexible diet, city foxes often enjoy better nutrition than their countryside cousins. They also benefit from a lack of predators and milder winter temperatures thanks to urban microclimates.
Research suggests that urban foxes are not just surviving—they are evolving. A study conducted by the University of Bristol found that city foxes tend to have shorter snouts and smaller brains than rural foxes. These changes may reflect adaptations to a more sedentary lifestyle and reliance on human food sources. However, despite these differences, city and country foxes are still considered the same species and can interbreed freely.
Opinions about urban foxes are deeply divided. Some see them as charming examples of nature coexisting with modern life. Others consider them pests. Critics cite their tendency to dig up flowerbeds, make noise at night, and occasionally attack pets, though such incidents are rare. In fact, most experts agree that foxes are not dangerous to humans. Cases of foxes biting people are extremely unusual and usually occur only when the animal feels trapped or threatened.
Local councils vary in their approach to urban foxes. Some encourage residents to secure bins and avoid feeding foxes. Others have introduced deterrents such as noise emitters or fencing. Culling is rare and controversial, with most experts arguing that it does not solve the problem long-term. Fox populations tend to rebound quickly unless the food supply is permanently removed.
Interestingly, despite their reputation for cunning, foxes are not especially intelligent compared to other canids. In intelligence tests, dogs and even wolves often outperform foxes in problem-solving tasks. Nevertheless, foxes are highly resourceful and can quickly learn how to open containers, find shelter, and avoid humans.
Foxes are also surprisingly clean animals. They spend a large amount of time grooming themselves, and their dens are generally free from waste. Unlike rats or raccoons, foxes do not carry a high risk of transmitting diseases to humans. However, they can carry parasites such as fleas and ticks, which is why experts advise against handling them.
In the end, whether foxes are viewed as invaders or survivors may depend on one's broader attitude toward urban wildlife. As cities continue to grow, so too will the presence of animals that learn to adapt alongside us.
❓ Practice: 8 Question Task
Instructions: Do the statements agree with the information in the passage?
Write:
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TRUE if the statement agrees with the text
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FALSE if the statement contradicts the text
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NOT GIVEN if there is no information
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Some foxes live in cities instead of the countryside.
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Urban foxes are more likely to be attacked by predators than rural foxes.
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City foxes are less intelligent than country foxes.
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All councils in the UK cull foxes regularly.
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Foxes can sometimes make loud noises at night.
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Urban foxes cannot breed with rural foxes.
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People should not try to touch foxes.
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Foxes are cleaner animals than rats.
✅ Answer Key + Explanations
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TRUE
➡ The text says foxes are now “a common sight in cities,” especially in London. -
FALSE
➡ Urban foxes benefit from “a lack of predators,” unlike those in rural areas. -
NOT GIVEN
➡ It says urban foxes have smaller brains, but it doesn’t state that they are less intelligent overall. -
FALSE
➡ The text says culling is rare and controversial, not common. -
TRUE
➡ “Critics cite... noise at night” as one reason some people dislike foxes. -
FALSE
➡ The passage says they “can interbreed freely.” -
TRUE
➡ People are advised not to handle foxes due to parasites like fleas and ticks. -
TRUE
➡ “Foxes are surprisingly clean... unlike rats or raccoons.”
