What each answer means
| Answer | Choose it when… |
|---|---|
| YES | the statement agrees with the writer's views or claims |
| NO | the statement contradicts the writer's views or claims |
| NOT GIVEN | it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this |
This type appears with texts that argue a point: opinion pieces, reviews and discussions. A text full of “I believe”, “it seems clear that” or “this is a mistake” is a sign you will meet it.
How to approach it
- Mark the opinion in each statement: is it saying something is good, bad, likely, the only way, the most effective?
- Find where the writer discusses that topic. The answers follow the order of the text.
- Look for the writer's voice: in my view, I suspect, clearly, unfortunately, disappointing. Words like these carry the answer.
- Separate the writer from other people. If the text reports what “critics” or “some experts” say, that is not necessarily the writer's own view.
Worked example
Wider roads
Many cities have responded to traffic by building wider roads, and the results have been disappointing. New lanes fill up within a few years, because easier journeys encourage more people to drive. In my view, the only lasting answer is to make other ways of travelling more attractive: frequent buses, safe cycle routes and pavements people actually want to walk on. Congestion charges can help, but they are unpopular, and I suspect few elected councils will introduce them without first offering people a real alternative.
Does each statement agree with the views of the writer?
- Building wider roads has solved traffic problems in many cities.
- Better public transport and walking routes are the only long-term solution to traffic.
- Congestion charges are the most effective way to reduce traffic.
- Councils are unlikely to introduce congestion charges before improving alternatives.
Answers and why
| Answer | Why | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NO | The writer calls the results “disappointing” and says new lanes fill up: the opposite of solving the problem. |
| 2 | YES | “In my view, the only lasting answer is…”: a clear statement of the writer's opinion. |
| 3 | NOT GIVEN | The writer says they “can help” and are unpopular, but never compares their effectiveness with other measures. |
| 4 | YES | “I suspect few elected councils will introduce them without first offering people a real alternative.” |
Traps to watch for
Strength of opinion
“Can help” is not the same as “the most effective”. When the statement is stronger or weaker than the writer's view, check whether the text actually commits to that strength (question 3).
Someone else's opinion
“Some argue that…” reports a view. Unless the writer agrees or disagrees with it, a statement based on it is usually NOT GIVEN.
Your own opinion
As with True / False / Not Given, what you believe about the topic doesn't count. Only the writer's view does.
Questions
What is the difference between Yes / No / Not Given and True / False / Not Given?+
True / False / Not Given checks factual information in the passage. Yes / No / Not Given checks the writer's views and claims. The method is the same, but in Yes / No / Not Given you look for the writer's opinion, not just the facts.
Can I write TRUE instead of YES?+
No. Write the answers the instructions ask for. In Yes / No / Not Given questions that means YES, NO or NOT GIVEN.
Do the answers follow the order of the passage?+
Yes, the statements follow the order of the text, just as in True / False / Not Given.