Not all listening questions are created equal. They tend to fall into a few broad categories, each testing a different listening skill. By recognizing the type of question, you can tune your listening and reasoning to give the best answer. The four main types of questions in CELPIP Listening are:
- Gist/Main Idea Questions – Testing overall understanding.
- Detail Questions – Testing memory of specific facts and details.
- Inference Questions – Testing your ability to “read between the lines.”
- Attitude/Tone/Opinion Questions – Testing understanding of how something is said or what stance is taken.
Let’s break down each type, how to spot it, and strategies to answer correctly.
1. Gist/Main Idea Questions
These ask about the overall idea or purpose of the conversation or talk. In other words, “What is this whole thing about?”
How to Recognize: Look for question stems like:
- “What is the conversation mainly about?”
- “What is the main issue being discussed?”
- “What is the purpose of the announcement?”
If you see keywords like “mainly about,” “overall,” “purpose,” or “why are the speakers talking,” it’s a gist question.
How to Answer: Since gist questions deal with the big picture, you should mentally summarize what you heard:
- During listening, pay attention to the opening lines and any repeated theme. Often the first few sentences and the conclusion give away the main point.
- Ask yourself, “In one sentence, what was that about?” after hearing the audio.
- Eliminate answers that focus on a small part of the conversation or a minor detail – those are usually traps. The correct answer will reflect the entire conversation’s focus.
- Beware of traps: A common trap answer for gist questions is one that mentions a detail that was in the audio but is not the central focus. For example, if a conversation is primarily about planning a surprise party (main idea) and at one point they discuss cake flavors, a trap answer might be “They are discussing favorite cake flavors.” Yes, cake came up, but that wasn’t the main purpose of the conversation – it was just a supporting detail.
Example: Suppose you hear a dialogue where a man and woman talk about renovating their kitchen – they discuss budget, choosing paint colors, and hiring a contractor. A gist question might be, “What are the speakers mainly talking about?” The correct answer should be along the lines of “remodeling a kitchen.” An option focusing only on one aspect (“choosing paint colors”) would be too narrow and likely incorrect.
2. Detail Questions
These questions probe specific pieces of information mentioned in the audio. They often begin with Who, What, Where, When, or How.
How to Recognize:
- “What time will X happen?”
- “How much does X cost?”
- “Which of the following is true about X?”
- “What did the man say about…?” Anything that clearly points to a particular fact or detail is this type. They often contain phrases like “according to the conversation,” “what does X mention about Y,” etc.
How to Answer:
- Listen for key facts: During the audio, jot down or mentally note names, dates, numbers, places – these often become detail questions.
- When the question appears, re-read it carefully to know exactly which detail is being asked. Sometimes detail questions are tricky in phrasing. For example, “Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons…?” – here they want the one thing that was not mentioned.
- Use your notes (if you took any) to locate the needed detail. If you didn’t note it, try to recall the part of the audio when that topic came up.
- Eliminate options that you know are incorrect. Usually, two options will clearly mismatch what was said.
- Beware of traps: The test loves to include options that are factually plausible but wrong. For instance, if the audio says “the ticket costs $50,” trap options might be “$15” (similar sounding) or “$60” (close, but not correct). Another trap: something that was mentioned but doesn’t answer the question. For example, if the question asks “When is the meeting?” and the conversation mentioned both the meeting time and another event’s time, a wrong option might give the time of the other event.
Example: The conversation says: “Let’s meet at the restaurant at 7:30 PM. It closes at 9, so we’ll have enough time to eat.” A detail question could be “When will they meet at the restaurant?” A correct answer: “7:30 PM.” Trap answers: “9:00 PM” (the closing time, not the meeting time), or “7:00 PM” (sounds kind of similar but wasn’t actually stated).
3. Inference Questions
Inference questions go beyond what is directly said, asking you to deduce or conclude something from context and tone. Essentially, why or what does it imply?
How to Recognize:
- “What can be inferred about X…?”
- “What will likely happen next?”
- “Why do you think the woman says …?” (implying there’s a hidden reason or meaning)
- “The man’s response implies that…” If the question uses words like “infer,” “imply,” “suggest,” or asks for a conclusion or a likely outcome, it’s an inference question.
How to Answer:
- Use context and tone: Think about not just what was said but how it was said. Did someone sound hesitant? Were they hinting at something without saying it outright?
- Combine clues: Sometimes the answer is the logical result of two or three things mentioned. For example, if a person said, “I lost my job” and later, “I’m worried about rent,” you can infer they might be having financial trouble.
- Be careful to stay within what’s reasonable given the conversation. Inferences shouldn’t be wild guesses – they should be supported by evidence in the audio, even if indirectly.
- Beware of traps: A common trap is an answer that goes too far beyond the information or an answer that reflects a misunderstanding of the context. If the speakers joke and laugh while saying something, an inference question might ask “How did the speakers feel about…?” A trap answer could be “They were very upset,” which contradicts the joking tone. Stick to the attitude or implication that actually fits the tone and content. Another trap: confusing who an inference is about. If the question asks “What can be inferred about the woman?”, make sure the answer you choose is about the woman, not the situation in general or the other person.
Example: If a man in the conversation says with a sigh, “Well, I guess I’ll be eating instant noodles again this week,” and earlier he talked about saving money, you can infer he’s low on funds or not happy about his meals. A possible inference question: “What can be inferred about the man’s situation?” Correct answer: “He is likely experiencing financial difficulties (tight budget).” A trap might be “He loves cooking at home,” which misinterprets his sigh.
4. Attitude/Tone/Opinion Questions
These questions focus on the speaker’s attitude, feelings, or the opinion they hold. They test whether you understood how something was said or the speaker’s perspective, not just the facts.
How to Recognize:
- “How does the woman feel about…?”
- “What was the man’s attitude toward…?”
- “Which of the following best describes the speaker’s tone when discussing…?”
- “What is likely the woman’s opinion on…?”
If you see words like “feel,” “attitude,” “tone,” or “opinion,” that’s your cue.
How to Answer:
- Listen to voice cues: Tone of voice can indicate if someone is happy, frustrated, uncertain, sarcastic, excited, etc. Did their voice rise or sound enthusiastic? Or was it flat and unenthusiastic? Emotional cues are often conveyed through intonation.
- Pay attention to word choice: If someone says, “I suppose it’s okay…”, that sounds hesitant or reluctant. If they say, “That’s absolutely fantastic!” the attitude is clearly positive and excited.
- Consider the context: Sometimes a speaker’s opinion is not stated outright but can be gleaned from what they emphasize or how they react. For example, if someone changes the subject quickly after an idea is mentioned, maybe they feel uncomfortable or disapproving of that idea.
- Beware of traps:
- Answers that are too extreme. Real human attitudes in the contexts given are often moderate. If a choice says “She is furious about the decision” but in the audio she sounded merely a bit annoyed and said something mildly negative, “furious” would be an exaggeration (trap).
- Also, watch out for answers that use the wrong emotion word. People sometimes mix up similar-sounding attitudes. For instance, “confused” vs “curious” – if the speaker was asking many questions, they might be curious, but a trap answer might say confused. Choose the nuance that truly matches what you heard.
- Another trap is attributing an opinion when the speaker actually stayed neutral. If the question asks for the speaker’s opinion on something and the speaker never clearly gave one, the safest answer might be neutral or “no strong opinion,” while a trap would put a strong stance in their mouth.
Example: A conversation snippet: Woman: “I really don’t want to relocate for a job, but I might have no choice.” (said in a resigned, soft tone) A question could be: “What is the woman’s attitude toward moving for a job?” A correct answer: “Reluctant but resigned” (she doesn’t want to, but feels she may have to). Trap answers: “Enthusiastic about the opportunity” (clearly wrong, opposite attitude) or “Angry about having to move” (she didn’t sound angry, just unhappy/reluctant).
General Strategy for Identifying Question Types
When the question appears, scan it for keywords like the ones mentioned above. Train yourself with practice questions to instantly categorize: “Ah, this one says ‘mainly about’ – it’s a main idea question. Let me recall the overall conversation.” Or “This one asks ‘What does X mean by…’ – that’s inference, I need to interpret that phrase in context.”
By knowing the question type, you allocate your mental energy correctly:
- For gist, you’ll think big picture.
- For detail, you’ll hunt in your memory/notes for a specific fact.
- For inference, you’ll piece together clues and tone.
- For attitude, you’ll recall how it was said and the speaker’s tone/words.
Common Trap Patterns by Question Type
- Gist traps: focus on a minor detail or use a term from the conversation out of context.
- Detail traps: correct info, wrong question (mentioned but irrelevant), or very close numbers/names (e.g., mixing up 15 vs 50, “John” vs “Jack”).
- Inference traps: an overly strong interpretation or one not supported (extrapolating too much), or something that would make sense in real life but wasn’t implied by what was said.
- Attitude traps: wrong emotion (e.g., saying “happy” when the tone was clearly unhappy but polite), or an answer that describes what we feel about the situation rather than the speaker’s feelings.
Being alert to these patterns will help you avoid falling for them.
In the following sections, as we tackle each Listening part in depth, we will apply these question-type strategies to real scenarios. You’ll see how recognizing question types in Part 1 through Part 6 can guide you to the correct answer more quickly and confidently.
