Listening Skills; Part A

TOEFL Preparation
Erni Suparti, M. Ed.
 Strategies for Listening Part A
1. As you listen to each short conversation, focus on the
second line of the conversation
2. Keep in mind that the correct answer is probably a
restatement of a key word or idea in the second line of
the conversation
3. Keep in mind that certain structure and expressions are
tested regularly in listening part A;
 Structures (passives, negatives, wishes, conditions)
 Functional expressions (agreement, uncertainty, suggestion,
surprise)
 Idiomatic Expressions (two-part verbs, three-part verbs, idioms)
 Strategies; cont’d
4. Keep in mind that these questions generally
progress from easy to difficult
5. Read the answers and choose the best answer
to each question
6. Even if you do not understand the complete
conversation, you can find the correct answer.
Skill 1: Draw Conclusions about Who, What,
where
 It is common for you to be asked to draw one
of the following conclusions in listening part
A:
1. WHO is probably talking?
2. WHAT will she/he probably do next?
3. WHERE does the conversation probably
take place ?
 Skill 2; Listen for double negative
expressions

Situation Example Meaning

Negative word (e.g. not, no,
He didn’t like the unclean Did not like unclean office =
none) and a negative prefix
office liked clean office
(e.g. in-, un-, dis-)

It isn’t snowing, so they Implies that they would go if

Two negative verbs
aren’t going to the mountains it were snowing

Sue didn’t like the movie ,

Neither or not … either and neither did Mark Both did not like the movie
 Skill 3; Listen for “almost negative”
Expressions
Hardly, There is
Meaning

Expression

Example
Almost
Meaning

Expression

Example
barely, hardly any
none scarcely,
only
food in the
refrigerator

Almost Rarely, He rarely

Example
Meaning

Expression

Never Seldom drives to

work
Meaning Example Comparative
• He is Extremely • He couldn’t be • -er
Happy happier
Meaning Example Comparative
• She is the most • No one is more • More
beautiful beautiful than she is
Comparatives
Skill 4: Listen for Negatives with
 Skill 5: Listen for Emphatic Expressions of
Surprise
Emphatic
Verb form
Example Meaning
• Be • Be, with • Then, He is • I thought he
• Modal emphasis here! was not here
• Present • Modal, with • Then, you • I thought
Tense emphasis can go! you could
• Past Tense • Do(es), with • Then, you not go
• Perfect emphasis do play • I thought
Tense • Did with tennis you did not
emphasis • Then, She play tennis
• Have, with did read it • I thought
emphasis • Then, she she had not
has gone read it
there • I thought he
had not gone
there
 Skill 7; Listen for Wishes
Point Example Meaning

An affirmative with implies I wish I had time to help = no time to help

a negative reality

A negative wish implies an I wish I did not have time = time to help
affirmative reality to help

A past tense verb implies a I wish he were at home =is not at home
present reality

A past perfect tense verb I wish he had been at home =he was not at home
implies a past reality
 Skill 7: Listen for Idioms
 Use context to find the meaning.
 E.g.;
(man) Tom is a full-time student and is holding
down a full- time job
(woman) He’s really burning the candle at both
ends.
 Burning the candle at both ends does not mean; he’s
lighting the candle, nor he’s holding the candle at the
top and the bottom, but,
 It means; He’s doing too much (if we look at the
meaning of the whole conversation)
 ACTIVITY:
PART A Listening TOEFL Preparation