ESOL Reading Practice: Notices and Messages with Answers

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Read for the information you need

This ESOL reading practice uses a notice and a short message. First decide what each text is for. Then find the details needed to answer the questions. You do not have to translate every word before you begin.

The texts and questions are original beginner-friendly practice activities, not an official exam or a level assessment.

Before you read

Check these words: entrance is the way into a building; indoors means inside; a shift is a period when someone works.

Write the numbers A to F on paper so that you can answer before looking at the explanations.

Text 1: a community notice

COMMUNITY BOOK EXCHANGE

Bring a book and choose another one to take home. The exchange is on Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm in the library garden. If it rains, meet indoors near the main entrance. Children's books and novels are welcome. Please do not bring magazines. You can attend even if you do not have a book to bring.

Questions A to C

A: What is the main purpose of this notice: to sell library membership, invite people to an event, or announce a new shop?

B: Where will people meet if it rains?

C: Can someone attend without bringing a book?

Text 2: a message at work

Hi Amir, can we swap our Friday shifts? I am working from 8 am to 12 noon, and you are working from 12 noon to 4 pm. I need to collect a delivery at home in the morning. If you agree, please tell me today. We must ask the manager to approve the change before we swap. Thanks, Rosa.

Questions D to F

D: Why does Rosa want to change her shift?

E: Which shift would Amir work if the swap is approved?

F: Is Amir's agreement enough to confirm the change? Explain your answer.

Answers with explanations

A: To invite people to an event. The notice tells you what happens, when to come and what to bring.

B: Indoors near the main entrance. The garden is the usual location; the sentence beginning If explains the rainy-weather plan.

C: Yes. The final sentence says that you can attend without a book.

D: She needs to collect a delivery at home in the morning. This is the reason for the request.

E: From 8 am to 12 noon. Amir would take Rosa's current shift.

F: No. The manager must approve the change as well. The word before tells you the required order.

Try the skill again

Choose a real notice or message you can safely use for practice. Ask yourself: Who is it for? What action does the reader need to take? Which date, time or condition changes the answer?

Cover the text and summarise its purpose in one sentence. Then check your summary against the original.

When you are ready for longer texts, try the Entry 3 reading activities and check the explanation behind each answer. Keep choosing work that suits your current reading needs.

Continue on your phone

Use the ESOL English download buttons above for additional reading, video and quiz activities. Practise the same skill on another text, and ask a tutor for help with questions you cannot explain.