What the exam asks
You decide whether each statement agrees with the views or claims of the writer.
| Answer | What it means |
|---|---|
| YES | The statement matches the writer’s view or claim. |
| NO | The statement contradicts the writer’s view or claim. |
| NOT GIVEN | It is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this. |
- Statements follow the order of the passage.
- The passage usually contains several voices: the writer, the people the writer quotes or reports (critics, researchers, “many people”), and plain facts. Only the writer’s position decides YES or NO.
- On computer you click YES, NO or NOT GIVEN. Each correct answer is 1 mark.
Core ideas
Map the voices before you answer
Argumentative writers constantly report views they go on to reject. Learn the signals:
| Signal | Whose voice? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| It is often said / many people believe / critics claim / some commentators have concluded | Someone else’s | Read on and find the writer’s verdict. |
| I would argue / it seems to me / in my view / surely | The writer’s | This is the writer’s view. |
| Admittedly / it is true that / of course + X, but Y | The writer accepts X, then outweighs it with Y | X gets YES; a statement denying Y gets NO. |
| This is not to say that … / none of this means that … | The writer rejects an extreme conclusion | A statement making that extreme claim gets NO. |
| That claim goes too far / the evidence is thin / this is simplistic |