What we are distinguishing, in plain English
A fact is a statement you can verify in the text or in reality, for example a number, date, definition, or event. Writer intent is what the author believes, argues, or aims to do, shown by stance verbs, hedges, evaluations, or purpose lines. Evidence line means the words in the passage that prove a claim. Scope is how wide the claim is, for example all schools vs one district.

Why this matters for IELTS and academic reading
Reading tasks often mix factual checks with questions about the writer’s view. Confusing them wastes time and drags accuracy. Building a fast intent vs fact habit raises scores on Headings, TF or NG, Y or N or NG, and summary sets because you search the right signals first.

The signal kit: how intent shows up in text

1. Reporting and stance verbs: argue, claim, suggest, maintain, recommend, caution. These point to opinion or intention.
2. Hedges and boosters: may, might, tends to, likely, clearly, significantly. Hedges soften, boosters strengthen.
3. Evaluative lexis: effective, flawed, promising, risky. Value judgments signal intent.
4. Purpose frames: the aim is to, this section examines, we propose. Purpose is intent, not fact about the world.
5. Contrast pivots: however, yet, despite. Often where the writer reveals their real stance.
6. Facts and anchors: dates, counts, named places, definitions, quotations. These are usually factual unless the writer questions them.

The four move drill you can run on any paragraph

1. Label the sentence type: F for fact, I for intent. If both occur, split the clause mentally and label each.
2. Underline the trigger: stance verb or hedge for intent, number or definition for fact.
3. Write a two word lens: cost, access, safety, fairness. This keeps comparisons clean later.
4. Apply the proof rule: for any statement you plan to answer, can you point to one exact line that would make it True and one that would make it False. If neither exists in the text, it is Not Given.

Worked Example 1: short passage to labels

Passage
“City monitors recorded lower average particulates after the bus lane trial. However, the report argues that weekend events still cause spikes, so the council should add crowd plans.”

Classify three statements
A. Average particulates fell after the trial.
B. Weekend events do not affect pollution.
C. The council should plan for crowds.

Answers with reasons
A = Fact. Trigger recorded lower average particulates.
B = False about a fact. Weekend events cause spikes contradicts do not affect.
C = Writer intent. Trigger argues and should. It is a recommendation.

Worked Example 2: research claim vs writer view

Passage
“Several studies report faster reading on phones, but the author cautions that screen size may bias the results for older adults.”

Questions
A. Phones always improve reading speed.
B. The author doubts whether the finding applies to older adults.
C. Studies report faster phone reading.

Answers
A = False about a fact. Always overclaims beyond several studies and may.
B = Yes to writer view. Triggers cautions and may bias.
C = True as a textual fact about what studies report, regardless of the author’s stance.

Mini case — Tamanna in Dhaka

Problem: Tamanna mixed the writer’s view with study results and lost marks on Y or N or NG.
Intervention: she color coded facts in green and intent in blue during skims, then wrote one line per passage: “Writer’s stance in five words.” She also enforced the proof rule before choosing NG.
Results in three weeks: factual accuracy rose from 70 to 86 percent, writer view accuracy from 55 to 82 percent, and average time per set dropped by two minutes.

Measurable drills with targets

• Two color skim: 90 seconds per passage. Green numbers and definitions, blue stance verbs, hedges, and should statements. Target full color pass in time.
• Verb hunt: list five stance verbs and five hedges from one article. Target 10 unique items in 3 minutes.
• Proof rule sprints: for six tricky items, write the shortest quote that would prove True and one that would prove False. If you cannot write either, mark NG. Target six in six minutes.
• Lens swap: answer one compare question with two lenses only. Target one anchor per lens and a final decision line.

Common mistakes

• Treating reported results as the writer’s belief. The writer can cite a study and still disagree.
• Letting hedges trick you into NG. May plus a concrete direction is still a view.
• Over-reading topic interest as stance. Enthusiastic tone does not equal approval without a stance verb or evaluation.
• Missing scope words. Only, all, the main can shift truth value in a fact check.
• Mixing tasks. You answer Y or N or NG with the writer’s view, TF or NG with textual facts.

Edge cases and safe responses

• Ambivalent writer: uses on the one hand and on the other hand. Quote the final pivot sentence for stance or answer NG if no stance exists.
• Embedded quotes: A source claims X but the author says the study is limited. For Y or N or NG, the author’s sentence controls.
• Rhetorical questions: often signal intent. Follow the answer the author provides next.
• Numbers with evaluation: “a modest rise” is a fact plus stance. The number is factual, the adjective is intent.

Tips and tricks

• Read first and last sentence of a paragraph before details. Stance often appears at the pivot.
• Build a stance verb bank on your scratch paper: argue, claim, propose, caution, recommend, reject.
• Pair every example with a mechanism line that begins because. It clarifies whether you are stating fact or interpreting.
• When torn, underline the exact word that pushed you to Yes or True. No underline often means NG.

To avoid

• Choosing NG because you could not find the sentence in 10 seconds. Prove absence with the proof rule.
• Copying phrases without checking if they express the writer’s voice or a cited study.
• Confusing permission may with possibility may in conclusions.
• Treating headings as facts when they are generalisations. Verify inside the paragraph.

Glossary

Stance verb: a verb that signals a view or intention, for example argue or recommend.
Hedge: a word that softens certainty, for example may or likely.
Booster: a word that strengthens confidence, for example clearly or strongly.
Evidence line: exact words in the text that support an answer.
Scope: how wide a claim is, which affects truth conditions.
Pivot: contrast point where the writer’s true stance emerges.

Next steps
Take one article. In 8 minutes do a two color skim, write the writer’s stance in five words, then answer three fact checks and three writer view checks using the proof rule. Record accuracy and time. Repeat tomorrow and aim for 80 percent plus on both sets with one minute less.

1. Actionable closing — Checklist (do and avoid)

Do

• Mark stance verbs, hedges, and evaluations before answering.
• Separate study findings from the author’s opinion.
• Use the proof rule to justify NG.
• Quote the pivot sentence when giving Yes or No on writer views.
• Track scope words like only, all, main, never, often.

Avoid

• Answering writer view questions with raw facts.
• Treating hedged claims as NG by default.
• Ignoring contrast markers that flip the stance.
• Overclaiming with always or only unless stated in the text.
• Spending more than 45 seconds stuck on one item; dot it and return.

CTA: Print the checklist and run the two color skim on one passage today. For six items, apply the proof rule and write the exact evidence line under each answer. Aim to cut one minute from your next set while keeping accuracy above 80 percent.