IELTS Reading Yes/No/Not Given: How to Handle the Writer's Opinions

Yes/No/Not Given is the question type candidates most often get wrong without realising why. It looks almost identical to True/False/Not Given, so people apply the same instinct — and lose marks, because the two types are hunting for different things. True/False/Not Given asks whether a statement matches the facts in the passage. Yes/No/Not Given asks whether a statement matches the writer's opinions, claims, or beliefs. Miss that shift and the whole set becomes a guessing game. This guide gives you a decision process built specifically for opinion-based questions.

What the three answers mean

You are matching a statement against the writer's views, so the three categories are defined in terms of what the author thinks, not what is factually true in the world:

• Yes: the statement agrees with the writer's opinion or claim. The author expresses this view, even if worded differently.
• No: the statement contradicts the writer's opinion. The author expresses the opposite view.
• Not Given: it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this. The author never expresses an opinion on it, so you cannot know whether they would agree or disagree.

As with its factual cousin, the whole difficulty sits between No and Not Given. No means the writer actively holds the opposite view. Not Given means the writer simply never reveals a view on that point. If you can tell "the author disagrees with this" apart from "the author says nothing about their opinion here," you have solved most of the type.

The one question that changes everything

Before you decide, ask: whose opinion is this? Yes/No/Not Given questions almost always appear on passages that argue a position — a review, an editorial-style article, or a piece where the writer defends a theory. The statements ask you to compare an opinion in the question with the writer's own opinion in the text.

This creates a specific trap the factual version does not have: a passage may report that other people hold a certain view. If the text says "many economists argue that tariffs protect jobs," that tells you what economists think — it does not tell you whether the writer agrees. Unless the author endorses or rejects that view elsewhere, a statement built on it is Not Given. Reporting a view is not the same as holding it.

Learn to spot opinion language

Because you are tracking the writer's stance, you have to notice where the passage stops describing facts and starts expressing judgement. Opinions are usually signalled by specific words. Train your eye to catch them:

• Belief and claim verbs: argues, suggests, believes, maintains, claims, insists, doubts, dismisses.
• Evaluative adjectives: remarkable, disappointing, flawed, convincing, misguided, overrated, essential.
• Stance adverbs: unfortunately, surprisingly, rightly, arguably, clearly, regrettably.
• Modals of judgement: should, ought to, must, needs to — these signal what the writer thinks is desirable, not what simply is.

When a statement asks about the writer's view, your answer lives in these words, not in the neutral facts around them.

A four-step method for each statement

1. Identify the opinion in the statement. Underline the evaluative core — is the statement praising, criticising, recommending, or predicting? That is what you must match.
2. Locate the matching part of the text. Answers come in passage order, exactly like True/False/Not Given, so each answer sits below the previous one. Scan for the topic keywords.
3. Find the writer's stance, not just the topic. The passage may mention the topic without judging it. Look for the opinion signals above. Ask: does the author agree (Yes), disagree (No), or never give a view (Not Given)?
4. Treat silence as an answer. If the writer discusses the topic but never reveals an opinion on this specific claim, the answer is Not Given. Do not infer an opinion the author has not stated.

A worked example

Suppose the passage says: "Proponents of the four-day week point to trials showing higher productivity. Yet these studies were small and short-lived, and it is far too early to treat their findings as settled."

• Statement: "The writer thinks the evidence for the four-day week is inconclusive." → Yes ("far too early to treat their findings as settled" is the author's own judgement).
• Statement: "The writer believes the four-day week clearly boosts productivity." → No (the author distances themselves from that claim by attributing it to "proponents" and then undercutting it).
• Statement: "The writer thinks the four-day week will become standard within a decade." → Not Given (the author never predicts its future adoption at all).

Notice that the first statement is Yes because the writer explicitly evaluates the evidence, while the third is Not Given because the writer offers no view on that point, however reasonable it might sound.

The traps that cost marks

• Confusing a reported view with the writer's view. "Critics say X" is not the writer saying X. Check who owns the opinion.
• Using your own opinion. Answer only from the writer's stance. A claim can be sensible in real life yet Not Given because the author never endorses it.
• Confusing No with Not Given. Ask: can I point to words where the writer takes the opposite side? If yes, it is No. If you are inferring, it is probably Not Given.
• Treating it like True/False/Not Given. Matching a factual detail is not enough here — you must match the judgement.
• Leaving blanks. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, and Reading has no extra transfer time, so commit to an answer for every statement before the hour ends.

Practise the decision until it is automatic

The skill that separates a Band 6 from a Band 7.5 on this type is reading for stance, not just for topic. Drill focused sets on our Yes/No/Not Given question hub, then contrast them with the fact-based logic in our guide to True/False/Not Given so you never confuse the two again. When you are ready for full timed passages, work through authentic material on the IELTS Reading practice pages, and once you have a raw score out of 40, convert it with the free band score calculator to see what those recovered marks are worth.