What you are answering, exactly

TF/NG tests facts in the passage. Y/N/NG tests the writer’s opinions or claims. True or Yes means the statement matches the text. False or No means the text clearly contradicts it. Not Given means you cannot prove or disprove the statement from the text. Paraphrase is a restatement with different words. Scope is how wide the claim is, for example all students vs most students.

Why mixed sets feel tricky
Your brain must switch lenses: from checking objective facts to checking the writer’s stance. Paraphrases hide in synonyms, quantifiers, and hedges. Under time, people guess from world knowledge. That invites traps.

90 second scan plan

1. Circle the question set header to see whether it is TF/NG or Y/N/NG.
2. Skim the first and last sentence of each paragraph to map topics.
3. Box names, years, numbers, and unique terms. These anchor location.
4. Start with Q1 and move in order. In most sets, questions follow paragraph order. If you stall for 20 seconds, place a dot and move.

The NG proof rule
Mark NG only after you try both directions:

• Can I find a sentence that would make this statement True.
• Can I find a sentence that would make it False.
  If neither exists in the text, it is Not Given.

Signal words that change truth conditions

• All, every, never, always: one counterexample in the text flips True to False.
• Most, many, often, typically: softer claims; do not over-read to “all”.
• May, might, could: possibility, not certainty.
• Only, the main, the first: exclusivity; needs explicit support.

Worked Example 1: TF/NG on facts

Mini passage
“Between 2010 and 2020, bus lanes were introduced on three major Dhaka roads. A city report found travel times fell by roughly 15 percent during peak hours. However, weekend congestion barely changed. Planners noted that the program did not include dedicated lanes for minibuses.”

Q1. Bus lanes were added across the whole city.

• The text says three major roads. False.

Q2. Peak-hour travel became faster after 2010.

• Travel times fell by roughly 15 percent during peak hours. True.

Q3. The program reduced weekend congestion more than weekday congestion.

• Weekend congestion barely changed, but no comparison about “more than weekday.” We can say weekday improved, weekend did not, but not “more than”. Not Given.

Why this works
We checked scope words like whole city and more than. We matched facts, not background knowledge.

Worked Example 2: Y/N/NG on the writer’s views

Mini passage
“The public tends to blame drivers for delays, yet inconsistent scheduling is a bigger cause. Until timetables stabilise, raising fares is unwise because commuters will not see value.”

Q1. The writer believes scheduling is a major cause of delays.

• Writer’s stance: inconsistent scheduling is a bigger cause. Yes.

Q2. The writer supports an immediate fare increase.

• Text says raising fares is unwise until timetables stabilise. No.

Q3. The writer thinks drivers should be retrained.

• No view expressed about retraining drivers. Not Given.

Why this works
We tracked the writer’s opinion markers: believes, unwise, bigger cause. We did not invent a view about training.

Mini case: Farzana from Mirpur

Farzana mixed TF/NG and Y/N/NG answers and guessed from her own knowledge of Dhaka traffic. She adopted the NG proof rule and a highlighter code: green for facts, blue for the writer’s opinions. Over 10 timed sets, her accuracy rose from 24 of 40 to 33 of 40 and her average time per set fell from 18 minutes to 13 minutes. Her most common win was rejecting statements with all or only unless the text said so.

Measurable drills

• 8 minute ladder: 8 questions in 8 minutes. Log seconds per item and errors by type: scope, hedge, opinion vs fact. Improve one metric by 10 percent weekly.
• Paraphrase swap: Build a 12 item list of synonyms you actually see: increase or rise, mainly or primarily, claim or argue, predict or expect. Review 60 seconds before sets.
• NG clinic: After each set, write the shortest quote that would have made each NG item True or False. This tightens your sense of missing information.

Common mistakes

• Answering Y/N/NG as if they were TF/NG. For Y/N you must find the writer’s view, not the text’s fact alone.
• Treating may or might as proof. Possibility is not confirmation.
• Over-reading numbers. “About 15 percent” does not support “exactly 15 percent”.
• Ignoring negatives. Not, rarely, hardly change polarity.
• Jumping to NG because you cannot find the sentence in 10 seconds. Often the key paraphrase is one line above.

Edge cases and safe responses

• Research citations: A study found X, but the writer calls the study flawed. For Y/N, the writer’s view controls, not the study result.
• Comparatives without baselines: “Higher productivity” needs a comparison target. If the text lacks one, beware of True claims.
• General vs example: An example does not prove a general claim with all or always. It can support most or often if the text signals breadth.

Tips and tricks

• Underline extreme words: only, all, never. These produce clear False chances or NG if the text is softer.
• Mark stance verbs: argue, claim, suggest, maintain. These unlock Y/N questions.
• Read the first and last sentence of the target paragraph; many views live there.
• If torn between False and NG, look for a contradiction word or number. No contradiction means NG.

To avoid

• Using outside knowledge to “fix” the passage.
• Switching your lens mid set. Keep TF/NG as fact-checking and Y/N/NG as stance-checking.
• Racing to finish one stubborn item. Dot it and move to the next.

Glossary
Claim: what the writer asserts.
Paraphrase: same idea with different words.
Hedge: softener like may, often, tends to.
Scope: the size of the claim.
Contradiction: a direct clash with the statement.
Not Given: missing proof either way.

Next steps
Pick two short articles. For each, highlight factual lines in green and the writer’s stance in blue. Turn three lines into TF/NG items and three into Y/N/NG items. Time yourself for 8 minutes. Run the NG proof rule on any uncertain item and record why.

1. Actionable closing — Cheatsheet

Before you start

• Check which set you have: TF/NG or Y/N/NG.
• Map paragraphs by topic with a 30 second skim.
• Box names, dates, numbers, unique terms.

During answers

• TF/NG: match facts and numbers.
• Y/N/NG: match the writer’s view, not the study’s data.
• Hunt scope words: all, only, never, most, often.
• Respect hedges: may, might, tends to.
• Apply the NG proof rule: can I prove True or False from the text. If not, mark NG.

Paraphrase anchors

• increase ↔ rise
• mainly ↔ primarily
• say ↔ claim ↔ argue
• predict ↔ expect
• because ↔ due to

Time control

• 8 minutes for 8 items.
• 20 second cap per scan. Dot and move.
• Return in the last minute for two best guesses.

Quality check

• For each answer, point to the exact words that triggered it. If you cannot, reconsider NG.
• For Y/N, underline the writer’s stance verb in the passage.

CTA: Do one 8 minute ladder today with a mixed set. Use the NG proof rule and log each extreme word that drove a decision. Repeat in two days and aim to cut average seconds per item by 10 percent while keeping accuracy above 80 percent.