TOEFL iBT · Listening · New 2026 Task
TOEFL Listen and Choose a Response
Hear one short sentence, then choose the most natural reply. The opening task of the new TOEFL Listening section.
You hear something a person might say on campus: a question, a request, a complaint. You have four written replies and must choose the one that fits best. The sentence plays only once, so every word counts.
Ten practice items below. Turn your sound on and press Play.
How the Task Works
Short sentence, one listen, four written replies.
?The Task at a Glance
- Audio One short sentence, a few seconds long, from an everyday or campus situation.
- Listen once You cannot replay the audio.
- Options Four written replies; only one is natural and logical.
- Skill Understanding what the speaker means, not just the words: intention, tone and idioms.
Practice: 10 Items
Press Play, listen once, choose a reply. Check all answers at the end.
Your browser cannot play the audio. The sentences are shown as text instead.
1Listen once, then choose the best response.
You heard: "Do you know when the library closes tonight?"
Answer B. It sounds like a yes/no question, but the speaker wants the closing time.
Answer B. It sounds like a yes/no question, but the speaker wants the closing time.
2Listen once, then choose the best response.
You heard: "Would you mind if I borrowed your notes from Tuesday?"
Answer A. "Not at all" means "I don't mind": the polite way to say yes to "Would you mind…?"
Answer A. "Not at all" means "I don't mind": the polite way to say yes to "Would you mind…?"
3Listen once, then choose the best response.
You heard: "I can't believe the bus is late again."
Answer B. The speaker is complaining; the reply agrees and adds a detail. "Believe" in D is a word trap.
Answer B. The speaker is complaining; the reply agrees and adds a detail. "Believe" in D is a word trap.
4Listen once, then choose the best response.
You heard: "Why don't we meet at the café before class?"
Answer B. "Why don't we…?" is a suggestion, not a question about reasons.
Answer B. "Why don't we…?" is a suggestion, not a question about reasons.
5Listen once, then choose the best response.
You heard: "Has Professor Kim posted the grades yet?"
Answer D. The answer must be about the grades being online, not other meanings of "post".
Answer D. The answer must be about the grades being online, not other meanings of "post".
6Listen once, then choose the best response.
You heard: "Oh, great. Another group project. Just what I needed."
Answer B. The speaker is being sarcastic: "great" here means the opposite.
Answer B. The speaker is being sarcastic: "great" here means the opposite.
7Listen once, then choose the best response.
You heard: "Could you help me carry these boxes to the lab?"
Answer C. A request: the natural reply agrees and asks a practical question.
Answer C. A request: the natural reply agrees and asks a practical question.
8Listen once, then choose the best response.
You heard: "I'm thinking of dropping the statistics course."
Answer D. "Drop a course" means to stop taking it. A reacts to another meaning of "drop".
Answer D. "Drop a course" means to stop taking it. A reacts to another meaning of "drop".
9Listen once, then choose the best response.
You heard: "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"
Answer B. "No" means the seat is free; "go ahead" invites the speaker to sit.
Answer B. "No" means the seat is free; "go ahead" invites the speaker to sit.
10Listen once, then choose the best response.
You heard: "You've already registered for next semester, haven't you?"
Answer C. A tag question expects confirmation: "Yes, I did".
Answer C. A tag question expects confirmation: "Yes, I did".
Show all answers and transcripts
- B: "Do you know when the library closes tonight?" (It sounds like a yes/no question, but the speaker wants the closing time.)
- A: "Would you mind if I borrowed your notes from Tuesday?" ("Not at all" means "I don't mind": the polite way to say yes to "Would you mind…?")
- B: "I can't believe the bus is late again." (The speaker is complaining; the reply agrees and adds a detail. "Believe" in D is a word trap.)
- B: "Why don't we meet at the café before class?" ("Why don't we…?" is a suggestion, not a question about reasons.)
- D: "Has Professor Kim posted the grades yet?" (The answer must be about the grades being online, not other meanings of "post".)
- B: "Oh, great. Another group project. Just what I needed." (The speaker is being sarcastic: "great" here means the opposite.)
- C: "Could you help me carry these boxes to the lab?" (A request: the natural reply agrees and asks a practical question.)
- D: "I'm thinking of dropping the statistics course." ("Drop a course" means to stop taking it. A reacts to another meaning of "drop".)
- B: "Excuse me, is this seat taken?" ("No" means the seat is free; "go ahead" invites the speaker to sit.)
- C: "You've already registered for next semester, haven't you?" (A tag question expects confirmation: "Yes, I did".)
Common Traps
Wrong answers are designed to sound right at first.
| Trap | What happens | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Same word | A wrong reply repeats a word you heard | "I'm dropping the course." → "I dropped my phone." |
| Yes/no form | The question looks like yes/no but asks for information | "Do you know when it closes?" → "Until ten." |
| Suggestion | "Why don't we…?" is an idea, not a question about reasons | "Why don't we meet early?" → "Good idea." |
| Tone | Sarcasm means the opposite of the words | "Oh, great. Another test." = the speaker is unhappy |
| Polite forms | "Would you mind…?" is answered with "Not at all" for yes | "Would you mind waiting?" → "Not at all." |
Strategies
Listen for the purpose, then choose the reply a real person would give.
✓Five Tips
- Focus completely The sentence is short and plays once. Be ready before you press Play.
- Find the purpose Is it a question, a request, a suggestion or a complaint?
- Distrust repeated words A reply that copies a word from the audio is often the trap.
- Hear the tone Stress and intonation show surprise, annoyance or sarcasm.
- Imagine the conversation Read your chosen reply after the sentence. Does it sound like real speech?
Listen for meaning, not for words.
The right reply answers what the speaker wants, not what the speaker literally says.
Focus. Purpose. Tone. Reply.
Back to the new TOEFL format