Lesson 13 of 41 in the Test Ninjas TOEFL course: Listen and Choose a Response, Listening. This lesson teaches four kinds of questions: yes/no, choice, tag and negative.
Test Ninjas Research · Updated October 1, 2026
Lesson at a glance
Detail
This lesson
Module
Listen and Choose a Response (Listening)
English focus
Yes/no, choice, tag and negative questions; rising and falling tags; answering negative questions
Task skill
Recognizing indirect yes and no answers
Time
About 55 minutes
Access
Included in the TOEFL plan
What this lesson teaches
This lesson teaches four kinds of questions: yes/no, choice, tag and negative.
You’ll learn what reply each one expects, how to answer “Didn’t you…?” and “…, isn’t it?” by the facts, and how to spot replies that mean yes, no or “partly” without saying those words.
That last skill decides many Listen and Choose a Response answers, because the right reply often never says yes or no.
By the end of the lesson, you can
Recognize yes/no, choice, tag and negative questions by their first words, their last words and their tune, and know what kind of reply each one expects.
Answer tag and negative questions by the facts (“No, I didn’t.” / “Yes, it is.”), and tell a checking tag (falling ↘) from a real question (rising ↗).
In Listen and Choose a Response, pick replies that mean yes, no or “partly” without saying so, and reject replies that start with Yes or No but then go off the point.
What’s inside
Around the 3 teaching cycles below, the lesson opens with a quick check and closes with applied practice, a Check and a debrief. How every course lesson is built.
Teaching cycles in lesson 13
Cycle
Focus
What it teaches
Drills
Cycle 1
English
Yes/no and choice questions
7
Cycle 2
English
Tag and negative questions
8
Cycle 3
Task skill
Hearing yes and no without the words
8
Word bank
The 10 words and phrases this lesson teaches. They come from the real course questions you practice on in the Apply step, so you meet each one again in context.
unclaimed adjective
not yet taken or claimed by anyone; also, not collected by its owner
Unclaimed items go to the lost-and-found after a week.
Goes with:
unclaimed luggage
Word family:
claim (verb, noun); claimed (adjective)
put your name on (something) phrase
to add your name to a list to get or join something
If you want a seat on the field trip, put your name on the list by Friday.
Goes with:
put your name on the list
Word family:
put your name down for (phrase); sign up for (phrasal verb)
forecast noun / verb
a statement about what the weather will probably be
The forecast says it’ll be windy, so bring a jacket to the soccer game.
Goes with:
the weather forecast
Word family:
forecast (verb); forecaster (noun)
give (something) back phrasal verb
to return something to the person who gave or lent it
You can borrow my calculator if you give it back before the exam.
Goes with:
give it back
Word family:
hand (something) back (phrasal verb, similar meaning); return (verb, similar meaning)
time difference noun phrase
the difference in clock time between two places
Because of the time difference, I call my parents in Lagos before breakfast.
Goes with:
a six-hour time difference
Word family:
differ (verb); different (adjective); time zone (related noun)
see what you mean phrase
to understand someone’s point
I see what you mean about the deadline, but I still think we can finish by Friday.
Goes with:
I see what you mean, but …
Word family:
I see (= I understand); What do you mean? (question)
be away verb phrase
to be absent from home or work for some time
Sofia will be away at a conference until Thursday, so email her assistant.
Goes with:
be away on a trip
Word family:
away (adverb); go away (phrasal verb); time away (noun phrase)
talk (someone) into phrasal verb
to persuade someone to do something
Arjun talked me into joining the debate club, and I’m glad he did.
Goes with:
talk someone into doing something
Word family:
talk someone out of (opposite); persuade (verb, similar meaning)
account for phrasal verb
to include something when planning; also, to explain
Your schedule should account for the time it takes to walk between buildings. (Account for can also mean explain: What accounts for the delay?)
Goes with:
account for travel time
Word family:
take (something) into account (phrase, similar meaning); allow for (phrasal verb, similar meaning)
sculptor noun
an artist who makes shapes from stone, metal or other materials
The sculptor used old bicycle parts to build a life-size horse for the spring art show.
Goes with:
a famous sculptor
Word family:
sculpture (noun, the work itself); sculpt (verb)
The takeaway: The reply doesn’t have to say yes or no. Find the fact being checked and choose the reply that settles it.
In the full course
Yes/no, choice, tag and negative questions is part of the full TOEFL course
Unlock all 41 lessons with the TOEFL plan, or try one of the free lessons first.
✓All 3 teaching cycles of this lesson, with 23 drills and feedback on every answer
✓The 10-word bank, each word with a recall drill
✓A walk-through, guided practice and a Check on Listen and Choose a Response