LISTENING MODULE

There are 4 sections to the listening module in IELTS. There are 40 questions altogether. The
audio will last for approximately 30 minutes.

During the test, you will be given time to read the questions before you hear the audio. As you listen,
you should write your answers in your test booklet. Do not wait till the end. At the end of each section,
you will be given 30 seconds to check your answers. You will have an additional 10 minutes to transfer
your answers from your test booklets to the official answer sheet. If you don’t transfer your answers,
your answers will not be counted and you will not receive a listening score.

Sections 1 and 2 are about every day, social situation.

 Section 1 has a conversation between two speakers (for example, a conversation about travel
arrangements)
 Section 2 has one person speaking (for example, a speech about local facilities).

Sections 3 and 4 are about educational and training situations

 Section 3 is a conversation between two main speakers (for example, a discussion between two
university students, perhaps guided by a tutor)
 Section 4 has one person speaking about an academic subject.

Question types
There are a variety of question types on the IELTS listening modules. Some of the examples of
the questions are

1. Multiple choice
2. Short answer
3. Making notes
4. Summarizing
5. Sentence completion
6. Labeling diagrams, plans and maps
7. Chart completion
8. Classification
9. Flowchart completion
 10. Matching
11. Graphs
12. Selecting from a list
13. Tables

Listening tips
A. Learn and understand the directions now. Don’t waste your time during the test to understand
directions. Use the time to study the questions.
B. Study the different types of questions.be prepared for what the question might ask you to do
C. If you don’t know the answer. Guess it
D. Take notes in your question booklet and mark answers if necessary
E. When you have an extra time or a break, study the next set of questions.
F. When you make assumptions ask, what? Who? Why? Where?
G. The correct answers are often repeated but they will not be in plain text. They will use
paraphrase and synonyms
H. A lot of information given is not tested. Pay attention to the parts which have answers
I. Don’t get stuck on the question, if you didn’t hear the answer, go on.
J. The answers are given in order if you hear the answer for question 10; it means you missed the
question 9. It would not be repeated.
K. When you write a word, make sure that spellings are accurate. It doesn’t matter whether they
are American or British.
L. Mark your answers properly. If you are told to give a letter, do not write a word or a sentence
M. Look out for speakers that correct themselves. The second statement is the one that is usually
asked for
N. Incomplete or shortened answers will be marked incorrect.
O. Remember, answers exceeding word limits will be marked as incorrect
P. Variety of accents is used. Practice listening to native speakers
Q. Concentrate and do not let your mind linger. Practice listening for 30 minutes

Listening skills

TARGET 1 – Making Assumptions

In order to understand a conversation, the candidate should focus on two things: speaker and
the topic. You should be able to determine what you already know and what you need to know.
As you listen, try making some assumptions about the topic and the speakers.

Who are they?

What is their relationship?
Where are they?
What do they plan to do?
What did they do?
What are their feelings?
What are they talking about?
What happened?
What might happen?

You will have about 20 seconds to look over these questions. Use that time to make assumptions.

TARGET 2 – Understanding Numbers

Many of the questions on the ask you to remember, identify or write down numbers that you hear. This
is an easy skill to practice, but difficult one to perfect. Many numbers sound the same. For this, try using
the context to make a guess about what you are hearing. When you look over the questions to make
assumptions about the topic, pay attention to those questions that ask for specific numbers.

Example:
You will hear: Flight 40 leaves from gate 14
Many numbers sound alike
3,13,30,33
4,14,40,44
6,16,60,66

TARGET 3 – Understanding the Alphabet

Many of the questions are based on remembering or identifying the letters of the alphabet that you
hear. This should be practiced regularly.

Example:
You will hear:
Speaker 1: is your name spelled ‘h-i-n-a or h-e-e-n-a’
Speaker 2: it’s heena with a e

TARGET 4- Distinguishing Similar Sounds

Some words sound similar to each other, but they are different. For certain languages, some sounds are
more difficult to distinguish than others. English vowels can sometimes confuse the speaker or the
listener. Here are the some commonly confused English vowel sounds

I and ee Ship/sheep
A and e Pat/pet
E and ay Debt/date
O and aw Boat/bought
A and u Bat/but
It is always better to practice differentiating similar sounding words.

TARGET 5- Listening for Descriptions

When you listen to a conversation or a lecture, you see in your mind what the speaker is describing. If
the speaker talks about a beach, you have to imagine a beach in your mind. As and when the speaker
changes the descriptions, you mental image also changes. In IELTS, you will have to listen to descriptions
and match them to a drawing in you test booklet.
Example:
Listen to the description and write a short paragraph on it
TARGET 6 – Listening for Time
Listening for time is an important aspect in IELTS. You must know when something is about to happen or
has already happened. You must listen for a date, month, time or year.

Useful words and phrases for time

10:00 am 1912 Any afternoon from 1:00
Noon 1925 During the week
5:00 pm 2005 Every other weekend
Midnight 2007 Sunday
At 4:00 In the spring Monday
Before 6:30 In the summer Tuesday
After 7:00 In the autumn This week
Half past two In the winter Next week
Quarter past three Yesterday This month
Quarter to four Tomorrow Next month
In January Day after tomorrow Next year
In November Two years ago Century
May 3 A year from now This century
August 7 On July 9th Next century
March 5 of this year On the 3 of February
April 5 of the next year On 19th November
Last December 9 On weekday mornings

TARGET 7 – Listening for Frequency

Certain adverbs tell you when something might happen or has happened already. Some adverbs that
will help you determine time is

Useful adverbs of frequency Useful adverbial time words or phrases

Always Every day, daily
Usually Twice a week
Often Once a month
Sometimes On occasion
Occasionally Every year, yearly
Seldom Every other week
Hardly ever From time to time
Rarely Once in a while
Never Now and then

TARGET 8 – Listening for Similar Meanings

Sometimes, the words you hear in the audio are not what you see in the booklet. You will have to listen
for similar meanings. You could hear a synonym or you could hear a paraphrase.

Example:
You will hear: the spectators cheered for the team
You will see: write the answer
What are the audiences doing?

TARGET 9 – Listening for Emotions

Make sure you listen to the audio properly to understand the emotions and feelings of the speaker
Some words for expressing emotions are

Afraid Ecstatic Nervous

Angry Embarrassed Pleased
Annoyed Exhausted Proud
Ashamed Frustrated Sad
Bored Happy Shocked
Confused Jealous Surprised
Disappointed Mad Unhappy
Disgusted miserable upset

TARGET 10 – Listening for an Explanation

A speaker may explain how something is done or made. You will have to pay attention and remember
the steps of the process. Make sure you remember the steps in proper order

Example:

Study the process and answer the questions given below

TARGET 11- Listening for Classifications
In this, you will have to group similar objects or ideas. You will have to determine how to classify objects
or ideas. Some useful classification words and phrases are

Can be divided into Types

Can be categorized as Kinds
Can fit into this category ways

TARGET 12- Listening for Comparisons and Contrasts

Speakers often compare or contrast objects or ideas to help describe something. You will have to decide
what is being compared and what is being contrasted.

Useful words for comparison Useful words for contrast

Almost the same as In common Although More than
Also Just as But Nevertheless
As Like, alike Differ from On the other hand
At the same time as Neither/nor Different from Otherwise
Correspondingly Resemble Even though On the other hand
Either/or Similar to However Nevertheless
In a like manner Similarly In contrast to More than
In the same way Than instead Less than

TARGET 13- Listening for Negative Meaning

You have to determine when you hear the audio whether the statement is positive or negative. A
negative prefix can contradict the word it joins. This usually results in a negative meaning. You can also
put a negative word before a verb or clause to change the meaning of the sentence.

Useful negative markers

Before verbs/clauses Before nouns/phrases Negative prefixes Positive meanings from
negative prefixes
Not No Un Undone
Isn’t/can’t/won’t/shouldn’t Nowhere Im Impossible
/couldn’t/hasn’t/mustn’t
Rarely/only rarely Nothing Il Illegal
Hardly At no time In Indefinite
Scarcely Not at this time non Nonsense
Seldom In no case Unlimited
Never By no means unparalleled
Barely Invaluable
Not since Nonrestrictive
Not until Nonviolent
And neither

TARGET 14- Listening for Chronology

Listening for the order in which events occur is an important skill. You will need to listen to what
happened first, second and so on.

USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASES THAT INDICATE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

Before At birth, in childhood, in infancy, as an adult
After In adulthood, in old age
While Simultaneously, at the same time as
During Former, latter
Between ___ and ___ Previous
In (year) Previously
On (day) Prior to
At ( time) First, second, third etc.
Since _____ In the first place, second place
Later To begin with
Earlier Next, then , subsequently
Formerly In the next place
Every ( number) At last
At the turn of the century In conclusion
In the first half of the century finally
In the 20s,1980s