CELPIP Speaking Task 7: Expressing Opinions, with sample answers
Task 7 gives you a statement on a topic and asks for your opinion, with reasons. You get 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to speak.
The task at a glance
Time to prepare
30 seconds
Time to speak
90 seconds
Picture
No
A structure that works
State your opinion in the first sentence.
Give two reasons, each with an example.
Mention the other side briefly, and say why you still disagree with it.
Restate your opinion in a closing sentence.
Sample tasks with model answers
Original practice tasks in the test's format. Start the timer and answer out loud, then read the model answer.
Task
Some people think that schools should stop giving homework to children under twelve. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your opinion and give reasons.
Answer out loud while the timer runs. This page does not record or score you.
Model answer, written by MapleMock
I mostly agree that young children shouldn't get regular homework, although I'd make one exception, and I'll come back to that. My first reason is that children under twelve already spend six hours a day at school. After that, they need time to play outside, see friends and just be bored sometimes, because that's how they learn to entertain themselves. When homework takes up the whole evening, all of that disappears. My second reason is fairness. Some kids go home to parents who have time to sit with them and explain things, but many parents work evenings or don't speak English well. So homework often measures the family's situation more than the child's effort. Third, from what I've seen with my nephew, homework mostly turns into an argument at the kitchen table, and he ends up hating subjects he used to enjoy. That said, I do think reading is different. Fifteen or twenty minutes of reading a book the child chooses is valuable, and it doesn't feel like a chore. So my position is: no worksheets for young kids, but yes to reading every night. That balance would keep children curious instead of tired.
Task
Some people think that employers should let staff work four days a week for the same pay. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your opinion and give reasons.
Answer out loud while the timer runs. This page does not record or score you.
Model answer, written by MapleMock
I agree with the idea, at least for many kinds of jobs. The first reason is productivity. When people know they have a long weekend coming every week, they tend to focus better and waste less time in meetings that don't need to happen. Several companies that have tried it say their staff get just as much done in four days as they used to in five. Second, it would make a big difference to people's health and family life. An extra day gives parents time with their kids, lets people go to medical appointments without taking time off, and simply helps people rest, so fewer staff get burned out or call in sick. Third, I think it helps employers too, because it's a strong way to keep good workers. If a competitor offers a four-day week, it's very hard to compete with that just by offering a small raise. Of course, it won't work everywhere in the same way. A hospital or a grocery store has to stay open every day, so those workplaces would need to rotate schedules. But that's a planning problem, not a reason to reject the idea. Overall, I think the benefits are clearly greater than the costs.
Common mistakes
Not taking a side, so the listener cannot tell what you think.
Reasons with no examples.
Drifting away from the statement you were given.
Practise it on the clock
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