CELPIP Speaking Task 3 vocabulary

The words and phrases

in the foreground

Describes what is closest to the viewer, at the front of the picture.
Example: In the foreground, a young boy is building a sandcastle with a red bucket.

in the background

Describes what is farthest away, at the back of the picture.
Example: In the background, I can see a row of tall pine trees and some mountains.

in the centre of the picture

Describes what is in the middle of the image; a good place to start.
Example: In the centre of the picture, there's a long table covered with food and drinks.

on the left-hand side

Points the listener to the left part of the image.
Example: On the left-hand side, two women are chatting while they wait for the bus.

in the top right corner

Locates a small detail in an upper corner of the picture.
Example: In the top right corner, there's a clock that shows it's almost noon.

right next to

Shows that one thing is directly beside another.
Example: Right next to the fountain, an older man is feeding pigeons from a paper bag.

just behind

Shows that something is a short distance behind another thing.
Example: Just behind the counter, a cashier is putting bread into a large basket.

in front of

Shows that something is ahead of or before another thing.
Example: A delivery truck is parked in front of the bakery with its back doors open.

there seems to be

Introduces something you can see but are not completely sure about.
Example: There seems to be a small dog hiding under the picnic table.

I can see

A simple way to introduce people or things in the picture.
Example: I can see three teenagers skateboarding near the entrance of the park.

is wearing

Describes a person's clothes so the listener can picture them.
Example: The woman at the front is wearing a yellow raincoat and tall rubber boots.

is holding

Describes what a person has in their hands.
Example: The father is holding a map and pointing toward the lake.

is surrounded by

Shows that people or things are all around someone or something.
Example: The birthday girl is surrounded by friends who are clapping and singing.

a group of

Describes several people or things together without counting them exactly.
Example: A group of cyclists is resting on the grass beside the trail.

it looks like

Makes a reasonable guess about what is happening in the scene.
Example: It looks like the family is getting ready for a long road trip.

judging by

Explains the clue that supports your guess about the scene.
Example: Judging by the orange leaves on the ground, it's probably early autumn.

Put them to work on Task 3

Practise Task 3 on the test screen, or see how Task 3 works.