IELTS Yes No Not Given Reading Practice with Tips & Techniques

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Yes, No, Not Given IELTS Reading Questions – useful techniques and practice lessons to maximise your score and help you save time in your reading test. These questions are often difficult for people to tackle so learning the right way will help you score points.

See the key tips and practice lesson below.

IELTS Yes No Not Given Reading Tips & Techniques

Are YNNG questions the same as TFFN questions?

The difference is not in the question, it is in the reading passage. When the passage is about facts and information then the question type will be TFNG because these questions are about matching statements with information in the passage. But when the passage contains a writer’s opinion or claims, then the question type is YNNG because these questions are matching statements with what the writer thinks or believes as shown in the passage. To sum up:

TFNG = factual passage = matching statements with information

YNNG = an opinion passage = matching statements with a writer’s opinion/claims

You will approach these questions in the same way.

Understanding the YNNG Instructions

IELTS Yes No Not Given Reading Questions Instructions

What do these answer options mean?

YES means that the full meaning of the question statement can be found in the passage and the meanings are the same.

NO means that the full meaning of the question statement is actually wrong and the passage shows it is wrong/incorrect/opposite/contradicted.

NOT GIVEN means that the information in the question statement isn’t found in the passage so we can’t say if it is correct or incorrect information. The passage doesn’t give enough information to choose Yes or No.

Your written answer must be YES or NO or NOT GIVEN. You can write these words in capital letters or lower case. But you can’t write True instead of Yes. If the answer is Yes, but you write True, then your answer is wrong. Always pay attention to that – don’t lose valuable points.

How to Tackle Yes No Not Given Questions

All these tips and techniques can be applied to TFNG questions as well. Click here for TFNG Reading Practice

  1. The same as TFNG questions, the YNNG answers will appear in order in the passage. This means you will find the answer to question 2 after the answer to question 1. This is useful to know because it will save you time searching through the whole passage. You will know that the answer to question 4, comes between the answer to question 3 and 5.
  2. Take time reading the question.
    1. Notice keywords in the question
      1. words that will help you locate the answer in the passage.
      2. words that might challenge the answer – words that make a subtle difference to the meaning.
  3. Think about synonyms and paraphrases that could be used to describe the information given in the question statement. Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meaning. Paraphrasing is writing the same information in a different way. Be prepared for both in the reading passage.
  4. Paraphrases and synonyms will help you locate the answer in the passage.
  5. Scan the passage and pay attention to keywords and paraphrases from the question.
  6. When you find the area that the answer is located in, read around that area. Read the sentences before and after.
  7. Remember, you can highlight words in the passage to help you. In the computer test, right click on the mouse and an option to highlight will appear. In the paper test, circle or underline the words with your pencil.
  8. After reading the area where the answer is located in the passage, go back to the question and start comparing them for meaning.
  9. Do not try to match words only. IELTS reading is about deeper meaning.
  10. Your aim isn’t to understand the whole passage, but to locate answers and then analyse the deeper meaning of those few sentences relating to the question.
  11. Be careful of comparative questions. The comparisons need to be the same in the question and passage.
  12. Be careful of quantifiers, such as “all” and “some”. ALL means 100%, SOME means it is not 100%.

Now it’s time for you to try some Yes, No, Not Given questions in the passage below.

IELTS Yes No Not Given Reading Practice

YNNG Passage 1: Richard, the Lionheart

King Richard I of England is one of the most iconic kings of England, known as the Crusader King and also as Richard the Lionheart. He spent practically all his reign outside England fighting wars in the Middle East and France to the point that England must have seemed like a foreign, distant land to him. It seems strange to us today to consider a King of England so wholly detached from the country that he represented and ruled. To pay for his wars and crusades, he taxed the English so heavily that is caused widespread discontent amongst the populace. While it can be said that he was a peerless warrior in battle, he was a poor King of England. He has often been criticised not only for his neglect of England and the welfare of the common person, but also for squandering the lives of so many of his followers as they followed him into battles far from their homeland. And yet remarkably, many English people still remember him quite fondly as a chivalrous king who was the epitome of a knight with bravery and military skill.

Questions 1-8

Do the following statements match the views of the writer in the passage? Write Yes, No or Not Given as your answer.

  1. King Richard idolised fame.
  2. While King, Richard never resided in England.
  3. King Richard looked down on the English culture.
  4. Many English people did not agree with being taxed so much.
  5. He was a fighter beyond compare.
  6. The people who followed him into battle were common people from England.
  7. King Richard did not place much consideration on the value of a human life.
  8. King Richard is considered by all English people as a courageous knight.

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers.

Answers
  1. NOT GIVEN
  2. NO
    • He spent much of his reign outside England, but not all his reign.
  3. Not Given
    • The passage shows that Richard probably didn’t connect much with the English culture because he spent so much time abroad, it doesn’t give any information about whether he lacked respect (looked down on) the English culture.
  4. YES
    • the passage shows the population of England showed “widespread discontent” with the heavy taxes. “widespread” means many thought this, but not all.
  5. YES
    • peerless = beyond compare (there were no peers who were his equal)
  6. NOT GIVEN
    • the passage show King Richard did not care about the welfare of the common people. But we do not know who his followers were precisely.
  7. YES
    •  in the passage: “squandering the lives of so many of his followers” – meaning to waste people’s lives in battle.
  8. NO
    • The challenge with this question was the word “all” in the question and “many” in the passage.
Vocab Builder
  • reign = time in power / sovereignty
  • to tax heavily = to take a lot of money in tax
  • widespread discontent = many were not happy
  • the populace = people living in a particular country
  • peerless = unequalled / unrivalled
  • warrior = fighter / soldier
  • battle = war / conflict
  • squandering = to waste something in a foolish or reckless manner
  • the epitome of = the best possible example of

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I’ll upload another YNNG reading passage soon for you. All the best, Liz

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New Year in Vietnam: IELTS Listening Practice

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This is an IELTS listening exercise which I have made for my Vietnamese students about their wonderful New Year’s celebration called Tết. It is a Sentence Completion listening practice so you will need to fill in the gaps as you listen. This is the most common type of question to get in IELTS Listening. Remember to read the questions before listening to the audio. Answers do come in order.

Tet IELTS listening

Tết Holiday (Vietnamese New Year)

Listening Practice

Complete the sentences using no more than three words.

  • Another name for Tết is (1)  ………………
  • One typical dish at this time is a soup which is made from (2)  ………………..
  • (3) …………… is given to older people and kids.
  • At Tết, houses are adorned with  (4) ………………… and kumquat trees.
  • (5)  ………..  the house is forbidden during Tết.

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ANSWERS

Click below to reveal the transcript, answers and vocabulary. I provide the transcript so you can check the answers in context and improving your pronunciation.

Transcript

Tết is celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year, though exceptions arise due to the one-hour time difference between Hanoi and Beijing. It takes place from the first day of the first month of the Vietnamese calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the third day. Vietnamese people consider Tết to be the first day of spring and the festival is often called spring festival.

Many Vietnamese prepare for Tết by cooking special holiday foods and cleaning the house. These foods include square rice cake, Vietnamese sausage, dried young bamboo soup, sticky rice and boiled chicken. There are a lot of customs practiced during Tết, such as visiting a person’s house on the first day of the new year, ancestral worship, wishing New Year’s greetings and giving lucky money to children and elderly people.

There are certain things to observe during Tết and certain things to avoid. Houses are thoroughly cleaned in preparation for Tết. People buy kumquat trees and peach blossom to decorate their houses. There are dragon or lion dances in the streets. New clothes should be bought for every member of the family. And on New Year’s Eve, the kitchen god, Ong Tao, is welcomed back to the kitchen. On the other hand, some things must be avoided. Sweeping during Tết is taboo and considered to be unlucky, since it symbolizes sweeping away the luck; that is why they clean before the new year. It is also taboo for anyone who experienced a recent loss of a family member to visit anyone else during Tết.

Note: I made a mistake in the audio in the second sentence. I said Chinese instead of Vietnamese. Sorry to all my Vietnamese students for that. Liz

 Answers

  1. SPRING FESTIVAL
  2. (DRIED) (YOUNG) BAMBOO
    • This means there are three possible answers to this question:
    • bamboo / young bamboo / dried young bamboo
    • some books use brackets to show optional answers in the answer keys – but you can’t do this in your test. You can’t use brackets in the listening test.
  3. (LUCKY) MONEY
  4. PEACH BLOSSOM
    1. both words are needed
    2. no punctuation is needed between the words – just leave a reasonable space
  5. SWEEPING
 Vocabulary
  • arises = happens
  • it is often called = it is frequently named
  • ancestral worship = praying to ancestors (past family members)
  • to observe = to follow (this is when relating to celebrations or festivals)
  • sweeping = using a brush to clean the floor
  • luck (noun) / lucky (adjective)
  • taboo = forbidden

MORE VOCABULARY

square cake

square cake (bánh chưng) = A cake which is made from sticky rice, mung bean and pork wrapped in leaves.

kumquat

kumquat = A small citrus fruit similar to an orange. Both peel and flesh is eaten.

peach_blossom

peach blossom = flowers on a peach tree

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If you would like me to make a lesson about a festival or part of your culture, please let me know the details by posting a comment in the box below. Regards, Liz.

Filed Under: IELTS Listening Tagged With:

Musical Instruments Vocabulary

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Below is a list of common musical instruments divided by type. How many instruments do you know? Can you pronounce them all correctly?

  • How do you pronounce the word “guitar”? Answer
    The word guitar is pronounced /ɡɪˈtɑː/ . The “u” is a silent letter. See below to listen to the pronunciation.
  • What kind of instrument is the violin? Answer
    It’s a small stringed instrument made of wood.
  • What traditional instruments are there in your country? Answer
    Here are some examples of traditional musical instruments around the world: in India, there is the sitar (a stringed instrument), in China there is the gu-zheng ( a 21 stringed instrument), in Vietnam there is a bamboo xylophone ( percussion instrument), in Italy there is the mandolin (similar to a guitar), in Australia there is didgeridoo (a wind instrument made from the branch of a tree), in Egypt there is the sistrum ( a u-shaped framed drum) and in Scotland there are the bag pipes (a wind instrument), in Iraq there is the oud (a stringed instrument similar to a lute).    ……Please note that this answer is not an example of how to answer an IELTS question, it’s just some general information for you about instruments in your country – if your country has an instrument which is not in this list, please let me know. Liz 

Vocabulary Practice

Can you label the picture below?

musical instuments

Answers

Listen to the answers

  1. microphone
  2. record / vinyl
  3. accordion
  4. bugle
  5. drum
  6. flute
  7. guitar
  8. harmonica
  9. harp
  10. keyboard
  11. piano
  12. saxophone

 

Types of Musical Instruments

Stringed Instruments

  • guitar
  • violin
  • cello
  • viola
  • harp
  • banjo
  • electric guitar
  • fiddle
  • lute
  • sitar

Listen to Audio

 

Wind Instruments

  • flute
  • saxophone
  • trumpet
  • pipes
  • recorder
  • tuba
  • oboe
  • bagpipes
  • clarinet
  • bugle
  • harmonica

Listen to Audio

 

Keyboard Instruments

  • piano
  • electronic keyboard
  • organ

Percussion Instruments

  • drums
  • triangles
  • xylophone / bamboo xylophone
  • wood blocks
  • accordion (oops this is actually a keyboard instrument)

Listen to Audio

Audio for both key board and percussion instruments

 

 Recommended

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Musical Instruments Questions and Answers (available from Feb 20th)

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English Expressions: Eat your Greens!

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This lesson focuses on a great expression for the topic of food when talking about vegetables “eat your greens”. The video tutorial below explains the meaning and how to use it correctly.

Eat Your Greens: Video Tutorial

Comments: This is a flexible use of English for IELTS speaking but not to be used in writing. This expression is always used in the plural “greens” and never used as a singular “green”.

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IELTS Speaking Part 1: Vegetables

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It is possible to get a topic about vegetables in IELTS speaking part 1. Below are some of the possible questions with a model answer and also a link to learn vocabulary for this topic.

  1. Do you like vegetables?
  2. Are there any vegetables you dislike?
  3. Did you like vegetables when you were a child?
  4. Are vegetables popular in your country?
  5. Do most people eat vegetables with their meal in your country?
  6. Are there many vegetarians in your country?
  7. Do you think it is important to eat vegetables?
  8. How can parents encourage their children to eat more vegetables?

Model Answers

  • Question: Do most people eat vegetables in your country?
  • Answer: Yes, they do. Almost every meal has either rice or potatoes and also another vegetable as well, such as cabbage, carrots, green beans or something like that. Quite a lot of people have a small proportion of vegetables to meat but at least they always have some kind of vegetable with their meal.

 

  • Question: Are there many vegetarians in your country?
  • Yes, quite a lot. Many people choose to avoid eating meat and their diet consists of both vegetables and grains. There are quite a few restaurants in my city which cater to vegetarians and offer the most wonderful dishes such as fried aubergine, spinach and potato, onion cakes and things like that. They’re actually very delicious.

Click the link to learn vocabulary for vegetables

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Essay Ideas: Littering in Cities

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Ideas for an opinion essay

Littering in cities is an increasing problem which needs to be dealt with. Some people think that steeper fines is the best way to deal with the problem.

To what extent do you agree?

When you analyse a statement for an opinion essay, it is useful to ask yourself different questions regarding the topic. Think about the questions below and then decide your answer.

Questions for Analysis

  1. What is littering? Answer
    Dropping waste on the ground or in the streets rather than disposing of it correctly by putting it in the bin.
  2. Why do people litter?Answer
    Some litter because they don’t care about the effects and some do it just for convenience.
  3. It is already an offence to throw litter in the streets so why do people continue to do it?Answer
    Most people know it is wrong but they do it because they know they will not be caught.
  4. Would having a bigger fine stop them?Answer
    It is possible that a heavy fine might deter them but only if it is likely they will be caught and the fine imposed.
  5. Is having a bigger fine the best way to stop littering? Answer
    It’s one way to stop people but not everyone agrees that it is the best way.
  6. Are there other ways to stop littering? Answer
    Yes, one way is to put more bins in the streets so that people will use them rather than throw their litter on the floor. Educating children from a young age to dispose of their litter correctly is another way. Some people think that having more police on the streets would be a good deterrent because people will be less likely to attempt to litter the streets.

Now use your ideas and form them into an essay format. That means you should have two or three main ideas which are divided into two or three body paragraphs. After you have your essay ideas planned, check the model  body paragraphs below. Can you write the introduction and conclusion for the model essay below?

Model Body Paragraphs

Body Paragraph A: Having bigger fines is certainly one way to tackle the issue of littering. Increasing the fines will make people take littering more seriously. At present, many people litter the streets because they do not consider this to be a serious offence and for the convenience but by imposing a considerable penalty, people will think twice before they litter.

Body Paragraph B: However, the best way to deal with the problem of littering would be a long-term solution involving educating the younger generation. Littering is common due to the fact that many people are not fully aware of the environmental and health impacts that it has. By raising awareness and building a habit of disposing of waste correctly, this problem can be eradicated in coming generations.

Body Paragraph C: Finally, another possible solution would be to have more litter bins available to the public. The reason being that the majority of people littering the streets do so because there are no bins available to put their waste in and they do not wish to carry their rubbish with them until they find a bin. By having more bins available, it would not only be more convenient for people to dispose of their waste properly but it would also act as a reminder for them to do so.

 

Recommended

Collection of Essay Ideas

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How to write a line graph for IELTS writing task 1

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Learn how to describe a line graph for IELTS writing task 1. IELTS Line graphs are common in writing task 1 along with bar charts, tables, maps, diagrams and pie charts. This lesson was last up-dated in 2018.

The guidelines below will help you structure your line graph answer and focus on the right aspects for a high score.

Steps: How to write IELTS Line Graphs

  1. Have a clear introduction.
    1. try to include all information from the two axis and the names of categories.
  2. Put all main trends in an overview statement – this should be contained in one paragraph.
    1. do not divide your key points into different paragraphs. Make sure you include the main increases and decreases shown.
  3. Use a range of vocabulary and do not make spelling mistakes.
    1. Use different verbs and nouns
    2. Use a range of adjectives and adverbs
    3. Vary your time phrases
    4. Click here to get a word list: LINE GRAPH VOCABULARY
  4. Don’t always give from … to … for the amounts, sometimes you can give the difference “it increased by double..”.
  5. Put numbers or percentages to support your sentences in the body paragraph. Failure to do that will result in a low score.
  6. Organise your body paragraphs logically so it is easy for the examiner to read.
    1. Leave an empty line between paragraphs to make them easier to see. This is not a rule, it is a strong recommendation.
  7. If the line graph contains many lines and a lot of movement, be selective. You are being marked on your ability to select key features.
  8. Don’t spend more than 20 mins on task 1. You will need a full 40 mins for task 2.
  9. Write 150 words or more. Aim for about 160-190 words. Don’t write under the word count.
  10. Follow well-written model answers.
    1. Click here: IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answers

Line Graph Sample

It is not common to be given only one line in IELTS writing task 1. However, this answer will provide you will an example of vocabulary, layout and general content.

  • Source: IELTS Liz

Line Graph Model Answer

The graph illustrates how many people from the age of 65 and above were reported to have contracted influenza in a particular village in the UK from 1985 to 1995.

Overall, the number of cases of elderly people with influenza increased over the period given. The highest number of people with the illness can be seen in 1991.

In 1985, the number of cases of influenza stood at 40 and then rose steadily over the next three years to reach 55 in 1987. In the following year, 1988, the figure dipped slightly to below 50 after which it rose significantly to reach a high of 75 in 1991.

From 1991, there was a decrease to about 60 in 1993 of the number of reported cases of influenza. From this point, except for a slight increase of about 5 cases, the number remained at about 60 at the end of the period.

151 words

Focus Points:

Take time to read through the model and pay attention to:

  1. the content of each paragraph
  2. the use of verbs, nouns, adverbs and adjectives
  3. the logical order of information in the body paragraphs

Please note: this is a practice exercise lesson. It is rare for IELTS to give a one-line graph. So, use this to practice language and technique.

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All the best

Liz

Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 1 Tagged With: ,

How should music lessons be funded? Sample Answer

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Below is a student’s discussion essay. Read through the essay and then answer the questions below.

Some people think that the government should fund music, dance and arts lessons for children. Others think that they should be funded by private businesses or by children’s families. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Student Essay 

It is argued in the statement that government should contribute in music, dance and arts learning of the children whereas many others think that it is the responsibility of parents or local organisations to support these programs. In my opinion, the above mentioned subjects should be aided by the concerning and governing bodies of a state.


On the one hand, it is often thought by many people that government of a state should contribute in learning of arts and cultural subjects such as music and dance for the children. For example, in some secondary schools, government provides material required in the construction of different art projects or instruments like guitar and keyboard to learn music. This example clearly shows that by providing support to the young students, government could easily promote cultural and traditional values all around the world. Hence, governments are responsible for the growth of arts and music.


On the other hand, according to some people, instead of governing bodies, children’s families or private agencies should participate in the growth and learning of music, dance or other arts work. For instance, students of a single class may not be equally interested in learning music or dance, so funding by the government could be wasted in this manner. Therefore, it is important that parents of interested kids should groom their children by sending them to the private institutions where they can enjoy their preferences. In this way, funds by the government can be utilized well on some other things.


To conclude, I believe that government should provide all the facilities of learning arts and music, as this is the cultural heritage which should be preserved internationally.

Questions

  1. Does the student give a clear opinion? What is their opinion? Answer
    The answer is given quite well. The student believes the government should pay for the lessons. However, the vocabulary is not completely clear “the concerning and governing bodies of a state.” The word “concerning” is irrelevant and is slightly confusing. The thesis statement should be very clear and vocabulary 100% accurate so only write about the government.
  2. Is the information in the introduction relevant?Answer
    Yes, the information given is mostly relevant. There is no unnecessary information given. There is a background statement and a thesis statement. However, the introduction could be improved by using more precise vocabulary. For example, the students wrote “government should contribute in music, dance and arts learning” but this essay is about money and funding not just contributing. Again in the thesis statement the student writes “should be aided” but this essay is not about giving help, it’s about money. “The student is trying to avoid repeating the word “funding” but it should be repeated – you can get a band score 9 even with that word repeated. Another way to say it is “pay for”.
  3. What reasons are given in the essay for the government to fund lessons in school? Can you think of other reasons?Answer
    The ideas are not completely clear but they are that the government can pay for equipment and can help in the growth of the arts. This could be written more clearly “One reason for government funding is that the government has more financial resources to pay for expensive equipment needed to run top quality classes. Another benefit of state funded lessons is that they can help promote these subjects on a wider scale.” Thes e are the main reasons. 
  4. What reasons are given in the essay for lessons to be privately funded? Are they correct? Can you think of more?Answer
    The reasons are that students are not all equally interested in art or music and another reason is that students can enjoy their preferences in private lessons. These are good reasons but in this paragraph there is also disadvantages of government funding – that is not needed in this paragraph. This paragraph should be about private funding only. Other reasons why privately funded lessons are better – 1. teachers can adapt lessons to suit the individual learner 2. the time and length of lesson is more flexible 3. classes are either individual or one-to-one so there’s more feedback and support
  5. Can you find an example of non academic words?Answer
    Yes, the word “kid”. This student is worried about repeating the word “children” and it over paraphrasing. Children are children – the word will be repeated. “kid” is not academic. Also the word “like” used as a linking device is not academic. 
  6. What band score would you give this essay?Answer
     The essay structure is excellent. The ideas are mostly relevant. It would probably get about 6.5. It could get band score 7 if the vocabulary was more accurate and the student wrote about funding rather than helping.
  7. What advice would you give this student to improve?Answer
    Don’t try to paraphrase all words. Decide which words can and cannot be paraphrase accurately. Also don’t change the meaning of the essay. Over paraphrasing is as problematic as under paraphrasing. This essay is about funding not about contributing or aiding. Underline the key words in the essay question and always make sure you are answering them.

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