The Voicemail With a Changed Plan
In a listening task you hear a 40-second voicemail from your friend Meera. She says, quickly and with some background noise: "अरे, सुन ना - कल वाला प्लान बदल गया। मैं सोच रही थी कि हम सिनेमा चलेंगे, पर टिकट ही नहीं मिल रहे। तो चलो, पहले चाय पीते हैं, चार बजे उसी कोने वाले ढाबे पर, और फिर देखते हैं। हाँ, और मेरी बहन भी आ रही है - उसे भी गिन लेना। मेरा फ़ोन चार्ज पर है, इसलिए ज़्यादा बात मत करना, बस हाँ या ना कह देना।" You may listen twice. The question asks you to state the new plan and identify one piece of information that is uncertain.
1. State the confirmed elements of the new plan and explain which element is left open.
Read the worked answer
Confirmed: (1) The original plan (cinema) is cancelled because tickets are unavailable - "टिकट ही नहीं मिल रहे". (2) They will meet for tea at 4 p.m. at "उसी कोने वाले ढाबे पर" - the corner dhaba already known to both speakers. (3) Meera's sister is joining, so the group is at least three people.
Open: what happens after tea - "फिर देखते हैं" ("then we'll see"). No decision has been made about a replacement activity.
The trap here is treating the cinema as still planned, or assuming the venue is new. The phrase "उसी कोने वाले" ("that same corner one") signals shared prior knowledge, so a good answer notes the venue is familiar, not newly named.
2. Meera asks for a short reply. Explain what a good reply must and must not do, given how she ends the message.
Read the worked answer
She ends with "बस हाँ या ना कह देना" ("just say yes or no") and explains why: her phone is on charge ("चार्ज पर है"), so she wants a minimal exchange. A good reply therefore:
- is short - a one-line confirmation, not a paragraph;
- answers the actual question (are you coming at 4, and have you noted the sister?);
- does not re-open the cinema discussion or ask multiple questions, since she has limited phone access;
- acknowledges the changed headcount, e.g. "हाँ, चार बजे पहुँच जाऊँगा, और तुम्हारी बहन के लिए भी जगह है।"
The judgement tested is pragmatic: matching your reply's length and content to the speaker's stated constraint, not just to the literal information.