Giving the presentation – IELTS Listening Part 3

Tip: Multiple-choice with single answer

Task guide

► This task requires you to choose the correct answer to each question from three possible answers.

► There may be between one and ten questions.

► The questions follow the order of the recording.

► Within each question, you may hear reference to the three options in any order.

► If you realise you have missed a question, don’t try to remember it, but move on, and make sure you do not miss the next question(s).

► Multiple-choice questions vary considerably in terms of complexity. In Section 1, they ask you to listen for relatively straightforward facts, but in Section 3 and Section 4, the questions will test your understanding of opinions, feelings, evidence, argument, and so on.

► Do not immediately choose an option simply because you hear the same word or words on the recording. It is your understanding of the meaning of the whole question that is tested here.

Step-by-step guide

► Step 1 - Think first

It is very important that you read the question carefully.

The stems of some questions (here Questions 1 and 2) are partial sentences, to be completed by the possible answers, while the stems of others are complete questions (here Questions 3, 4 and 5)

► Step 2 - Watch out for possible dangers

Look at Question 1. The question consists of two parts: 'Before giving her presentation' and 'Kate was worried about'. This is what you must listen for.

These are some dangers in choosing an answer:

You hear Kate say what worried her during or after the presentation, not before her presentation, and choose the wrong answer.

You hear Kate say what she was looking forward to, not what she was worried about before the presentation, and choose the wrong answer.

You hear another speaker, not Kate, say what he or she was worried about before his or her presentation, and choose the wrong answer.

► Step 3 - Consider the possibilities

Look at the tapescript for Question 1 and answer the questions below about options A, B and C.

Tapescript

I was ever so nervous beforehand. It's silly, because I do know my stuff quite well. I must know those statistics inside out, but when you have to get each table of results to come up in the right order, it can make you nervous. It was my first time using the computerised projector, and I was sure I was going to get the controls wrong, or something. And of course, that's not a good situation, if you know you've got to listen to questions carefully and be ready to answer quickly.

Option A

1 Did Kate expect to be asked questions?............

2 Does she talk about questions being difficult? ........

3 Is option A the correct answer?............

Option B

1 Does she talk about using projection equipment?

2 Does she talk about problems in connection with projection equipment?............

3 Is option B the correct answer?............

Option C

1 Does she talk about statistical results?............

2 Does she say that explaining statistical results was something she was worried about?............

3 Is option C the correct answer?............

► Step 4 - Listen and do the task

Tips: Classification

Task guide

► This task requires you to answer a series of questions with the same choice of answers in each case.

► Although the possible answers are the same for each question, the questions do not depend on each other. You can get one question wrong, but the next one right.

► Do not try to 'break the code': it is not possible to predict how many answers will be the same, or to find a pattern of any kind.

► In some cases, option C may be the combination of options A and B. In other cases, the possible answers may consist of three distinct possibilities - three different people, places, periods of time, and so on.

► The questions follow the order of the recording.

► If you miss one question, leave it and go on to the next one.

Step-by-step guide

► Step 1 - Think first

What you hear on the recording may be different words from the questions, but with the same meaning.

For 'compose a questionnaire' in Question 6, you might hear 'write a questionnaire', 'create a questionnaire', 'produce questions for a questionnaire', 'put a questionnaire together', and so on.

Look at Questions 7-10. Think of what you might hear on the tape and write your ideas:

7 ..........................................................................................

8 ..........................................................................................

9 ..........................................................................................

10 ..........................................................................................

► Step 2 - Check what you will hear

Look at the tapescript for Question 6.

Tapescript

Kate: Yes. Well, we're going to need the questionnaire before we can do much else, aren't we? Do you want to handle that?

Martin: I'd assumed we'd do it together?

Kate: You have more experience than me. Maybe you could think up the main questions, you know, a first version of the whole thing, and then I could read it through.

Martin: And make suggestions? Well, OK.

Kate first suggests that Martin 'handles' the questionnaire. If you choose option A (Martin) at this point, you are answering the question too soon. At this point, it has not been confirmed who will do the task of composing the questionnaire.

Next, Martin suggests that they do the task together. This indicates that both Martin and Kate (option C) is the answer. However, you cannot be sure, because Kate has not agreed to this yet.

Then Kate accepts Martin's suggestion and clarifies how they will both do the task. But you still cannot be sure, because Martin has not agreed to this.

Finally, Martin confirms his agreement ('Well, OK.'), and you can now safely choose option C as the correct answer.

► Step 3 - Listen and do the task