Welcome, Reading Detective!
Have you ever played a detective game where you have to look for clues and decide what really happened? True / False / Not Given questions are just like detective puzzles! In your English reading comprehension tests, you will often meet statements about a story, a notice, an email, or an article. Your job is to check the text carefully and decide whether each statement is correct, incorrect, or completely missing.
Don't worry if these questions seem a little tricky at first. With a few simple detective tricks, you will be able to solve them with confidence every single time!
Note: For other question types like Wh-questions or Reference words, be sure to check those specific chapters in our Reading Comprehension study notes!
The Three Big Choices: What Do They Really Mean?
Let's break down the three possible answers in very simple words:
1. TRUE: "Yes, the text says this!"
A statement is TRUE when the information in the text matches the statement completely. The text might use slightly different words (called synonyms), but the meaning is 100% the same.
Example:
Text: "Timmy has a brown puppy named Buster."
Statement: "Timmy's dog Buster is brown."
Result: TRUE (A puppy is a dog, and the colour matches exactly!)
2. FALSE: "No, the text says something different or opposite!"
A statement is FALSE when the text directly disagrees with it. There is clear proof in the passage that the statement is wrong.
Example:
Text: "Timmy takes Buster to the park every Saturday morning."
Statement: "Timmy visits the park on Sundays."
Result: FALSE (The text says Saturday, so Sunday is incorrect!)
3. NOT GIVEN: "Wait, the text does not tell me this!"
A statement is NOT GIVEN (sometimes called DOES NOT SAY) when the text does not give you enough information to say if it is True or False. The author simply did not write about it!
Example:
Text: "Timmy gives Buster tasty dog biscuits after their walk."
Statement: "Buster loves chicken biscuits the best."
Result: NOT GIVEN (We know Buster eats biscuits, but does the text say they are chicken biscuits? No! It might be true, or it might be false, but the text never tells us.)
Key Takeaway for this Section:
TRUE = The text clearly agrees.
FALSE = The text clearly disagrees.
NOT GIVEN = The text does not tell you one way or the other.
The 3-Step Detective Strategy
Follow these three steps every time you face a True / False / Not Given question:
Step 1: Underline the "Clue Words" in the Statement
Look at the question statement first before hunting through the whole story. Underline key words such as:
• Names of people or pets (e.g., Mr. Lee, May, Mimi)
• Days, dates, or times (e.g., Friday, 4:00 p.m., morning)
• Places (e.g., Hong Kong Park, school hall, library)
• Special objects or actions (e.g., baking a cake, red bicycle)
Step 2: Scan the Passage to Find the Matching Sentence
Use your finger or pencil to move quickly down the passage. Do not read every single word again—just look out for your clue words or words that mean the same thing. When you spot them, stop!
Step 3: Read Around the Clue and Compare Carefully
Read the whole sentence where you found the clue word, as well as the sentence right before and right after it. Ask yourself:
1. Does the passage clearly say this happened? \(\implies\) TRUE
2. Does the passage say the opposite or a different fact? \(\implies\) FALSE
3. Is this specific detail missing from the passage? \(\implies\) NOT GIVEN
Key Takeaway for this Section:
Always find the exact sentence in the text first! Never guess just by reading the question statement.
Let's Practise Together!
Read this short notice about a school event and see how our 3-step strategy works.
Notice: Green Day at Sunny Primary School
Sunny Primary School will hold its annual Green Day on Friday, 12th May. All students should wear green T-shirts instead of their normal school uniforms. During the morning recess, Primary 4 to Primary 6 pupils will plant flowers in the school garden. In the afternoon, there will be an exciting recycling game in the school hall. Parents are welcome to join the afternoon activities from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Question 1:
Statement: "Green Day takes place on a Friday."
• Clue words: Friday, Green Day
• What the text says: "...will hold its annual Green Day on Friday, 12th May."
• Thinking: The text clearly confirms Friday.
• Answer: TRUE
Question 2:
Statement: "Students should wear their normal school uniforms on Green Day."
• Clue words: school uniforms, wear
• What the text says: "All students should wear green T-shirts instead of their normal school uniforms."
• Thinking: The text says they wear green T-shirts instead of uniforms. That means they do not wear their normal uniforms!
• Answer: FALSE
Question 3:
Statement: "The school bought thirty flower pots for the garden."
• Clue words: thirty flower pots, garden
• What the text says: "...pupils will plant flowers in the school garden."
• Thinking: The text mentions planting flowers in the garden, but does it say they bought thirty pots? It doesn't mention pots or the number thirty at all!
• Answer: NOT GIVEN
Question 4:
Statement: "Parents can come to the school in the morning."
• Clue words: Parents, morning
• What the text says: "Parents are welcome to join the afternoon activities from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m."
• Thinking: The notice clearly says the afternoon, not the morning.
• Answer: FALSE
Common Traps to Watch Out For!
Examiners like to set little traps to see if you are paying close attention. Here are the three most common traps and how to beat them:
Trap 1: The "Real-World Knowledge" Trap
Always remember: You are only testing what is written on the page, NOT what you know in real life!
Imagine the passage says: "Pandas eat bamboo and live in cold mountain forests."
Statement: "Pandas are black and white."
In real life, pandas are indeed black and white. But did this passage mention their colour? No! So the correct answer from the text is NOT GIVEN. Rely only on the author's words!
Trap 2: The "100% Words" Trap
Pay special attention to small words that talk about quantity or how often something happens:
• Absolute words: all, every, always, never, only
• Partial words: some, many, often, sometimes, usually
Example:
Text: "Many children in Class 3A like playing football."
Statement: "All children in Class 3A like playing football."
Result: FALSE (Many does not mean all!)
Trap 3: The "Negative Word" Trap
Watch out for words that flip the meaning of a sentence, such as not, never, seldom, without, neither, or prefixes like un- (e.g., unhappy) and dis- (e.g., dislike).
Example:
Text: "Sam was unhappy with his cold soup."
Statement: "Sam enjoyed his warm soup."
Result: FALSE (The words unhappy and cold mean the exact opposite of enjoyed and warm!)
Quick Memory Aid: The "Traffic Light" Rule
Whenever you need to make up your mind, picture a traffic light:
• GREEN LIGHT (TRUE): Go ahead! The text clearly says "YES" to the statement.
• RED LIGHT (FALSE): Stop! The text says "NO" or gives opposite information.
• YELLOW LIGHT (NOT GIVEN): Wait and look around! You cannot find the answer anywhere in the text because the information was never written down.
Final Review Checklist
Before you hand in your test paper, quickly ask yourself:
1. Did I underline the clue words in the question?
2. Did I locate the exact sentence in the passage?
3. Did I check for tricky words like all, some, always, never?
4. Am I answering based ONLY on what the passage says, rather than my own general knowledge?
5. If the information is simply not there, did I choose NOT GIVEN instead of guessing?
Keep these simple rules in mind, and you will ace your reading comprehension tasks like a real detective!