IELTS Listening Test: The Role of Grammar (Part 3: Tenses)

In the IELTS Listening Test, understanding tenses is an important skill that can have an important effect on your response accuracy. Read the first two blogs in this series here:

This third blog in our series that deals with grammar in the IELTS Listening Test explores how knowledge of various tenses not only helps you grasp speakers' intentions but also allows you to anticipate questions and provide precise answers. Here's how knowledge of tenses can be helpful.

Prediction skills

Before the audio plays, understanding the tenses can help you predict the kind of information you might hear, allowing you to listen more actively and anticipate the type of answers required. So, how is this done?

Signalling time

In the Listening Test, speakers will discuss events or actions that happened in the past, are happening now, or will happen in the future. Understanding whether an action is past, present, or future enables you to better interpret details and contextual clues and it gives you a clearer sense of the overall scenario. Have a look:

How many people attended the seminar last month? (Here, you’re asked for a number related to a past event.)

Where is Professor Jones currently located? (Here you have to listen for clues about the speaker’s present setting or location.)

Which locations will Professor Jones visit on her tour next week? (This signals that you have to pay attention to future destinations.)

Let’s look at some examples now. In Multiple-choice questions, understanding tenses helps you choose the correct option by identifying the time frame the question refers to. Have a look at the questions below and identify the time frame (present, past or future):

11 Visitors can learn about past residents’ lives at Maplewood Estate through
A. interactive displays
B. diary entries and letters
C. guides dressed in period costumes

12 Lord Henry Sommers constructed Maplewood Estate because he wanted
A. a place to discuss scientific discoveries
B. a residence to display his art collection
C. a retreat for relaxation and family gatherings

13  What is the next addition planned for children at Maplewood Estate?
A. period costumes for role-play
B. animal petting area
C. a nature trail with interactive stations

In summary, knowledge of tenses in the IELTS Listening Test enhances comprehension, helps you follow the flow of information, and ensures that your answers are grammatically and contextually accurate.

Practise this with our IELTS Listening lesson pack! Best of luck with your test!