CELPIP® Speaking Task 5 sample: A Quiet Neighbour Welcome
Comparing and Persuading · Choose: 60 seconds · Preparation: 60 seconds · Response: 60 seconds · Published
Original practice questions in CELPIP® task formats, created independently by CELPIP Study.
Practice question
You and a friend are arranging a Saturday welcome gathering for 18 neighbours in Lethbridge. Your venue budget is $260. Everyone can attend from 5 to 8 p.m., and nearby residents want quiet after 8 p.m. Cool weather and light rain are forecast. Choose the venue you prefer from these two options.
Heated Meeting Room
- Rental costs $240
- Heated indoor room; seats 18
- Available Saturday, 5–8 p.m.
- No amplified music permitted
Shared Courtyard
- Rental costs $120
- Uncovered outdoor courtyard; seats 24
- Available Saturday, 6–9 p.m.
- Speakers permitted until 9 p.m.
Your friend’s alternative
Covered Picnic Shelter
- Rental costs $180
- Open-sided outdoor shelter; seats 24
- Available Saturday, 5–9 p.m.
- Speakers permitted until 9 p.m.
Your friend Amina suggests the Covered Picnic Shelter because it costs less and offers more space. Speak to Amina and persuade them that the option you selected would work better for this gathering.
Model answers
These are transcripts of a model response, provided for comparison with your own recording.
The models choose Heated Meeting Room before responding to the friend’s alternative.
Level 7 sample answer
120 words
Amina, I understand why you like the shelter. It's cheaper, and having extra seats would be nice. But I'd choose the Heated Meeting Room. Um, we're expecting cool weather and rain, so sitting outside could be uncomfortable, even under a roof. The room costs $240, which is still inside our budget. It has enough seats for everyone, although there isn't much extra space. Also, the booking finishes at eight, when the neighbours want things quiet. We don't need speakers because people can talk together. Everyone have a seat, and we won't have to depend of the weather. I know the shelter saves $60, but I think keeping our guests comfortable is worth that extra money. Could we book the room?
Why this answer is at level 7
This answer supports the room with relevant reasons about weather, cost and quiet, while acknowledging Amina's preference. Compared with the higher-level examples, its comparisons are less developed, its vocabulary is simpler, and noticeable grammar slips reduce clarity.
Also, the booking finishes at eight, when the neighbours want things quiet.
— Content/Coherence: This connects the booking time to a relevant neighbourhood concern. However, it leaves the comparison incomplete: the higher-level answers acknowledge that the shelter gathering could also finish at eight.I think keeping our guests comfortable is worth that extra money.
— Vocabulary: The wording communicates the main benefit clearly, but 'comfortable' and 'extra money' remain broad. The higher-level answers use more specific language about heating, open sides and rain to explain what the additional cost buys.Everyone have a seat, and we won't have to depend of the weather.
— Listenability: The intended meaning is understandable, but 'Everyone have' and 'depend of' interrupt the otherwise straightforward wording. The higher-level examples express seating and weather protection with more consistent grammatical control.The room costs $240, which is still inside our budget.
— Task Fulfillment: This directly addresses the venue budget and establishes that the preferred room is affordable. The higher-level answers strengthen the persuasion by stating the remaining $20 and connecting the seating capacity explicitly to all 18 guests.
Level 9 sample answer
146 words
Amina, the shelter makes sense financially, and those six extra seats would give us more room. Still, I think the Heated Meeting Room is worth the additional $60. We're inviting 18 people, so its seating matches our guest list, and the $240 rental leaves us $20 within the venue budget. More importantly, a roof won't keep everyone warm in an open-sided shelter. If the rain blows sideways, people could spend the evening trying to stay dry instead of meeting their neighbours. The heated room gives us peace of mind. Its five-to-eight booking also matches everyone's availability exactly. We could finish at eight in the shelter too, of course, but the indoor booking gives us a clear closing time. Since this is a welcome gathering, conversation matters more than amplified music. Would you be comfortable spending a little more so everyone can relax and enjoy getting acquainted?
Why this answer is at level 9
This answer develops a balanced, persuasive comparison with accurate budget calculations, a concrete weather scenario and a considerate closing request. Compared with the strongest example, it could integrate the trade-offs more tightly and explain more directly why the shelter's additional booking time offers little value.
We're inviting 18 people, so its seating matches our guest list, and the $240 rental leaves us $20 within the venue budget.
— Content/Coherence: The sentence links capacity and cost directly to the gathering's requirements, making the reasoning more developed than in the simpler answer. A stronger comparison would explicitly explain why the shelter's additional seats are unnecessary for this guest list.If the rain blows sideways, people could spend the evening trying to stay dry instead of meeting their neighbours.
— Vocabulary: This concrete scenario makes the weather concern easy to picture and connects discomfort to the gathering's purpose. The strongest answer adds more precise language about overhead cover and angled rain to explain the shelter's physical limitations.The heated room gives us peace of mind.
— Listenability: This short sentence creates a useful pause after the longer weather example. However, 'peace of mind' adds less specific meaning than the strongest answer's phrasing about guests concentrating on conversations and keeping their coats dry.We could finish at eight in the shelter too, of course, but the indoor booking gives us a clear closing time.
— Task Fulfillment: This fairly acknowledges that choosing the shelter would not require staying beyond everyone's availability. The strongest answer goes further by explicitly dismissing the extra hour as unnecessary, making the practical comparison more convincing.
Level 11 sample answer
168 words
Amina, I can see the appeal: the shelter saves us $60, seats six more people and gives us an extra hour. Those are useful advantages, but I'd still book the Heated Meeting Room because its strengths match this particular evening. All 18 guests would have a seat, and at $240 we'd remain $20 under our venue budget. The deciding factor for me is the forecast. An open-sided shelter provides overhead cover, but it doesn't offer the warmth of a heated room; if the rain comes in at an angle, we'd have very little control over everyone's comfort. I'd rather our new neighbours concentrate on conversations than on keeping their coats dry. Both venues let us begin at five, although only the room's booking ends exactly when everyone needs to leave. We could certainly keep the shelter quiet after eight, but we don't need that extra hour or amplified music anyway. Could we put the savings aside this time and choose the room that best supports a comfortable welcome?
Why this answer is at level 11
This answer builds the most integrated comparison: it acknowledges the shelter's genuine advantages, then weighs them against this gathering's actual needs. Precise language, controlled sentence structure and fair treatment of both venues make its persuasion clear and convincing.
Those are useful advantages, but I'd still book the Heated Meeting Room because its strengths match this particular evening.
— Content/Coherence: This establishes a clear principle for the comparison: the best venue is the one that fits this evening's needs. The following discussion of seating, budget, weather and timing develops that principle consistently.An open-sided shelter provides overhead cover, but it doesn't offer the warmth of a heated room;
— Vocabulary: The precise distinction between 'overhead cover' and 'warmth' explains why a roof does not resolve the cool-weather concern. It recognises the shelter's protection while identifying the specific benefit of the heated room.Both venues let us begin at five, although only the room's booking ends exactly when everyone needs to leave.
— Listenability: The sentence presents a shared benefit before introducing the timing difference, making the comparison easy to follow. Its controlled use of 'although' expresses a qualification clearly without breaking the conversational flow.We could certainly keep the shelter quiet after eight, but we don't need that extra hour or amplified music anyway.
— Task Fulfillment: This accurately separates permission from practical need. It acknowledges that the shelter could respect the neighbours' quiet preference, then explains why its longer booking and speaker permission do not improve this particular welcome gathering.
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.
Make your chosen option clear and compare it with the friend’s alternative using the stated facts. Explain how those differences meet your needs and persuade the listener respectfully.
- 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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- Space for Neighbours' Dogs
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- A Birthday Tribute From Everyone
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All speaking Task 5 sample questions · Read the Task 5 guide