CELPIP® Speaking Task 8 sample: The Rolling Laundry Rack

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're at a warehouse liquidation sale in London, Ontario. You and your roommate Pavel share a small basement suite with no laundry, so you carry your clothes two blocks to the laundromat and dry some on chairs, which Pavel hates. You see an odd laundry item for $55, cash only, and the sale ends today. Phone Pavel and, putting it in your own words, give him a detailed description; then ask whether he'd split the cost.

A rectangular laundry basket of woven pale-blue plastic, about the size of a large suitcase, standing upright. Two big black rubber wheels are fixed to the bottom at the back, like on rolling luggage, and a telescoping silver metal handle pulls up from the back edge. One long side of the basket is a hinged panel that folds outward and opens into a drying rack: eight thin white plastic rods spread out like the ribs of a paper fan. A small zippered mesh pouch in bright green hangs from two hooks on the front. The inside of the basket is lined with grey canvas. 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

141 words

Hi Pavel, it's me. I'm at the warehouse sale, and I saw something for our laundry. It's a laundry basket, but it has wheels. The basket is light blue plastic, woven, and it's big like a suitcase. At the back there are two black wheels and a silver handle that pulls up, so you can roll it like luggage. Also, one side opens and become a drying rack, with eight white rods that open like a fan. So we can dry clothes on it and not on chairs. Inside is grey cloth, and there's a little green bag with zipper in front, I think for coins or soap. Um, it's $55 and only cash, and the sale ends today. I know our place is small, but I think it can help. Do you want to split it? Call me back, okay?

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer describes the main features clearly and completes the request using familiar language. Compared with the higher-level answers, it relies on simpler connections, less precise wording, and a grammatical slip that interrupts the description.

So we can dry clothes on it and not on chairs. — Content/Coherence: This connects the drying rack to a real problem in the suite. The higher-level answers make that connection more personal by acknowledging Pavel's frustration and explaining how the item would improve their shared routine.
The basket is light blue plastic, woven, and it's big like a suitcase. — Vocabulary: The colour, material, and suitcase comparison help Pavel picture the basket. However, the description sounds loosely assembled. A higher-level answer would arrange these details more smoothly and specify the rectangular shape and approximate size.
Also, one side opens and become a drying rack, with eight white rods that open like a fan. — Listenability: The fan comparison makes the movement easy to imagine, but the verb error and repeated use of 'open' slightly interrupt the flow. A higher-level answer would describe the folding action with smoother grammar and more distinct verbs.
Um, it's $55 and only cash, and the sale ends today. — Task Fulfillment: This supplies the price, payment restriction, and deadline, and the answer later asks Pavel to split the cost. A higher-level answer would frame the decision more thoughtfully by explicitly recognizing Pavel's say in buying something for their small suite.

Level 9 sample answer

174 words

Hey Pavel, it's me. I'm at that liquidation sale in the warehouse, and I've found something that might solve our laundry headache. Picture a big rectangular basket, roughly the size of a large suitcase, made of woven light-blue plastic and lined with grey canvas. It stands upright, and at the back it's got two black wheels and a silver handle that slides up, like a carry-on bag. That alone would save us lugging those bags two blocks to the laundromat. But here's the clever part: one of the long sides is hinged, and when you fold it out, it turns into a drying rack. Eight thin white rods spread out like the ribs of a paper fan. No more sweaters draped over the kitchen chairs, which I know drives you crazy. There's a little green mesh pouch hanging on the front, probably for quarters and dryer sheets. It's fifty-five dollars, cash only, and today's the last day. It'd take up a corner, I admit, but do you want to split it? Let me know!

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer combines detailed description with clear explanations of how the item would help both roommates. Its language is varied and conversational, although some phrasing is longer and its request less deliberately framed than in the level 11 answer.

That alone would save us lugging those bags two blocks to the laundromat. — Content/Coherence: This turns the wheels and handle into a concrete benefit tied directly to their routine. The higher-level answer integrates the mechanism and benefit into the same sentence, keeping the explanation more compact.
at the back it's got two black wheels and a silver handle that slides up — Vocabulary: The location, colour, and movement are clear, and the language suits a phone call. A higher-level answer can name the extending handle more precisely while retaining an accessible comparison to rolling luggage.
one of the long sides is hinged, and when you fold it out, it turns into a drying rack. — Listenability: The action follows a sensible sequence, so Pavel can follow the transformation without seeing it. The nested explanation adds some length; a higher-level answer makes the folding instruction more direct and links it immediately to the spreading rods.
It'd take up a corner, I admit, but do you want to split it? — Task Fulfillment: This acknowledges the space problem and clearly asks for a shared purchase. The higher-level answer goes further by making the purchase conditional on Pavel's agreement and explicitly requesting a response either way.

Level 11 sample answer

181 words

Hi Pavel, I need a quick decision. I'm at the liquidation sale in that warehouse, and I've come across a laundry contraption that seems tailor-made for our situation. It's a rectangular basket about the size of a big suitcase, made of woven pale-blue plastic and lined with grey canvas. Two large black wheels are mounted at the back, and a telescoping silver handle pulls up, so you'd wheel it to the laundromat like rolling luggage instead of hauling bags two blocks. The clever bit is that one of the long sides is hinged: fold it outward and eight slim white rods spread out like the ribs of a paper fan, giving you a drying rack. If we'd had this all along, our chairs wouldn't be buried under damp jeans. A bright green mesh pouch hangs on the front, presumably for coins. It's fifty-five dollars, cash only, and the sale wraps up today. I realize it'll claim a corner of an already cramped suite, so I won't buy it unless you're on board. Want to split it? Text me back either way.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer combines precise description, efficient organization, and a clear sense of the shared decision. Its varied grammar and conversational phrasing explain the unusual mechanism while keeping Pavel's practical concerns central.

If we'd had this all along, our chairs wouldn't be buried under damp jeans. — Content/Coherence: The imagined alternative connects the rack to their existing household problem in a vivid, personal way. The conditional sentence adds grammatical variety while giving Pavel a concrete reason to consider the purchase.
Two large black wheels are mounted at the back, and a telescoping silver handle pulls up, — Vocabulary: Precise terms describe both the construction and the extending handle. The surrounding comparison to rolling luggage keeps the technical detail understandable, helping Pavel picture how he would transport the laundry.
fold it outward and eight slim white rods spread out like the ribs of a paper fan, giving you a drying rack. — Listenability: The wording moves directly from action to visible movement to function. The familiar fan comparison helps the listener follow an unusual mechanism, and the sentence ends by making its purpose explicit.
I realize it'll claim a corner of an already cramped suite, so I won't buy it unless you're on board. — Task Fulfillment: This treats the purchase as a shared decision and addresses the strongest practical objection. Together with the price, cash restriction, deadline, and direct request to split the cost, it gives Pavel what he needs to respond.

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