A free TOEFL Speaking lesson from the Test Ninjas course, complete and with no sign-up. It teaches the English behind Take an Interview and then shows you how that English decides the answers.
Read the whole lesson below, or start the interactive version, which takes you through it one step at a time: a quick check, teaching cycles with drills, a word bank, a summary and a walk-through on a real course question. This is one of four free lessons, one per section; see them all.
Take this lesson step by stepThe interactive version shows one page at a time, checks your answers to every drill as you go, plays each page aloud, and keeps your place in this browser. No account needed.
Listen to this page
In Take an Interview, you hear four questions, one at a time, with no preparation time; this course practices with 45 seconds to answer each (on test day, follow the timer on the screen).
This lesson teaches the English that puts your answer where the listener looks for it: in your first sentence, and in the right tense.
You’ll learn when to use present perfect (Yes, I have) and when to switch to past simple (Last spring I…), plus present simple and used to for routines and I’d for imagined plans.
Then you’ll learn answer frames that reuse the question’s words, how to add one concrete detail, and how to count the jobs in a question so you answer every part within 45 seconds.
An interviewer asks: “Have you ever organized an event? Tell me about it.” Here are two answers.
Well, events are a big part of university life. There are many kinds, like parties, talks and sports days, and organizing them isn’t easy, because… (30 seconds later, still no event)
Yes, I have. Last spring I organized a quiz night for my dorm. I wrote forty questions, and sixty people came.
The first speaker’s English is fine, but after 30 seconds there is still no answer. The second answers in three words, then switches from I have to past simple (organized, wrote, came) as soon as a time appears. “I have organized a quiz night last spring” is a tense error: present perfect with a finished time (last spring).
Both moves, the answer first and the tense switch, are taught in this lesson.
4 quick questions before any teaching. Try them first: the ones you miss show which cycle needs most of your attention.
Question 1 of 4
The interviewer asks:
“Have you ever volunteered anywhere?”
Which reply uses the right tenses?
Answer: D. Yes, I have. Last summer I volunteered at an animal shelter on Saturdays.
Yes, I have answers Have you ever…?, then past simple (volunteered) as soon as Last summer names the time.
Question 2 of 4
Listen to the question. Which opening answers it first?
Audio
What’s one skill you’ve learned outside school, and how did you learn it?
Answer: D. One skill I’ve learned outside school is sewing: my aunt taught me on her old machine.
It names the skill at once, and even answers how in the same breath.
Question 3 of 4
Listen to the question. Which answer covers every part of it?
Audio
Tell me about a class you really enjoyed, and explain why it worked so well for you.
Answer: C. I really enjoyed a design course in my second year. It worked because each week we built something small and got feedback the same day, so I saw myself improving.
Sentence one names the class, and sentence two answers why it worked with a concrete reason.
Question 4 of 4
Our practice window is 45 seconds per question. About how much can you say in that time at a comfortable pace?
Answer: D. Five or six sentences (about 70–90 words)
That is a comfortable target. The model answers you’ll see run a little longer because they are full-length examples at a brisk pace.
Listen to this page
Many interview questions ask about your life: Have you ever…? or Tell me about a time…. English uses two time frames for one experience.
Present perfect (I’ve performed, she’s never flown) says that an experience exists in your life up to now, without saying when. Past simple (I performed, it was) tells a finished event at a finished time.
So a natural answer usually moves one way: present perfect for the short answer, then past simple once you name a time or start the story. At the end you can return to present perfect for the effect up to now (…ever since).
The question gives the first frame: Have you ever…? opens in present perfect; Tell me about a time… goes straight to past simple.
Audio example
Yes, I have, a few times. The first time was in high school, when I played the piano at a spring concert. I was so nervous that I started the piece too fast, but I got through it, and I’ve enjoyed performing ever since.
Listen to this page
Time words usually decide the tense. Words meaning “at any time up to now” (ever, never, so far, a few times) go with present perfect. Words naming a finished time (ago, last…, yesterday, in 2019) go with past simple, even when the event feels recent.
(Recently often takes present perfect, though American English also uses past simple with it.)
A period that is still running takes present perfect with for + a length (for three years) or since + a starting point (since 2021).
In short answers, the most natural reply repeats the question’s auxiliary, not the main verb: Have you…? – Yes, I have. Did you…? – Yes, I did. Do you…? – Yes, I do. (Did you ever…? is normal American English; Yes, I did answers it.)
A short answer is the fastest possible start.
| Signal words | Time frame | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ever, never, so far, a few times, recently | your life up to now | present perfect | “We’ve had three fire drills so far this term.” |
| ago, last…, yesterday, in 2019, when I was… | a finished time | past simple | “I tried surfing two summers ago.” |
| for + a length, since + a starting point | a period that reaches now | present perfect | “I’ve played in the band for two years / since I was fifteen.” |
| once before the verb (= at some time in the past), then, after that | a story | past simple | “I once missed an exam because my alarm didn’t go off.” |
Once meaning “one time” can go with present perfect: I’ve tried it once.
Listen to this page
How do you usually…? asks about a routine now, so answer in present simple (Usually I cook on Sundays). To contrast it with an old routine that has stopped, use used to + verb (I used to eat out every night).
Don’t confuse it with be used to + ‑ing, which means “be accustomed to” (I’m used to getting up early).
When the interviewer says suppose, imagine or how would you…?, the frame changes to an imagined plan: I’d + verb. This switch often comes right after answers about the past, so it’s easy to miss. The next lesson teaches would fully; for now, use I’d + verb.
| Question signal | What it asks for | Frame | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| usually, most days, these days | a routine now | present simple | “Most days I study in the lab until six.” |
| an old habit that has stopped | then versus now | used to + verb | “I used to study at the kitchen table, but my brothers were too loud.” |
| suppose, imagine, how would you…? | an imagined plan | I’d + verb | “I’d ask the group what they already know first.” |
Worked example
Listen to this page
Worked example
The interviewer asks:
“Have you ever taught someone a new skill? Tell me about it.”
Build a 30-second answer that uses the right time frame in every sentence.
Answer: Yes, I have. Last winter I taught my grandfather to make video calls on his new tablet. He kept pressing the screen too long, so it took us three afternoons. He used to wait for us to phone him, but since then he's called my sister in Canada every Sunday.
Now listen: no pause between Yes, I have and the story.
Audio example
Listen to this page
I have visited Lisbon in 2022.
I visited Lisbon in 2022. / I’ve visited Lisbon twice.
In 2022 is a finished time, so use past simple. With no time (or with a number of times), present perfect is right.
Last spring I join a choir and I sing every week.
Last spring I joined a choir, and I sang every week.
Under time pressure, present forms slip into a past story. Once a time is named, keep every verb in past simple.
I live here since 2021. / I’ve lived here since three years.
I’ve lived here since 2021. / I’ve lived here for three years.
A period that reaches now takes present perfect. Use since + a starting point and for + a length.
I’m used to study late, but now I stop at ten.
I used to study late, but now I stop at ten.
Used to + verb is a past habit. Be used to + ‑ing means “be accustomed to”.
Try these before the drills.
Try it · question 1 of 3
The interviewer asks:
“Have you ever lived in another country?”
Which short answer fits?
Answer: A. Yes, I have.
The question uses have, so the short answer does too.
Try it · question 2 of 3
Complete with one word:
“I’ve been a member of the choir ___ 2022.”
Answer: since
since + a starting point (since 2022); for + a length (for two years).
Try it · question 3 of 3
The interviewer asks:
“Suppose your cousin asked you to teach her to cook. How would you start?”
Which answer fits the question?
Answer: A. I’d start with one simple dish she already likes, like fried rice.
suppose and how would you ask for an imagined plan, so I’d + verb.
Question 1 of 7
Which tense does each time expression usually go with?
Label each one: past simple (a finished time) / present perfect (up to now)
two years ago
last weekend
so far
when I was twelve
since I started university
ever
in 2019
Question 2 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Answer: B. I started piano lessons when I was eight.
A finished time (when I was eight) takes past simple.
Question 3 of 7
Listen to the question. Which reply is correct?
Audio
Have you ever had a part-time job?
Answer: B. Yes, I have. Two years ago I worked at a bakery on weekends.
Yes, I have for the experience, then past simple once Two years ago names the time.
Question 4 of 7
These sentences come from one answer about study habits. What does each verb describe?
Label each one: a routine now (present simple) / a past habit that stopped (used to) / one finished event (past simple)
These days I study in the mornings, before my first class.
I used to study late at night.
Then one night I fell asleep over my notes before a big exam.
My roommate found me there at six the next morning.
Now I usually stop by ten.
Question 5 of 7
Listen, then repeat the answer exactly.
Model sentence
Yes, I have. The first time was about three years ago, when I joined a hiking club.
Model
Yes, I have. The first time was about three years ago, when I joined a hiking club.
Check your response
Question 6 of 7
The interviewer asked, “Have you ever traveled alone?” Fix the tenses in this spoken answer. Keep the meaning.
“Yes, I have travel alone. Two years ago I go to a music festival in another city, and I have stayed with a friend there. Since then, I travel alone three more times.”
Model
Yes, I’ve traveled alone. Two years ago I went to a music festival in another city, and I stayed with a friend there. Since then, I’ve traveled alone three more times.
Check your response
Question 7 of 7
Listen to the question, then answer it aloud in about 30 seconds. Use a real memory or an invented one. Compare with the model afterward.
Question
Have you ever learned something important from a mistake? Tell me what happened.
Model
Yes, I have. Last year I was in charge of the posters for a club concert, and I didn’t check the date before I sent them to print. We had to print all forty again, two days before the concert. Since then, I’ve always asked someone to read anything before it goes out, even a short email.
Check your response
Listen to this page
A listener’s first question is simple: did you answer? In an interview the answer should come in your first sentence, ideally in the first five seconds.
The easiest way is to reuse the question’s key words: What’s the most useful thing you learned…? → The most useful thing I learned was…. The frame gives you a correct first sentence while you choose your detail.
Then add one thing the listener can picture, or a reason. That turns an answer into a response. Answering first isn’t rude in English; it’s what the listener expects.
Audio example
The most useful thing I learned was to ask for help early. In my first week at a hardware store, I spent an hour looking for a part that a coworker found in two minutes. After that, I asked as soon as I got stuck, and I made far fewer mistakes.
Answer frames
Listen to this page
Each kind of question start has a natural answer frame. Learn them as chunks, so the first words come without thinking.
The frame also fixes your tense: Usually I… is present simple, Yes, I have leads into past simple, and I’d… is an imagined plan.
Take only the key words from the question, once; repeating the whole question sounds like stalling. If a question has two parts, the frame answers the first, and the second gets its own frame later (As for why…).
Any first sentence that gives the answer works; these frames just make it fast.
| Question starts with | Answer frame | Question → first sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Have you ever…? | Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t, but… | “Have you ever cooked for a big group?” → “Yes, I have: last spring I made soup for thirty people.” |
| How / What do you usually…? | Usually I… | “How do you usually spend your lunch break?” → “Usually I eat outside with two friends from my lab.” |
| What do you remember most about…? | What I remember most is… | “…about your last birthday?” → “What I remember most is my friends singing badly in three languages.” |
| What was the hardest / most useful…? | The hardest part was… | “…of learning to cook?” → “The hardest part was getting everything ready at the same time.” |
| Do you think X is always…? | No, not always. / Mostly, yes, but… | “Is the most expensive option always the best?” → “No, not always: my cheapest headphones have lasted the longest.” |
| How would you…? / Suppose… | I’d start by… | “How would you welcome a new classmate?” → “I’d start by inviting them to lunch with our group.” |
Then add one thing
Listen to this page
A bare Yes or Pizza is an answer, but not yet a response. Your second sentence adds one thing: a detail (who, when, a number) or a reason (because…). Choose the one that proves your answer best.
A detail with a number or a name is easy to picture and easy to say under pressure. Repeating the answer in stronger words (It’s really, really good) or moving to people in general (Many people like…) adds nothing.
| Kind of addition | Signal | Example after “What’s a food you could eat every day?” → “Probably dal, the lentil soup my family makes.” |
|---|---|---|
| who | a name or a relation | “My uncle taught me his recipe when I was fourteen.” |
| when | a time or a habit | “I make a big pot most Sundays.” |
| a number | an amount, a time, a price | “It takes about twenty minutes and costs almost nothing.” |
| a reason | because, mainly because | “…because it tastes like home.” |
| a result | so, after that | “…so I always keep a bag of lentils in my room.” |
Worked example
Listen to this page
Slow openings come from a few habits: praising the question, a general comment (Nowadays…), a description of your country, a slow repeat of the question, or background first. Each pushes the answer back and costs development time.
A short Hmm, let me think is fine if the answer follows in the same breath.
Worked example
The question is “Tell me about a teacher who influenced you, and explain how they changed you.” A speaker begins:
“Teachers are very important in everybody’s life, and in my country we respect teachers a lot. I had many teachers, some good and some not so good…”
Twelve seconds have gone, and no teacher has appeared.
Answer: A teacher who really influenced me was Mr. Haddad, my chemistry teacher in high school. Every Friday he let us design our own experiment, even when it failed. Because of him, I stopped being afraid of getting things wrong, and I chose to study engineering.
Listen to this page
That’s a really good question. Well, there are many opinions about when to study…
Mostly in the evening, after dinner. (to “When do you usually study?”)
Praise and general comments use up seconds but give the listener nothing.
In my country, people usually eat breakfast at home.
Usually just toast and a banana, because I leave early. (to “What do you usually have for breakfast?”)
A question with you asks about you, not your country.
What do I do on weekends? What I do on weekends is… um… on weekends I…
On weekends I mostly play basketball with my neighbors.
Repeating the whole question is a delay. Reuse the key words once and go on.
Yes. (and then silence)
Yes, I have. Last summer I organized a book swap in my building.
A bare yes or no is an answer, not a response. Add one detail straight away.
Try these before the drills.
Try it · question 1 of 3
The interviewer asks:
“What’s the hardest thing about living with other people?”
Which opening answers first?
Answer: A. The hardest thing about living with other people is agreeing on what ‘clean’ means.
The question’s words, then the answer, in one sentence.
Try it · question 2 of 3
First sentence:
“Usually I go for a long walk on Sunday mornings.”
Which second sentence adds a detail the listener can picture?
Answer: B. I take the river path to a bakery about four kilometers away and buy bread for the week.
A place, a distance and a purpose; easy to picture.
Try it · question 3 of 3
The interviewer asks:
“What do you remember most about your favorite holiday as a child?”
Reuse the question’s own word (it starts with m):
“What I remember ___ is the sound of the sea at night.”
Answer: most
Reuse the question’s words: What I remember most is….
Question 1 of 7
The interviewer asks:
“Which season do you like best, and why?”
Does each opening answer first, or start somewhere else?
Label each one: answers first / starts somewhere else
Autumn, mostly because I can finally run outside without overheating.
That’s a hard one; every season has something good about it.
In my country, we have four very different seasons.
I’d pick winter: I love the short, quiet days.
Many people say summer is the best season.
Question 2 of 7
Listen to the question. Which opening answers first?
Audio
What do you usually do to relax after a long day?
Answer: A. Usually I cook something simple and listen to music while I do it.
Usually I… reuses the question’s word and gives a real routine at once.
Question 3 of 7
Listen, then repeat the answer frame and sentence exactly.
Model sentence
What I remember most is how nervous I felt on the first morning.
Model
What I remember most is how nervous I felt on the first morning.
Check your response
Question 4 of 7
First sentence:
“The class I enjoyed most was a photography workshop in my second year.”
Which second sentence adds the most useful detail?
Answer: C. Each week we had to ask a stranger on the street if we could photograph their hands, so by the end I felt at ease talking to people I didn’t know.
A concrete weekly task and what it changed for you.
Question 5 of 7
Write the first two sentences (the answer, then one detail or reason) for each question.
1. “Have you ever lost something important?”
2. “What’s your favorite way to spend a free afternoon?”
3. “Would you rather work alone or in a team on a project?”
Model
1. Yes, I have: last winter I lost my student ID the day before an exam. I found it two days later inside a library book I’d returned. 2. My favorite way is to explore a part of the city I don’t know, with my camera. Last month I found a tiny bookshop two streets from my apartment. 3. I’d rather work in a team, if everyone knows their role. In my last group project, we each owned one section, and we finished a day early.
Check your response
Question 6 of 7
Listen to the question, then answer it aloud in about 15 seconds: the answer first, then one reason. Compare with the model afterward.
Question
What’s a skill you’d like to learn in the next year, and why?
Model
I’d like to learn to edit videos properly. I film a lot of short clips when I travel, but right now they just sit on my laptop, because I don’t know how to turn them into something worth watching.
Check your response
Question 7 of 7
Listen to the exchange. What’s the main problem with the answer, and what’s the best fix?
Audio
Answer: B. The answer comes too late: open with “Mostly silence, because of the lyrics.”
The choice (silence) and its reason are there, but only after three general clauses. Put them first.
Listen to this page
In Take an Interview, you hear four questions from one interviewer on one theme.
Each question plays once, and there’s no preparation time: recording starts when the question ends, and this course practices with 45 seconds to answer (on test day, follow the timer on the screen).
In this course, the transcript appears only after you answer. On the real test you hear each question once and never see it in writing.
The questions usually move from you to the wider world. Many begin with a sentence of setup (We’re studying how people…): it gives the theme, and the jobs come after it.
Some questions stay with the situation from an earlier question, so keep the situation you chose. (The questions are prerecorded, so they do not react to what you actually said.) Every answer still needs its own answer-first opening sentence.
| Question type | Often starts with | What it wants |
|---|---|---|
| experience or routine | Tell me about a time…, Have you ever…?, How do you usually…? | a real memory (or an imagined one, if the question allows it) or a routine |
| follow-up | In the situation you described…, Which… and how…? | more about the same story |
| imagined action | Suppose…, Imagine…, How would you…? | a plan with I’d |
| broad opinion | Do you think… always…?, Is it wise…? | a view with a reason |
Listen to this page
A job is anything the question tells you to do. Each question word (what, which, how, why) is one job, and so is a verb like describe or explain.
Think of, choose and imagine only pick your topic, so they do not count. Count the what, which, how, why questions and the describe, explain, tell me about instructions that ask for content.
When Tell me about a time… is followed by explicit questions, those questions are the jobs.
The second job, joined by and or asked as a second question, often decides whether you answered.
Count the jobs while the interviewer speaks, and hear the time signal: it gives the tense of your first sentence. Watch for three pulls: a setup that sounds like the question, an easy first job, and a one-word No that feels finished.
We’re collecting stories about moving to a new place. Think of a time you moved to a new home, school or city. What was the hardest part of settling in, and what helped you most?
| Signal | What it tells you | How to open |
|---|---|---|
| and between two question words, or a second question | two jobs | answer job 1 first; reach job 2 by about 25 seconds |
| usually | your routine now | Usually I… (present simple) |
| ever | an experience up to now | Yes, I have. Last… (then past simple) |
| suppose, imagine, how would you | an imagined plan | I’d… |
| always, every | a strong claim to test | No, not always… (or Mostly, yes, but…), then the second job |
| why / why does that work for you? | a reason job | mainly because… |
Listen to this page
Forty-five seconds is about five or six sentences at a comfortable pace: roughly 70 to 90 words. That’s your personal target.
The models you’ll see run to about 85–105 words: full-length examples at a brisk pace, not the bar. What matters is the shape below. If time is short, cut detail, never job 2.
| Seconds | Move | About | Example words (for the moving question on the previous page) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 | answer job 1, reusing the question’s words | 10–15 words | “The hardest part of settling in was eating dinner alone every night.” |
| 5–25 | one or two details, past simple for the story | 30–35 words | “For the first month I didn’t know anyone in my building, so I…” |
| 25–35 | job 2 | 20–25 words | “What helped most was a Thursday cooking club…” |
| 35–45 | close | about 10 words | “So now I tell new students to join a club in week one.” |
| total | five or six sentences | about 70–90 words | — |
Strategy walkthrough
Listen to this page
Worked example
You hear once:
“We’re interested in how people handle new responsibilities. Think of a time you were in charge of something for the first time. What were you responsible for, and what would you do differently if you did it again?”
You have 45 seconds and no preparation time.
Answer: Last year I was in charge of something for the first time: the food for my dorm's welcome party. I ordered pizza for eighty people, but I forgot to ask who didn't eat meat, so the vegetarian pizzas were gone in ten minutes. If I did it again, I'd send a short form a week before and ask about diets. I'd also order a little extra, because running out is worse than leftovers. So next time, I'd start with a question, not a phone order.
Now hear it. Job 2 begins after the short pause before If I did it again.
Audio example
Listen to this page
With about ten seconds left, start a closing line that answers the question again (So what I learned is…). Don’t start a new example then; it will be cut off.
If you notice at about 30 seconds that you haven’t reached job 2, finish the sentence you’re in, then bridge with the question’s own words: As for what helped most, … or And if I did it again, I’d….
One sentence of job 2 is far better than none.
Audio example
Worked example
The question is “Describe a class you took outside school, and explain what you’d tell a friend who wanted to try it.” At about 30 seconds you notice you’ve only described your pottery class.
Answer: “…and my first bowl was so heavy we used it as a doorstop. If a friend wanted to try it, I’d tell them to pay for the whole term, because the first four weeks feel like failing. By week five, it’s worth it.”
Moving is very stressful for many people, and cities are expensive.
The hardest part of moving to Lyon was not knowing anyone for the first month.
The setup gives the topic; the jobs come after it. Answer the job, not the theme.
(to “Suppose you moved again. What would you do first?”) I joined a running club.
I’d join a running club in the first week.
Suppose switches the frame to an imagined plan: I’d + verb.
(to “Is the first month always the hardest? Why or why not?”) No. (silence)
No, not always. For me the third month was harder, because the excitement had gone.
A one-word answer leaves 40 seconds and the why job unused.
(to “How do you usually get ready for a big exam, and why does that work for you?”) Students in my country study very hard before exams.
Usually I write a one-page summary of each chapter, because choosing what goes in it helps me understand it.
Usually + you asks for your routine; why is job 2.
Try it
Listen to this page
Here is the routine to run for every question:
Five or six sentences is enough; the model is a full-length example, not your target.
Try it · question 1 of 3
Tap the sentence that holds the jobs you must answer.
Answer: How did you learn it, and what made it easier or harder than you expected?
Yes: the first sentence is setup and the second only chooses your topic. Both jobs (how did you learn it and what made it easier or harder) are in the last one.
Try it · question 2 of 3
You’re 30 seconds into a two-job answer, and you’ve only answered job 1. What’s the best move?
Answer: B. End the current sentence, then bridge: “As for what I’d do differently, I’d…”
Finish cleanly, then use the question’s words to reach job 2.
Try it · question 3 of 3
Which frame should your first sentence use for each question?
Label each one: present simple / present perfect, then past simple / I’d + verb
How do you usually celebrate the end of exams?
Have you ever had to learn something in a hurry?
Suppose a friend asked you to plan their birthday. What would you do first?
Imagine you could add one room to your apartment. What would it be?
Question 1 of 7
The interviewer asks:
“Tell me about a club or team you’ve belonged to, and explain what you got out of it.”
Which job does each sentence answer?
Label each one: job 1 (the club or team) / job 2 (what you got out of it) / neither
In high school I was on the debate team for three years.
We practiced every Tuesday and went to four tournaments a year.
Debate is very popular in many schools.
It taught me to organize my thoughts quickly, which helps me in seminars now.
My brother played basketball instead.
Question 2 of 7
Listen to the question. Which two jobs does it give you?
Audio
Think of a goal you set for yourself last year. What was it, and how close did you come to reaching it?
Answer: A. Name the goal; say how close you came.
What was it (the goal) and how close did you come (the result).
Question 3 of 7
Which plan fits a 45-second answer best?
Question: “What’s a hobby you’ve kept up for a long time, and why have you stuck with it?”
Answer: C. Chess since age nine → Saturday games with my grandfather, now online with a friend in Lima → why: each game is a new puzzle, and losing teaches me more → close: I’ll still play at ninety.
Answer first, one detail, the why job, then a close. About five sentences.
Question 4 of 7
Plan a 45-second answer in short notes (not full sentences) for this question:
“Describe a time you shared a room or a workspace with someone new, and explain what made it work or not work.”
Give one line for the answer, one for a detail, one for job 2 and one for a close.
Model
ANSWER: first-year roommate, Kenji; it worked. DETAIL: tiny room; he’s up at 6, I’m up at 9 → a whiteboard with quiet hours. JOB 2 (why it worked): we talked about problems in week one, not month three. CLOSE: I’d ask any new roommate the same questions.
Check your response
Question 5 of 7
Listen to the question, then answer it aloud in about 30 seconds. Answer both parts. Compare with the model afterward.
Question
What’s one change you’ve made to your daily routine recently, and has it helped?
Model
Recently I’ve started going to bed at the same time every night, even on weekends. For years I stayed up late on Fridays and felt tired until Tuesday. It’s definitely helped. I wake up without an alarm most days, and I don’t need three coffees to get through a morning lecture. The hardest part is leaving a party early, but it’s worth it.
Check your response
Question 6 of 7
Read the timeline of one speaker’s answer. Which change would help most?
Question: “Describe a place where you like to spend time, and explain why you go there.”
Timeline of the answer:
0–20 s: why places matter to people in general.
20–38 s: a café near campus, its music, its big windows.
38–45 s: starts a story about the owner and is cut off.
Answer: B. Name the café in the first sentence, give one detail, and reach why you go there by about 25 seconds.
Answer first, keep one detail, and leave time for job 2.
Question 7 of 7
Dress rehearsal. Listen to the question once, then answer it aloud with no preparation. You have 45 seconds. Compare with the model afterward: compare the shape, not the length.
Question
Tell me about a time you tried something completely new to you. What was it, and how did it go?
Model
Last summer I tried rock climbing for the first time, at an indoor gym near my apartment. A friend had been going for months, and she finally talked me into it. The first wall looked easy, but halfway up my arms were shaking, and I had to come down. It went better after that, though. By my third visit I reached the top of two beginner routes, and I’ve gone about once a week ever since. What surprised me most is that climbing is more about planning your moves than about strength.
Check your response
These words come from the real questions this lesson is built on. Each has its meaning, an example, a common collocation and its word family.
to do something because of advice or information you got
My coach told me to rest for a week, and I acted on her advice this time.
the quality of being clear and easy to understand
Her talk had real clarity: three points, one example each.
to think something is true without checking
I assumed the meeting was online, so I was the only one who stayed home.
simple and easy to understand or do
Changing the password was straightforward once I found the settings page.
to work something out from clues rather than direct words
From his quiet “fine”, I inferred that the interview hadn’t gone well.
able to be understood in more than one way
His text, “See you later”, was ambiguous: later today or later this week?
facts you already know that help you understand something new
The podcast assumes a lot of background knowledge about basketball.
not known to you; new
On my first day, every face in the office was unfamiliar.
the quality of using few words
For brevity, the email listed only the date, the room and the time.
not connected to the matter being discussed
The weather was irrelevant to the decision; the game was indoors anyway.
Say the answer in your first sentence, in the right tense, then use the rest of the 45 seconds to prove it and finish every part of the question.
The frame in your first sentence, the tense the question asks for, and the shape of 45 seconds.
| Question signal | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Have you ever…? ever, never, so far | present perfect, then past simple once a time appears | Yes, I have. Last winter I taught my grandfather to make video calls. |
| ago, last…, when I was…, in 2019 | past simple | I tried surfing two summers ago. |
| for + length, since + starting point | present perfect | I’ve played in the band since I was fifteen. |
| usually, most days, these days | present simple | Most days I study in the lab until six. |
| an old habit that stopped | used to + verb (not be used to + ‑ing) | I used to study at the kitchen table. |
| suppose, imagine, how would you…? | I’d + verb | I’d start by showing everyone one real call. |
| Question starts with | Your first words |
|---|---|
| Have you ever…? | Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t, but… |
| How / What do you usually…? | Usually I… |
| What do you remember most…? | What I remember most is… |
| What was the hardest / most useful…? | The hardest part was… |
| Do you think X is always…? | No, not always. / Mostly, yes, but… |
| How would you…? / Suppose… | I’d start by… |
| Why…? (often the second job) | Mainly because… / As for why, … |
| Step | What you do | When |
|---|---|---|
| Listen | Separate the setup; count the jobs; hear the time signal | while the interviewer speaks |
| Answer job 1 | Reuse the question’s words in sentence one | 0–5 s |
| Add | One detail (who, when, a number) or a reason (because…) | 5–25 s |
| Job 2 | Bridge with the question’s words: As for…, If I did it again, I’d… | by about 25 s |
| Close | One line that answers again; no new example | last 10 s |
| Target | Five or six sentences, about 70–90 words; the models (85–105 words) are full-length examples, not the bar | — |
| Wrong | Right |
|---|---|
| I have joined the club last year. | I joined the club last year. |
| I live here since 2021. | I’ve lived here since 2021. |
| Have you ever…? – Yes, I did. (avoid: use Yes, I have.) | Yes, I have. |
| I’m used to study late. (a past habit) | I used to study late. |
| Suppose…? – I tested it with… | I’d test it with… |
| That’s a great question. Nowadays… / Yes. (silence) | Usually I… / Yes, I have. Last summer I… |
In the course, this step runs on a test screen modeled on the 2026 TOEFL. Here is the walk-through set from this lesson. Answer each question yourself first, then open the answer to see what to notice, the move to make and why the trap attracts.
You are taking part in an interview about making instructions easier to follow.
Question 1 of 4
The interviewer asks
We're studying how people follow instructions for unfamiliar activities. Think of an instruction that confused you, or imagine one that could confuse a beginner. Describe the situation and explain what made it difficult to act on the instruction.
Listen to the interviewer, then answer aloud.
Response time: 45 seconds.
The response identifies the sorting task, quotes the vague category instruction, and explains why unfamiliar symbols prevented action. Its distinction between understanding the words and knowing the categories directly explains the confusion.
Hear the model answer
The model, annotated
I once helped sort cards for a club activity, and the instruction said to put each card in the appropriate group. There were three trays, but their labels were symbols that nobody had explained to me. I understood all the words in the instruction and still couldn't act on it. I had to watch someone else sort several cards before guessing the system. The problem wasn't that the task was difficult; it was that the writer assumed every reader already knew what the categories meant.
The setup (“We’re studying how people follow instructions for unfamiliar activities”) is not the question.
The jobs come after it: “Describe the situation and explain what made it difficult to act on the instruction.” You may use a real memory or an imagined one (“or imagine one that could confuse a beginner”).
The model does job 1 in its first sentence, in past simple (“I once helped sort cards for a club activity”), starts job 2 in sentence 3 (the exact difficulty), and states it clearly in the last sentence.
Questions 2 and 3 build on “the situation you described”, so keep your own situation from here on; don’t switch to the model’s.
If you use a real memory, name the situation in past simple in sentence one. If you imagine one, start with Imagine a beginner who… and use present simple or would. Add one concrete detail, then say exactly what made it hard to act on: a reason, not just “it was confusing”.
The model runs about 85 words; compare its shape (answer first, both jobs, a close), not its length. Your target is five or six sentences, about 70–90 words.
General comments about instructions feel relevant because they echo the setup.
A long story feels like development.
Both can use up 45 seconds without ever explaining what made the instruction difficult.
Question 2 of 4
The interviewer asks
An instruction can seem complete to its writer while leaving the reader unsure what to do. In the situation you described, which step or piece of background knowledge was missing, and how would supplying it help?
Listen to the interviewer, then answer aloud.
Response time: 45 seconds.
The response identifies the missing meanings of the three symbols and explains how knowing them makes sorting possible. The proposed example also addresses cards that could fit more than one category, rather than merely asking for a longer instruction.
Hear the model answer
The model, annotated
The missing step was an explanation of the tray labels. One symbol meant that a card described a person, another meant a place, and the third meant an activity. The instruction jumped straight to sorting as if those categories were obvious. Once someone told me the meanings, the task became straightforward. A single example would also have helped, especially for a card that could fit more than one group. Without that information, I was trying to infer the rule while also trying to follow it.
There are two jobs: “which step or piece of background knowledge was missing, and how would supplying it help?” The model reuses the question’s words to answer in its first sentence: “The missing step was an explanation of the tray labels.” It then answers the second job: “Once someone told me the meanings, the task became straightforward.”
Echo the question (The missing step was… / What was missing was…) and name the missing piece precisely. Then say how it would help, with would + verb, or would have + past participle for the past situation.
It’s tempting to retell the story from question 1, because it’s ready in your head.
It’s also tempting to say “more information”, which is vague.
Neither names which step was missing.
Question 3 of 4
The interviewer asks
Now suppose you have rewritten that instruction and want to find out whether a beginner can follow it. How would you test the new version, and what would you watch for before deciding it was clear?
Listen to the interviewer, then answer aloud.
Response time: 45 seconds.
The response proposes giving the revision to an unfamiliar reader without coaching, observing pauses and unexpected sorting, and asking what the reader understood. Testing an ambiguous card makes the proposed check more informative than testing easy examples alone.
Hear the model answer
The model, annotated
I'd give the revised instruction and a few sample cards to someone who hadn't seen the activity. Then I'd watch what they did without explaining the labels myself. If they stopped at a particular phrase or sorted a card unexpectedly, I'd ask what they thought the instruction meant. That would show me where the wording still depended on hidden knowledge. I'd also include one slightly ambiguous card, because an instruction that works only for the easiest examples may fail during the real activity.
“Now suppose you have rewritten that instruction” and “How would you test the new version, and what would you watch for…?” change the time frame to an imagined plan.
The model answers with I’d: “I’d give the revised instruction and a few sample cards to someone who hadn’t seen the activity.” It then answers the second job with signs to watch for: “If they stopped at a particular phrase or sorted a card unexpectedly…”
Start with the first action (I’d + verb) and sequence the steps (Then I’d…). Answer what would you watch for with concrete signs.
After two past-tense answers, it’s natural to keep telling a past story (“I tested it with…”).
Another pull is to explain how to test and forget what you’d watch for.
Question 4 of 4
The interviewer asks
Some writers try to make instructions as short as possible because they expect people to read them quickly. Do you think the shortest version is always the easiest to follow? Explain how you would balance brevity with the information a reader needs.
Listen to the interviewer, then answer aloud.
Response time: 45 seconds.
The response rejects a universal rule without defending unnecessary length: labels and an example can reduce confusion, while repeated details can still be removed. The sorting example supports its distinction between few words and useful clarity.
Hear the model answer
The model, annotated
No, a shorter instruction can be harder if it leaves out information the reader needs. Saying to sort cards appropriately uses few words, but it doesn't explain the categories. A longer version with three clear labels and one example could take less time to follow. I'd still remove repeated or irrelevant details, because too much text can hide the main action. For me, clarity means including enough information in a useful order, rather than treating the smallest possible word count as the goal.
A yes/no question with always (“Do you think the shortest version is always the easiest to follow?”) comes before a second job: “Explain how you would balance brevity with the information a reader needs.” The model answers in its first word: “No, a shorter instruction can be harder if it leaves out information the reader needs.” It then uses its own earlier example as support: “Saying to sort cards appropriately uses few words…”
Say No / Not always / Mostly, yes first, then give the reason. Reuse your example from question 1 as evidence. Then answer the balance job: what you’d keep and what you’d cut.
Always invites an easy “No”, and stopping there feels complete.
Another pull is to argue that longer is better and never explain the balance.
An opening like “Nowadays people are very busy…” is an indirect start.
Guided practice and the Check
The rest of this step is part of the full TOEFL course. You practice on test screens modeled on the 2026 TOEFL, then take a short Check under test conditions.
TOEFL plan from $29/month. See plans
Use present perfect for your life up to now (I’ve…; Yes, I have), and switch to past simple as soon as you name a time. Usually asks for present simple, and suppose asks for I’d.
Put the answer in your first sentence by reusing the question’s key words: Usually I… / What I remember most is… / The hardest part was….
After the answer, add one detail the listener can picture (who, what, when, a number) or a reason with because.
Count the jobs in the question (each question word, each and) and reach the last job by about 25 seconds.
Aim for your personal target: five or six sentences, about 70–90 words (answer, detail, second job, close). The models are longer, full-length examples. Start closing with about ten seconds left.
Compare your response with the model and the checklist below. Be honest: this is how you find your next step.
Say the answer in your first sentence, in the right tense, then use the rest of the 45 seconds to prove it and finish every part of the question.
That was lesson 37 of 41
The full TOEFL course has 41 lessons like this one across all four sections, each with guided practice and a Check on a test screen modeled on the 2026 TOEFL, plus full-length practice tests.
See what every lesson covers in the full course outline, or read the outline of the next lesson, Reasons, examples and opinions.