SOME TIPS FOR PART I TOEIC LISTENING TEST

In Part 1, correct answer choices may have one of the five structures below:                       

Structure 1  Subject + is/are + V-ing + object: The person is doing something.

• This most common structure is used to describe the action of the person in the photograph When listening, you should identify the verb in the present continuous tense and its object.

Structure 2  Subject + is/are + V-ing + prepositional phrase of place: The person is doing something somewhere.

• You should listen to the prepositional phrase of place after the verb, as it precisely describes the location where the person is performing the action.

Structure 3  Subject + is/are + prepositional phrase of place: The person is at somewhere.

• Answer choices with the verb be followed by a prepositional phrase of place are not very common. However, you should pay attention to the prepositional phrase of place, as it -describes the location of the person.

Structure 4  Subject + is/are + being + past participle: The object is being acted on (by the person).

      -    Even though the focus of the photograph is a person, the subject of a correct answer choice may be an object used with the present continuous passive (be + being + past participle). This means that the person’s action is emphasized. You, therefore, should pay attention to the object acted on.

Structure 5  Subject + is/are + past participle + adverb: The person is doing something somewhere.

      -   The verb in this structure is in the passive form; however, it does not have a passive    meaning. This structure has a similar meaning to Structure 2.

When the person in the photograph is a male, the subject will be He/The man/A man. When the person in the photograph is a female, the subject will be She/The woman/A woman. As all the subjects in the statements are alike, you have to listen to the verbs and their objects or the remaining details.

Test-Taking Strategies

1. The correct answer choice should describe the person’s outstanding action, appearance, state, or location.

2. The most important element in all statements describing photographs is the verb itself. You may hear certain new verbs. You, thus, should practice listening to and learn typical verbs.

3. You should also carefully observe the person’s appearance and clothes. After identifying the verbs in the statements, you must listen to the remaining details. Sometimes, the correct statement describes the clothes he/she is wearing or the accessories he/she is bringing.

4. You must distinguish between “action” and “state”. Take the verbs wear and put on as examples: wear is used to describe the “state" of having clothes on, while put on refers to the "action” of getting dressed.

The subjects in the statements are different, which causes more difficulty for you. You have to carefully observe not only the person's action/state but also things around and even the background. In most cases, the correct answer choice is the one which describes the action/state of the person in the photograph. Therefore, if you are unsure, choose the statement whose subject is the person in the photograph.

5. Sometimes, the name of an object is not specifically stated but a general term is used instead. For example, the person in the photograph is playing the guitar or piano; the correct answer choice may use a musical instrument - the general term of guitar and piano. You should familiarize yourself with some other general terms such as tools, equipment, vehicles, fruits, etc.

6. You should not interpret. Just carefully look at the photograph and decide which of the statements best describes what you can see in the photograph.

7. You must also observe the things around the person. Sometimes, the main focus of the photograph is the person, but the correct answer choice may concentrate on the objects or scenes.

8. In the actual test, all the photographs are in black and white. Therefore, nearly all of the statements which mention colors will be incorrect answers.

 

When the photograph includes both males and females, the subject mentioned will be They. When there are only males, the subject will be The men. When there are only females, the subject will be The women. As the subjects of all the statements are alike, you have to listen to the verbs and their objects or the remaining details.

Test-Taking Strategies

1. You must observe the general action/state of the people in the photograph. Listen to not only the verbs but also the prepositional phrases of place.

2. Sometimes, you must also pay attention to the appearance or action of an outstanding individual in the group.

3. The correct answer choice generally describes what the people in the photograph are doing together, or what a focused person in the photograph is doing.

The correct answer choice may describe the general action/state of a group of people, or it may focus on an individual. When it refers to a group, the subject may be They, The people, Some people. When referring to an individual, the subject may be A man/woman, One man/woman. While listening, you must decide whether the subject and verb correspond to the people’s action/ state or not. You must also keep an eye on the objects or scenes in the photograph.

4. You must make sure that the subject and verb in the answer choice best describe what you can see in the photograph.

5. You must be very cautious because incorrect answers may sometimes be those that mention the most outstanding object in the photograph.