Hi everyone, Grant here from Kōjō Communication Academy 👋
If you've made it to Part E of the Versant Speaking & Listening Test — congratulations! You're now doing something that's close to real communication: understanding a short story and retelling it clearly in your own words.
This part tests how well you can understand, summarize, and speak naturally. It's not about memorizing the passage — it's about expressing the key points smoothly and logically.
Let's look at how to approach Part E so you can retell stories confidently and fluently.
🧠 1. What Part E Really Tests
You'll hear two short passages (around 20–25 seconds each). After each one, you have 30 seconds to retell what you heard — in your own words.
Part E measures your ability to:
- 🎧 Understand main ideas and sequence
- 🧩 Extract key details — who, where, what, and how it ends
- 💬 Paraphrase naturally instead of copying
- 🗣️ Speak smoothly and fill the 30 seconds with clear, logical speech
Kōjō tip: Imagine you're explaining a short story to a friend who missed it — simple, natural, and complete.
📖 2. Example Passages and Retellings
🟢 Sample Passage 1 — Everyday Life and Relationships
Passage:
Michael was walking his dog, Buster, in the park on a sunny afternoon.
He let Buster off the leash to play fetch, as he usually did.
Suddenly, a loud noise startled Buster, and he ran into the woods.
Michael searched for hours but couldn't find him.
When it got dark, he finally heard a bark and found Buster near the park entrance.
🟡 Sample Passage 2 — Challenges and Problem-Solving
Passage:
Susan wanted to cook a special dinner for her family.
She followed a new lasagna recipe online but got distracted by a phone call and forgot to set the timer.
When she smelled burning, she ran to the kitchen — the lasagna was completely burnt!
She was disappointed but ordered pizza, and everyone laughed.
🔵 Sample Passage 3 — Goals and Dreams
Passage:
Alex had always dreamed of becoming a wildlife photographer.
He saved money for months, bought a camera, and traveled to a national park.
He spent a week taking pictures of birds, deer, and even a bear.
He was proud of his work and planned to enter a photography contest.
🔍 3. Focus on the Four Key Elements
Every Part E story follows the same structure:
- 1️⃣ Characters — Who is the story about?
- 2️⃣ Setting — Where and when does it happen?
- 3️⃣ Actions — What happens first, next, and last?
- 4️⃣ Outcome — How does it end or what was learned?
Example (The Lost Dog):
- Characters: Michael and his dog, Buster
- Setting: A park on a sunny afternoon
- Actions: The dog runs away → Michael searches → He finds Buster
- Outcome: Michael learns to be more careful
Kōjō tip: As you listen, visualize the story like a movie — it's much easier to recall the sequence when you speak.
✍️ 4. Note-Taking — A Powerful Support Skill
Just like in Part D, take short English notes while listening — even though the test doesn't require it.
In real life — business meetings, lectures, or presentations — we take notes to avoid mistakes and remember details.
Example:
📝 Michael – dog – park – noise – ran away – found at entrance
A few keywords like these help you organize your thoughts and speak without freezing.
⏱️ 5. Timing Matters — Fill Your 30 Seconds
You have 30 seconds to speak — use them all. Finishing too early can hurt your fluency score.
Kōjō tip:
- ⏱️ Use a stopwatch or your smartphone when you practice.
- Time how long you speak and train yourself to stay close to 30 seconds with a steady, natural pace.
If you finish early, add a short reflection like:
- • "He learned to be more careful next time."
- • "It was a funny but valuable experience."
This keeps your answer complete and fluent.
💡 6. Tips for Excelling in Part E
- ⭐Use the "Characters → Setting → Actions → Outcome" framework.
- ⭐Paraphrase naturally — don't try to memorize.
- ⭐Use clear linking words (first, then, after that, finally).
- ⭐Speak confidently and fill the entire 30 seconds.
Kōjō tip: Fluency matters as much as accuracy. Even if you forget a detail, keep speaking smoothly — the AI values natural, confident delivery.
🧩 7. Self-Study Ideas
- 📱 Use Versant Pro Trainer and complete Part E sets regularly.
- 🎙️ Listen to your recordings on Part E's review page and compare with model answers.
- 🎧 Listen to short stories or podcasts and retell them out loud.
- 🗒️ Take quick notes while listening and organize them into a 30-second retelling.
- ⏱️ Time each practice retelling to develop a strong sense of pace and fluency.
🌟 8. Final Thoughts
Part E brings together your listening, memory, and speaking skills.
It's not about perfect memory — it's about clear organization and natural communication.
So remember:
- ✅ Listen actively
- ✅ Take short notes
- ✅ Organize your ideas
- ✅ Speak for the full 30 seconds
Keep practicing with Versant Pro Trainer, and you'll soon retell stories smoothly, logically, and with confidence.
Stay steady, stay clear — and let your English flow naturally 🌊🎙️
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Start Free TrialGrant Prentice
Founder, Kōjō Communication Academy
Grant is a native English speaker from the UK with over 20 years of experience in business English training and Versant test preparation. He's helped thousands of professionals improve their communication skills and achieve their career goals.
🌏 日本語でも読めます — This article is also available in Japanese
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