CELPIP Speaking Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation (3 Sample Answers + Practice Ideas)

Task 8 is the last task in the CELPIP Speaking test. You see a picture of something unusual, such as a strange object, building or vehicle, and you describe it to a person who can't see it. Often the situation is a phone call: you call a friend, a family member or a coworker because the unusual thing is connected to something they need.

Please note: the sample answers below are my original teaching examples, not official CELPIP responses, and they have not been scored by CELPIP. In the real test you see a picture; here, each object is described in words so you can imagine it.

How Task 8 Works

Three things to remember:

• The listener can't see the picture. Your job is to help them imagine it: shape, size, colour, material, where the parts are and what it does.
• There is a practical purpose. If the task says your friend is looking for a gift, the description should lead to a question like "Should I buy it?"
• You don't need the exact word. Because the object is unusual, there may be no simple name for it. Describe what it looks like and what it does.

A Simple Plan for Your 60 Seconds

1. Greet the person and say why you're calling (one or two sentences).
2. Say what it is in general: It's a kind of chair / a bike / a lunch box.
3. Describe the unusual part: shape, size, colour, material, position of the parts. Go in a clear order, for example from top to bottom.
4. Explain how it works or what it's for.
5. Connect it to the person and finish with the question or decision: Do you want me to get it? / What do you think?

When You Don't Know the Word

This is a key Task 8 skill. Don't stop and search for the perfect word; describe it another way:

• Compare: It looks a bit like a… / It's shaped like a… / It's about the size of a…
• Say what it's made of: It's made of clear plastic / wood / metal.
• Say what it does: It's something you use to… / It's for…
• Say where the parts are: On the top, there's… / Attached to the side, there's…

For example, instead of "It has a… um… a… caster", say "It has small wheels on the bottom, like an office chair."

Sample Answer 1: An Unusual Bookshelf

Situation: Your sister has just moved into a small apartment and needs a desk and a bookshelf. In a furniture store, you see an unusual piece of furniture. Call her, describe it and ask if she wants you to buy it. (In the picture: a white wooden bookshelf shaped like a staircase, with five steps from low to high. The top step folds down into a small desk. There are three drawers on the side and wheels at the bottom.)

Hi Nina, it's me. I'm at the furniture store, and I found something I think is perfect for your new apartment.

It's a bookshelf, but it's shaped like a staircase. It has five steps that go up from low to high, and each step is a shelf for books or plants. It's made of white wood, so it would match your walls.

The best part is the top step. It folds down and becomes a small desk, big enough for a laptop and a notebook. When you're done working, you just fold it back up. On the side, there are three drawers for pens and papers, and it has wheels on the bottom, so you can move it easily.

So you'd get a bookshelf and a desk in one, and it doesn't take up much space. Do you want me to send you a photo, or should I just buy it?

Why it works: it starts with the reason for the call, then describes the object in a logical order: general shape, material, the unusual folding desk, extra details. It connects the main features to the sister's need (a small apartment) and ends with a clear question.

Sample Answer 2: A Strange Backpack

Situation: Your friend is going to an outdoor music festival next weekend and asked you to look for a useful bag. You see an unusual backpack in a store. Call your friend, describe it and ask if he wants you to get it. (In the picture: an orange backpack with a folding stool attached to the bottom, a small solar panel on the front pocket and a bottle holder on each side.)

Hey Marco, it's me. You said you needed a bag for the festival, right? I just saw something really unusual, and I think it's exactly what you need.

It's a bright orange backpack, so you'll never lose it in a crowd. But the special thing is at the bottom. There's a small folding stool attached to it, with three thin metal legs. When you're tired of standing, you just take the backpack off, open the legs, and sit on it.

On the front pocket, there's a small flat black panel. The label says it's a solar panel, so you can charge your phone from the sun during the day. And there's a holder for a water bottle on each side.

It's thirty dollars more than a normal backpack, but for a whole weekend outside I think it's worth it. Should I get it for you?

Why it works: the speaker explains the unusual features clearly, even describing the solar panel by its look (small flat black panel) before naming it. The main features are connected to the festival, and the answer ends with a decision question.

Sample Answer 3: An Odd Delivery Vehicle

Situation: You work at a restaurant. Your manager is thinking about how to deliver food downtown and asked you to look at options. You see an unusual vehicle at a trade show. Call your manager, describe it and ask if she wants more information. (In the picture: a three-wheeled electric bicycle with a large insulated box at the back, painted green, with a small roof over the rider and a digital screen showing the temperature inside the box.)

Hi Karen, it's Sam. I'm at the trade show, and I found a delivery vehicle you might like.

It's an electric bike, but it has three wheels: one at the front and two at the back. That makes it very stable. Behind the rider, there's a big green box, about the size of a small fridge. It's insulated, so it keeps the food hot or cold.

On the side of the box, there's a small screen that shows the temperature inside, so the rider can check that the food is still warm. And over the rider's seat, there's a little roof, like a small umbrella, so they don't get wet when it rains.

Since it's a bike, it could use the bike lanes downtown and avoid traffic. The salesperson said we can rent one for a month to try it. Do you want me to get more information?

Why it works: the description is organized from the general (an electric bike) to the unusual parts (three wheels, insulated box, screen, roof). The comparisons (the size of a small fridge, like a small umbrella) help the manager picture it, and the speaker connects it to the restaurant's problem before ending with a practical question.

Common Mistakes in Task 8

• Treating it like Task 3. Task 8 is not just "In the picture, I can see…". Talk to the person and remember the purpose of the call.
• Getting stuck on one word. If you don't know a word, compare it with something familiar or explain what it does.
• Describing in a random order. Start with what it is in general, then the unusual part, then the details.
• Forgetting the purpose. If the person needs a gift, a desk or a delivery solution, connect the object to that need.
• No clear ending. Finish with a question, a request or a suggestion.
• Inventing the other person's answers. You don't need to act out both sides of the conversation.

Practice Ideas for Task 8

Set a timer: 30 seconds to prepare, 60 seconds to speak. Imagine the picture, or find a photo of a similar object online.

1. You see a lamp shaped like a giant flower. Call a friend who is decorating a child's bedroom.
2. You see an umbrella with a small fan inside it. Call a family member who is going on a trip somewhere hot.
3. You see a dog leash with a built-in water bottle and bowl. Call a neighbour who walks their dog every day.
4. You see a car with solar panels on the roof and doors that open upwards. Call a friend who is shopping for a car.
5. You see a coffee mug that stirs itself, with a button on the handle. Call a coworker who is buying a gift for your manager.
6. You see a house built inside an old shipping container, with large windows and a garden on the roof. Call a friend who is looking for a place to rent.

Keep Practising

• See all eight tasks with sample answers: CELPIP Speaking sample answers.
• Learn the strategy for every task: CELPIP Speaking task-by-task guide.
• The other picture tasks: CELPIP Speaking Task 3 and 4 sample answers.
• Persuading with details: CELPIP Speaking Task 5 sample answers.
• Words for shape, size and material: CELPIP vocabulary by topic.

If you want feedback on your own Task 8 answers, see CELPIP preparation with Masha.