Module 01 —Listening for Key Facts
Listening 1 (short exchanges) · Listening 3 (notes) · Speaking 1 recycle · numbers, times and places
PET parts in this lesson · mixed-skill spiral
Why this lesson now? Introduces Listening 1 detail work; recycles Speaking 1.
CEFR Pathway · You are here
Get ready · 01
5 minGet talking
Your teacher says five numbers quickly. Write them down. Which type was hardest: prices, times or dates?
In a short exchange, is the correct answer usually the first number you hear or the last one? Why?
What do you do when you miss a word — stop and worry, or keep listening?
Grammar for the Exam · 02
8–10 minSaying and hearing times, prices and dates
Times: half past / quarter to. Prices: £4.50 = 'four fifty'. Dates: the third of May / May the third.
Listening Part 1 questions almost always turn on one small fact: what time, how much, which day, where. English says these facts in patterns you can train. Times use 'past' and 'to' around the hour; prices drop the word 'pounds' in speech ('nine ninety-nine'); dates use ordinal numbers ('the twenty-first'). If you can produce these patterns yourself, you recognise them far faster when a speaker says them at natural speed.
→ The train leaves at quarter to eight — that's 7.45.
→ It's twelve fifty for a return ticket. (= £12.50)
→ We're meeting on the fourteenth, not the fortieth — listen for 'teen' or 'ty'.
Question 1.'Quarter to nine' is…
Question 2.You hear 'thirteen euros fifty'. Write it:
Question 3.Which pair is hardest to hear apart?
Question 4.'We'll meet on the second of June' means…
Question 5.'Half past six' is…
Quick check 1.In a short exchange, the correct answer is usually…
Exam Vocabulary · 03
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
Activation · Personalise · Recycle
Say the full sentence aloud — hearing yourself is half the training.
Ask your partner
- When were you last delayed?
- How do you check if a train is on time?
- What do you do while you wait on the platform?
"I always book…"in advance
Rank these from EASIEST to HARDEST to catch when someone speaks fast.
- 1a day of the week
- 2a price
- 3a time
- 4a platform number
Then compare with a partner — justify your top choice.
Write 30 words changing a plan: new time, new meeting point.
Pronunciation for Speaking · 04
3–4 min'-teen' vs '-ty'
'ThirTEEN' stresses the end; 'THIRty' stresses the beginning.
- • thirteen / thirty
- • fifteen / fifty
- • eighteen / eighty
- • It costs fourteen, not forty.
- • Platform nineteen, not ninety.
Reading Skills · 05
8–10 minReading Part 3 — Why candidates hear the wrong number
In Listening Part 1 you hear a very short conversation twice, and you choose between three pictures or options. Most candidates who lose marks here do not have a hearing problem. They have a patience problem.
A typical exchange mentions three numbers. The first is usually a suggestion: 'Shall we meet at six?' The second is a problem: 'Six is difficult — I finish at half past.' The third is the agreement: 'Quarter to seven, then.' Candidates who write down the first number they hear get the question wrong, even though they understood every word.
The fix is small. Listen the first time for the shape of the conversation: who wants what, and what they finally decide. Listen the second time only for the detail that matters. Because you hear the recording twice, the first listening is free — you are allowed to use it just to understand, not to answer.
The same habit helps in Listening Part 3, where you complete notes with one or two words. Speakers often correct themselves: 'It's on Tuesday — sorry, Thursday.' The last word wins.
Question 1.What does the writer say most candidates' real problem is?
Question 2.In the example, which number is correct?
Question 3.How should you use the first listening?
Question 4.What does 'the last word wins' refer to?
Listening Skills · 06
8–10 minListening Part 1 — three short exchanges
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Narrator:One. What time will they meet?
Woman:Shall we say six o'clock outside the cinema?
Man:Six is a bit tight — I don't finish work until half past.
Woman:Quarter to seven then. The film starts at seven, so that's fine.
Narrator:Two. How much does the student ticket cost?
Man:Two tickets for the exhibition, please. How much is that?
Woman:It's fifteen euros each, or nine fifty with a student card.
Man:Great — we've both got student cards.
Narrator:Three. Where will they leave the keys?
Woman:I'll put the keys under the plant by the door.
Man:It rained last night — everything's wet out there. What about the neighbour?
Woman:Good idea. I'll leave them with Mrs Doyle at number twelve.
Question 1.1. What time will they meet?
Question 2.2. How much does the student ticket cost?
Question 3.3. Where will they leave the keys?
Question 4.Why don't they leave the keys outside?
Part 3 audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
City Walking Tour — information
Information sheetNotes taken at the tourist office
- Tour starts at:
- Meeting point: outside the(not the museum)
- Length of tour:
- Price for students: €
- Visitors should bring a
- Book by phoning:at the latest
Exam Strategy · 07
5 minListening 1 & 3 — two listenings, two jobs
Predict the word type, wait for the decision, write the last version you hear.
Task
Part 1: short exchanges with three options. Part 3: complete notes with one or two words.
Example
Gap: 'Price for students: € ____' → you are listening for a number, not a name. Ignore the full price and wait for 'student'.
Writing Task · 08
5 minPut it in writing
Q1.Write the time: 'twenty to nine' =
Q2.Write the price: 'nineteen ninety-nine' =
Q3.You hear: 'It's on Tuesday — sorry, Thursday.' Which day do you write?
Write a short message (35–45 words) to a friend changing a plan: give the new time, the new meeting place and one reason.
Your writing draft
0 words SavedShow model answer & examiner comment
Hi Sam — small change for tomorrow. Let's meet at quarter to seven instead of six, because I finish work late. Can we wait by the main entrance rather than the car park? It's much easier to find. Let me know!
Examiner comment
| 5 | All content points covered; consistent style; range of structures; minor errors only. |
| 3 | Content mostly covered; mostly suitable style; some range; errors don't stop the reader understanding. |
| 1 | Limited content; intrusive errors; very basic structures; under-length. |
Speaking Task · 09
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Speaking Part 1 recycle: the examiner asks about travel and free time. Answer with answer + reason + detail, and include at least one time or number said clearly.
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Quick drills if the listening finishes early. ~10 min total
Homework · 10
Take-homeTake it home
Self-study — everything you need is included below. All four skills are covered so you keep the spiral going between lessons; pick the order that suits you.
Number dictation: read the sentences aloud, then cover them and write the numbers from memory.
Your response
0 words SavedMaterials included
Say these aloud
Attempt the task first, then check your answers.
Listening Part 3 practice: read the notes below, predict the word type for each gap, then check the key.
Your response
0 words SavedMaterials included
Notes
Attempt the task first, then check your answers.
Write the message from today's Writing task and read it aloud twice, checking your times and numbers are clear.
Your response
0 words SavedMaterials included
Checklist
Attempt the task first, then check your answers.
Recap · 11
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Listening Part 1: the answer is what the speakers DECIDE, not the first number you hear.
- Use the first listening to understand, the second to confirm the detail.
- Before Listening Part 3 starts, predict the word type for each gap: time, place, price or thing.
- '-teen' vs '-ty' is the classic trap — practise saying both.
- New vocabulary: on time, delayed, return ticket, platform, in advance, entrance, to swap.