IB English B Paper 2 (listening) Common Pitfalls Notes

Paper 2 (Listening): Common Pitfalls

1. Even strong students lose marks here, not because they do not understand, but because they fall into classic traps.
2. Watch out for these:

1. Writing answers while listening

1. You miss the next section if you focus too much on spelling out one answer.
2. Solution: jot quick notes and tidy later.

2. Over-focusing on unknown vocabulary

1. Panicking over one mystery word makes you lose the whole sentence.
2. Solution: ignore it and focus on the overall meaning. Context usually fills the gap.

3. Mishearing similar words

1. Numbers and dates are dangerous (“thirteen” vs “thirty”).
2. Solution: double-check with context. If the speaker says “She is only thirteen years old,” thirty makes no sense.

4. Forgetting the question type

1. Writing a full sentence when only a word is required, or vice versa.
2. Solution: always check the instructions. Answer in the form the question asks for.