Why may and might change a True False Not Given answer
A hedged sentence makes a smaller claim than a plain one. "Warm water may harm the fish" says harm is possible. "Warm water harms the fish" says it happens. These are different claims, so a passage that only says may does not support a statement that says does.
So when the passage hedges and the statement does not, TRUE is rarely right. The real question is which of the other two it is, and that depends on what the statement claims to be certain about. One invented passage, three statements, three different answers:
Passage: Some ecologists thinkhedge the fall in the lake's dragonfly numbers may be linkedhedge to warmer water, although no study has tested this yetstatus. 1. Some experts suspect a connection between water temperature and the decline. → TRUE 2. Warmer water has caused the decline in dragonflies. → NOT GIVEN 3. Scientists have proved that warmer water caused the decline. → FALSE
- → 1 keeps the hedge: "think … may be linked" becomes "suspect a connection". Same certainty, so TRUE.
- → 2 states the cause as a fact. The passage says it is possible, not that it is or is not the cause. Neither agreed nor contradicted: NOT GIVEN.
- → 3 claims proof. "No study has tested this yet" rules proof out, so the passage contradicts it: FALSE.
Premium sheet · 5 more sections
- Hedging language in IELTS Reading: the certainty scale
- How to distinguish False and Not Given when the passage hedges
- May and might examples from BandLadder sets
- Edge cases: when may is not a hedge
- Your turn: hedging words practice
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Questions
FAQ
If the passage says 'may' and the statement says it definitely happens, is it False or Not Given?+
Usually NOT GIVEN: a possibility neither confirms nor contradicts the fact. It becomes FALSE when the passage also says proof is missing (not yet tested, remains unproven) and the statement claims proof or certainty.
What is hedging language in IELTS Reading?+
Words and phrases that show how certain a claim is: may, might, could, perhaps, probably, is thought to, appears to, suggests. In True False Not Given you compare the certainty of the statement with the certainty of the passage.
Can a statement with 'may' or 'might' be TRUE?+
Yes. If the passage makes the same hedged claim, or a stronger one about the same point, a hedged statement is TRUE.
What is the difference between False and Not Given in IELTS Reading?+
FALSE means the statement contradicts the text. NOT GIVEN means it neither agrees with nor contradicts it. With hedges, a status signal such as 'unproven' can contradict; a bare 'may' cannot.
How do I identify Not Given when the passage hedges?+
Ask whether anything in the passage rules the statement out. If the passage only says something is possible, and the statement states it as a fact, nothing confirms or denies it, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
Do hedging words work the same way in Yes No Not Given?+
Yes, with one difference: the statement is about the writer's view, so the hedge itself is evidence. If the writer says X may be true, 'The writer is certain that X' is usually NO, while a plain 'X is true' is usually NOT GIVEN.
Sources
- ielts.org: IELTS Academic Reading format, Identifying information and writer's views (Yes/No/Not given): https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-academic-format-reading
- ielts.org: IELTS General Training Reading format, Identifying information (True/False/Not given): https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-general-training-test/ielts-general-training-format-reading
- BandLadder sets: Whale Falls; Migrating Songbirds; Deep-Water Sanctuaries for Bleached Corals: https://bandladder.com/ielts-reading-practice/true-false-not-given
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