Listening: Rejoinders
What this section tests
You hear a short utterance-often one sentence-and choose the most natural reply. The exam is testing pragmatic competence: can you identify what the speaker is doing (greeting, apologizing, inviting, complaining, requesting, congratulating) and answer in the right register?
Concepts to master
Learn formulaic pairs: Merci beaucoup → Je vous en prie; Excusez-moi → Ce n'est rien; Tu viens avec nous ? → Avec plaisir; Félicitations ! → Merci, c'est gentil. Know the difference between tu and vous and between formal and informal replies. Recognize common idioms and false friends, such as attendre (to wait), assister à (to attend), and demander (to ask).
Traps
Wrong answers often repeat a word from the prompt but perform the wrong function. A reply may be grammatically correct yet socially odd, or may answer a different question type. Watch for sound-alike words and for responses that fit only if you mishear negation or tense. Do not translate literally from English.
Worked example
Prompt: Tu peux me passer le sel ? A literal English-style reply like Je l'ai déjà is wrong. The speech act is a polite request. Natural replies are Bien sûr, tiens or Voilà. First label the function, then check register and logic.
Rule of thumb
Ask: “What is the speaker trying to get the other person to do or feel?” Eliminate any option that does not match that function, even if it contains familiar vocabulary.