Lesson 2 of 9 · Part 1
Part 1: Photographs
Part 1 is the shortest part of the test and the first thing you hear, so it sets the tone for the whole Listening section. It tests whether you can match precise spoken English to what you see: the right verb, the right tense, the right object and the right place. This lecture gives you the grammar, the vocabulary and a five-step method to make these six questions reliable points.
Free extract from the Noto Tracks TOEIC course
In the full lesson you will learn to
- recognize the three kinds of Part 1 photographs and predict the statements each one produces;
- tell an action from a state, and choose correctly between "is cleaning", "is being cleaned" and "has been cleaned";
- use prepositions of location precisely;
- activate vocabulary for the most common scenes: office, warehouse, street, restaurant, laboratory, construction site and park;
- identify every common trap before it catches you;
- apply a five-step method to each photograph.
1. Overview of Part 1
Part 1 contains 6 questions. For each one, your test book shows a photograph. You hear four statements, (A) to (D), and choose the one that best describes what you see in the photo. The statements are not printed and are spoken only once. After the fourth statement there is a short pause, then the next question begins.
The directions are read aloud before the first question, with an example. You already know them (they never change), so use that time to look at the first photographs and prepare.
Part 1 is often considered the easiest part of the test, and for many learners it is. But "easy" does not mean "automatic". The statements are short, and a single word, such as being, putting on or under, can make a statement false. Learners who lose points here usually do not lack vocabulary; they listen for the noun they expect and stop listening to the verb.
What "best describes" means
Exactly one statement is true of the photo. The other three are false: they describe an action that is not happening, a thing that is not there, a wrong location or something you cannot know from the picture. The correct statement is not always about the most obvious element. In a photo of a woman presenting a chart to colleagues, the correct answer might be "Some documents are on the table" rather than anything about the woman. That is why you must evaluate all four statements instead of waiting for the one you predicted.
2. The three kinds of photographs
| Photo type | What the statements usually describe | Typical correct statement |
|---|---|---|
| One person | The person's action, posture, clothing, or what he or she is holding, looking at or using. | "She's adjusting a microphone." / "He's leaning against a railing." |
| Several people | What they are all doing, what one of them is doing, how they are positioned in relation to each other. | "They're seated across from each other." / "One of the men is pointing at a screen." |
| Objects or scenes without people | Where things are, how they are arranged, what state they are in. | "Some chairs have been stacked against a wall." / "Plants are lined up on a windowsill." |
Photos with one person
Focus on three things: the action (what the hands are doing, where the eyes are looking), the object of the action, and the setting. Prepare verbs that describe hands and body: holding, carrying, reaching for, picking up, handing, pointing at, adjusting, examining, typing, writing, leaning, kneeling, bending over.
Photos with several people
Statements may describe all the people ("They're…", "The people are…"), one person ("One of the women…", "A man…") or their relationship ("facing each other", "standing in line", "seated side by side", "gathered around a table"). Check that a statement about "They" is true of everyone. If only one person is writing, "They're writing notes" is false.
Photos without people
These are where most learners lose points, because the statements rely on passive structures and precise location. Your first job is simple: notice that there are no people. Every statement that requires a person, including passive statements describing an action in progress, becomes suspicious at once.
3. Grammar of photo descriptions: actions vs states
A photograph freezes one moment. Part 1 statements describe either an action happening at that moment, or a state: how things are, as a result of something done earlier.
| Structure | Meaning | Needs a person in the photo? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present progressive (active) is/are + -ing | Someone is doing something now. | Yes (or an active thing: a machine, a vehicle). | A man is mopping the floor. |
| Passive progressive is/are being + past participle | Something is receiving an action now, done by someone in the photo. | Yes: the action is happening at that moment. | The floor is being mopped. |
| Present perfect passive has/have been + past participle | An action was completed earlier; we see the result. | No. | The floor has been mopped. |
| Simple passive / be + adjective is/are + past participle | A state. | No. | The shelves are stocked with paper. The door is open. |
| State verbs in the progressive is lying, is hanging, is leaning | A position, not an activity. | No. | A ladder is leaning against a wall. |
| There is / There are + location | Something exists somewhere. | No. | There are some boxes under the desk. |
There is one honest exception you should know. With a few verbs that describe how things are presented, especially display and show, the passive progressive can describe a state: "Some jewelry is being displayed in a case" can describe a shop window with no one in it. This use is uncommon. When you hear "is being" in a photo without people, first assume it is wrong, then check whether the verb is one of these presentation verbs.
The "wearing" vs "putting on" trap
"Wearing" is a state: the item is already on the body. "Putting on" and "taking off" are actions: the person's hands are moving the item. In a photo of a woman wearing a helmet, "She's wearing a helmet" is true and "She's putting on a helmet" is false, unless her hands are on the helmet, fastening it. The same distinction applies to holding (state) vs picking up (action), and sitting (state) vs sitting down (action).
Verbs of position
These verbs describe states and appear often in object photos. Learn them as a set.
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| be stacked / be piled (up) | Crates are stacked on a pallet. |
| be lined up / be arranged in a row | Bicycles are lined up outside a building. |
| be propped against / be leaning against | A shovel is propped against a fence. |
| be hanging / be hung | Jackets are hanging on hooks. |
| be mounted on | A clock is mounted on the wall. |
| be scattered | Papers are scattered across a desk. |
| be parked | Some vehicles are parked in a garage. |
| be covered with / be filled with | The counter is covered with dishes. |
| overlook / face | A balcony overlooks a garden. |
| be unoccupied / be vacant / be empty | Some seats are unoccupied. |
You've reached the end of the free extract
Keep going with the full lesson
The rest of this lesson is in the Noto Tracks TOEIC course, with the practice questions and the answer key.
- 4. Prepositions of location
- 5. Vocabulary for common scenes
- 6. The trap catalogue
- 7. The five-step method
- 8. Worked examples
Also in the full lesson
- Practice questions
- Answer key with explanations
- One-page summary
50 questions, free, with an estimated score.
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