Respond to a Situation: PTE Speaking Practice Questions with Sample Answers (2026)

Respond to a Situation gives you a real-life scenario, like declining an invitation or requesting an extension, and asks for an appropriate spoken response. Tone matters as much as fluency. Practice with 15 real situations below.

15 Questions

Practice questions

Attempt each one, then open the sample answer to compare.

Question 1

You will hear a description of a situation. Please respond to it as you would in that situation.

You live in a shared apartment, and one of your roommates keeps leaving the kitchen dirty after cooking. You decide to talk to your roommate. What would you say to him?
Community Answers

View Sample Answer

Hey, can we chat for a minute? I have noticed the kitchen has been getting left pretty messy after cooking and it's been a bit frustrating because we all share the space. I totally understand that everyone get PC and forward. Sometimes it happens to me too. But could we make make sure we are cleaning up after ourself so the kitchen stays stable for everyone? I had really appreciate it. If there is something making it hard or if you need to agree on some cleaning expectations together, I'm open to figuring it out. Thank you.

Question 2

You will hear a description of a situation. Please respond to it as you would in that situation.

You borrowed a projector from your office to use for a presentation at a conference. When you were packing it up to return it, you accidentally dropped it, and now it has a crack on the lens. You need to inform your manager about the damage. What do you say to him?
Community Answers

View Sample Answer

hi, this morning when i was packing the projector to return it, i accidentally dropped it and now it has a crack on the lens. i know that it's my mistake and whatever needs to be paid to repair it, i will take care of it because it was my duty to bring the projector safe back to the office. so, in conclusion, whatever amount needs to be paid, i will take care of it.

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Question 3

You will hear a description of a situation. Please respond to it as you would in that situation.

You are in a cinema and the person next to you keeps checking their brightly lit phone, distracting you during the movie. What would you say to this person?
Community Answers

View Sample Answer

excuse me, would you mind reducing the brightness of your phone or putting it away until the movie ends? the bright light from your screen is a bit distracting and making it difficult for me to concentrate on the movie. i can completely understand that checking notifications is very important for you, but i would really appreciate it if you could use the phone later outside the theater. thank you for understanding and cooperating.

How to approach it

  1. Understand the situation. Identify who you are speaking to and the goal.
  2. Set the right tone. Polite and appropriate, formal or friendly as the situation needs.
  3. Address the request. Say what you need or how you will respond.
  4. Close politely. End with thanks or a courteous sign-off.

Useful Phrases

I am really sorry, butwould it be possible tothank you so much forI completely understand, however

FAQs

What does Respond to a Situation test?

Practical communication: whether you can respond politely and appropriately to an everyday situation, with clear fluent speech.

How long do I get to respond?

You get a short preparation time after the situation is presented, then about 40 seconds to record your response.

Should my answer be formal or casual?

Match the situation. A professor gets a formal tone; a friend gets a warm, friendly one. Reading the audience is part of the score.

What should every response include?

Address the person, deal with the request or problem, give a brief reason, and close politely.

Is there one correct answer?

No. Any response that fits the situation, covers the task and sounds natural can score well.

Practice Other Question Types

Speaking

Read Aloud Repeat Sentence Describe Image Re-tell Lecture Answer Short Question Summarize Group Discussion

Writing

Summarize Written Text Essay Write Email

Reading

Fill in the Blanks (Drop-down) Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers Multiple Choice, Single Answer Fill in the Blanks (Drag & Drop) Reorder Paragraphs

Listening

Summarize Spoken Text Fill in the Blanks Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers Multiple Choice, Single Answer Highlight Correct Summary Select Missing Word Highlight Incorrect Words Write from Dictation

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