CELPIP® Speaking Task 2 sample: Too Much Food to Waste

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

Share a story about a time you ended up with far more food than you could use before it spoiled, perhaps after a big sale, a party, a generous gift or a garden harvest. Why did it happen, and what was your first reaction? How did you make sure the food didn't go to waste, and what did you take away from the experience?

Model answers

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

Level 7 sample answer

132 words

Last July I went to a farm stand in Abbotsford with my friend Ronan. The blueberries were on sale, five kilos for only twenty dollars, so I bought a whole box. But when I got home I realized it was too much for one person, and berries go bad very fast. At first I was a little angry at myself, because I hate to waste food and money. Um, so I made a plan. First I washed half of them and put them in freezer bags. Then I made muffins and gave some to my neighbours. Ronan also taught me how to make a simple jam with sugar and lemon. I didn't throw away anything, and I was eating blueberry smoothie until November. Now I think more before I buy big amounts.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 teaching example tells a complete, easy-to-follow story with practical solutions and a clear lesson. Compared with the higher-level answers, its language is simpler, its reflection is more general, and an awkward phrase interrupts the otherwise clear wording.

First I washed half of them and put them in freezer bags. — Content/Coherence: This begins a clear sequence of actions that solve the blueberry problem. A higher-level answer would develop the reasoning behind those choices and connect the ending more closely to an earlier detail, as the zucchini bread does.
Now I think more before I buy big amounts. — Vocabulary: The lesson is understandable, but “think more” and “big amounts” are broad expressions. A higher-level answer would describe the changed shopping habit more precisely, such as checking storage space before buying in bulk.
I didn't throw away anything, and I was eating blueberry smoothie until November. — Listenability: The lasting supply of blueberries gives the story a concrete outcome. However, “eating blueberry smoothie” sounds awkward; “drinking blueberry smoothies” would be more natural. The higher-level examples generally maintain smoother phrasing.
At first I was a little angry at myself, because I hate to waste food and money. — Task Fulfillment: This directly answers the question about the first reaction and explains why the speaker felt that way. A higher-level answer would develop that reaction through a specific thought or competing concern, making the situation more vivid.

Level 9 sample answer

170 words

So, a couple of summers ago, my neighbour Samira, who has a huge vegetable garden behind her townhouse in Abbotsford, knocked on my door with a laundry basket full of zucchini. I counted eleven, and some of them were the size of my forearm. She was heading off to visit her sister for two weeks and didn't want them to rot. I couldn't exactly say no, but my first thought was, what on earth am I going to do with all this? I live alone, and I barely had room in my fridge. So I got creative. I grated about half and froze it in portions for baking, I made a big batch of zucchini fritters, and I roasted the rest with garlic for lunches. I also dropped a couple off at the community fridge near the library. By the time Samira got back, I had a loaf of zucchini bread waiting for her. It taught me that a bit of planning turns a problem into something you can share.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 teaching example adds vivid detail, natural expressions and a satisfying ending that connects Samira's gift with the speaker's return gift. Compared with level 11, the solution relies more on listing activities and less on developing a difficult decision under pressure.

By the time Samira got back, I had a loaf of zucchini bread waiting for her. — Content/Coherence: Returning to Samira gives the story a satisfying ending and supports the lesson about sharing. The level 11 example develops a stronger chain of obstacles, reasoning and coordinated action before reaching its reflection.
I counted eleven, and some of them were the size of my forearm. — Vocabulary: The forearm comparison makes the oversized gift easy to picture and explains why storage becomes a problem. A higher-level answer sustains this precision while also expressing more complex motives and practical constraints.
I grated about half and froze it in portions for baking, I made a big batch of zucchini fritters, — Listenability: Concrete verbs make the food-saving actions easy to follow, but several similar clauses run together. A higher-level answer would vary the rhythm and group the actions around decisions, giving the listener clearer pauses.
I couldn't exactly say no, but my first thought was, what on earth am I going to do with all this? — Task Fulfillment: This captures both the social pressure of accepting a gift and the immediate worry about handling it. The level 11 example develops the initial reaction further by showing fatigue competing with the responsibility to save donated food.

Level 11 sample answer

180 words

Last October I helped run a fall fundraiser at the community centre in Abbotsford, and the caterer, through some mix-up, prepared food for two hundred people when barely ninety showed up. By nine o'clock we were staring at trays of untouched wraps, three pans of butter chicken and roughly forty samosas. Rashad, who chaired the committee, was ready to bin the lot, since the centre doesn't let groups leave anything in the kitchen overnight, and honestly, after a twelve-hour day, I was tempted to agree. But I kept thinking that if we tossed it, we'd be throwing out nearly six hundred dollars' worth of food that our donors had essentially paid for. So I phoned a drop-in centre a few blocks away that serves community suppers, and, as luck would have it, they were happy to take prepared food that same evening. Rashad and I packed everything into foil containers, and two volunteers drove it over before ten. What stuck with me is how easily good food gets wasted, not out of carelessness, but simply because nobody has a plan.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 teaching example builds a detailed story around a genuine decision: tired volunteers face excess food, a kitchen deadline and responsibility to donors. Precise language, conversational phrasing and a concrete resolution support a thoughtful lesson about planning.

But I kept thinking that if we tossed it, we'd be throwing out nearly six hundred dollars' worth of food — Content/Coherence: This explains the turning point between accepting disposal and finding another solution. The value of the food gives the speaker a specific motive, so the next action follows from the reasoning rather than simply extending a list.
Rashad, who chaired the committee, was ready to bin the lot, — Vocabulary: “Chaired the committee” identifies Rashad's role efficiently, while “bin the lot” conveys his proposed action in natural conversational language. The combination supplies useful context without making the story sound overly formal.
and honestly, after a twelve-hour day, I was tempted to agree. — Listenability: The conversational aside makes the speaker's hesitation easy to understand and gives the written response a natural spoken rhythm. It also prepares the listener for the change of mind that follows.
Rashad and I packed everything into foil containers, and two volunteers drove it over before ten. — Task Fulfillment: This shows exactly how the food-saving plan was carried out, including who helped and when delivery happened. It resolves the practical problem created by the kitchen's overnight restriction and completes the account of preventing waste.

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.

Answer this question and get your level