How to write time in IELTS Listening

LISTENING FOR DETAILS

Part 1 Numbers

Part 2 Times and Names/Letters/Addresses

For this lesson, make sure you turn the audio on to play along while you read! This is necessary so that you can hear the sound differences we will discuss in today's lesson.

You can pause and restart it at any time.

Hi!

This lesson is the first of two posts on Listening for Details. In this post we will focus on numbers.

On the IELTS Listening test, numbers as answers are extremely common in Sections 1 and 2. Remember, Sections 1 and 2 are easier than Sections 3 and 4, but you should still make sure to practice listening for details. You dont want to make any mistakes on these simple questions!

Lets get started.

NUMBERS

A Common Mistake with Numbers and a Trick to Help You:

Can you tell the difference between 16 and 60?

Mistakes with teen numbers and 10 numbers are really common on the IELTS Listening Test. [Actually, native English speakers have trouble with them too!]

The trick for these numbers is to realize that not only is the pronunciation different [sixteen / sixty], but there is also a difference in word stress.

With sixteen, the second half of the word is stressed [we say it louder], like this:

sixtEEN

With sixty, the first half of the word is stressed, like this:

SIXty

This is the same for all of the teen numbers, and the 10s numbers. Lets go through the list for practice:

13 30

14 40

15 50 [careful, this is the hardest one!]

16 60

17 70

18 80

19 90

NUMBERS ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET:

Note that it doesnt matter whether you write 8 or the word eight on your answer sheet both ways still simply count as a number for the instructions. You should always just write the number [like 8] to save yourself time.

Big Numbers:

How do we say 1300? Actually, there are two ways.

• We could say one thousand three hundred.

• Or, we could say thirteen-hundred.

You might hear either on the IELTS Listening Test.

*Note that this is only possible if the second number is not a zero! 3000 is always just three thousand but 3100 can be three thousand one hundred OR thirty-one hundred!

Lets go through a list of big numbers for practice:

2700

27,000

270,000

2,700,000

BIG NUMBERS ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET:

Note that a big number like 27,000 just counts as one number.

Also, remember that you dont have to worry about commas or spaces in large numbers. Just write them out like this: 27000. Punctuation [like commas and spaces] doesnt matter on the listening test.

Money:

Since the IELTS relates to all English speaking countries, you may hear two different kinds of money. They are:

• Dollars [$]

• Pounds [£]

Dollars are used in most English speaking countries [Canada, USA, Australia] while pounds are used in the United Kingdom.

Pay attention to the test paper to see whether you are listening for the word dollars or pounds; the questions will always be marked with either the $ or the £ symbols.

MONEY ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET:

Note that you will never be expected to write dollars or pounds [and you dont have to include the symbols, either]. This notation [$ / £] will already be marked on the question paper.

Note that any time a symbol for notation is already on the question, make sure you dont add it into your answer or it will be marked wrong! [for example, if the question says 14. _____ % and you write 75% on the line so it says 75%% then you would be marked incorrect.]

Telephone Numbers:

Telephone numbers are quite common in Section 1 and 2 of the listening test.

You should learn the pronunciation of numbers in general, but there are also two tricks the IELTS listening test often uses:

1. Zero as oh. Often the number zero will be pronounced simply as oh. For example:

780 2489

When there are two zeroes in a row, sometimes the text will say double-oh. For example:

983 0091

2. The second trick is that sometimes someone will begin to read a telephone number, and then correct themselves with a different one! For example:

Okay, so the number is 338 no, wait. Thats my old number. Ah here it is: 342 9740.

In this case, you will need to be careful to use only the second number for the answer! [You can just scratch out the first dont waste time erasing. Remember, the examiner doesnt look at your test paper, just the answer sheet!]

TELEPHONE NUMBERS ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET:

Remember, spaces between the numbers dont matter. Again, punctuation is not marked on the listening test!

Let's Get Some Practice!

That's it. For more practice with numbers, you should do some IELTS practice tests and focus on Sections 1 and 2. I also highly recommend picking up the official Cambridge Guide or Cambridge IELTS textbooks, which you can find online, or at a library.

I also recommend using the scripts that come in the back of the Cambridge books for practice! You should always take note of your incorrect answers and then go find them in the scripts to understand where you went wrong.

Good luck!