CELPIP® Speaking Task 3 sample: Winter craft market purchases
Describing a Scene · Preparation: 30 seconds · Response: 60 seconds · Published
Original practice questions in CELPIP® task formats, created independently by CELPIP Study.
Practice question
A friend who can't see the image asks what this market looks like. Describe the setting and the activity across the picture. You have 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to give your description.
Model answers
These are transcripts of a model response, provided for comparison with your own recording.
Level 7 sample answer
121 words
This is an indoor craft market in Stratford, and there's snow outside the windows. At front, a woman in burgundy is looking into her coin purse beside a large bowl. Another woman points at it, but the seller in blue is offering a smaller bowl. On the right, an older man carries a vase in a paper bag. The bag look stretched at the bottom, and a woman in green is reaching towards it. Um, farther back, a boy pulls yarn from a rolling ball near some gift bags. An older woman has stopped stacking hats to look at it. There's also a young man carrying a framed print close to hanging paper stars, with a worried girl reaching towards them.
Why this answer is at level 7
This level 7 example gives a clear tour of the market and covers the main activities across the picture. Compared with the higher-level answers, its wording is less precise, its connections between actions are simpler, and a grammatical slip interrupts the flow.
Another woman points at it, but the seller in blue is offering a smaller bowl.
— Content/Coherence: The contrast connects the people around the bowl instead of simply listing them. The higher-level answers develop this connection by describing their expressions and interpreting the exchange as a purchase being considered.There's also a young man carrying a framed print close to hanging paper stars
— Vocabulary: The objects and location are easy to identify, but 'carrying' gives a broad description of the action. The higher-level answers use 'tilts' to capture the print's movement and describe the young man's uncertainty or awkwardness.The bag look stretched at the bottom
— Listenability: The meaning remains understandable, but 'bag look' creates a grammatical interruption; 'bag looks' would flow more naturally. The higher-level answers integrate the bag's condition smoothly into the description of the man carrying it.This is an indoor craft market in Stratford, and there's snow outside the windows.
— Task Fulfillment: This opening gives the friend a useful setting before the answer moves through the market's activities. The higher-level answers establish a fuller scene through December timing or the raised viewpoint, alongside more precise descriptions of people's reactions.
Level 9 sample answer
150 words
The scene is an indoor craft market in Stratford on a snowy December afternoon. In the left foreground, Erin, wearing burgundy, looks doubtful as she studies her open coin purse beside a large handmade bowl. A woman in tan enthusiastically points at that bowl, while Emeka, the seller in blue, offers a smaller one. They appear to be weighing their options. On the right, an older man in grey carries a glass vase inside a paper bag with a stretched bottom. The female seller in green looks concerned and reaches towards it with both hands. In the background, a delighted boy in orange pulls yarn from a ball rolling towards stacked gift bags. A woman in purple has paused her hat stacking to watch. Farther right, a young man in black tilts a framed print close to hanging paper stars, while a teenage girl in yellow reaches anxiously towards them.
Why this answer is at level 9
This level 9 example combines clear spatial organization with precise actions, emotions, and a sensible interpretation of the bowl purchase. Compared with level 11, it relies more on repeated location-led descriptions and makes less use of integrated perspective and relationships between details.
They appear to be weighing their options.
— Content/Coherence: This sentence draws the purse, pointing gesture, and smaller bowl into a coherent interaction while marking the interpretation as tentative. The level 11 answer makes the basis for its interpretation more explicit by referring to the contrasting gestures.a delighted boy in orange pulls yarn from a ball rolling towards stacked gift bags.
— Vocabulary: The wording combines emotion, clothing, movement, and direction in a compact description. The level 11 answer sustains this precision across more interactions, including the seller's encouraging presentation and the young man's awkward handling of the print.A woman in tan enthusiastically points at that bowl, while Emeka, the seller in blue, offers a smaller one.
— Listenability: The clause with 'while' connects simultaneous actions, and 'a smaller one' avoids repeating 'bowl.' The level 11 answer uses similarly connected clauses to carry additional spatial and emotional detail; this answer's sentence structure is comparatively straightforward.The scene is an indoor craft market in Stratford on a snowy December afternoon.
— Task Fulfillment: The opening efficiently establishes place, season, and time before the answer covers activity across the picture. The level 11 opening also establishes the raised viewpoint, helping the friend imagine how the whole market is being viewed.
Level 11 sample answer
166 words
The picture offers a raised view of an indoor craft market in Stratford, with December snow visible through the windows. In the left foreground, Erin, dressed in burgundy, doubtfully examines her open coin purse beside a large handmade bowl. The woman in tan beside her points enthusiastically at it, whereas Emeka, the blue-clad seller across the table, encouragingly presents a smaller bowl. Their contrasting gestures suggest a purchase under consideration. On the right, an older man in grey carries a glass vase in a paper bag whose bottom is visibly stretching. A concerned female seller in green reaches towards it with both hands. Behind them, a delighted boy in orange pulls yarn from a rolling ball that's heading towards stacked paper gift bags. An older woman in purple has interrupted her hat stacking to turn towards it. Farther right, a young man in black awkwardly tilts a wide framed print towards hanging paper stars, while a worried teenage girl in yellow reaches up towards the decorations.
Why this answer is at level 11
This level 11 example combines a clear overview with detailed, connected descriptions of the market's interactions. Precise verbs, varied sentence structures, and carefully qualified interpretation help the listener understand both where people are and how their actions relate.
Their contrasting gestures suggest a purchase under consideration.
— Content/Coherence: This sentence synthesizes the bowl interaction into a meaningful observation. 'Suggest' keeps the interpretation appropriately tentative, while 'contrasting gestures' explicitly connects it to the actions just described.An older woman in purple has interrupted her hat stacking to turn towards it.
— Vocabulary: The verb 'interrupted' captures a change in activity, and 'turn towards it' gives the reaction a direction. Together, these choices convey more than the woman's presence: they connect her work at the stall with the rolling yarn.The woman in tan beside her points enthusiastically at it, whereas Emeka, the blue-clad seller across the table, encouragingly presents a smaller bowl.
— Listenability: The sentence groups the contrasting actions through 'whereas' and places the seller's identity and position together. This structure supports a connected spoken description, although the longer sentence needs clear phrasing when delivered.The picture offers a raised view of an indoor craft market in Stratford, with December snow visible through the windows.
— Task Fulfillment: The opening establishes viewpoint, venue, location, and the visible winter setting. It gives the friend a useful overall image before the answer moves through the foreground exchanges and background activity.
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.
Answer this question and get your level
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