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IELTS GT Reading Section 2: True, False, Not Given (Practice)

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Strategies for TFNG (General Training)

Review my 8 strategies and use them with this Section 2 text about negotiating a pay rise.

  1. Read the statements BEFORE you read the text.
  2. Underline key words in the statement.
  3. Turn the statement into a QUESTION.
  4. Don’t waste time on Not Given – the answers are not in the text. Move on.
  5. Don’t waste time searching through the text – the answers go in the same order as the questions.
  6. Write ‘T’ ‘F’ or ‘NG’ (short forms) to save time.
  7. Don’t leave a blank space on the answer sheet.
  8. Look for evidence in the synonyms.

See also: A basic guide to TFNG (General Training Section 1)

Remember that the statement is:

TRUE: if it is the same as the text (find synonyms that say the same thing as the statements)

FALSE: if it contradicts (= says the opposite) of the text (find evidence that the statement is wrong or NOT TRUE)

NOT GIVEN: if the text does not say if the statement is True or False (in real life, it could be True OR False, but there is no answer in the text).

Negotiating a pay rise

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text below? Write

  • TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
  • FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
  • NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
[Paragraph 1 – Introduction]
For many people, one of the hardest discussions they have with senior management is about a raise in pay. Employees often choose to look for a better paid position within another company rather than face their own boss, but that is a situation that can have a negative impact on the employee (who is seen to lack loyalty to the company) and the employer (who stands to lose a trained staff member who works well and has a good knowledge of the company). However, there are some salary negotiation tactics that might just help.
The most common error is, when finally gathering the courage to address the situation, many employees simply immediately accept whatever offer is first made. Research shows that younger job-seekers and female job-seekers often make this mistake – either from not completely understanding the negotiation process or from a dislike or discomfort with the idea of negotiating. 
 
15. A mistake equally common across all types of employee is the premature acceptance of the first offer for a pay rise.
There is, of course, the financial aspect of not receiving a higher compensation, but more importantly this can have a significant effect on motivation and morale and can eventually lead an employee who hastily accepted an inadequate offer to begin to resent both the job and the employer.
 
16. Employees can become demoralised despite having a pay raise.
Another common error is rating your required raise based on a value you personally need or would like. Few employers care whether you have enough money to pay for your mortgage or other bills, so negotiations should be based on your value to the company, based on good research of similar companies.
 
17. Many people are unsuccessful in salary discussions because of poor research.
 
Also, if possible, the actual figure aimed for in the negotiation should not be revealed until the last possible moment, giving as much flexibility as possible. Immediately blurting out a figure it then becomes clear the company will not meet puts both the employer and employee in an uncomfortable position. As previously mentioned, one of the key factors in a successful salary negotiation is research and preparation. With the number and variety of salary resources available online, there should be no reason not to have an accurate market value in mind.
 

18. It is important to be clear what pay rise is expected at the beginning of the negotiation. 

However, despite all the preparation and right attitude in the negotiation, there is another pitfall – declining an offer too quickly as it was lower than expected. A careful balance needs to be struck here; we have looked at the risks of accepting too quickly, but declining an offer can mean that the negotiation has nowhere to go. There are two points to consider at this juncture: a raise can also come in the form of other benefits such as better health cover, so if the money offered is low, think about discussing the perks of the job. The second point is that you have to be realistic – if the job market is low and the company is not having a particularly outstanding year, you may have to accept a lower offer. However, if this is the case, it is common to request a review of the salary at a time in the not-too-distant future.

19. A negotiation could include a discussion of other benefits as well as salary. 

20. You should avoid a pay negotiation when the employment market is not strong. 

The final point that is essential in any business negotiation is not to take any rejection or low offers personally. Employees should maintain a professional approach to their job, and a salary negotiation is no exception. If negotiations break down between you and the employer, move on graciously, thanking the employer again for the opportunity — because you never want to burn any bridges.

15. A mistake equally common across all* types of employee is the premature acceptance of the first offer for a pay rise. FALSE

The most common error is… many employees simply immediately accept whatever offer is first made. Research shows that younger job-seekers and female job-seekers often make this mistake.

*not ALL types, only SOME types (quantifiers like ‘all’ ‘some’ ‘little‘ and ‘few’ are often used in TFNG questions).

16. Employees can become demoralised despite having a pay raise. TRUE

There is, of course, the financial aspect of not receiving a higher compensation, but more importantly this can have a significant effect on motivation and morale and can eventually lead an employee who hastily accepted an inadequate offer to begin to resent both the job and the employer.

17. Many people are unsuccessful in salary discussions because of poor research. NOT GIVEN

The text simply says that ‘one of the key factors in a successful salary negotiation is research and preparation’ – there is no mention of many people not researching.

18. It is important to be clear what pay rise is expected at the beginning of the negotiation. FALSE

Also, if possible, the actual figure aimed for in the negotiation should not be revealed until the last possible moment, giving as much flexibility as possible. 

The opposite of ‘at the beginning’ is ‘the last moment’.

19. A negotiation could include a discussion of other benefits as well as salary. TRUE

There are two points to consider at this juncture: a raise can also come in the form of other benefits such as better health cover, so if the money offered is low, think about discussing the perks of the job.

20. You should avoid a pay negotiation when the employment market is not strong. NOT GIVEN

The second point is that you have to be realistic – if the job market is low and the company is not having a particularly outstanding year, you may have to accept a lower offer.

How to choose ‘False’ or ‘Not Given’

The best way to do this is to turn the statement into a question (see examples in this blog about how to answer TFNG questions).

If you cannot find the answer to your question in the text, it is NOT GIVEN.

FALSE answers always say the opposite of the statement.

TOP TIP:

‘False’ or ‘Not Given’ answers often include a quantity or quantifiers.

Question 15 says ‘ALL employees’, but the answer is not ALL employees, only SOME.

See quick tips:

‘Little’ as a distractor in TFNG

‘Few’ as a distractor in YNNG

‘Most’ as a distractor in TFNG

Practice Examples

Decide if the examples below are FALSE or NOT GIVEN (text about urban farming).

1. Over one quarter of the world’s food comes from farms in urban areas. 

Text: Urban agriculture provides 15 percent of the world’s food.

2. According to Anders Wijkman, urban farms have disappointing harvests. 

Text: ‘Urban farms are recycling vital resources and producing high crop yields,’ said Anders Wijkman. 

3. Bangkok has a higher percentage of land used for farming than any other city. 

Text: In Bangkok, 60% of the land is devoted to farming.

4. Urban farming used to be confined to areas near city boundaries. 

Text: ‘Planners used to believe that cities were for industry and countryside was for farming. But this is very outdated. Urban farming is making a nonsense of the boundaries between town and country.’

5. The majority of people who grow food in cities sell it in order to make money.

Text: One in three of the world’s urban residents grows food, either for their own consumption or to sell for profit.

  1. FALSE
  2. FALSE
  3. Not Given
  4. Not Given
  5. Not Given

1. Over one quarter of the world’s food comes from farms in urban areas. FALSE

Text: Urban agriculture provides 15 percent of the world’s food.

2. According to Anders Wijkman, urban farms have disappointing harvests. FALSE

Text: ‘Urban farms are recycling vital resources and producing high crop yields,’ said Anders Wijkman. 

3. Bangkok has a higher percentage of land used for farming than any other city. Not Given (there is no comparison with other cities – comparisons are a common Not Given trick)

Text: In Bangkok, 60% of the land is devoted to farming.

4. Urban farming used to be confined to areas near city boundaries. Not Given (we don’t know where urban farming used to be – ‘used to’ is there to trick you)

Text: ‘Planners used to believe that cities were for industry and countryside was for farming. But this is very outdated. Urban farming is making a nonsense of the boundaries between town and country.’

5. The majority of people who grow food in cities sell it in order to make money. Not Given

Text: one in three of the world’s urban residents grows food, either for their own consumption or to sell for profit.

‘The majority’ is a typical NOT GIVEN trick – we don’t know what proportion of residents grow food in order to sell it. Many people would say FALSE because ‘one in three’ is not the majority, but check exactly what ‘the majority’ refers to.

Vocabulary

The best way to get better at reading is to improve your vocabulary. This will take time.

This text has a LOT of difficult work-related vocabulary.

So start making a list now, and you’ll start to see the same vocabulary again in again in Section 2 texts, which are all work-related.

Vocabulary related to WORK

  • A boss: A person who is in charge of a worker or organization.
  • Senior management: The highest level of managers in an organization, responsible for strategic decision-making.
  • Employees: individuals who work for an organization.
  • Employers: individuals or organizations that hire and pay employees.
  • Job-seekers: Individuals actively looking for employment opportunities.
  • A trained staff member: An employee who has received specific training to perform their job effectively.
  • A well-paid position: A job that offers a high salary compared to others in the same field or industry.
  • A better-paid position: A job that offers a higher salary than the individual’s current or previous positions.
  • Salary negotiation: The process of discussing and agreeing on the compensation for a job.
  • To accept or decline an offer: To agree to or reject a job offer or proposal.
  • Higher compensation: Increased pay and benefits for a job.
  • Motivation: the drive to achieve goals. 
  • Morale: the overall attitude and satisfaction of employees.
  • Demoralised means having lost confidence or hope.
  • Market value: The worth of a job or employee based on supply and demand in the job market.
  • Benefits: Additional perks provided by an employer, such as health insurance.
  • The perks of the job: Extra advantages or benefits that come with a job, such as flexible hours or a company car.
  • The job market: The supply and demand for jobs and labor, reflecting the employment opportunities available.

Raise and rise

rise/raise (nouns)

American English = a pay raise

British English = a pay rise

rise/raise (verbs)

‘The sun rises in the east’ – it gets up by itself (intransitive – it doesn’t need a direct object)

‘Raise your hand if you know the answer’ – you raise SOMETHING (transitive – it needs a direct object).

Find more about how to use raise and rise in Academic Writing Task 1.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I write ‘T’ ‘F’ ‘NG’ instead of ‘True’ ‘False’ ‘Not Given’?

Yes, you CAN.

  • Can I write ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ instead of ‘True’ or ‘False’?

YES, you CAN (and you can write ‘Y’ and ‘N’)

  • Is True, False, Not Given the same as Yes No Not Given?

Yes. And you can write Y/N instead of T/F.

  • Are there equal numbers of TFNG answers e.g. 2 x TRUE, 2 x FALSE and 2 x NG?

No, you cannot rely on this strategy. However, there tend to be fewer ‘Not Given’ answers.

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