True/False + justify

What a true/false + justify question is: A true/false + justify question gives you a statement and asks two things: mark it True or False, AND justify your choice with words from the recording.

You need BOTH parts correct to score: a right True/False with no justification earns nothing.

The exam instruction you'll see: In the English Paper 2 Listening, this question type is introduced by an instruction like:

“Choose the five true statements.”

What you have to do: Heads-up: listening rarely uses reading's tick-and-justify. The true/false-style task here is usually ‘choose the N true statements’ (a checklist). Tick exactly the number asked (often five), based on what is actually SAID — not what merely sounds likely.

true / false

you decide whether the statement matches the recording

to justify

to prove your answer with evidence from the recording

justification

the proving words you quote to support your True/False

with words from the recording

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

quote / quotation

the exact words from the recording that you copy as proof

the relevant detail

the precise part of the recording that proves the statement, not just any line

Both halves or nothing: Treat True/False + justify as one answer in two halves: the True/False and the justification travel together. Marking True or False alone — even correctly — scores zero without the justifying words.

The mechanics on one card: Here is how a True/False + justify item is marked. The rule everyone forgets is that True/False alone earns nothing — the justification must be the relevant detail from the audio, not just any line you heard.

Relevant words, not just any words: Copying the whole sentence or an irrelevant line does not count as a justification. Quote only the exact words that prove your True/False — the relevant detail.

A method for every T/F item: You don't need every word — you need a method. Run the same five steps on each statement and you'll never hand in a True/False without its justification again.

Write both, every time: Make it a habit: the second you write True or False, write the justifying words beside it. You hear the clip twice, so use the second play to copy the proof down accurately.

This is exactly how it feels: In the real exam you'd hear this, not see it — and you'd hear it twice. Here we use a transcript so you can practise the technique on the page. Read the statement first, find the proof in the speaker's words, decide True/False, then check the worked answer below.

Transcript — Sofia's routine: Hi, my name is Sofia. I used to have breakfast at home, but since I started my new school I have breakfast in the cafeteria with my classmates. I always have a slice of toast and an orange juice. Afterwards, we walk to class together because the school is very close, only five minutes away.

Beware the past-tense trap: "I used to have breakfast at home" is the past — true once, false now. The justifying words "have breakfast in the cafeteria" prove your False. Always quote the part that pins down the answer, and remember you hear it twice to copy it right.

Where marks are lost: Most True/False + justify marks are lost on technique, not on listening. Compare what good candidates do with the traps everyone else falls into.

Relevant words win the mark: A justification only counts if it's the relevant detail. Copying the whole sentence buries the proof, and an irrelevant line proves nothing — quote the exact words that decide True or False.