CELPIP® Speaking Task 8 sample: A Watering Can for the Birds

Describing an Unusual Situation · 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 work in an office in Stratford. Your coworker Rania collected $70 for a retirement gift for Ethan, a colleague who loves gardening and birds and is moving into a condo with a balcony. At a gift shop you find an unusual item priced at $85; the shop will hold it until 5 p.m. Call Rania, explain carefully what every part of it looks like, phrasing it your own way, and ask whether you should buy it.

A watering can made of glossy dark-green enamel metal, round and fat like a teapot, about the size of a basketball. A long, thin brass spout curves up from the front and ends in a flat round sprinkler head shaped like a sunflower, with brass petals around a disc full of tiny holes. A curved handle at the back is wrapped in brown leather. Instead of a normal lid, a shallow round tray for birdseed sits inside the top opening, and a clear plastic dome, like an upside-down fishbowl, covers the tray. The dome has a small round hole on one side, with a short wooden perch stick poking out just below the hole. Plain white background. No text, labels or logos.

Model answers

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

Level 7 sample answer

144 words

Hi Rania, it's me. I'm at the gift shop and I found something for Ethan. It's a watering can, but it's also a bird feeder. The can is dark green, and it's round like a teapot, about as big as basketball. The spout is long and made of brass, and at the end is a sprinkler that look like a sunflower. The handle at the back have brown leather on it. On top, where the lid usually is, there's a clear plastic dome with a little hole and a wooden stick for the birds to stand on. Under the dome there's a flat tray for bird seeds. It's perfect for his balcony, because he can water plants and watch birds. But it's $85 and we only have $70, and they hold it only until 5 p.m. Um, should I buy it? Call me back.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer covers the unusual gift, its main parts, and the buying decision in a clear sequence. Basic vocabulary, repeated sentence patterns, and noticeable grammar slips make the description less precise and fluent than the higher-level examples.

On top, where the lid usually is, there's a clear plastic dome — Content/Coherence: Locating the dome where a lid normally sits helps Rania picture the unusual design. The description then lists the opening, perch, and tray fairly simply; a higher-level answer would connect their positions more precisely.
The spout is long and made of brass — Vocabulary: The words identify the spout's length and material clearly, but the description remains basic. A higher-level answer would also describe its slender shape and upward curve, giving Rania a more complete picture.
The handle at the back have brown leather on it. — Listenability: The meaning is understandable, but the verb agreement error interrupts the flow, and the wording describes the leather loosely. A higher-level answer would use accurate grammar and explain directly that the handle is wrapped in leather.
But it's $85 and we only have $70, and they hold it only until 5 p.m. — Task Fulfillment: This supplies the price, available money, and shop deadline before asking whether to buy. A higher-level answer would make the extra contribution explicit and offer Rania a clearer choice about covering the difference or finding another gift.

Level 9 sample answer

174 words

Hi Rania, it's me. I'm at that little gift shop near the theatre, and I think I've found something for Ethan's send-off. It's a watering can and a bird feeder rolled into one. The can is glossy dark-green enamel, round and chubby like a teapot, about the size of a basketball. A long, skinny brass spout curves up from the front, and the sprinkler on the end is shaped like a sunflower, with brass petals around a disc full of tiny holes. There's a curved handle at the back wrapped in brown leather. And here's the fun part: instead of a lid, there's a clear plastic dome on top, like an upside-down fishbowl, with a small hole and a wooden perch, and underneath it there's a shallow tray for birdseed. Since he's moving to a condo, it'd be ideal for his balcony. The only snag is it's eighty-five dollars, fifteen over what we collected. They'll hold it until five, so should I grab it and ask everyone to chip in more? Call me back.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer combines detailed visual language with a natural phone-message structure and a practical suggestion about the budget. Compared with the level 11 example, some spatial relationships are less exact, and the closing decision offers fewer alternatives.

with a small hole and a wooden perch, and underneath it there's a shallow tray for birdseed. — Content/Coherence: The opening, perch, and tray form a connected description of the feeder section. However, the perch's position relative to the opening remains unspecified. The higher-level example places the opening on one side and the perch beneath it.
The can is glossy dark-green enamel, round and chubby like a teapot, about the size of a basketball. — Vocabulary: Material, finish, colour, shape, and size give Rania a vivid picture in a compact passage. The higher-level example extends this precision through verbs describing how the spout rises and connects to its sunflower-shaped end.
The only snag is it's eighty-five dollars, fifteen over what we collected. — Listenability: The conversational transition makes the move from describing the gift to discussing money easy to follow. The higher-level answer creates a stronger connection across the message by introducing the complication near the beginning and returning to it here.
They'll hold it until five, so should I grab it and ask everyone to chip in more? — Task Fulfillment: The question connects the deadline to a concrete purchase and funding proposal. A higher-level response would also offer to keep looking and explicitly request a reply before the hold expires, making Rania's decision easier.

Level 11 sample answer

186 words

Hi Rania, it's me. I'm calling from a gift shop downtown, and I may have found the perfect retirement present for Ethan, though there's a wrinkle. It's a watering can crossed with a bird feeder. The body is glossy dark-green enamel, plump and round like a teapot and roughly the size of a basketball, with a curved handle at the back wrapped in brown leather. A long, slender brass spout sweeps up from the front and finishes in a sprinkler shaped like a sunflower: brass petals circling a disc pierced with tiny holes. Where you'd expect a lid, there's a clear plastic dome, like an upside-down fishbowl, with a small opening on one side and a short wooden perch beneath it, so I imagine birdseed goes in the tray underneath. Since he'll only have a balcony at the condo, it neatly covers both his hobbies. The wrinkle is the price: it's eighty-five dollars, fifteen more than we've collected. The owner has agreed to hold it until five. Would you be comfortable asking people to top up, or should I keep looking? Let me know before then.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer builds a precise picture through carefully connected details while maintaining a natural, purposeful phone message. It links the gift to Ethan's interests, handles the budget tactfully, and closes with practical alternatives and a response deadline.

with a small opening on one side and a short wooden perch beneath it — Content/Coherence: The spatial relationships are explicit: Rania can place the opening on the dome's side and the perch below that opening. This develops the picture more precisely than simply naming the feeder's components.
A long, slender brass spout sweeps up from the front and finishes in a sprinkler shaped like a sunflower — Vocabulary: Precise adjectives establish the spout's proportions and material, while the verbs trace its curve and endpoint. The language helps Rania mentally follow the object from its body to the sunflower-shaped sprinkler.
I'm calling from a gift shop downtown, and I may have found the perfect retirement present for Ethan, though there's a wrinkle. — Listenability: The opening establishes the setting, purpose, and coming complication in a conversational sentence. Introducing the concern early prepares the listener for the later price discussion and gives the message a clear direction.
Would you be comfortable asking people to top up, or should I keep looking? — Task Fulfillment: The closing gives Rania practical alternatives and asks tactfully about collecting more money. Together with the stated shop deadline and the following request to respond before then, it makes the next action clear.

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.

Help the listener picture the unusual object through its shape, material, size and arrangement. Use comparisons and spatial language, then complete the requested interaction.

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