Inference in listening
Listening between the lines
- Not every answer is said directly.
- Sometimes a speaker suggests something without saying it openly.
- Think about what they really mean.
Practice
If a meaning is 'implied', it is…
Implied = suggested, not stated openly.
Work out the meaning
- Use the words around an idea to work out the meaning.
- Listen for the speaker's overall intention.
- The exact words and the real meaning can differ.
Explore
Where are they? Infer the place
Speakers rarely name the place — the props and phrases do it for them.
Practice
The exact words a speaker uses always match their real meaning.
Not always — listen for what is implied.
Watch the distractors
- In multiple-choice, the wrong options are called distractors.
- A speaker may mention an option, then change their mind.
- Listen to the whole idea before you choose.
Practice
A speaker says 'I wanted tea, but I had coffee.' They drank…
Listen to the whole idea: they had coffee.
Practice
A wrong option designed to trick you is called a ___.
Distractors are the tempting wrong options.
Hear the clue, name the scene
- You hear: "Tickets, please! And mind the gap as you leave."
- Nobody says "train" — but tickets plus mind the gap put you on one.
- You hear: "A table for two? And could we see the menu?" — a restaurant, implied twice.
- In the exam: choose the option the clues point to, not the option whose word you happened to hear.
Practice
Match the spoken line to what it implies.
Each line carries a second, unspoken sentence — your job is to hear it.
Key idea
- Some meanings are implied, not stated.
- Work them out from the words around them.
- Wait for the whole idea — avoid the distractors.