Listening test > Additional words/articles

[Damien P.]

Good evening!

I have done a listening test from the Cambridge IELTS 9 book and have been quite surprised by the fact that the given answers did not always match what I heard (even twice or thrice).

For example, in a form completion in section one, I must fill "Nearest bus stop = next to .....". I heard "Next to the library" in my tape, but the official correction is "library".

Same thing for a given time in the form. "When are you free? ..." --> I wrote "after eleven", while the correction only said "after 11".

In a real exam case, what would be the consequences of such a difference? Since "the library" was considered as the building per se and not a proper noun, "the" was a logical answer.
A friend told me I could get half my mark removed for these inadequacies. Is that true?

Thank you in advance

[manojwilson]

Yes if you don't write the article and article was to be used, then your answer will be wrong. If the speaker says 'the' in listening and you are cent per cent sure you've heard it then it's right, otherwise not.

11 and eleven are considered same while checking so there'd be no issues with that. It's mentioned in Succeed in IELTS, the book that now comes with IDP Registration.

No there is no half marking. You only get a half band because of the score range.

[Damien P.]

Thank you a lot !

I got new problems today :
1) I clearly heard "every second day" and the correction was "every two days"
2) I heard "much more confident", was allowed to write THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER and the correction was "confident" (The question was like "How did she feel afterwards?")

From what you explained earlier, I guess my answers are still good if I heard them on the tape?
Is it frequent for books like Cambridge IELTS 9 to contain correction "mistakes" or inaccuracies?

[manojwilson]

Well every second day means every two days. So I guess both maybe correct. I don't exactly know the context of the question so I can't make out which one would be right. But here both are synonyms, if the question was According to speaker, ..... then every two days is right and second day is wrong because the question is asking you to interpret.


For the second one. if she the question is saying afterwards it is assuming that she would have been "much more" confident. So her exact feeling is asked and not the degree. So confident would be correct even though the speaker says much more.

I guess they want you to write the answer that way, IELTS being standardized, the extra words that can be used will be provided in brackets if correct.

[Damien P.]

Thanks, I perfectly understand the point now, especially for "much more".
The question for "every second day" was exactly "In the second semester, how often did Kira work in a hospital".
Every second day seems to be quite unpersonal and adapted here, I believe.
Furthermore, aren't we supposed to write only what we are hearing?

[manojwilson]

Thanks, I perfectly understand the point now, especially for "much more".
The question for "every second day" was exactly "In the second semester, how often did Kira work in a hospital".
Every second day seems to be quite unpersonal and adapted here, I believe.
Furthermore, aren't we supposed to write only what we are hearing?

Ok, in reference to the question both are correct. And yes you're right that you should write what you hear. Maybe if the IELTS tests is just for practice and you're pretty sure what you heard then, both are correct. Take it as a lesson that every second day means every two days. So if a question comes in exam "After how many days" you'll know how to answer that.

[Damien P.]

Thank you a lot once more
I got a good result here (7.5) but I'd rather get a better score to balance any unexpected lower result (I've got to get a 7 overall with min 6.5 in each component), so adapting to these changes becomes vital.