CELPIP® Speaking Task 2 sample: A Return That Took Some Effort

Talking about a Personal Experience · Preparation: 30 seconds · Response: 60 seconds · Published 23 October 2026

Original practice questions in CELPIP® task formats, created independently by CELPIP Study.

Practice question

Talk about a time when you tried to return something you had bought, or get your money back for it, and the process turned out to be harder than you expected. What had you bought, and what was wrong with it? How did you react when you met the difficulty? What did you do, and how did it end?

Model answers

These are transcripts of a model response, provided for comparison with your own recording.

Level 7 sample answer

143 words

OK, so last winter I bought a pair of winter boots at a small shoe store in Owen Sound. They cost about $160, which is a lot for me. After two weeks, the sole on the left boot started to come off, and water came inside when I walked in the slush. I went back to the store, but the clerk said I need the receipt, and I already threw it away. At first I was really frustrated and, um, a little embarrassed too. Then I remembered that I paid with my debit card, so I checked my online banking and found the payment. I showed it to the manager, Shane, and he looked at the boots. He agreed it was a defect, so he gave me a new pair. Now I always keep my receipts, or I take a photo of them.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 model gives a clear, complete account with concrete details and a straightforward solution. Compared with the other answers, its emotional development and vocabulary are simpler, and its past-tense narration is less consistent.

After two weeks, the sole on the left boot started to come off, — Content/Coherence: The timing and specific defect establish why the boots needed returning. The sequence is easy to follow, but a higher-level answer would develop the connection between the purchase, the unexpected obstacle, and the speaker's response more fully.
and water came inside when I walked in the slush. — Vocabulary: “Slush” gives a precise winter detail, while “water came inside” uses basic wording. A higher-level answer would sustain that precision, perhaps describing water leaking through the damaged sole.
but the clerk said I need the receipt, and I already threw it away. — Listenability: The problem is understandable, but the tense shifts make the recalled conversation less smooth. A higher-level version would use more consistent reported speech, such as saying the clerk needed the receipt and the speaker had already thrown it away.
At first I was really frustrated and, um, a little embarrassed too. — Task Fulfillment: This directly answers how the speaker reacted to the difficulty. The emotions are named briefly; a higher-level response would explain the embarrassment or show more clearly how the speaker moved from frustration to finding proof of payment.

Level 9 sample answer

172 words

This happened about a year ago, when I bought a blender from a kitchen store called Copperpot Housewares in Kitchener. It was on sale for $89, and I was planning to make smoothies every morning. The third time I used it, though, the motor started giving off a burning smell and then stopped. When I took it back, the cashier pointed to a sign behind her: sale items could only be exchanged for store credit, not refunded. Honestly, my first thought was that I'd been tricked, because nobody had mentioned that when I paid. I didn't want credit at a store I wasn't planning to visit again, so I asked to speak to the manager, Moira. She was polite but firm about the policy. Instead of arguing, I read the box and noticed the blender had a one-year manufacturer's warranty. I filled out a claim online, and two weeks later a replacement arrived at my door. Looking back, I learned that it's worth reading the fine print before you lose your temper.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 model develops the refund obstacle, the speaker's reaction, and an alternative solution with clear transitions and more varied language. Compared with the top model, the decisive action is less fully developed, and the ending could connect more closely to the speaker's original wish for a refund.

Instead of arguing, I read the box and noticed the blender had a one-year manufacturer's warranty. — Content/Coherence: This clearly connects emotional restraint with a practical change of approach. The warranty provides a logical turning point, although a higher-level answer would develop the decisive discovery and subsequent action with the specificity shown in the sofa story.
the motor started giving off a burning smell and then stopped. — Vocabulary: The natural phrase “giving off a burning smell” describes the malfunction precisely and vividly. Compared with the boots answer, the wording is more flexible; the top model sustains a broader range of precise expressions across the problem, reaction, and resolution.
She was polite but firm about the policy. — Listenability: This short sentence gives the listener a clear stopping point after the longer explanation of the refund dispute. A higher-level response would sustain more varied pacing around the discovery and resolution, as the sofa answer does.
I filled out a claim online, and two weeks later a replacement arrived at my door. — Task Fulfillment: The speaker clearly explains the action taken and the final outcome. A higher-level answer could clarify why receiving another blender was satisfactory after the speaker had rejected store credit and initially wanted money back.

Level 11 sample answer

186 words

A couple of years ago, I'd just moved into a basement suite in Winnipeg, and I splurged on a $1,200 sofa from a place called Halvorsen Home Furnishings. Before I paid, I'd given the salesperson, Antoine, the exact width of my stairwell, and he'd assured me it would fit with room to spare. Well, on delivery day, the two movers spent twenty minutes twisting that sofa every which way, and it wouldn't go around the corner at the bottom of the stairs. When I called the store, I was told that returns on delivered furniture carried a twenty-percent restocking fee, which would've cost me $240. My first reaction was a mix of disbelief and quiet fury. Rather than vent on the phone, though, I dug out my emailed quote, which happened to include my measurements in Antoine's own notes, and I went in person. Once the manager had seen that, she agreed the mistake wasn't mine and waived the fee altogether. What stuck with me is that a calm, documented case gets further than an angry one, and that it pays to get everything in writing.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 model builds a detailed, tightly connected story: the salesperson's assurance creates the dispute, and the written measurements provide the solution. Precise vocabulary, controlled sentence variety, and a reflective ending make the account strong.

which happened to include my measurements in Antoine's own notes, — Content/Coherence: This detail connects directly to the salesperson's earlier assurance that the sofa would fit. The evidence resolves an issue established at the beginning, giving the story a stronger causal structure than a simple sequence of events.
My first reaction was a mix of disbelief and quiet fury. — Vocabulary: “Disbelief” and “quiet fury” distinguish surprise from controlled anger. This is more emotionally precise than the boots answer's frustration and embarrassment, and it prepares naturally for the decision to gather evidence instead of venting.
Well, on delivery day, the two movers spent twenty minutes twisting that sofa every which way, — Listenability: The conversational opening and concrete action make the scene easy to picture. The sentence builds toward the failed delivery, while shorter statements elsewhere vary the rhythm and help the listener follow the longer account.
she agreed the mistake wasn't mine and waived the fee altogether. — Task Fulfillment: This directly resolves the unexpected financial obstacle and shows that presenting the written evidence worked. The specific outcome is the fee waiver; the answer does not explicitly state whether the purchase price was refunded.

What moves an answer from 7 to 9 to 11

These are model answers written to show each level. The labels are practice estimates, not examiner scores.

Tell a specific personal experience in a clear sequence. Explain what happened, how you reacted and why it mattered, using details that help the listener follow the story.

Content/Coherence: Level 7 models communicate the main ideas; level 9 models develop relevant details with clear connections; level 11 models sustain precise, well-integrated development.
Vocabulary: Compare adequate everyday wording with more varied, accurate choices at level 9 and flexible, precise expression at level 11.
Listenability: Higher-level delivery needs clear pronunciation, rhythm, intonation and controlled pauses. Transcripts suggest phrasing and organisation, but cannot demonstrate these audio features; a recording is needed.
Task Fulfillment: Compare how fully the response addresses the request, develops enough relevant detail and maintains an appropriate tone for the audience within the task limits.

Assess the criteria together. A longer answer or rarer words alone do not establish a higher level.

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