CELPIP® Speaking Task 4 sample: Park tree-planting day on a windy morning

Level 7 sample answer

130 words

I think in a few minutes, some small problems will happen. First, the wind is very strong, so the stack of paper cups on the coffee table will fall over, and the old man will have to pick up them. Also the garbage bag is already tearing, so the garbage will fall out on the grass behind the man and he will need to clean it again. The stake next to the little tree is leaning, so I think it will fall down and the older woman will fix it. Um, the teenage boy is on his phone, so his mulch will blow away and the coordinator will probably tell him to get back to work. And the geese will eat the granola bars, because nobody is watching the box.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer makes clear predictions and supports them with relevant picture clues. Compared with the higher-level answers, its organization is more list-like, its vocabulary is simpler, and occasional awkward grammar makes it less smooth to follow.

• the garbage will fall out on the grass behind the man — Content/Coherence: The answer connects the tearing bag to spilled garbage and then to extra cleanup work. That sequence makes sense, but the predictions mainly form a list. A higher-level answer would connect related problems under the broader idea of the volunteers' work being undone.
• some small problems will happen — Vocabulary: This opening communicates the general idea but gives little sense of the scene. A higher-level answer would identify the wind as the main cause and use more precise language for the cups scattering, the stake falling, and the geese taking food.
• and the old man will have to pick up them. — Listenability: The meaning is understandable, but the word order interrupts the flow: 'pick them up' would sound natural. Higher-level answers handle these everyday verb phrases more smoothly, making the predictions easier to follow.
• And the geese will eat the granola bars, because nobody is watching the box. — Task Fulfillment: This directly predicts an imminent event and explains it using the unattended food. The prediction fits the scene, although it sounds certain. A stronger answer could acknowledge possible intervention, as the top answer does by mentioning someone shooing the geese away.

Level 9 sample answer

168 words

Okay, Astrid, I think the wind is going to cause most of the trouble in that park over the next few minutes.

For one thing, the stack of paper cups at the coffee table is already about to blow over, so I'm guessing the cups will scatter across the grass and the friendly older man will be chasing them around. On top of that, the man dragging the garbage bag hasn't noticed it's tearing, so pretty soon there'll be a trail of litter behind him and he'll have to pick it all up again, which is kind of ironic at a cleanup.

Then there's the woman planting the tree. Her stake is leaning badly, so it'll likely fall over and she'll need to redo it.

The bored teenager will probably get caught on his phone by the stressed coordinator, especially once she sees his mulch blowing away. And finally, those geese are definitely going to get into the granola bars, because nobody's keeping an eye on the box.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer gives Astrid a clear overall forecast, develops convincing consequences, and adds conversational personality. It is more cohesive and expressive than the level 7 answer, although some transitions and descriptions remain less precise and flexible than those in the level 11 answer.

• which is kind of ironic at a cleanup. — Content/Coherence: This observation connects the spilled litter to the purpose of the event, adding interpretation beyond a simple prediction. The top answer develops that connection across the whole response by framing several incidents as the volunteers' hard work being undone.
• the cups will scatter across the grass — Vocabulary: The verb 'scatter' makes the predicted movement clear and specific, improving on the simpler description of cups falling over. The top answer sustains this precision through a wider range of expressions for unstable objects, wind-driven movement, and collecting the cups.
• Then there's the woman planting the tree. — Listenability: This short transition gives the listener a clear change of focus and keeps the conversational delivery easy to follow. However, it mainly introduces another item. The top answer varies its transitions to express similarities and simultaneous events as well as changes of subject.
• Her stake is leaning badly, so it'll likely fall over and she'll need to redo it. — Task Fulfillment: The answer clearly links a visible clue to a likely event and a practical response. 'Likely' appropriately signals a prediction. The top answer makes the final action more exact by saying the woman will have to set the stake up again; 'redo it' is less specific.

Level 11 sample answer

169 words

Well, Astrid, if this wind keeps up, I'd say the next few minutes will undo a fair bit of the volunteers' hard work, though in an entertaining way.

The paper cups are the most obvious casualty. They're already teetering, so the next gust will send them tumbling across the grass, and I can picture the elderly man abandoning the coffee to round them up. Much the same goes for the boy's mulch pile, which will have mostly blown away by the time he looks up from his phone, and given how stressed the coordinator looks, she's bound to have a word with him.

Meanwhile, the man hauling the garbage bag is about to discover that he's been leaving a trail of litter behind him, hardly ideal at a cleanup. As for the woman admiring her sapling, that leaning stake will probably topple, so she'll have to set it up again.

And unless someone shoos those geese away, they'll have helped themselves to the granola bars long before anyone notices.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer organizes the scene around a clear central idea and connects predictions through cause, timing, and possible intervention. Precise vocabulary and varied, manageable sentence structures make its detailed forecast engaging and easy to follow.

• Much the same goes for the boy's mulch pile, — Content/Coherence: This explicitly links the blowing mulch to the wind-driven cups, grouping related predictions instead of simply listing people. The surrounding sentence then connects the boy's distraction to the coordinator's likely reaction, creating a developed chain of consequences.
• They're already teetering, so the next gust will send them tumbling across the grass, — Vocabulary: The words 'teetering,' 'gust,' and 'tumbling' precisely distinguish the cups' current instability, the trigger, and the resulting movement. This makes the prediction vivid while keeping it closely grounded in the windy scene.
• As for the woman admiring her sapling, that leaning stake will probably topple, — Listenability: The sentence smoothly shifts attention to the woman, identifies the relevant object, and delivers the prediction. Its clear phrasing creates natural speaking pauses, while varied sentence openings help the listener follow changes of focus.
• And unless someone shoos those geese away, they'll have helped themselves to the granola bars long before anyone notices. — Task Fulfillment: This predicts an immediate consequence of the geese approaching the open food and allows for someone intervening. The timing also strengthens the forecast: the geese are expected to reach the snacks before the distracted volunteers notice.