“What Will He Do Next?” on the TOEIC: The Answer Is Usually in the Last Line

Welcome to Win in 5 Minutes English. I'm Jason. Moving to a new office sounds simple, until you're the one packing the boxes. Ben and Hannah just went through the plan, and by the end, Ben knows exactly what he's doing next. The TOEIC asks about that a lot, in the part of the test where you hear a short conversation and answer three questions about it. That's Part 3. And one of the most common questions is, "What will the man probably do next?"

Let's go through it. Ben asks about the floor plan, and Hannah says, "Yes, it went out this morning." Here, "went out" means it was sent. On the test, that could become "It was sent this morning" or "It was distributed." And notice, it already happened. Something that already happened is usually not the answer to a "next" question.

Then: "The movers come Friday afternoon, so everything needs to be packed by noon." "By noon" is a deadline. That means no later than twelve o'clock. In the answer choices, you might hear "no later than noon" or "before twelve o'clock."

Ben asks about the files in the storage room, and Hannah says, "Facilities is handling those." Facilities is the department that takes care of the building, and handling means taking care of. On the test, you might hear "Facilities will take care of them" or "Facilities is responsible for them." Here's the thing: that's someone else's job. So if the question is about Ben, "Move the storage room files" is likely a trap.

Then Ben says he has no boxes, and Hannah says, "There's a stack in the copy room." A stack is a pile of things on top of each other. She doesn't say "go get them," but she's pointing Ben to the boxes.

And the last line: "I'll grab a few right after this meeting." Grab means get something quickly. In this conversation, this is the answer to "What will the man probably do next?" On the test, it probably won't say "grab." It might say "Pick up some boxes" or "Get some packing supplies."

So here's the trap. The wrong answers usually come from the same conversation: something that already happened, like sending the floor plan, or something someone else will do, like moving the files. They sound familiar, and that's exactly why they're there.

So here's today's big lesson: for a "next" question, listen for "I'll" near the end, and expect it in different words.

Let's play it once more. This time, notice who is doing what, and when.

Who was doing what? The floor plan already went out. Facilities is handling the files. And Ben? He's grabbing boxes right after the meeting. That's the answer to the "next" question. Today's phrases: it went out, packed by noon, Facilities is handling those, a stack, and grab a few. Here's one to try today: when someone gives you a task, tell them when you'll do it. Say, "I'll send it right after this meeting." Want to see how the test could say each phrase? Open "Say it another way" from the link below, and try the TOEIC question while you're there.

Remember, five minutes a day is all you need to win at work, win the TOEIC, and win over your colleagues. And if you're ever the one moving offices, grab your boxes early. See you soon!