order #17 · Office Daily English
Amy is visiting a client's office for the first time, and she asks Chris four questions that all start with how. One word after how changes the answer.
Part 2 = Question–Response: hear a question, pick the best reply.
The short answer
On the TOEIC, the word right after “how” tells you what kind of answer to look for: “how often” wants “every…,” and “how long” wants an amount of time.
“How far” can be answered with travel time, like “About fifteen minutes by train.”
First, listen in
Amy is visiting a client's office for the first time tomorrow. Her coworker Chris has been there before, so she asks him how to get there.
today’s menu
Say it another way
5 phrases, in the order you hear them.
How far
AmyChris, I'm visiting our Riverside client tomorrow. How far is their office from here?
Asks about distance. The answer can also be travel time, like “About fifteen minutes by train.”
The test may say
Every ten minutes or so
How often something happens. The key word is “every.”
Trap
On the test
QOn the test, question: How often do the trains run?
AAnswer: Every ten minutes or so.
“Every” answers how often. “About ten minutes” answers how long.
keep it short
ChrisAbout an hour. They like to keep it short.
They don't let it go on too long.
The test may say
a five-minute walk
ChrisIt's a five-minute walk. Just follow the signs for the north exit.
A way to get there: about five minutes on foot.
The test may say
pretty strict
ChrisBring your ID. Security is pretty strict.
“Pretty” here means quite, or fairly. “Strict” means they follow the rules closely.
watch out
Wrong answers often answer a different “how,” like “About ten minutes” for a “how often” question. Watch out for repeated words, too.
Cheat sheetwin in 5 · #17
1How farIt's not far. / It's a short ride.
3keep it shortIt won't take long.
4a five-minute walkYou can just walk. / There's a shuttle from the station.
The big lesson
In a “how” question, the word right after “how” tells you what kind of answer to look for.
Now, listen again
The conversation plays one more time. Tap each phrase when you hear it. 0 / 5
Order complete · nice ears
Your turn
One TOEIC-style question. Tap your answer.
“How often do the trains run?”
Try it today
“We meet every Monday.”
When someone asks how often something happens, answer with “every.”
Read the full transcript
Welcome to Win in 5 Minutes English. I'm Jason. Going to a client's office for the first time? Then you've got questions. Amy asked four of them, and they all started with how. Here's the thing: how far, how often, and how long all start the same way. If you miss the next word, you pick the wrong answer. On the TOEIC, in the question-and-reply part of the test, where you pick the best of three short answers, this comes up often. That's Part 2.
Let's start with "How far is their office from here?" How far asks about distance. But listen to Chris: "About fifteen minutes by train." He answers with time, not distance. That's normal in English, and it can be a correct answer on the test too. You might also hear "It's not far," or "It's a short ride."
Next: "How often do the trains run?" How often asks how frequently something happens. Chris says, "Every ten minutes or so." Or so just means about. The key word is every. Now here's the danger: "every ten minutes" and "about ten minutes" both end with "ten minutes," so it's easy to grab the wrong one. But "about ten minutes" answers how long, not how often. One word can change the whole answer.
Then Amy asks, "How long does the meeting usually last?" How long asks for an amount of time. Chris says, "About an hour. They like to keep it short." Keep it short means they don't let it go on too long. On the test, you might hear "It won't take long."
After that: "How do I get to their building from the station?" This one asks for a way to get there. Chris says, "It's a five-minute walk." On the test, that could be "You can just walk," or "There's a shuttle from the station."
And finally, Chris warns her: "Security is pretty strict." Pretty here means quite, or fairly. Strict means they follow the rules closely. So, bring your ID!
So here's the trap. Wrong answers often answer a different how. If the question is "How often," a reply like "About ten minutes" sounds right because it has a number, but it gives a length of time. That answers how long. And watch out for repeated words. If someone asks, "How often do the trains run?" a reply like "I like to run in the morning" repeats run, but it's about exercise, not trains.
And here's today's big lesson: in a how question, the word right after how tells you what kind of answer to look for.
Let's hear Amy and Chris again. This time, every time you hear how, guess the answer type before Chris says it.
How did you do? How far can be answered with travel time. How often wants every. How long wants an amount of time, like about an hour. Today's phrases: how far, every ten minutes or so, keep it short, a five-minute walk, and pretty strict. Here's one to try today: when someone asks how often something happens, answer with every. Like, "We meet every Monday." On today's page, there's a TOEIC question with three very similar answers. See if you can spot the right one in the link below.
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 visiting a client this week, check the train times first, and don't forget your ID. Enjoy the ride!
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