Lakeland College
P.O. Box 359
Sheboygan, WI 53082-0359

True/False Questions

Be sure to understand the directions.  Look to see if there is a given number of true or false statements (hint: there usually are more true answers than false because it's easier to write true statements than to make false statements seem true).  A question must be completely true if you are saying that the statement it true otherwise the statement is false.  If any one part of the sentence is false, the whole statement is false despite any other true statements.  Pay close attention to negatives, qualifiers, absolutes, and long strings of statements.

Negatives:

If the question contains negatives, such as "no, not, cannot", drop the negative and read what remains.  Decide whether the sentence is true or false without the negative.  If it is true, your answer is false.  If the sentence is false without the negative, your answer is true.

Qualifiers:

Qualifiers are words that restrict or open up general sentences.

Words like "sometimes, often, frequently, ordinarily, and generally" generally open up the possibilities of making accurate statements.  These words make more modest claims, are more likely to reflect reality, and usually indicate "true" answers.

Absolutes:

Words like "no, never, none, always, every, entirely, and, only" imply the statement must be true 100% of the time and usually indicate "false" answers.

Long Sentences:

Long sentences often include groups of words set off by punctuation.

Pay attention to the "truth" of each of these phrases.  If one is false, your answer is usually false.

Try a guess.

If you must guess, guess true because the odds are in your favor.  Often true/false tests contain more true answers than false answers.  Therefore, you have more than 50% chance of being right with "true."  However, your teacher may be the opposite.  Review past tests for patterns.

Don't overanalyze.  Do not analyze true/false questions for deeper meaning.  Break up confusion.  If the question is confusing, break it in half and thoroughly understand each part.  Beware of reasons. Statements that give "reasons" tend to be false because they are incorrect or incomplete reasons.  Answer every question. Always answer questions about which you are unsure; any answer is better than nothing.  At least if you guess you have a 50/50 chance of getting it correct.