CELPIP Speaking Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation, with sample answers
Task 8 shows a picture of an unusual object or situation and asks you to describe it to someone who cannot see it. You get 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.
The task at a glance
Time to prepare
30 seconds
Time to speak
60 seconds
Picture
Yes, shown on screen
A structure that works
Say what it looks like overall, as if the listener had never seen one.
Describe its shape, size, colour and what it is made of.
Compare it with things the listener knows: "about the size of a sofa", "like a…".
Say what makes it unusual, then answer the rest of the prompt, such as whether you would like one.
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
You are at a friend's new house and see the unusual object in the picture in the backyard. Call your partner, who cannot see it. Describe it in as much detail as you can, and say whether you would like one for your own garden.
Like all media in our tests, this picture is AI-generated.
Answer out loud while the timer runs. This page does not record or score you.
Model answer, written by MapleMock
Hi, it's me. You won't believe what Sam has in the backyard. It's a bench, but it's made out of an old canoe. Picture a whole red canoe, with both pointy ends, sitting on short black metal legs. Across the top of the canoe there's a long wooden plank, and that's the seat, with a striped cushion on it. And inside the canoe, at both pointy ends, there are little clay flower pots with herbs growing in them, I think basil and mint. It's big enough for two people to sit on comfortably. Honestly, I love it. It's fun, and it would look great next to our fence. The only thing is, the paint would probably need redoing every couple of years, but I'd still like to make one.
Task
You are browsing in a second-hand store and notice the strange object in the picture. Phone your roommate, who cannot see it. Describe it in detail, and say whether you think it would be a good buy for your apartment.
Like all media in our tests, this picture is AI-generated.
Answer out loud while the timer runs. This page does not record or score you.
Model answer, written by MapleMock
Hey, quick question before I buy something strange. I'm at the second-hand store on the corner, and there's a coat rack made out of hockey sticks. It's about as tall as me, and it's built from old hockey sticks standing straight up and taped together near the bottom, and the curved blades at the bottom are spread out on the floor like feet, so it stands on its own. At the top, instead of normal hooks, someone has fixed a bunch of old metal spoons, and right now there's a red wool scarf and a winter hat hanging from it. The wood is scratched and a bit worn, which actually gives it character. I think we should get it for the front hall. We've been piling our coats on that chair for months, and this would fit in the corner by the door. What do you think?
Common mistakes
Naming the object without describing it.
Spending the time guessing what it is instead of describing it.
Forgetting that the listener cannot see it.
Practise it on the clock
Speaking practice is coming soon. The free Listening & Reading mock is open now.
