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Distractors: when the speaker changes their mind

IELTS recordings mention wrong answers on purpose. Learn the signals that show the first idea is about to be corrected.

15 minutesIntermediateLesson 3 of 7
বাংলায় সারাংশ (Bangla summary)

রেকর্ডিংয়ে ইচ্ছাকৃতভাবে ভুল উত্তর বলা হয়। কখন প্রথম তথ্য সংশোধন হবে তার সংকেত চিনুন।

By the end of this lesson you can

  • Recognise correction signals such as "actually" and "sorry, I mean"
  • Wait for the final decision in a conversation
  • Avoid choosing an option just because you heard its word

The first thing you hear is often wrong

A speaker may give a number and then correct it, or suggest a plan and then reject it. These are distractors: they test whether you follow the whole conversation.

Listen for correction signals: actually, sorry, no wait, I mean, on second thoughts, that's changed, it used to be, but now.

Spot the correction

"The class is on Tuesday. Oh, sorry, they moved it. It's on Thursday now." → Answer: Thursday

"We thought about the coach, but it takes too long, so we're taking the train." → Answer: train

"It was £45, but there's a student discount, so you'd pay £38." → Answer: 38 (if the question asks what the student pays)

Guided practice

What is the final answer?

Question 1

1."Meet at the café. Actually, it's closed on Mondays, so let's say the library entrance." Where will they meet?

Question 2

2."There'll be twelve of us… no, fourteen, my cousins are coming." How many people?

Practise on your own

Choose the final answer.

Question 1

1."The deadline used to be the end of May, but this year it's the fifteenth of June." What is the deadline?

Question 2

2."I considered biology, and chemistry looked interesting, but in the end I chose geography." Which subject?

Mini test

Check what you learned. Wrong answers go to your mistake notebook for revision.

Question 1

1.Which phrase signals a correction?

Question 2

2.In multiple choice, the options you hear are…

What to do next