Identifying Writer’s Views/Claims in IELTS Reading

Your job is to read the passage and question clearly to understand the main idea. For Yes/No/Not Given questions, you will be given a set of statements and a text. Your task is to decide which of the following applies to the information in each statement:

it agrees with the views of the writer – YES (Y)

it disagrees with or contradicts what the writer thinks – NO (N)

it is impossible to know what the writer’s point of view is – NOT GIVEN (NG)

With a persistent IELTS Reading Practices you will be able to achieve better bands in these kinds of questions.

Essential IELTS Reading Tips are needed for handling these questions and solving them easily and getting a good band score.

Also Check: IELTS Speaking Tips

1.Paying attention to each and every instruction given

2.A good vocabulary will really be useful here

3.Skimming, scanning, and grasping the main idea of the passage

4.Constant practicing

5.Time-management

6.Being focus

 

These following IELTS Reading Tips are one of the essential tips to help you solve yes,no,not given questions with less difficulty.

1.The answers appear in the order of the text as we proceed with every question.Also Read: IELTS Listening Tips

2.No need to read the whole text as you will waste your time on it. Just scan the keywords and underline the main information related to the answer.

3.There will be at least one of each answer type out of yes, no and not given.

4.The test takers love to use distractors to really test your understanding of the question. Example of distractors are every, all, some, few, always, often, etc.

5.Look out for the words which show possibility or doubt like, seem, claim, possibly, probably, suggest, believe, etc.

6.The view or opinion might not be derived from the passage directly. You might have to determine that from what the writer is saying.

7.The sentence in the question would not match exactly with the sentence in the text, hence try to look for synonyms and paraphrase.

8.Note that there will be at least one of the answers present for each question, hence be aware that you will be looking for some information which is not given.

Also Read:IELTS Writing Tips

 

 

 

DEPENDENCE ON TECHNOLOGY

Reaching the moon, multiplying two 12 digit numbers instantly, searching trillions of gigabytes of information at one go has all been made possible due to technology. It has realized possibilities that would have otherwise been considered a mammoth task to complete. Imagining a life without technological devices in the vicinity is an unpleasant thought for most people. But is the dependence desirable or does it have its downside too?

In a survey conducted in the US, people were asked if society has become dependent on technology. Out of the total responses, 77% of people believed that dependence on technology has increased at an alarming rate. According to a study, 6% of school-going teenagers in China are addicted to the internet. In South Korea, the figures are likely to reach 10%. These results are not surprising. Today, if teenagers are asked the meaning of a particular word or to state their opinion on a given issue, they will instantly reach for their mobile and the internet instead of referring to a physical dictionary or a book for information. Turning pages of physical books are relatively time-consuming, but it does not necessarily mean that the much-trusted technology will always be able to deliver better.

We have improved with technology, but we have not thought of an alternative if technology does not work. The most recent examples are the outages at the New York Stock Exchange when a break-down in the system took three-and-half hours to resolve and resume trading, halting the overall pace of Wall Street. Another such example is a minor router issue at United Airlines which grounded its planes for two hours leading to 800 flight delays. These are just a couple of the many incidents of a technical outage. While the technology in use may be state-of-the-art, having a reliable backup is equally important.

Sophisticated systems in various areas such as airlines, military, or electric grids add to the convenience. However, there are inherent risks. For example, even upgraded security systems may be vulnerable to the slightest malfunction. A minor change in readings, codes, or chips with malicious intent may harm innocent people and society at large.

Online networking, a gift of advanced technology, has become a part of our daily lives and its advantages are undeniable. However, it has changed our daily interactions and can change our social structure too. Face-to-face meetings have been replaced by chats and text messages on social media. Reduced face-to-face interaction has kept smartphone users away from real-life situations. The virtual world cannot replace real-life situations that demand communication skills, problem-solving skills, tolerance, and receptivity to coexist in society. "They don't know how to handle conflict face to face because so many things happen through some sort of technology," said Melissa Ortega, a child psychologist at New York's Child Mind Institute.

Technology has improved our way of life, but it should be used only as a tool. Relying on it to an extent where a technological detox becomes next to impossible is worrying. We must be technologically advanced and not technology dependent.

Questions 1-6

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?

Write,

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO, if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
1.People do not like the idea of living without technology.

2.Teenagers must prefer books over the internet for information.

3.We are not yet prepared for technology failures.

4.An alternative setup is always reliable.

5.Improved systems have rare security breaches.

6.People are losing social skills due to virtual communication.

1. Yes

Explanation: Paragraph 1 -  Imagining a life without technological devices in the vicinity is an unpleasant thought for most people.

2. Not Given

Explanation: Paragraph 2 mentions that nowadays, teenagers prefer the internet over books for any information, but the writer’s view regarding what must be the teenagers’ preference is not clear.

3. Yes

Explanation: Paragraph 3 - We have improved with technology, but we have not thought of an alternative if technology does not work.

4. Not Given

Explanation: Paragraph 3 states the importance of an alternative setup. While the technology in use may be state-of-the-art, having a reliable backup is equally important. However, it is not clear whether an alternative setup is always reliable.

5. No

Explanation: Paragraph 4 - Sophisticated systems ... However, there are inherent risks. For example, even upgraded security systems may be vulnerable to the slightest malfunction. A minor change in readings, codes, or chips with malicious intent may harm innocent people and society at large.

6. Yes

Explanation: Paragraph 5 - Face-to-face meetings have been replaced by chats and text messages on social media. Reduced face-to-face.

This article will help you in gaining better marks and score higher bands in the Yes,No, Not Given questions. The IELTS Reading tips and strategies mentioned have to applied to these set of questions as these can be tricky to solve.Also watch our FREE Online IELTS Videos to boost up score by preparing in detail for IELTS Exam.