Key words are the most important words in a sentence. They tell you the main idea or the most important information. In IELTS Listening, these are the words you need to catch to answer questions correctly.

For example, if someone says:

“The meeting with Mr. Sharma will start at 3 p.m. in the library.”

You don’t need to remember everything. The key words are: Meeting, Mr. Sharma, 3 p.m., Library. These words carry the important information.

How Key Words Help You in IELTS

In the IELTS Listening test, the recording is played only once. If you try to understand every word, you may get lost. But if you listen for key words:

• You can find answers faster. Key words guide you to the correct part of the audio.
• You don’t get confused. Extra words in the audio can trick you, but key words keep you focused.
• You can answer even if your English is not strong. Beginners can catch numbers, names, and places more easily than full sentences.

Examples in Real Listening Questions

1. Numbers
   Question: “How many students are in the class?”
   Audio: “There are 20 students in the class today.”
   Key word: 20 students → That’s your answer.
2. Names & Places
   Question: “Where will the lecture be held?”
   Audio: “The lecture will be in the main hall.”
   Key word: main hall → That’s your answer.
3. Special Words
   Question: “Which day is the shop closed?”
   Audio: “The shop is not open on Sundays.”
   Key word: not, Sundays → Answer: Sunday

How to Practice This Skill

1. Before the Recording Starts: Read your question. Underline the most important words.
   • Example: “The tour costs _______.” -> Underline tour and costs.
2. While Listening: Keep your ears open for those words, or words that mean the same thing (like “price” instead of “cost”). Don’t panic if you miss one word. Just listen for the next Key Word.
3. Practice Every Day: Listen to short audio clips. You can find them on YouTube or English learning apps. Try to write down only the Key Words you hear. This will train your brain to focus on the important information.

Remember: You do not need to understand 100% of the words to get a good score. You need to find the correct answers. Listening for Key Words is your secret tool to do this.

Skill on Practice

Listen to the Audio and Answer the Following Questions

Questions:

1. What time does the tour start?
2. Where do participants meet?
3. How long does the tour last?
4. How much does the tour cost?
5. Who is the guide for the tour?

Step-by-Step Practice (For Question 1)

Step	What to Do	Example From Script
1. Before Listening	Read question. Underline the important words.	Q1: “What time does the tour start? ” → underline tour, starts
2. While Listening	Listen carefully for key words or words that mean the same. Don’t panic if you miss something.	Audio says: “The tour starts at 9 a.m.” → notice tour and starts match question 1 key words
3. Practice Writing	Write down the answer as soon as you hear it. Only focus on key words.	In your paper write down the answer → write 9 a.m.
4. Review & Check	After listening, check your answers. Did you catch the key words correctly?	Answers: 9 a.m.

Assignment:-

Type the answer of above question and submit.