IELTS Yes, No, Not Given marking the writer's opinion, not the facts
Yes, No, Not Given looks like True, False, Not Given and is a different task. Here you are deciding what the WRITER thinks, which means finding opinion in the text rather than fact. That distinction is where the marks are, and it is why candidates who are solid on True False suddenly drop marks here.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Practise yes, no, not given questionsWhat the task asks
You are given a statement and you decide whether it agrees with the views or claims of the writer, contradicts them, or is not addressed. The passage will be argumentative or discursive rather than purely factual, and your job is to track the writer's position through it.
How the answers actually fall
Counted across all 384 yes, no, not given questions in this practice bank, every one of which carries a written explanation.
155 of 384 questions
139 of 384 questions
90 of 384 questions
This is the distribution of this bank, not of the real exam. The test owners do not publish theirs, so treat it as a reason not to fear the least popular answer rather than as a rule about test day. The useful part is the direction: not given is not rare.
The method
- 01
Separate the writer's view from reported views
Passages quote other people constantly. Critics argue, researchers suggest, some believe. Those are not the writer's views. Look for what the writer asserts without attributing it to someone else.
- 02
Read the signposts
A writer's real position shows in the connectives. However, arguably, it is difficult to accept, this overlooks. Those words carry the opinion, and a sentence that begins with however usually contains the view the writer actually holds.
- 03
Match strength, not just direction
The writer says a policy has some merit. The statement says the writer supports the policy. Same direction, wrong strength, and the answer is not Yes.
- 04
Check whether the writer commits at all
Many writers present two sides and never take one. If the passage lays out both views without endorsing either, a statement claiming the writer's support is Not Given.
Worked examples
Real questions from the practice bank with the reasoning written out. Cover the answer, decide, then read the explanation. Getting it right for the wrong reason is the thing that does not survive test day.
Roman painters at Pompeii had formalised the rules of linear perspective.show
Answer: NO
Paragraph A says Roman painters at Pompeii 'had achieved a workable, intuitive approximation of recession by making more distant objects smaller and bluer, although they did not codify the principle.' An intuitive approximation that was never codified is the opposite of a formalised set of rules, so the statement contradicts the writer.
The Road Traffic Act of 1930 was the first British statute to use the phrase 'compulsory insurance'.show
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Paragraph C identifies the Road Traffic Act of 1930 as the moment compulsory motor insurance was born in Britain, but it says nothing about the wording used inside the statute, and nothing about whether any earlier British law had used that wording. The passage gives no information either way, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
Nicholas Stern believed that the cost of immediate climate action would be lower than the cost of inaction.show
Answer: YES
Paragraph A states Stern estimated unchecked climate change would 'reduce global GDP by 5 to 20 percent annually' by the end of the century, while 'immediate action would cost roughly 1 percent of global GDP per year,' implying action costs less than inaction.
Most large North American cities have already adopted 15-minute city principles in their official planning documents.show
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Paragraph A names Paris, Melbourne, Edinburgh, and Buenos Aires among cities that have adopted the principle, and Paragraph E discusses retrofitting in North American sun-belt cities, but the passage does not say whether most large North American cities have adopted the principles in their official planning documents.
Where the marks go
Treating a quoted expert as the writer
If the sentence attributes the view to someone, it is that person's view. The writer's own position may be the opposite, and often is.
Answering True and False out of habit
The instruction asks for Yes, No, Not Given. Writing True instead of Yes can lose the mark. Read the instruction line every time, because a paper mixes both types.
Confusing what the writer reports with what the writer endorses
Describing an argument is not agreeing with it. Look for evaluative language before you decide the writer agrees.
Deciding from the introduction alone
Writers commonly open with the view they intend to argue against. The position usually lands in the second half.
Frequently asked questions
How is Yes No Not Given different from True False Not Given?+
True False Not Given tests factual information stated in the passage. Yes No Not Given tests the writer's views and claims. If a passage is argumentative, expect Yes No Not Given.
Can I write True instead of Yes?+
Do not. Answer in the words the instruction uses. A paper can contain both types and the instruction for each set tells you which words to use.
How do I find the writer's opinion?+
Look for statements made without attribution, and for evaluative language: unfortunately, remarkably, it is hard to see how. Attributed views belong to whoever they are attributed to.
You know the method now. Do it under a clock.
Practise yes, no, not given questions in the real test layout, marked instantly, with the reasoning shown for every answer you get wrong.
Start practising