CELPIP® Speaking Task 8 sample: The Long-Necked Printing Press

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 are at a craft equipment demonstration in Moncton, looking for supplies for a community printing workshop. You can borrow one unusual press free of charge, but twelve beginners would have to share it. Call Kofi, your fellow instructor, who is planning the activities with you. Describe its appearance fully in your own words and ask whether you should borrow it for a shared activity station.

Model answers

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

Level 7 sample answer

125 words

Hi Kofi, I'm at the craft equipment demonstration in Moncton. There's an unusual printing press we can borrow for free, but we'd only get one for our twelve beginners. It has a square wooden base, about 25 centimetres across, in a sand colour. A purple metal arch curves forward from the back like a bird's neck. There's a silver rod through the end, with an orange handle above it. A spring goes around the rod below the arch. At the bottom, a green round disc hangs above a shallow circle in middle of the base. Um, I think you push the handle to make a print. The disc have a wavy edge, too. Should we borrow it for a shared station? Thanks, let me know.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer gives Kofi a recognizable description and clearly asks whether to borrow the press. Compared with the higher-level answers, it leaves some dimensions and spatial relationships unclear, uses simpler descriptive language, and does less to address sharing among twelve beginners.

At the bottom, a green round disc hangs above a shallow circle in middle of the base. — Content/Coherence: The description follows the machine downward, helping Kofi picture its layout. However, the shallow circle is vaguely described, and the disc's connection to the rod is unstated. The higher-level answers explain these relationships and give the clearance above the base.
A purple metal arch curves forward from the back like a bird's neck. — Vocabulary: The colour, material, direction, and familiar comparison communicate the unusual shape effectively. The higher-level answers sustain this precision across more components, adding terms such as circular recess and scalloped edge.
The disc have a wavy edge, too. — Listenability: The meaning remains clear, but the subject–verb error interrupts an otherwise straightforward sentence. Adding the edge detail afterward also makes the description feel less integrated. The higher-level answers include this feature smoothly within the disc description.
Should we borrow it for a shared station? — Task Fulfillment: This directly makes the requested borrowing decision a question for Kofi. Although the opening mentions twelve beginners, the answer does not explore the practical consequence. The higher-level answers connect the shared station to managing a lineup or waiting time.

Level 9 sample answer

156 words

Hey Kofi, I'm at the Moncton craft demonstration, and there's a printing press available to borrow free of charge. I'm on the fence because we'd have one machine for twelve beginners. The whole thing is about 30 centimetres tall, with a square, sand-coloured wooden base measuring 25 centimetres across. A purple metal arch rises from the back and bends forward like a long bird's neck. Through its tip runs a silver rod topped with an orange oval handle. Below the arch, a silver spring surrounds the rod, which ends in a flat green rubber disc with a scalloped edge. That disc hangs about four centimetres above a circular recess in the base. It seems you'd press the handle down to stamp something placed underneath. A shared station could make it worth borrowing, although we'd need to manage the lineup. What do you think: should I borrow it for that activity? Thanks, I'll wait for your input.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer combines detailed description, clear organization, and a practical borrowing question. It improves on level 7 through precise component names and attention to the lineup; level 11 gives the spatial description a stronger frame and makes the next action clearer.

That disc hangs about four centimetres above a circular recess in the base. — Content/Coherence: That disc links naturally to the preceding component description, while the clearance makes its position easy to imagine. The level 11 answer establishes the recess when introducing the base, giving the listener an earlier reference point for this relationship.
a flat green rubber disc with a scalloped edge — Vocabulary: This compact phrase specifies shape, colour, material, and edge pattern, improving on level 7's simpler wording. The level 11 answer adds the disc's horizontal orientation and combines similarly precise vocabulary with a comparison that frames the whole machine.
Through its tip runs a silver rod topped with an orange oval handle. — Listenability: The sentence efficiently connects the arch, rod, and handle. Its inverted word order and reference to its tip require some tracking while listening. The level 11 answer names the arch directly and introduces the vertical rod before describing its handle.
A shared station could make it worth borrowing, although we'd need to manage the lineup. — Task Fulfillment: This weighs the benefit against a practical consequence of twelve beginners sharing one machine. It develops the decision more fully than level 7. Level 11 also tells Kofi that the loan will be arranged according to his recommendation.

Level 11 sample answer

174 words

Hi Kofi, I've found an intriguing press at the craft equipment demonstration in Moncton. We can borrow it without charge, although only one is available for our twelve beginners, so I'd like your thoughts on using it as a shared station. Imagine a 30-centimetre-tall press that resembles a bird leaning over its nest. The square wooden base is sand-coloured and measures 25 centimetres across, with a shallow circular recess at its centre. From the rear edge, a thick purple metal arch curves forward, supporting a vertical silver rod. An orange oval handle tops the rod; beneath the arch, an exposed silver spring surrounds it. The rod ends in a horizontal green rubber disc with a scalloped edge, suspended four centimetres above the recess. I assume depressing the handle lowers the disc to make an impression, though the demonstration should clarify that. Borrowing it could add variety, provided we plan around the inevitable waiting time. Would you recommend taking it for a shared activity station? Let me know, and I'll arrange the loan accordingly. Thanks!

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer gives Kofi a complete, carefully organized mental picture while keeping the workshop decision central. Precise spatial language, a useful visual comparison, cautious explanation of the mechanism, and a clear follow-through make it strong.

The square wooden base is sand-coloured and measures 25 centimetres across, with a shallow circular recess at its centre. — Content/Coherence: This establishes the machine's foundation and central recess before introducing the arch and descending rod. When the disc is later positioned above the recess, Kofi already has a clear reference point, making the description easier to assemble mentally.
Imagine a 30-centimetre-tall press that resembles a bird leaning over its nest. — Vocabulary: The comparison gives the whole press a memorable shape while supplying its height. It extends the earlier answers' bird-neck image to suggest how the curved upper structure relates to the base beneath it.
An orange oval handle tops the rod; beneath the arch, an exposed silver spring surrounds it. — Listenability: The parallel clauses group nearby parts into a manageable unit. Clear position words guide the listener from the handle to the spring, and the varied sentence structure supports a fluent description without making the relationships difficult to follow.
Borrowing it could add variety, provided we plan around the inevitable waiting time. — Task Fulfillment: This gives Kofi a concrete reason to borrow the press and connects the decision to the difficulty of sharing it among twelve beginners. The recommendation request that follows therefore rests on both the equipment description and its workshop implications.

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