CELPIP® Speaking Task 3 sample: Neighbourhood driveway sale

Describing a Scene · Preparation: 30 seconds · Response: 60 seconds · Published 23 October 2026

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

Practice question

You're talking by phone to a friend who can't see this picture. Describe the place and what the people are doing in enough detail for your friend to imagine it. Prepare for 30 seconds, then speak for 60 seconds.

From beside a garage, look over a driveway sale in Kingston on a breezy June morning. At the left foreground table, Solveig, a woman around 60 in blue, patiently holds up four fingers beside a lamp. Facing her in the centre foreground, Rashad, a man around 30 in green, frowns at three coins in his palm. On the right foreground, a girl around 14 in red enthusiastically pulls a wagon overflowing with books; its front wheel approaches a quilt corner hanging from the table onto the driveway. A worried man around 40 in grey reaches toward the wagon from the right centre. At the left centre, a woman around 35 in yellow carefully arranges empty plastic cups; a rubber ball rolls toward them. A boy around eight in orange stands behind the ball in the left background, looking embarrassed with both hands raised. In the centre background, a woman around 70 in purple anxiously reaches for an empty tote lifting in a gust at a table edge. In the right background, a man around 50 in brown smiles while unfolding a chair. Include no writing, signs, logos or identifiable landmarks.

Model answers

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

Level 7 sample answer

117 words

It's a busy driveway sale in Kingston, and the weather looks breezy. In foreground, a woman in blue is holding up four fingers beside a lamp. A man in green is looking at three coins, so he seems unhappy about the amount. On the right, a girl is pulling a wagon, and the books looks quite heavy. A man is reaching toward it because there's a quilt in its path. Also, a woman in yellow is arranging cups on the left. A ball is rolling towards them, and a boy behind it looks embarrassed. Um, farther back, an older woman is reaching for a tote that's lifting in the wind. There's also a man unfolding a chair.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer gives a clear overview and covers the main activities, including the bargaining, wagon, rolling ball and windblown tote. Compared with the higher-level answers, its wording is less precise, its transitions are more repetitive, and occasional grammar errors interrupt the description.

Also, a woman in yellow is arranging cups on the left. — Content/Coherence: The position and action are clear, but “Also” makes this sound like another item in a list. The higher-level answers connect simultaneous activities more smoothly and describe the cups more precisely.
A man is reaching toward it because there's a quilt in its path. — Vocabulary: This explains the man's concern using simple, understandable language. A higher-level answer makes the obstacle easier to picture by identifying the approaching front wheel and the quilt corner trailing onto the driveway.
On the right, a girl is pulling a wagon, and the books looks quite heavy. — Listenability: The location marker helps the listener follow the scene, but “the books looks” contains a subject–verb agreement error. The higher-level answers use smoother phrasing and describe the wagon's load more directly.
an older woman is reaching for a tote that's lifting in the wind. — Task Fulfillment: This gives the friend a useful action to imagine and explains the effect of the breeze. A higher-level answer adds identifying details such as the woman's purple clothing and anxious manner while keeping the description focused.

Level 9 sample answer

149 words

You're looking across a busy driveway sale in Kingston on a breezy June morning. The most interesting exchange is near the front: Solveig, the woman in blue on the left, is holding up four fingers beside a lamp, while Rashad, in green, studies three coins in his hand. He looks dissatisfied, although she's being patient. Over on the right, a girl in red is enthusiastically pulling a wagon piled with books. Its front wheel is approaching a quilt trailing from the table, and a worried man in grey is reaching towards it. Meanwhile, a woman in yellow is arranging plastic cups on the left, with a rubber ball rolling their way. The boy in orange behind it has his hands raised and looks embarrassed. Farther back, an older woman in purple has her hands full trying to retrieve a windblown tote, while a man in brown unfolds a chair.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer guides the listener confidently around the sale, using varied vocabulary and clear relationships between nearby people and objects. Compared with level 11, it establishes the viewing position less precisely and sometimes uses broad expressions where a more exact description would sharpen the picture.

Its front wheel is approaching a quilt trailing from the table, and a worried man in grey is reaching towards it. — Content/Coherence: The wheel, quilt and worried man form a connected scene, improving on the simpler wagon description at level 7. The level 11 answer makes the relationship still clearer by explicitly linking the man's concern to the approaching wheel.
Farther back, an older woman in purple has her hands full trying to retrieve a windblown tote — Vocabulary: “Retrieve” and “windblown” describe the action effectively, while “has her hands full” adds conversational variety. The level 11 answer is more exact about her anxious reaching and the wind lifting the tote.
The most interesting exchange is near the front: — Listenability: This signpost directs the listener's attention before introducing the bargaining pair. It provides stronger guidance than the frequent additive transitions at level 7; level 11 combines that guidance with a more precise position at the foreground table.
You're looking across a busy driveway sale in Kingston on a breezy June morning. — Task Fulfillment: The opening immediately establishes the event, location and atmosphere for the friend. Level 11 further anchors the imagined view by placing it beside the garage, making the scene's layout easier to reconstruct.

Level 11 sample answer

166 words

The picture gives us a view from beside a garage of a lively driveway sale in Kingston, with a June breeze adding to the activity. At the foreground table on the left, Solveig, a woman of about 60 wearing blue, patiently raises four fingers beside a lamp. Facing her, Rashad, in green, frowns at the three coins in his palm; their gestures suggest a little bargaining. To the right, an enthusiastic teenage girl in red pulls a wagon overflowing with books. Its front wheel is nearing the corner of a quilt that trails onto the driveway, which explains the worried expression of the grey-clad man reaching towards it. Across the picture, a woman in yellow carefully arranges empty plastic cups as a rubber ball rolls towards them. Behind it, an embarrassed boy in orange stands with both hands raised. In the background, an older woman in purple reaches anxiously for a tote being lifted by the wind, while a smiling man in brown unfolds a chair.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer combines precise spatial guidance, detailed actions and well-supported interpretation. Compared with the other answers, it gives the friend a fuller mental picture while maintaining a clear route through the scene and controlled, varied phrasing.

their gestures suggest a little bargaining. — Content/Coherence: This connects the raised fingers and coins into a meaningful interaction. “Suggest” appropriately presents bargaining as an interpretation, helping the listener understand how the foreground details fit together.
an enthusiastic teenage girl in red pulls a wagon overflowing with books. — Vocabulary: The wording efficiently combines age, clothing, manner, action and load. “Overflowing” creates a sharper image of the crowded wagon than the level 7 comment that the books look heavy.
In the background, an older woman in purple reaches anxiously for a tote being lifted by the wind — Listenability: The location comes first, followed by the person and her action, giving the listener a clear sequence to process. The phrasing integrates several details smoothly without relying on repeated short statements.
The picture gives us a view from beside a garage of a lively driveway sale in Kingston — Task Fulfillment: This establishes both the setting and the viewing position immediately. That spatial anchor supports the later foreground and background descriptions, helping the friend imagine the sale as one connected place.

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.

Orient the listener to the scene, then group visible details by location or activity. Use precise descriptions and spatial connections rather than an unconnected inventory.

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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