Select Missing Word - Understanding The Context and Find Which Word Bets Fits in It

Introduction
Task
In this task, you will be given instructions on the top section of the computer screen like “You will
hear a short recording (topic will be mentioned like Asian Culture, Feng Shui, Water Scarcity etc.).
At the end of the recording the last one word or group of words has been replaced by a beep. Select
the correct option to complete the sentence.
For each item in this task, there are three to five response options but only ONE option is correct.
At the end of the recording, click on the option you think is correct. You will generally come across
2-3 questions from this task in PTE.
Scoring Guide Criteria

Your response for Select Missing Word is
judged on your ability to predict what a
speaker will say based on contextual clues in
a recording. Your response is scored as either
correct or incorrect. No credit is given for no
response or an incorrect response. This
question type affects the scoring of only
listening. Your speaking and writing skills are
not tested by this question type, and your
reading skills are only used to read the
instructions and the response options.
You score one point/mark for selecting a
correct answer and zero for a wrong answer.
www.ptetutorials.online 01
How Software gives you scores?
Select a missing word tests a student's ability to:
1. Identify the main idea or the topic.

2. Understand and infer new word-meanings and vocabulary.
3. Understand the sequence of information.
4. Comprehend speech rates and various accents.
5. Predict what is going to follow next in a context.
The Subskills tested in this task are: identifying the topic, theme or main idea, identifying words
and phrases appropriate to the context; understanding academic vocabulary; inferring the
meaning of unfamiliar words; comprehending explicit and implicit information, comprehending
concrete and abstract information, following an oral sequencing of information, predicting how a
speaker may continue; forming a conclusion from what a speaker says, comprehending
variations in tone, speed and accent.
What do you need to do?
1. The first sentence of the given instructions will always give you the topic of the recording and
it will be the only part that will differ for each question in this item type. While attempting the
PTE Exam, always make sure to read the first sentence carefully to understand the topic of the
recording to prepare yourself for listening.
2. Be aware of the green bar in the Audio Status box.
This shows you when the recording is coming to an end so you will be ready to suggest the
word or phrase that has been replaced by a beep. As soon as the recording stops, think what
would come next and scan the options for the most similar word or phrase. Select it.
3. Be ready, the instructions tell you the topic of the recording. As the Audio Status box counts
down from 7 seconds, think what vocabulary you might hear. Skim the options quickly to gain
an idea of the aspect of the topic the speaker might talk about. Be ready to focus on what you
hear, and nothing else.
4. Comprehension of the message in the audio recording should be the sole purpose that has to
be achieved. So while listening to the recording, pay attention and imagine that you are talking
to your friend who is delivering an important message; the call abruptly ends and you miss out
on hearing the last few words of the conversation.
5. The assumption of the last few words should be your answer. What is expected is that you
predict and choose from a set of options, the last few words of the speaker. As you listen keep
an eye on the status bar of the audio player. When it reaches near the end, you know you are
going to hear the last sentence. Repeat the last sentence, word by word, behind the speaker
with a goal to memorize the sentence. When the audio stops, write down what you have
memorized in your notebook.
6. Now to get the correct answer for select missing word questions apply the trial and error
method. Simply put each option at the end of the last sentence of the speech that you have
memorized and write down in your notebook. The answer that meets the common sense and
grammatical criteria will be your correct answer.
The common sense criteria will be realized if the option evidently communicates the speaker's
intended meaning for the sentence and for the entire speech.
Tips and Strategies
You must use the 7 seconds you get before the audio starts playing, to take a quick look at the
topic and the options. The topic will be mentioned in the instruction.
The way to approach this question type completely depends on what you are comfortable with.
You can solve this question without putting pen to paper. However, we strongly recommend
taking notes for this one, as the distracting beep sound can make you lose focus.
Listen actively for “discourse markers”. These are used when the speaker introduces new
information or links ideas.
Don't worry if you miss a few words in the recording. If you focus on the overall idea of the audio,
you will still be able to answer the question.
Stay alert and keep your ears open, especially as the recording gets closer to the end/final
statement. You should be able to figure out which word was bleeped out, based on the words
preceding it.
As soon as you select an option, click next to move on to the next question.
Since there is no negative marking in these PTE Academic questions, you may take a guess if you
don't know the answer.
The grammatical criteria holds that the option should make sense in the context of the grammar
used in the sentence. For this purpose pay attention to the sentence's nouns, pronouns, articles
and tenses to name a few.
Don't waste much time and move further to next question
You have an option of adjusting the volume as well. If the recording is not audible to you can use
the slider to raise the volume in between also.
A great way to practice specifically for the select missing words task is to practice with a fellow
language student by reading passages from whatever source you like to one another without
completing the last part of a sentence, leaving that to your partner.
Practice active listening, in which you are eagerly tuned in to the subject, and are looking for clues,
or signal words which give you a sneak peek into the direction in which the speaker's thoughts are
developing. If you can identify such signal words, it wouldn't be too hard the direction of the talk.
Listen intently, and intuitively. Is the speaker going to present opposing arguments, or is he/she
furnishing supporting arguments?
If you listen with a specific intent, it wouldn't be too hard to gauge from the author's word selection
and signal words, which direction the talk is going to take. Even if you don't understand all the
words in the recording, or miss a word or two, try and get a general understanding of what the talk
is all about.
The reason that many students struggle with the listening section of the PTE is that the recording
seems to go so quickly that it is easy to miss the key information. The solution to this is
concentration. If your mind goes elsewhere for a few seconds, (which minds have a tendency to
do, especially in a test situation!), you can miss the key information that may have not even been
very difficult and thus, lose an easy mark.
Make sure that you are listening for the topic prompt as this will make it easier to put your mind to
the task as you will be expecting to hear about the environment or technology, for example,
avoiding any confusion when it comes to the question. Now that you are listening with the context
in mind, this will guide your thoughts and attention as you listen. This strategy also helps if you are
unsure about some of what is being said as having the context allows you to make estimations
and predictions about what the speaker is getting across and what the likely ending to the
sentence would be.
As we know, from everyday conversational situations to watching the news, and all the other
times during our day when we are required to listen, there is listening and there is listening. In
some situations, it is enough to half listen and we can get the gist of what we need to know!
However, in a test situation, we must do the opposite. We must focus intently on what is being
said, without allowing our mind to wander. This is a skill that can be learned with practice.
As you are listening, focus on keywords and clues for important pieces of information. Pay
attention to the speakers' tone and opinion. Track the progress and direction of the speaker's
points. This way, you will gain an overall understanding of the recording and pick up the crucial
parts that will help you to figure out which information must go in the gap. It doesn't matter if you
understand every word, in fact there are bound to be a few words that you don't know. Don't focus
your attention on these words as you will panic and forget to concentrate on what you DO
understand.
The next recording does not begin playing until you click 'Next'. So you have a little time to think
about your answer. If you want to change your answer, click on it again to 'de-select' it. Then click
on the option you think is correct.
A bit more detail about the types of audio and options:
Let's divide the options into two parts:

1. When there is one word missed in the audio, so you have one word present in the options.
2. When there is a group of words missed in the audio, then you would have more than word
present in each option.
TYPE 1
When one word is present in options, mostly you will observe that it is a noun or an adjective.
These may be the possibilities.
1. Speaker may use the same word in the audio. The noun or adjective will define the special
thing of what the speaker discussed in the whole audio or towards reaching the end.
For Example:
Transcript:
So what, what meiosis does for every species is generate a lot of diverse individuals. Individuals
with different capabilities. In the hope, that by having a population with very diverse individuals
that at least some of them will be competent to survive. And, it's wildly successful, almost, almost
every species on this planet has meio … has, has a way to create genetically diverse gametes, and
they use meiosis to do that. Ok, so, um, meiosis is extremely important in the evolution of life and
the survival of the _________.
genetics
diversity
species
Topic is 'Genetic Diversity'.
Look at the highlighted words in the transcript. species meiosis and also logic goes with
evolution of earth!!
Now look at the words spoken in the end: the survival of…
So choose option C. species, is the correct answer.
2. Sometimes you will be able to categorize the options into two parts
Positive or negative.
Now recall what the speaker said in the end, and try to make a logical flow of words with
what the speaker said in the end whether it was positive or negative. On the basis of that
you may sometimes choose your option.
For Example:
Transcript:
As Asian culture becomes more popular in the United States, the ancient Chinese method of
creating a harmonious environment, fengshui, is also gaining ground. Feng shui literally means
“wind and water? Its roots are 5,000 years old. Feng shui seeks to promote prosperity, good health,
and general well-being by examining how energy, qi, flows through a particular room, house,
building, or garden. Feng shui considers yin, feminine and passive energy, and yang, which is
masculine and hot. It also looks at the five elements—water, fire, wood, metal, and earth, and the
external environment. The points on the compass, with eight separate directions—north,
northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest—are also ________________.
irrelevant
problematic
confusing
important
popular
Topic is fengshui and in the end, directions are discussed so inference is Positive.
Important and popular are two positive words. As per logic, directions are important not popular.
So the correct answer will be 'important'.
TYPE 2
When a group of words is missed then completely you have to go with what you have heard in the
end (mostly), try to make a connection between your hearing and what is in front of you as
options.
Sometimes even you may see the usage of collocations here.
Reason: To frame one sentence, we always need groups of words which define logic or cohesion
between them. This is nothing but usage of collocations. From where the speaker ends, that word
or few last words may become collocated with the options used in a particular question.
For instance, look at the below example:
Transcript:
It's been suggested that we get rid of the study of humanities altogether. Some say studying
subjects like history, philosophy, politics, literature, anthropology, and so on, has no intrinsic value
and why should we waste time and energy on courses of study that won't lead directly to a cut and
dried career. They say that what the world needs now is specialists, not generalists. Well, I have to
say, I couldn't disagree more. Of course we want to produce well-informed, literate, highly
functioning citizens who make solid contributions to society. That's an idea that still holds sway —
but that's not the reason that I believe studying the humanities is valuable. People who study a
breadth of topics, and who have a diverse range of interests, are actually better problem solvers.
This broad education means they can approach an issue _________.
from a number of angles
with a specific goal in mind
in a less emotional manner
in a way that enriches society
Topic: Humanities/societies and problems
Words used in the end:

breadth of topics, a diverse range of interests, better problem solvers, they can approach an
issue!
'enriches' an issue (singular)
So the correct answer will be option (d) in a way that enriches society.
Sample Questions
Example #1
Transcript:
I said - Baltimore erupted. But it was one part of Baltimore. The poor inner city that erupted not the
rest. I'd been studying health inequalities in Baltimore before there was civil unrest. In the ballpark
where the riots broke out. Life expectancy for men was sixty three years. In the richest part, it was
83 years. A 20 year gap in one city. If you live in the richest part of Baltimore and you want to see
what it's like to live where life expectancy is 63, you could fly to Ethiopia. Easier is to travel a short
distance across town. Life expectancy for men in the poorest part of Baltimore is the same as
Ethiopia two years shorter than the Indian _______.
You will hear a recording of a lecture. At the end of the recording the last word or group of words
has been replaced by a beep. Select the correct option to complete the recording.
Audio
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CzntsgkTkPapKY4MkTWc2oateQYSRFcM
A. person
B. condition
C. total
D. average
Answers: D
Hint: theme is life expectancy, so only option D 'average' matches.
Example #2
Transcript:
Even had I not spent decades of my life in Australia I would know that it is a well functioning
society because life expectancy in Australia is near the top of the world rankings. I know that
Australia is doing somewhat better than the USA as a society and much better than Russia simply
by examining the health statistics but I know something else. There are big inequalities in
Australia that show up in big inequalities in health they are most obvious between Indigenous and
non-Indigenous people.
But they also track along lines of education social standing and income in the non-
indigenous______.
Audio
A. society
B. mentality
C. opportunity
D. population
Answers: D
Hint: Non-indigenous is only the population.
Every day millions of lights and computers are left on in deserted offices, apartments and houses. Environmental activists say
that simply switching them off could cut Sydney's greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent over the next year.
Per capita, Australia is one of the world's largest producers of carbon dioxide and other gases that many scientists believe are
helping to warm the Earth's atmosphere, causing climate upset.
A long-standing drought and serious water shortages in Australia have focused much attention on climate change. Some
experts warn higher temperatures could leave this nation of 20 million people at the mercy of more severe droughts and
devastating tropical cyclones.
Example #3
Transcript:
When you go back to work a class after lunch why is it so hard to stay awake. Although we get
energy from food. We also use lots of energy to digest it. Your energy use increases 25 to 50
percent as you digest a meal. With all that action going on in the digestive system, the body sends
extra blood to the gut to supply oxygen and other necessities. As food enters the stomach, the
intestines secrete substances that dilate or expand the blood vessels that supply them with
blood. As a result, more blood flows to the upper digestive tract and there's a bit less to go around
to the rest of the body that might make your arms, legs and brain feel a little ____________.
Audio
A. comfortable
B. energetic
C. uncomfortable
D. luggish
Answers: D
Hint: Meaning of the last line is negative, so there are two negative options: uncomfortable and
sluggish. Arms, legs and brain cannot be uncomfortable. Rather we can say that its working may
become slow or sluggish.
Example #4
Transcript:
Air smells dog owners will attest having a dog is great for several reasons. For one, Dogs are
typically loyal steady companions. Many studies have shown that caring for a dog is a great way
to get more exercise and according to one study, bringing a dog to work_________.
Audio
A. can make you and your co-workers more productive.

B. will create chaos in your office
C. can help to spend some spare time
D. can help you to keep fit
Answers: A
Hint: in the end, something positive is explained, so find positive option which can also make a
good result for your office.
So option A: ….can make you and your co-workers more productive.
Example #5
Transcript:
Scientists have recognized a phenomenon called the theory of time allocation which basically
suggests that the more money you make the more likely you are to work more. In other words, with
more money at stake you're more likely to see time spent not working as a wasted opportunity.
Even if you're aware that working too much may have negative consequences.
It can be difficult to break the cycle. At that point, working becomes something like ______________.
Audio
A. depression
B. an addiction
C. daily routine
D. an opportunity to be successful
Answers: B
Hint: The audio is concentrated to one point i.e. working more and it becomes 'an addiction'.
Example #6
Transcript:
Well! there is one problem with solar panels like this. They only work when the sun is shining. If you
wanted to use them on cloudy days or at night you'd need to store the power in a giant battery and
you'd need heaps more panels which would be really expensive. That's why in Australia most
people still rely on something called baseload power ________.
Audio
A. Electricity that's available all the time

B. Electricity that's running much cheaper
C. An renewable energy
D. Can be cheaper when using at nights.
Answers: A
Hint: The audio is about to store power through solar panels, but in the end, the speaker talks
about its non-availability all the time, that's why Australians use baseload power which can be
used all the time.
Example #7
Transcript:
Many of us use tablets and smartphones at night. We do our schoolwork, chat with friends even
play games. But a new study has found that these electronic devices emit so much light that using
them before going to bed can affect our sleep. But to understand why that can be a problem we
need to ________.
Audio
A. Carry out some experiment to verify

B. Have enough sleep
C. Find out how sleep works
D. Know the structure of our brain.
Answers:C
Hint: The theme of the lecture was smartphones and its effect on our sleep. In the end, the speaker
talks about that why it happens, so for that we need to understand how sleep works.
Example #8
Transcript:
Some experts predict that as electronic devices become more popular, our sleep will be
interrupted even more. But there are things we can do to get a better night's sleep. They say
turning off screens at least an hour before going to bed is a good idea. You can also dim the lights
in dark and backgrounds and hold screams away from your face or swapping a tablet for a real bug
can make a difference. So if you can keep these things in mind you'll not only get a good night's
sleep but ______.
Audio
A. You'll learn something new

B. You'll be happy and healthier too
C. Find out how sleep works
D. Know why many people are struggling with insomnia
Answers: B
Hint: Positive thing was discussed in the end. So find positive option and option A and B are
positive. We cannot learn new things with good sleep. So option B is the correct answer.
Example #9
Transcript:
In 60s and 70s women again fought for their rights.
There were some big revolutions like the birth control pill which meant women could control when
they had children. Women protested for equal pay, equal opportunities, even the right to drink in
bars with men and the world kept changing. Women led countries and businesses they went to
space and they were ordained as religious leaders. Australia got female judges and a governor
general and three years ago, the country elected its first ever_________.
Audio
A. Aboriginal leader
B. Law to protect women's rights
C. Carbon tax scheme
D. Female prime minister
Answers: D
Hint: The theme of the audio was women and her achievements. In the last line, the speaker talks
about the words: 'country elected its first ever', these words directly indicate to choose the option
D: female Prime Minister.
Example #10
Transcript:
Before antibiotics, people could die from simple things that we wouldn't think twice about like an
infection from a bad cut.
Then in 1928, a discovery was made by accident. Scientist named Alexander Fleming left some
dirty petri dishes lying around when he went on holiday. When he got back mold had formed but
around it there was no bacteria. Fleming wrote a paper about this special mold but that's where he
left it. About a decade later in 1939, an Australian man decided this mold was worth a closer look.
Howard Florey and his team found ways to extract the powerful parts that fought bacteria. Within
a few years ________.
Audio
A. The world's first antibiotic was born, and It was called Penicillin
B. A lot of patients were cured
C. Howard Florey earned him the 1945 Nobel Prize for medicine
D. Howard Florey were dead from bacteria infection.
Answers: A
Hint: The speaker's first few words were: Before antibiotics…..
And in the end, he discussed positive things and said, “Within a few years ____”.
The main word is here – Antibiotics.
So choose option A: the world's first antibiotic was born, and it was called Penicillin.
(The time before antibiotics was discussed and later, the time after the invention of antibiotics.)
In a nutshell - Curated Summary
The select missing word task is a listening item type that assesses only
the listening skills. This task evaluates your aptitude to foresee what a
speaker is going to say next based on circumstantial clues. This task
contains multiple choice questions where you will have to listen,
comprehend, guess and then choose one correct response. You score
one point/mark for selecting a correct answer and zero for a wrong
answer. You need to be extra careful in listening especially towards the
end of the recording to understand the context of the speaker's words.
Since there is no negative marking, don't miss to make the best guess
from the available options that you think suits most appropriate.
Hop M Tutoria Wil B Of Help T Yo .
Happ Practisin .
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Last updated: 4th March, 2020 | Version 1.0

Select Missing Word - Understanding The Context and Find Which Word Bets Fits in It

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Introduction

Scoring Guide Criteria

Select a missing word tests a student's ability to:

1. Identify the main idea or the topic.

Don't waste much time and move further to next question

A bit more detail about the types of audio and options:

Let's divide the options into two parts:

So choose option C. species, is the correct answer.

So the correct answer will be 'important'.

For instance, look at the below example:

Words used in the end:

'enriches' an issue (singular)

A. can make you and your co-workers more productive.

A. Electricity that's available all the time

A. Carry out some experiment to verify

A. You'll learn something new

Last updated: 4th March, 2020 | Version 1.0

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