True, False or Not Given
Distinguish FALSE from NOT GIVEN using the exact scope of a statement.
See the connection first.
- 01Identify the exact claim
- 02Find matching evidence
- 03Check scope and certainty
TRUEThe claim agrees with the evidence.
FALSEThe passage contradicts the claim.
NOT GIVENThe information needed is missing.
Micro-passage: A museum tested free entry on the first Sunday of each month.
All other Sundays kept the usual charge.
Staff recorded 120 visits on the first free day but did not ask visitors where they lived.
Classify: 1. Every Sunday was free.
2. The first free day attracted 120 visits.
3. Most visitors lived nearby.
Support your choice.
A college surveyed 60 passengers on its evening shuttle. Forty-two said they would use it again. Students who did not use the shuttle were not surveyed.Reading practice
Read the passage
When a library stays open
In the fictional town of Bellwick, the central library tested evening opening hours during a twelve-week winter pilot. Before the pilot, it closed at six on weekdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, closing time was extended to nine. No other branches changed their hours.
Library staff counted entries rather than individual visitors. A person who left and returned could therefore appear twice in the totals. Staff confirmed that some visitors were counted more than once after leaving and returning. Tuesday entries after six rose from 38 in the first week to 61 in the final week, although this did not show whether the same people returned regularly. Staff did not collect visitors' ages or employment status.
A voluntary questionnaire produced 84 responses. Several respondents said that evening access helped them find a quiet place to study. Others valued being able to use a printer after work. Because the questionnaire was available only inside the building, it could not capture the views of residents who never visited. The council decided to extend the pilot into spring before making a permanent decision.
Practice questions
Choose TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN. Use only the passage.
Review your approach
Check your answers in Practice, then reflect on your approach here.
Notice the difference
Common trapChoosing FALSE because a claim sounds unlikely.
Better approachRequire a sentence that conflicts with it. An unsupported guess about the real world cannot establish FALSE.
Common trapIgnoring the difference between entries and people.
Better approachWrite the measured unit beside each figure before comparing the statement with the passage.
Take it further
New passage: A college tested a weekend shuttle for six weeks. It ran on Saturdays only. A survey of 40 passengers found that 28 would use it again. Non-users were not surveyed. Decide TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN: 1. The shuttle operated on Sundays. 2. Twenty-eight surveyed passengers said they would use it again. 3. Most college students wanted the service. Give a reason for each answer.
Try your own response below before opening the example. Then compare and revise; this is self-practice, not a scored submission.
Review the example and improve it
The number 28 supports a claim about surveyed passengers only. It cannot establish a majority among the entire college. The missing denominator is the whole student population, together with its preferences.
Revise once moreChange statement 3 so that it becomes TRUE without adding information. Then explain why “most surveyed passengers” is narrower than “most college students”.
Finish the lesson
Find the mistake · try again
Recheck r3: underline the exact population and the missing proportion. Rewrite the claim so the passage supports it, then explain why your original claim cannot be labelled FALSE.
First answer → missed evidence → corrected answer. Tomorrow, try again before reading the explanation.
Final checklist
- I can quote the evidence for TRUE or FALSE.
- I do not replace missing information with common knowledge.