CELPIP® Speaking Task 3 sample: Outdoor rink during a winter carnival

Level 7 sample answer

138 words

Declan, this photo is from a winter carnival at an outdoor rink. It's sunny but very cold, and there's a warming hut in the back. On the left, a man in black snowsuit is on a ladder putting up lights, but he is reaching too far and the ladder is tilting. A teenage girl in a green jacket is holding the cord and laughing. In the middle, a boy in a red snowsuit is skating fast toward orange pylons. He's waving his arms, so he can't stop. In front of him, a woman in white skate backward toward him without looking. At the back, two women are arguing about a hot chocolate machine. On the right, an old man is driving a snowblower toward snow sculptures, and, um, a husky is pulling a young man to the rink.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 model gives Declan an organized overview and covers the main activities around the rink. Compared with the higher-level versions, its vocabulary is less precise, some grammar interrupts the flow, and one interpretation is stated too confidently.

• He's waving his arms, so he can't stop. — Content/Coherence: This connects the boy's movement to his difficulty, but treats his inability to stop as certain. The higher-level answers describe his wobbling, speed and alarm more carefully, letting Declan picture the danger.
• At the back, two women are arguing about a hot chocolate machine. — Vocabulary: The activity is understandable, but 'machine' is less precise than 'urn' and leaves out the loose, steaming lid. The higher-level versions identify both the equipment and the specific problem.
• In front of him, a woman in white skate backward toward him without looking. — Listenability: The position and action are easy to follow, but 'a woman ... skate' creates a grammatical stumble. The higher-level versions use a complete progressive verb phrase that supports smoother delivery.
• a husky is pulling a young man to the rink. — Task Fulfillment: Including the husky helps complete the tour of the scene. A higher-level description also identifies the young man as its owner and conveys his embarrassment, giving Declan a fuller picture.

Level 9 sample answer

173 words

Okay, Declan, this is a neighbourhood winter carnival at an outdoor rink in Thunder Bay. It's sunny but bitterly cold, and there's a warming hut at the back.

On the left, a man in a black snowsuit is on a stepladder stringing lights between two poles. He's stretching way too far, and the ladder's tilting on the packed snow. Below him, a teenage girl in a mint-green jacket is holding the cord and laughing.

In the middle, a boy of about nine in a red snowsuit is wobbling toward a stack of orange pylons at top speed, arms flailing, half thrilled, half terrified. A young figure skater in a white jacket is gliding backward into his path without looking.

Further back, two women in their fifties are arguing about how to fix the loose lid on a steaming hot-chocolate urn. On the right, a grey-haired man in a plaid jacket is happily steering a snowblower toward a row of kids' snow sculptures, while a husky is dragging its embarrassed owner toward the rink.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 model combines clear spatial organization with accurate detail and vivid descriptions of movement and emotion. Its coverage is already close to the level 11 version; the remaining difference is mainly the variety of its phrasing and how expressively it connects the details.

• In the middle, a boy of about nine in a red snowsuit is wobbling toward a stack of orange pylons — Content/Coherence: The location, identifying details and direction of movement give Declan a clear central reference point. The level 11 version makes this passage more dynamic through 'Centre ice' and a more tightly connected description of the nearby skater.
• arms flailing, half thrilled, half terrified. — Vocabulary: This compact phrase captures both visible movement and the boy's mixed emotions. The level 11 version adds a more distinctive movement image with 'windmilling'; the difference is expressive precision rather than additional scene coverage.
• He's stretching way too far, and the ladder's tilting on the packed snow. — Listenability: Conversational contractions and a clear connection between actions make this easy to say and follow. The level 11 version integrates the man's position, work and overreaching into a more varied sentence structure.
• Okay, Declan, this is a neighbourhood winter carnival at an outdoor rink in Thunder Bay. — Task Fulfillment: The opening directly addresses the coworker and establishes the event and location immediately. The level 11 opening adds a stronger invitation to visualize the scene while combining more of its atmosphere into the introduction.

Level 11 sample answer

187 words

Picture this, Declan: an outdoor community rink in Thunder Bay on a sunny but bitterly cold January afternoon, where a neighbourhood winter carnival is in full swing.

In the left foreground, a man in a black snowsuit is perched on a stepladder, stringing lights between two poles, but he's overreaching badly and the ladder is tilting on the packed snow. A teenage girl in a mint-green jacket is holding the cord below him, in fits of laughter.

Centre ice, a boy of about nine in a red snowsuit is hurtling toward a stack of orange pylons, arms windmilling, caught between glee and panic, and a figure skater in a white jacket is gliding backward straight into his path, oblivious.

Behind them, two women in their fifties, in a burgundy parka and a cream toque, are squabbling over how to secure the loose, steaming lid of a hot-chocolate urn. On the right, a grey-haired man in a plaid jacket is grinning as he steers a snowblower toward a row of children's snow sculptures, and in the foreground, a husky is hauling its mortified young owner toward the rink.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 model builds a vivid, connected picture through precise movement verbs, varied spatial cues and well-chosen emotional details. Its strength over the other versions is expressive control: it covers similar activities while making their relationships and atmosphere more immediate.

• a figure skater in a white jacket is gliding backward straight into his path, oblivious. — Content/Coherence: This connects the skater directly to the boy's movement, helping Declan understand their positions and the developing danger. It describes the situation without turning a possible collision into an event that has already happened.
• arms windmilling, caught between glee and panic — Vocabulary: The movement verb creates a specific visual image, while the emotional phrase captures the boy's simultaneous delight and fear. Both choices add useful meaning without requiring a separate explanation.
• Picture this, Declan: an outdoor community rink in Thunder Bay — Listenability: The direct invitation suits a phone conversation and creates a natural pause before the scene description. It gives the speaker a clear opening and helps the listener establish the setting before following individual actions.
• a husky is hauling its mortified young owner toward the rink. — Task Fulfillment: The closing detail conveys the dog's force, the relationship between the figures and the owner's embarrassment. It completes the scene's foreground action with the same attention to movement and expression used elsewhere.