Which of the following are the two kinds of listening skills?

• A. Formal and Informal
• B. Passive and Active
• C. Active and Reactive
• D. Listening and Responding

Answer: (B)

The main concept here is how listening happens in two modes: passive listening and active listening. Active listening means you fully focus on the speaker, show engagement, and verify understanding through things like paraphrasing, clarifying questions, and providing feedback. Passive listening, on the other hand, is hearing the words without that level of engagement or processing, which can lead to missed details or misunderstandings. This distinction is why the two kinds of listening skills are described as passive and active. The other terms mix contexts or actions rather than describing these two fundamental ways people listen, so they don’t fit as cleanly. In practice, using active listening improves accuracy and communication, while passive listening tends to reduce it.