Listening skills

A question with a short list of options (A, B, C…) where exactly one is correct; you pick it from what you hear.

Right or wrong against an answer key — one mark, no half marks.

Exactly one.

A plausible wrong option, often repeating a word you hear but twisting the meaning.

To select (tick) the one option you choose as your answer.

What the whole sentence actually says — not just one word that happens to match an option.

Only one option is correct.

One mark, awarded all-or-nothing.

Twice — use the second play to confirm your answer.

Read all the options → Predict what each could sound like → Listen for the MEANING → Eliminate the distractors → Choose one and move on.

So you know what they differ on and can predict the vocabulary, which lets you eliminate distractors as you listen.

It may be the word-match trap — the same word is often planted in a wrong option. Judge by meaning, not by a single word.

Ruling out the options the recording contradicts is faster and narrows the choice, making the right option clear.

No — use the second listen to confirm; only change it if you clearly misheard the first time.

A statement you mark True or False AND justify with words from the recording.

Nothing — True/False alone earns no marks.

To prove your true/false choice with the relevant words from the recording.

Your justification must use the speaker's own words, not your own ideas.

The exact proving words you quote to support your True/False.

The exact words from the recording used as proof.

The exact part of the recording that proves your True/False — not the whole sentence and not an unrelated line.

Both — the True/False AND the justification.

A 'used to' detail can be true once but false now — the tense flips whether the statement is True or False.

Read the statement → Locate the part it refers to → Decide T or F → Find the exact justifying words → Write BOTH the T/F and the justification.

The question awards the mark for the True/False PLUS the justifying words; without the justification the answer is incomplete.

Copying the whole sentence buries the proof; the mark needs the exact words that decide True or False.

A past detail ('used to…') can be true once but false now — the tense can flip whether the statement is True or False.

It doesn't prove your True/False; only the relevant detail that actually supports the answer earns the justification mark.

A sentence or note with a blank that you complete with the exact word(s) you hear.

Yes — the exact word is the answer, so a misspelling can lose the mark.

Usually one word or a few — only what the gap needs.

Fit grammatically in the sentence (correct form, number and sense).

Your word must agree and make grammatical sense in the sentence.

The written-out words of a recording.

To work out in advance what kind of word the gap needs, so you know what to listen for.

Twice — use the second play to confirm the spelling before you write.

Read the gapped sentence → Predict the word type → Listen for it → Write it correctly → Check it fits grammatically.

Knowing whether the gap needs a number, a time or a noun tells you exactly what to listen for, so the word jumps out.

The gap is part of a real sentence; a word that doesn't agree or make sense is almost certainly the wrong answer.

Because spelling is part of the answer — a misspelling can cost the mark.

Writing extra words can bury the answer or break the grammar of the sentence; the gap wants the exact word(s), nothing more.

Gap-fill marks the exact word(s) you hear — a synonym is not what was said, so it doesn't earn the mark.

A question you answer in a few words of English — not a sentence — giving the correct, relevant detail.

The correct, relevant content — NOT essay style, length, or perfect grammar.

The single piece of information the question asks you to give.

The one or two words you note down as the answer.

Yes — a few correct words score full marks; the full sentence adds nothing.

To read the question quickly before listening, so you know exactly what detail to listen for.

Exactly to the point — only the detail the question asks for, nothing extra.

Twice — use the second play to confirm or fill any gaps.

Read the question → Listen for that detail → Note the key word(s) → Write a short, precise answer → Check it answers the question.

The shorter the answer, the less chance of including something wrong that cancels the mark — give the detail and stop.

The mark is for the precise detail; a long chunk may not answer the question and buries the relevant point.

Answering a DIFFERENT question — a correct fact that doesn't answer what was actually asked scores nothing.

It tells you what kind of detail to give: who → a person, when → a time, where → a place, why → a reason, how → a manner/means.

Never — you hear each recording twice, so use the second listen to fill every gap; a blank scores zero.

Overarching techniques (predict, two-listen, deduce, infer) that improve every Paper 2 Listening question type.

To guess the vocabulary you'll hear, from the questions, before the audio plays.

The general idea of the recording — who, where and what it's about.

The specific piece of information a question asks for.

To work out the meaning of an unknown word from the context around it.

What is meant but not stated outright — a mood, opinion or purpose you work out from clues.

Active prediction; the two-listen strategy (gist then detail); deducing unknown words from context; inference of mood/opinion/purpose.

Use the first listen for the gist and the second listen for the details and to confirm.

To grasp the general idea on the first listen, without writing much yet.

Read the questions → Predict the vocabulary → First listen for the gist → Second listen for the details → Infer what isn't said & check.

Nobody catches every word — you need the meaning. The gist plus key details beats transcribing the whole clip.

Don't freeze — deduce its meaning from the surrounding context and keep listening; one word rarely costs the answer.

When the answer isn't word-for-word — you deduce the mood, opinion or purpose from the clues.

It exists to catch the details and confirm your answers — not just to re-hear the gist.