IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Old Aug 17th 2008, 6:43 pm
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Default IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

As many of you know I managed to fail my first IELTS test last month on the reading section (scored 6 and needed 7). I am pretty sure I was let down as not really understanding the True / False / Not Given questions enough.

Basically, if the questions is true does that mean that it actually has to say that in clear text in the article.

For example. If it the article was "The cat was sitting on the corner of the mat", and the question said "The car was sat on the mat". Would this be true or not??

Or does the question have to be word for word the same as the article in order for it to be true etc?

Hope that makes sense? I've got 3 books on IELTS now and they all seem to contradict each other a bit on this area so I'm just looking for some support please
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Old Aug 17th 2008, 7:45 pm
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

I would say that from your example the cat was definitely sat on the mat!

If it said the cat was sat next to the mat then it would be false. If it said the cat was wearing a red hat whilst sat on the corner of the mat it would be not given. Hope this makes sense!
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Old Aug 17th 2008, 8:56 pm
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Originally Posted by Flan
I would say that from your example the cat was definitely sat on the mat!

If it said the cat was sat next to the mat then it would be false. If it said the cat was wearing a red hat whilst sat on the corner of the mat it would be not given. Hope this makes sense!
I would say- it is not given if the text does not clearly specify where the cat is sat on the mat.
It is not false because the cat could be sat on the corner. But it is not ture because it may be sat in the middle, therefore it is not given.

Last edited by clarinsred; Aug 17th 2008 at 8:57 pm. Reason: Sense?
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 1:27 am
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Hi,

I sat my test a few months ago, and this part was really worrying me, and low and behold almost all my reading sections where T/F/NG ones.

I think the best advice I can give is not to presume anything, dont presume the cat is sitting on the corner of the mat when it doesnt say that, i think unless the question is specific to the text then always say Not given.

Im not sure if people agree with this, but this was my stratergy going in to the test and I scored 8 in the reading section, so I am imaging it worked.

Goodluck and keep revising, it really is a tricky test.

Best of luck
KatieX
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 2:09 am
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Originally Posted by welshoz
Hi,

I sat my test a few months ago, and this part was really worrying me, and low and behold almost all my reading sections where T/F/NG ones.

I think the best advice I can give is not to presume anything, dont presume the cat is sitting on the corner of the mat when it doesnt say that, i think unless the question is specific to the text then always say Not given.

Im not sure if people agree with this, but this was my stratergy going in to the test and I scored 8 in the reading section, so I am imaging it worked.

Goodluck and keep revising, it really is a tricky test.

Best of luck
KatieX

Exactly, you have said that, not to presume when you're reading. Even not being an English native (Spanish is my first language) I scored 8 in reading as well.

Daniel
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 7:44 am
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

OH got an IIELTS notes book off ebay which helped him enormously. He got 9s and but one 8.5 for listening (obviously as he's a bloke!).
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 8:30 am
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Thanks. I passed all my sections apart from the reading which was a shock.

One of the questions I got on my test was was about some pollution in London. It said in the article

"the pollution in the air mixed with the soot from the fires combined to form sulphuric acid which people breathed in, and was responsible for the majority of deaths."

The question then said "a majority of people died because they breathed in sulphuric acid."

No i would say this is false because the article said it was a combination of sulphuric acid and soot so it would be false yeah?
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 8:56 am
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Originally Posted by AndyR
Thanks. I passed all my sections apart from the reading which was a shock.

One of the questions I got on my test was was about some pollution in London. It said in the article

"the pollution in the air mixed with the soot from the fires combined to form sulphuric acid which people breathed in, and was responsible for the majority of deaths."

The question then said "a majority of people died because they breathed in sulphuric acid."

No i would say this is false because the article said it was a combination of sulphuric acid and soot so it would be false yeah?
I would say True because the the soot caused sulphuric acid! E.g "the pollution COMBINED with the soot to FORM sulphuric acid" therefore the soot has changed form. So it is true that the majority of people died from breathing in sulphuric acid.

I also still believe that it is true (in your original example) that the cat was sat on the mat! Just because the question doesn't specify whereabouts on the mat, it doesn't negate the fact that the cat is sat on the mat in the first place!! I also scored full marks in the reading section! It wouldn't be 'not given' because the original text did tell you that the cat was in fact sat on the mat - it just provided you with additional information too.

To be honest, I would stay away from asking questions like this because if you get differing responses you may end up more confused and end up doubting your own answers!!!
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 9:55 am
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Originally Posted by AndyR
Thanks. I passed all my sections apart from the reading which was a shock.

One of the questions I got on my test was was about some pollution in London. It said in the article

"the pollution in the air mixed with the soot from the fires combined to form sulphuric acid which people breathed in, and was responsible for the majority of deaths."
The question then said "a majority of people died because they breathed in sulphuric acid."

No i would say this is false because the article said it was a combination of sulphuric acid and soot so it would be false yeah?
I said true to this when I had it, because the text identifies people breathing in the sulphric acid as a cause of death.
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 12:04 pm
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

OK thanks everyone. I'm proper confused still but hey I'll give it another try.

I think its a bit unfair really these type of questions. I've shown the books I have to a few people and they all come up with different answers....

The reason I said false to the acid question was I'd been told it has to be EXACTLY as it says in the article, which this wasn't so this explains why i failed the reading part as I most likely got all of these wrong.
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 12:09 pm
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Originally Posted by AndyR
One of the questions I got on my test was was about some pollution in London...
Ah, I remember that one

The NG answers are more difficult. I don't actually remember the rule of thumb that I learned to deal with them (it was something about whether the text contains the answer exactly as it's given), but I do remember working out how many of the marks each question represented, and it's a small amount. Rather than agonize about the NGs, concentrate on practising the other parts of the test so that it doesn't matter if you drop a mark or two on the NGs.

Cheers
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 12:45 pm
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Originally Posted by benlast
Ah, I remember that one

The NG answers are more difficult. I don't actually remember the rule of thumb that I learned to deal with them (it was something about whether the text contains the answer exactly as it's given), but I do remember working out how many of the marks each question represented, and it's a small amount. Rather than agonize about the NGs, concentrate on practising the other parts of the test so that it doesn't matter if you drop a mark or two on the NGs.

Cheers
b
There is some logic in there. Try not to overthink the question basically, if the question has a direct answer in the text (rephrased perhaps), then it is True. If it says the opposite, then it is False. Anything else is Not Given, even if it begs to be True/False, i.e. Smoking is bad, eh? - not in the text - NG.

NJ
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 1:11 pm
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Originally Posted by benlast
Ah, I remember that one

The NG answers are more difficult. I don't actually remember the rule of thumb that I learned to deal with them (it was something about whether the text contains the answer exactly as it's given), but I do remember working out how many of the marks each question represented, and it's a small amount. Rather than agonize about the NGs, concentrate on practising the other parts of the test so that it doesn't matter if you drop a mark or two on the NGs.

Cheers
b
Good point actually.

Thanks for everyone's help!

Cross your fingers for me on 6th Sept please
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 3:37 pm
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Originally Posted by AndyR
Good point actually.

Thanks for everyone's help!

Cross your fingers for me on 6th Sept please
We will AndyR.

Just to give you a bit of encouragement I failed my IELTS first time around as I had one of those bad days when 28 out of 40 questions were T/F/NG in my test.
I passed the second time, but I studied hard. (and english is not my first language)
I wouldn't have done it without the website below. I paid I think some money, but the guy who runs it, (in Oz) was very good at responding to my e-mails when I was stuck, and the literature on his website is very comprehensive ref TFNG.
www.scottsenglish.com (btw I am not in anyway related to this website, but I had bought so many books the first time around and cds and checked various websites and nothing worked until I joined this.
YOu will be fine anyway, If I find any thing in my home pc in relation to those questions I will e-mail those to you.
It's heartbreaking but you will be fine.
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Old Aug 18th 2008, 4:00 pm
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Default Re: IELTS - T/F/NG Help!

Originally Posted by Summer05
We will AndyR.

Just to give you a bit of encouragement I failed my IELTS first time around as I had one of those bad days when 28 out of 40 questions were T/F/NG in my test.
I passed the second time, but I studied hard. (and english is not my first language)
I wouldn't have done it without the website below. I paid I think some money, but the guy who runs it, (in Oz) was very good at responding to my e-mails when I was stuck, and the literature on his website is very comprehensive ref TFNG.
www.scottsenglish.com (btw I am not in anyway related to this website, but I had bought so many books the first time around and cds and checked various websites and nothing worked until I joined this.
YOu will be fine anyway, If I find any thing in my home pc in relation to those questions I will e-mail those to you.
It's heartbreaking but you will be fine.
Thanks. It was a shock to fail first time, I think partly as all the revision I did was never confident on the T/F/NG style questions.
Plus I was moving house at the time and it ended up going through 4 weeks sooner than I had planned so yep, I moved house the day before my IETLS. To say I wasn't in the best shape was an understatement.

Anyway, positive mental attitude and all that. Thanks for the link, much obliged!
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