TOEFL Listen and Choose a Response Practice: Customer Service
This TOEFL Listen and Choose a Response customer service practice lesson includes eight original mock questions with audio. You’ll learn customer service and transaction vocabulary for payments, records, and the people who handle them, answer questions naturally with short replies that leave out repeated words, and practice interpreting replies that answer without saying yes or no.
This focused lesson keeps all eight questions within customer service to build useful vocabulary. On the TOEFL, the questions change subjects from one item to the next.
VOCABULARY
Customer service and transaction vocabulary
These ten words describe payments, records, and the people who handle them.
receipt (noun)
A printed record proving that something has been paid for. Synonyms: proof of purchase, slip
Keep the receipt in case the clinic asks for proof of payment.
refund (noun)
Money returned to a customer. Synonyms: repayment, money back
The airline issued a full refund after the tour was canceled.
warranty (noun)
A written promise to repair or replace something that fails. Synonyms: guarantee, cover
The roof came with a ten-year warranty.
invoice (noun)
A document listing goods or services and the amount owed. Synonyms: bill, statement
The translator sends one invoice at the end of each month.
deposit (noun)
Money paid in advance to secure a booking or purchase. Synonyms: down payment, advance
We paid a deposit to reserve the wedding venue.
to process (verb)
To deal with a document or request through an official system. Synonyms: to handle, to deal with
It takes the university three weeks to process a visa letter.
to authorize (verb)
To give official permission for something. Synonyms: to approve, to permit
Only the head nurse can authorize a change to the schedule.
to confirm (verb)
To state that something is definite. Synonyms: to verify, to check
Please confirm the seminar times before you book the flights.
to handle (verb)
To be responsible for dealing with something. Synonyms: to manage, to take care of
A single volunteer handles all the club’s membership records.
supervisor (noun)
A person in charge of other people’s work. Synonyms: manager, team leader
Her supervisor signed the placement report on Friday.
GRAMMAR FOCUS
Short replies that leave words out
This grammar focus concentrates on a usage pattern common to the Choose a Response question: Short replies. When a question makes the missing words clear, a short reply can provide a complete answer. These two constructions let you leave out repeated language while keeping the information the listener needs.
Auxiliary short answers
[S] do/does/did · have/has · is/are · can/will.
[S] don’t/doesn’t/didn’t · haven’t/hasn’t · isn’t/aren’t · can’t/won’t.
Use the auxiliary or modal from the question and keep its tense. Leave out the main verb phrase because the question already supplies it.
- To answer positively, use the subject pronoun followed by the auxiliary or modal.
Have the seedlings grown? → They have.
Did the technician call back? → He did.
- To answer negatively, use the negative auxiliary or modal. A contraction such as can’t or didn’t is natural in conversation.
Can Marta drive? → She can’t.
Has the refund arrived? → It hasn’t.
Phrase answers
[in / at] [noun phrase].
To answer a place or time question, you can give just the prepositional phrase when the question makes the omitted subject and verb clear. Keep the preposition that belongs with the place or time expression.
- Give an enclosed place with in followed by a noun phrase.
Where does the choir rehearse? → In the village hall.
Where are the spare keys? → In the top drawer.
- Give a clock time with at followed by a time expression.
When does the online seminar start? → At half past seven.
When does the counter close? → At six.
TEST TIP
Answering without yes or no
Campus Services introduced identifying the speaker’s purpose. Another common pattern in this section is to provide the correct answer to a yes or no question indirectly. Thus, look out for answers expressed indirectly through a situation rather than a direct yes or no. Ask: What does this reply tell me about the answer? A reply may imply an answer, establish a limit, or leave the decision uncertain.
Interpreting indirect answers
Question: Is the package ready to collect?
Reply: It’s waiting at the front desk.
What it tells you: It is ready.
Question: Did you finish the report?
Reply: I still have two pages to write.
What it tells you: It is not finished.
Question: Are you available this afternoon?
Reply: I’m free after three.
What it tells you: Availability begins after three.
Question: Will you come to the picnic?
Reply: I need to check my schedule.
What it tells you: The speaker has not confirmed.
TASK PRACTICE
TOEFL Listen and Choose a Response practice
Play the complete eight-question video and record one answer letter for each item. Service and transaction exchanges anchor the set, with additional situations for applying the same response-selection routine.
Exam format
Hear each prompt once and choose from four written options. This lesson uses a 15-second EE practice window beginning when the prompt starts; that is a practice setting, not an official universal time limit, but within the window recommended by study.com, ETS’s official study guide partner. Keep playing until all eight items are complete.
Review your response
After completing the set, replay each prompt and compare your choice with the answer and explanation. Use these checks to find which part of the exchange you understood well and what to practice next.
After your TOEFL customer service response practice
In this lesson you practiced eight TOEFL Listen and Choose a Response questions, identifying what each option did and checking whether it fit the speaker’s complete message.
You learned how to use auxiliary short answers and phrase answers. Finally, you practiced recognizing how a reply can imply an answer while preserving a limit or uncertainty.
Next, practice identifying the speaker’s purpose in Campus Services.
Browse all current lessons in the TOEFL practice index.
CONTINUE PRACTICING
Continue with the slide collection
Turn this lesson into a class-ready sequence with a warm-up, guided service and transaction vocabulary practice, activities for building auxiliary short answers and phrase answers, a closing speaking connection for interpreting implied answers, and worked response analysis.
Explore the lesson deck →