Listening Part A

In Part A of the Listening section, you will hear a brief exchange between two speakers and then a question. Usually (though not always), the information you need to answer that question is found in the second speaker’s response.

Skill 1 - CONCENTRATE ON THE SECOND LINE

The second speaker’s statement often provides the correct answer to the question.
Pay attention to the first speaker. If you do not catch every detail, do not worry; it rarely holds the key to the answer.
Focus on the second speaker’s line carefully. Mentally replay it as you review the possible answers.

Skill 2 - CHOOSE ANSWERS WITH SYNONYMS

Concentrate on important words in the second speaker’s line; note any terms you can match with synonyms.
If one of the answer choices has words that mean the same (or almost the same) as those highlighted terms, it is likely the correct choice.

Skill 3 - AVOID SIMILAR SOUNDS

Often the incorrect answers in Listening Part A are answers that contain words with similar sounds but very different meanings from what you hear in the recording program. You should definitely avoid these answers.
A key strategy is to identify important words in the second speaker’s line, then watch out for answer choices that include similarly sounding words.
Words that share similar sounds with the key words from the conversation are frequently found in trap answers. So if an answer choice sounds almost the same but means something different, it is likely incorrect.

Skill 4 - DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHO, WHAT, WHERE

In some questions in Part A of the Listening section, the answer is not stated directly. Instead, you must draw a conclusion based on clues in the conversation.
One type of conclusion question asks you to determine who the speaker is, using context clues or specific details. Look for hints like job titles, references to roles, or tasks the speaker performs.
Another type of conclusion question asks what will probably happen next, based on the conversation’s final details. Think about the logical next step or action in real-life situations (e.g., checking out a book at a library, making an appointment, etc.).

Skill 5 - LISTEN FOR WHO AND WHAT IN PASSIVES

Sometimes the speaker uses an active statement, but the test question or correct answer appears in a passive form (or vice versa). Make sure you determine who or what is performing the action in these statements.
If you hear a passive statement (e.g., “A new account was opened”), be prepared for the correct answer to use an active statement (e.g., “She opened a new account”) or the other way around.
Carefully note whether the subject is the one who performs the action, or if the action is done to the subject. This will guide you to the right answer in questions involving passives.

Note: Pay close attention to the structure of the sentence to identify the true subject of the action.

Skill 6 - LISTEN FOR WHO AND WHAT WITH MULTIPLE NOUNS

When a sentence contains multiple nouns, the test options often mix up who does what. Pay attention to the specific roles each noun plays.
Look for clues about who is performing the action and who is receiving or affected by the action.
Confirm that you know which person or thing has been replaced, removed, or involved in the action. Failing to identify this accurately can lead to a wrong answer.

Note: If two people or objects are mentioned, check carefully which noun is actually performing the action and which one is the object of the action.

Skill 7 - LISTEN FOR NEGATIVE EXPRESSIONS

Negative expressions are very common in Listening Part A. They can include words such as not, no, never, nobody, none, or negative prefixes like un-, in-, dis- that alter the meaning of a statement.
Often, the correct response to a negative statement is a positive statement containing a word with the opposite meaning. For example, if someone did not drive slowly, that implies they drove quickly.
Watch out for the use of “double negatives.” Even a short exchange might include a statement or answer with more than one negative word, changing the overall meaning.
Identifying the negative expression and recognizing the implied opposite meaning will help you eliminate wrong answers and choose the correct one.

Note: When you hear a negative word, ask yourself what the logical positive counterpart would be. This often leads directly to the right answer in Part A.

Skill 8 - LISTEN FOR DOUBLE NEGATIVE EXPRESSIONS

Sometimes, two negative ideas appear in the same sentence, creating confusion about the meaning. For example, if it isn’t impossible for something to happen, this actually means it is possible.
Look out for phrases that combine a negative word (not, no, none) with a negative prefix (in-, un-, dis-) or another negative verb in the same statement (e.g., isn’t + aren’t).
“Neither … nor …” or “not … either” can also introduce double negatives, clarifying that both subjects are negated.
Recognizing these double negatives is key to understanding the intended (often positive) meaning behind them.

Note: When you hear more than one negative in a single statement, rewrite it in your mind without the negatives to see if it implies a positive or more neutral meaning.

Skill 9 - LISTEN FOR “ALMOST NEGATIVE” EXPRESSIONS

Certain expressions in English have “almost negative” meanings. Examples include hardly, barely, scarcely, rarely, seldom, and only. These suggest that something is close to “none” or “never,” but not quite.
When you hear an “almost negative” expression (e.g., “I had barely enough money”), realize it indicates a very small amount or a very low frequency—enough to accomplish something, but only just.
In many Listening Part A questions, the speaker’s “almost negative” statement often implies a positive outcome, but with minimal margins. For instance, “I had barely enough money” indicates that they paid the bill, but had almost nothing left.
Recognizing these “almost negative” words will help you choose the answer that reflects a small quantity or a low frequency, rather than a full negative or a complete positive.

Note: Pay attention to the speaker’s tone and the rest of the sentence to understand if “barely” or “hardly” suggests an action was ultimately successful or not.

Skill 10 - LISTEN FOR NEGATIVES WITH COMPARATIVES

Negatives used together with comparatives (e.g., “no one is more intelligent than she is”) often imply a superlative, or very strong meaning (in this example, “she is the most intelligent”).
Watch out for phrases like “couldn’t be happier,” which means “extremely happy,” or “no one is more [adjective],” implying “the most” [adjective].
When you hear a negative plus a comparative form, ask yourself if the statement implies the speaker is at the highest or lowest degree of something.

Note: Negative + comparative can function as a shortcut for the superlative. Be sure to convert it mentally to its superlative meaning when answering.

Skill 11 - LISTEN FOR EXPRESSIONS OF AGREEMENT

Expressions of agreement show that one speaker shares another speaker’s opinion or feeling. Sometimes these expressions confirm a positive statement (e.g., “So do I,” “Me too”), while others confirm a negative statement (e.g., “Neither do I,” “I don’t either”).
So do I or Me too indicates agreement with a positive statement, such as “I believe the hypothesis is correct.” “So do I” means “I also believe that.”
Neither do I or I don’t either indicates agreement with a negative statement, such as “I don’t think our teacher is very interesting.” “Neither do I” means “I also don’t think that.”
Listen carefully for these short agreement phrases. They often appear at the end of a speaker’s turn and can directly lead you to the correct answer choice.

Note: Other common agreement expressions include “You can say that again!” (an informal way to say “I totally agree!”). Identifying these quickly will help you in Part A questions about agreement.

Skill 12 - LISTEN FOR EXPRESSIONS OF UNCERTAINTY AND SUGGESTION

Expressions of Uncertainty often involve words or phrases like might, could, I’m not sure, maybe, perhaps, or tag questions (e.g., “isn’t it?” or “haven’t you?”) that turn a definite statement into a hesitant or uncertain one.
When you hear these uncertainty cues, look for an answer choice that reflects a lack of certainty or indicates possible doubt about the situation.
Expressions of Suggestion often include phrases like Why don’t we…, Let’s…, or We could…—these indicate a proposal or advice about what someone should do next.
In questions featuring suggestions, the correct answer usually involves an action or plan that follows logically from the speaker’s prompt.

Note: Listen carefully for subtle tones or words that transform a statement into a suggestion or an expression of uncertainty. These can drastically change the correct answer in Part A.

Skill 13 - LISTEN FOR EMPHATIC EXPRESSIONS OF SURPRISE

Emphatic expressions of surprise occur when a speaker uses a form of do, did, does, is, has, etc. with extra stress in order to emphasize they are surprised by something.
Example: Then, he did get a new car! (implies the speaker thought he wouldn’t get one).
These emphatic forms often show that the speaker expected the opposite outcome or had previously believed something else to be true.
Look out for a sudden shift in tone when words like “do,” “did,” “is,” or “has” are stressed—they usually indicate the speaker’s surprise and contradict an earlier assumption.
Common emphatic patterns include:
- Then, he is here! → “I thought he wasn’t here.”
- Then, you do play tennis! → “I thought you didn’t play.”
- Then, she did read it! → “I thought she hadn’t read it.”
- Then, he has gone there! → “I thought he hadn’t gone.”

Note: When you hear an emphatic verb form in Listening Part A, it often means the speaker is correcting an assumption or reacting to unexpected news. The best answer choice usually reflects this new understanding (e.g., “He actually did it”).

Skill 14 - LISTEN FOR WISHES

Conversations about wishes can appear in Listening Part A. The key point to remember is that a wish often implies the opposite of the stated wish is true. For example, “I wish I could go” usually means “I cannot go.”
When you hear someone use “wish” in the present tense (e.g., “I wish I had more time”), it indicates a desire about the present situation, which is not true now (meaning they don’t actually have more time).
If the speaker uses a past tense form (e.g., “I wish I were at home”), it implies a contrary present reality (the speaker is not at home).
If the speaker uses a past perfect form (e.g., “I wish I had been there”), it implies a contrary past reality (the speaker was not there in the past).
Identifying what the speaker wishes and converting it to the actual situation (the opposite of the wish) will lead you to the best answer choice.

Note: Always ask yourself what the speaker’s wish tells you about the present or past situation. The correct answer often states that opposite reality.

Skill 15 - LISTEN FOR UNTRUE CONDITIONS

Conversations containing conditional statements (e.g., “If I had time…”) can appear in Listening Part A. The key idea is that the condition implies the opposite is true. For example, “If I had time, I would go,” means “I do not have time, so I cannot go.”
An affirmative condition (e.g., “If she were at home, she could do it”) implies a negative reality (she is not at home).
A negative condition (e.g., “If she weren’t at home, she could do it”) implies an affirmative reality (she is at home).
A past tense conditional (e.g., “If I had money, I would buy it”) indicates a present reality that is untrue (I do not have money).
A past perfect conditional (e.g., “If I had had money, I would have bought it”) implies a past reality that did not occur (I did not have money, so I didn’t buy it).

Note: When you hear an untrue condition, be sure to convert it in your mind to its real meaning (the opposite). This helps you find the answer choice that reflects the actual situation.

Skill 16 - LISTEN FOR TWO- AND THREE-PART VERBS

Two- and three-part verbs consist of a verb plus one or more particles (e.g., call off, look over, put up with). The addition of these particles can drastically change the verb’s meaning in an idiomatic way.
When you hear a multi-part verb in Listening Part A, be sure to identify the entire phrase, not just the main verb. For example, call off does not mean “to phone” but “to cancel,” whereas call up can mean “to phone someone.”
If an answer choice only accounts for the base verb (ignoring the particle) and changes the meaning, it is probably a trap. Make sure the entire phrasal verb matches the conversation’s meaning.
Common two-part verbs: take off, put on, look up, turn down, call off. Common three-part verbs: look forward to, put up with, look down on.

Note: Practice identifying phrasal verbs as a single unit of meaning. This will help you determine which answer choice correctly reflects the speaker’s intent.

Skill 17 - LISTEN FOR IDIOMS

Idioms are special expressions in English that convey meanings beyond the literal definitions of their individual words (e.g., “burning the candle at both ends” means “doing too much”).
In Listening Part A, questions involving idioms can be tricky because they may describe one situation literally, yet actually refer to a different situation entirely.
Pay attention to context. The way speakers use idioms often reveals the figurative meaning rather than the literal one.
If an answer choice interprets the idiom literally (e.g., talking about an actual candle), it is usually incorrect. Look instead for the figurative meaning (e.g., working too hard, taking on too many responsibilities).

Note: Common idioms include “hit the sack” (go to bed), “pull someone’s leg” (joking), and “give someone a hand” (help someone). Recognizing these helps avoid literal misunderstandings.