8.3 Numbers, Times, Prices and Spelling
Key Takeaways
- Numbers, times, prices, dates, phone-like digits, and name spellings appear across Listening Parts 1–5—especially Part 2 gap-fill, but also detail items in Parts 1 and 3.
- Learn British-style time phrases common in Cambridge materials: half past, quarter past/to, and digital forms (7:45).
- Prices need the correct number and often the currency word or symbol awareness (£, euros); watch for discounts and “final amount” changes.
- For spelling, track letter-by-letter sequences; common confusions include G/J, B/P, M/N, and double letters.
- Use the second play to confirm digits and letters; a near-miss number is still wrong.
8.3 Numbers, Times, Prices and Spelling
Quick Answer: Across the Listening paper—especially Part 2 notes, but also Parts 1 and 3—you must catch times, prices, dates, numbers, and sometimes spelled names. Cambridge English often uses British time phrases (half past, quarter to) that candidates should recognise alongside digital forms. One wrong digit or letter means zero for that item.
Parts 4 and 5 reward big-picture listening. This section protects the micro-listening marks that decide many borderline scale scores. Treat it as a toolkit for the whole paper, not only one part.
Where These Details Appear
| Listening part | Typical number/spelling jobs |
|---|---|
| Part 1 | Times, prices, quantities, which day, how many |
| Part 2 | Gap-fill notes: names, ages, prices, times, phone numbers, spellings |
| Part 3 | Decisions involving cost, time, meeting points, dates |
| Part 4 | Rarely pure gaps, but times can support gist (late train story) |
| Part 5 | Sometimes activities at different times; still mainly matching |
If Part 2 is your weakest, drill this section daily for two weeks before full mocks.
Times: Forms You Must Hear Automatically
Cambridge materials frequently use British English time expressions. International candidates may be more used to pure digital reading (seventeen forty-five). Train both.
Core clock phrases
| You hear | Meaning | Digital |
|---|---|---|
| seven o’clock | 7:00 | 7:00 |
| half past seven | 30 minutes after 7 | 7:30 |
| quarter past seven | 15 minutes after 7 | 7:15 |
| quarter to eight | 15 minutes before 8 | 7:45 |
| twenty past seven | 7:20 | 7:20 |
| twenty to eight | 7:40 | 7:40 |
| five past / ten past | +5 / +10 | 7:05 / 7:10 |
| five to / ten to | −5 / −10 before next hour | 7:55 / 7:50 |
a.m. / p.m. and 24-hour talk
Speakers may say:
- in the morning / in the afternoon / in the evening / at night
- a.m. / p.m. (less common in some elementary scripts, but know them)
- seventeen hundred style is not the main A2 diet; expect friendly clock language
Trap: quarter to eight is 7:45, not 8:15. Many learners reverse past and to.
Original mini-items (times)
- “The bus leaves at half past nine.” → 9:30
- “Please arrive at quarter to six.” → 5:45
- “The film starts at twenty past eight.” → 8:20
- “I’ll meet you at ten to seven.” → 6:50
Changed times (final answer wins)
“We said six o’clock… actually the table is at half past six.”
Correct time: 6:30, not 6:00.
Same logic as Part 4/5 corrections: last clear time is usually right.
Prices and Money
What you may need to write or choose
- Whole amounts: ten pounds, fifteen euros
- Pounds and pence: four pounds fifty → £4.50
- Approximate talk: about twenty pounds (if the gap wants a number, use the number given)
- Discounts: It was £30, but with the student card it’s £24 → answer 24 (or £24 depending on gap instructions)
Currency awareness
| You hear | Typical notes |
|---|---|
| pounds / pound | UK context; symbol £ |
| p / pence | fifty p = £0.50 |
| euros / euro | Common in European contexts |
| dollars | May appear in some international topics |
Read the gap label: Price: ______ may need 12.50 or £12.50. Follow the example on the notes page if one is given.
Classic price traps
| Trap | Example | Correct focus |
|---|---|---|
| Two prices | “Adults £12, children £8” | Which person/ticket does the question ask about? |
| Old vs new price | “Was £40, now £35” | Usually the current price |
| Per item vs total | “£3 each, so £9 for three” | Match the question (each vs total) |
| Deposit vs full price | “£10 now, £50 later” | What does the gap ask for? |
Original price lines
- “The guidebook costs nine pounds ninety-nine.” → £9.99
- “Tickets are twelve euros for students.” → €12 (students)
- “It was fifteen pounds, but there’s a sale—it’s eleven pounds today.” → £11
Dates and Days
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Day + date | Monday the third of May |
| Ordinals | 1st first, 2nd second, 3rd third, 4th fourth, 5th fifth, 12th twelfth, 20th twentieth, 21st twenty-first, 22nd twenty-second, 23rd twenty-third, 30th thirtieth, 31st thirty-first |
| Months | January–December (listen for stress: Jan-uary, July, Au-gust) |
| Years (simple) | twenty twenty-six for 2026 in many spoken styles; also two thousand and twenty-six |
British date order in speech often day-month: the fifteenth of July. If you must write a date, follow the form shown in the notes example (15 July / 15/07, etc.).
Trap pairs: Tuesday/Thursday, 13th/30th, June/July when audio is fast—use the second play.
Larger Numbers and “Phone-like” Digits
Number families
| Type | Example hearing | Care points |
|---|---|---|
| Tens vs teens | thirty vs thirteen | Stress: THIRteen vs thirTY |
| Hundreds | two hundred and fifty (British and is common) | Don’t drop digits |
| Rooms / buses | bus forty-two, room sixteen | Write numerals clearly |
| Ages | she’s fourteen | Not a price |
| Quantities | about two hundred people | about may still accept 200 if that is the note style |
Phone-style numbers
Speakers may group digits: oh seven seven… (UK mobile style) or say double / triple:
- double six → 66
- triple nine → 999
- oh often means 0
Practice string: “My number is oh seven seven double six five four three two one.”
Write digit groups as you hear them; check on play two.
Teen / ten drill (say and hear daily)
13 thirteen · 14 fourteen · 15 fifteen · 16 sixteen · 17 seventeen · 18 eighteen · 19 nineteen
30 thirty · 40 forty · 50 fifty · 60 sixty · 70 seventy · 80 eighty · 90 ninety
Record yourself; mix pairs (14/40, 15/50, 16/60, 17/70, 18/80, 19/90).
Spelling Names and Places
Part 2 sometimes requires a spelled name (person, street, email user, club).
Letter listening habits
- Write each letter as it comes; do not wait to “remember the whole word.”
- Mark double letters when you hear double T, two Ls.
- Expect British letter names (the letter Z often as zed, not zee).
- Common confusion pairs: G/J, B/P, D/T, M/N, A/E/I in fast speech, S/F on poor audio.
Spelling alphabet anchors (optional but useful)
If a speaker clarifies, they may say B for Brazil, M for Mary. Use any clarification; do not invent your own during the exam if unclear—rely on clear letter names.
Original spelling lines
- “His surname is G-R-A-Y.” → Gray (not Grey unless spelled that way)
- “Email me at s-a-m double t-e-e at example dot com.” → local part samttee style as dictated
- “The street is King — K-I-N-G — Street.” → King Street
Rule: Spell exactly what you hear. Do not “correct” to a more common spelling if letters differ (Gray vs Grey).
British vs International Forms Candidates May Hear
| Area | British-leaning forms in many Cambridge scripts | Also possible / international |
|---|---|---|
| Time | half past, quarter to/past | seven thirty, seven forty-five |
| Money | pounds, pence | euros, dollars |
| 0 in phone numbers | oh | zero |
| Letter Z | zed | zee |
| Dates | the third of May | May third |
| Floors | ground floor, first floor | may differ by country meaning—listen to context |
You do not need a linguistics essay—you need recognition. If your school taught only 7:45, add quarter to eight flashcards this week.
Two-Play Micro Protocol for Detail Items
| Play | Job |
|---|---|
| 1 | Catch the field (is it a time? price? name?) and write a best attempt |
| Between | Check format: digits vs words; any example on the notes page |
| 2 | Confirm each digit/letter; listen for corrections and final amounts |
Never leave a gap empty. A reasoned 9:30 guess beats a blank if you heard half past but missed the hour—though better to catch both.
Original Mixed Mini-Dialogue (Teaching)
Receptionist: Sports centre, hello?
Caller: I’d like to book the evening football class.
Receptionist: That’s on Thursdays at quarter past seven. It’s eight pounds fifty for members, or twelve pounds for guests.
Caller: I’m a member. And the coach’s name?
Receptionist: Mr Brooks — B-R-O-O-K-S.
Caller: Thanks. I’ll come at seven fifteen.
What a notes page might need
| Gap label | Answer |
|---|---|
| Day | Thursday(s) |
| Start time | 7:15 / quarter past seven |
| Member price | £8.50 |
| Coach | Brooks / Mr Brooks |
Notice the caller restates the time in digital-friendly English—both forms match.
Practice Bank (Do Aloud)
Times: 3:00, 3:15, 3:30, 3:45, 4:50, 5:05, 6:40, 9:20
Prices: £2.50, £10, £19.99, €7, €40 (sale from €55)
Dates: 1 March, 12 July, 23 November, 30 April
Teens/tens pairs: 13/30, 14/40, 15/50, 16/60, 17/70, 18/80, 19/90
Spellings: Miller, Hughes, Patel, Singh, Kawasaki, Brooklyn
Partner A reads; Partner B writes; swap. Mark only 100% exact answers as correct.
Transfer to Other Papers
- Speaking Part 1: Say your own times and prices clearly (I get up at half past seven).
- Writing Part 6: Include a correct time or day when a content point asks for arrangements.
- Reading Part 1: Notices often turn on times and prices—the same vocabulary in print.
Common Mistakes Checklist
- Mixing quarter past and quarter to
- Writing the first price, not the sale price
- Hearing fourteen as forty
- Missing double letters in names
- Spelling a “more normal” version instead of the letters given
- Leaving Part 2 gaps blank to “save time”
Weekly Drill Plan (10–12 minutes)
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Clock phrases only (20 items) |
| 2 | Prices + two-price corrections |
| 3 | Teens vs tens + phone digits |
| 4 | Spelling five surnames letter by letter |
| 5 | Mixed Part 2-style notes (5 gaps) with two plays |
Final Exam Reminder
Detail accuracy is not “lower skill” than gist. On the Cambridge English Scale, five careful number/spelling marks are as real as five gist marks. Combine this section with Part 4 gist discipline and Part 5 matching discipline for a balanced Listening paper: big message when required, exact fact when required, and always use the second play with a clear job.
What time is “quarter to eight”?
A speaker says a jacket “was thirty pounds, but in the sale it’s twenty-four pounds.” If a notes gap asks for the sale price, what should you write?
Why do candidates practise teens versus tens pairs such as thirteen/thirty in A2 Key Listening?