What the labels mean

• Yes: The writer’s opinion agrees with the statement.
• No: The writer’s opinion disagrees with the statement.
• Not Given: The passage does not clearly state the writer’s view on that point.

Golden rule: You are judging the writer’s opinion, not facts, and not your knowledge.

Spotting opinions vs facts

• Opinion signals: the author argues, claims, suggests, believes, criticises, supports
• Fact signals: reports, measures, found that, data show
  If only facts appear and no stance is shown, the answer often becomes Not Given.

Five step decision method

1. Mark the core claim: subject, action, any limits like always, most, in schools.
2. Scan in order: Yes No Not Given items usually follow paragraph order.
3. Find the speaker: confirm the view belongs to the writer, not a quoted person unless the question targets that person.
4. Match meaning: same stance = Yes. Clear opposite = No.
5. Evidence check: if any essential part is missing or unclear, choose Not Given.

Evidence rules that save marks

• Quantifiers matter: all, always, only vs some, often. Changing these flips Yes to No.
• Scope matters: if the statement talks about all cities but the writer mentions one city, do not generalise.
• Time and place tags: today, in 2019, in rural areas. Mismatch can create No or Not Given.
• No guessing: if you must infer beyond the text, mark Not Given.

High value paraphrase pairs

• supports → agrees with, backs, endorses
• opposes → rejects, challenges, disputes
• necessary → essential, required
• harmful → damaging, detrimental
• beneficial → helpful, advantageous

Mini passage and drills

Passage
Line 1: The author argues that free museum entry encourages first time visits.
Line 2: However, the author questions whether free entry increases funding for museums.
Line 3: The piece notes that some cities introduced a donation box scheme last year.

Statements

1. The writer believes free entry attracts new visitors.
2. The writer says free entry guarantees more museum funding.
3. The writer claims all cities added donation boxes.

Keys with reasons

1. Yes – argues it encourages first time visits.
2. No – questions that it increases funding.
3. Not Given – only some cities noted; no claim that the writer says all.

Typical traps and fixes

• Quoted view trap: A researcher is quoted, but the writer does not agree or disagree. If the writer’s stance is missing, choose Not Given.
• Absolute words: always, only, never. If the writer uses usually or often, a statement with always is likely No.
• Half match: two parts match, one part missing. That is Not Given, not Yes.
• Background facts: numbers alone do not show a view.

Error tags for review

• QN = quantifier mistake
• SC = scope mismatch
• TM = time mismatch
• QV = quoted view mistaken for author view
• HM = half match treated as Yes

Timing plan per set

• 60 to 90 s skim: find topic sentences and opinion verbs
• 40 to 50 s per item: apply the five steps in order
• Final 60 s: recheck absolutes, names, and who holds the view

Rapid checklist

• Did I find the writer’s stance, not a quoted person
• Do the quantifiers match
• Is the scope the same
• Is my evidence explicit
• If any key part is missing, did I choose Not Given

Practice set: technology note

Passage
Line 1: The author supports using tablets in primary classes for short tasks.
Line 2: The author rejects claims that screens replace teachers.
Line 3: No view is given on using tablets at home.

Statements
A) The writer approves limited classroom use of tablets.
B) The writer believes screens should replace teachers.
C) The writer supports tablet use at home.

Keys
A) Yes – supports short classroom tasks.
B) No – rejects that idea.
C) Not Given – home use is not discussed as a view.

Build your unique study system

1. View tracker: for each item, write who holds the view, then the verb that shows stance.
2. Claim map: subject action number time place on one line to test scope.
3. Paraphrase bank: after each set, add two new agree words and two disagree words.
4. Error loop: tag one error type and write a fix rule before the next set.
5. Order discipline: answer in passage order to save time.

Final advice

Treat the task as a view hunt. Find the writer, test the stance, and respect limits on time, place, and quantity. When the passage does not fully address the claim, mark Not Given with confidence. With steady use of the decision steps, Yes No Not Given becomes a scoring area.