Is the first number I hear the answer?
Pick the final answer after the speaker corrects themselves.
2 min read · Updated 9/8/2026
The key idea
A speaker may give one piece of information and then correct it. Stay alert after words like Actually, sorry, I mean, rather.
The answer must be the last confirmed piece of information that the question asks for. But not every final number is automatically the answer: one may be a price and another a date.
Follow what is being talked about: did the time change, did the place change, or was extra information simply added?
See an example
Question: What time does the meeting start?
Example: The meeting starts at nine. Sorry, I mean half past nine. The room opens at nine.
Answer: 9:30. The last time you hear, 9:00, is when the room opens. The question asks when the meeting starts.
Now you try
Listening practice
Computer narration for practice. Listen first, then open the transcript.
Listen to the audio and choose.
What time does the workshop start?
A. 10:00 B. 10:30 C. 9:45
After you choose, also explain what the other two times refer to.
A personal draft. It is not saved when you leave or automatically graded.
Show transcript
Show transcript
The workshop starts at ten. Actually, it starts at ten thirty. The building opens at a quarter to ten, so you can arrive early.
Reveal the answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
B — 10:30. The 10:00 mentioned first is corrected later. 9:45 is the time the building opens.
As well as recognising the correction, you must follow the difference between workshop starts and building opens. Listen to this exercise again and catch the word where the correction begins.
How do I tell thirteen and thirty apart?
Official sources for this topic
IELTS · Listening