What does Mr. Salazar mean when he says, "Hold on to that thought"?
Listen to a Short Exchange · ELPAC Grades 3–5 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A two-turn exchange between two speakers, followed by a question about it.
Listen to the conversation between Grant and Mr. Salazar. Then answer the question.
The Reading Log
Press play to listen. You can pause, rewind, and replay as often as you like.
Show transcript
Grant: Mr. Salazar, I finished my reading log, but I left it in my cubby. Should I go get it now?
Mr. Salazar: Hold on to that thought. We're lining up for the assembly right now.
Grant: Okay. When should I give it to you?
Mr. Salazar: As soon as we get back to the classroom. The assembly is about forty minutes, so we'll be back before lunch.
The question
Choose the best answer.
What does Mr. Salazar mean when he says, "Hold on to that thought"?
- Grant should keep the reading log in his hand.
- Grant should write his idea down so he does not forget it.
- Grant should think about the assembly instead.
- Grant should wait and take care of it later.Correct answer
Why “Grant should wait and take care of it later.” is correct
This tests an everyday expression whose meaning is not the sum of its words. "Hold on to that thought" means "wait — we will come back to this", and Mr. Salazar confirms it when he says to hand in the log "as soon as we get back to the classroom". Expressions like this are common in classroom talk, so it helps to ask a child what a teacher meant, not just what the words say.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Grant should keep the reading log in his hand. — This reads "hold on to" literally. The reading log is in the cubby, not in Grant's hand.
- Grant should write his idea down so he does not forget it. — Nothing is written down; Mr. Salazar simply puts the task off until after the assembly.
- Grant should think about the assembly instead. — The assembly is the reason to wait, but he is not asking Grant to think about it.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grades 3–5, or see the ELPAC practice test for grades 3–5. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California Department of Education or the official ELPAC program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published task formats.