When the timer starts in CELPIP Speaking, the hardest part is often the first sentence. A simple template helps you start without panic, and it keeps your answer organized until the end.
On this page you will find one template for each of the eight tasks: how to start, what to put in the middle, and how to finish. Each one comes with a short example so you can hear how it sounds.
Please note: these are flexible starters, not scripts to memorize. If you learn a long text by heart and try to make the question fit it, your answer usually sounds unnatural and can miss what the task asks. Use the template to organize your own ideas. The examples are my original teaching examples, not official CELPIP material.
The Time You Have in Each Task
| Task | What you do | Prepare | Speak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Give advice to someone you know | 30 s | 90 s |
| 2 | Talk about a personal experience | 30 s | 60 s |
| 3 | Describe a scene in a picture | 30 s | 60 s |
| 4 | Predict what happens next (same picture) | 30 s | 60 s |
| 5 | Choose an option, then persuade someone your choice is better | 60 s to choose, then 60 s | 60 s |
| 6 | Deal with a difficult situation | 60 s | 60 s |
| 7 | Give your opinion | 30 s | 90 s |
| 8 | Describe an unusual picture to someone who can't see it | 30 s | 60 s |
One Rule for Every Task
Every template below has the same three parts:
- Start: one or two sentences that answer the task directly. No long introduction.
- Middle: two ideas, each with a reason or a concrete detail. Two developed ideas usually work better than five short ones.
- Finish: one sentence that closes the answer, so you don't stop in the middle of a thought when the time runs out.
Task 1 Template: Giving Advice (90 seconds)
You are talking to a person you know, so say "you", not "people should".
- Start: "Hi [name], I know how [stressful / confusing / exciting] this is for you. I have a couple of ideas that might help."
- Advice 1 + why: "First, I think you should… That way, you…"
- Advice 2 + example: "Another thing you could do is… For example, you could…"
- Extra tip (if you have time): "Also, don't forget to…"
- Finish: "I'm sure it will work out. Let me know how it goes."
Short example: "Hi Anna, I know how stressful moving in winter can be, so I have a couple of ideas. First, I think you should buy good winter boots before you arrive, because the sidewalks here get very icy and you'll be walking a lot. Another thing you could do is…"
Full sample answers: CELPIP Speaking Task 1 sample answers.
Task 2 Template: A Personal Experience (60 seconds)
Tell one clear story. The experience doesn't have to be true, but it should be simple and easy to tell.
- Start: "I'd like to talk about a time when… It happened [two years ago / when I first moved to Canada]."
- What happened: "At first… Then… The hardest part was…"
- How you felt or what you did: "I felt… so I decided to…"
- Finish with the result: "In the end… Since then, I…"
Short example: "I'd like to talk about a time when a stranger helped me. It happened in my first week in Vancouver. I got on the wrong bus, and my phone battery was almost dead…"
Full sample answers: CELPIP Speaking Task 2 sample answers.
Task 3 Template: Describing a Scene (60 seconds)
Describe what you can see, so the listener can picture it. Don't invent a long story behind the picture.
- Start with the big picture: "This picture shows a [park / kitchen / busy street] on a [sunny / rainy] day."
- Move around the picture: "In the front… In the middle… In the background… On the left / right…"
- People and actions: "A woman is… Next to her, two kids are…"
- Small details: "I can also see… which shows that…"
- Finish: "Overall, it looks like a [busy / relaxed / noisy] place."
Full sample answers: CELPIP Speaking Tasks 3 and 4 sample answers.
Task 4 Template: Making Predictions (60 seconds)
You see the same picture as in Task 3. Now talk about what will probably happen next.
- Start: "I think that in the next few minutes…"
- Prediction 1 + why: "The man is going to… because he is already…"
- Prediction 2 + why: "I also think the kids will probably… since…"
- Use different future forms: will probably, is going to, might, I expect that…
- Finish: "So I think this scene will end with…"
Base each prediction on something you can see. "He is holding an umbrella, so he will probably open it" is stronger than a guess with no reason.
Task 5 Template: Comparing and Persuading (60 seconds)
First, you get 60 seconds to choose one of two options. Then a new option appears: someone suggests a different choice. Your job is to persuade them that your choice is better than the new one.
- Start: "I understand why you like [the new option], but I really think [my option] is the better choice."
- Reason 1, compared with the new option: "First, [my option]… while [the new option]…"
- Reason 2, compared with the new option: "Also, …, but with [the new option] we would have to…"
- Answer a possible worry: "I know [my option] is a bit more…, but…"
- Finish: "So I think [my option] makes more sense for us."
Compare with the new option, not only with the one you didn't choose. This is the step many people miss.
Full sample answers: CELPIP Speaking Task 5 sample answers.
Task 6 Template: A Difficult Situation (60 seconds)
You choose one of two ways to handle the problem, and then you speak directly to that person.
- Start politely and name the problem: "Hi [name], do you have a minute? I wanted to talk to you about…"
- Explain the situation: "The thing is…, and I'm worried that…"
- Show you understand them: "I know you… and I really appreciate…"
- Suggest a solution: "Would it be possible to…? / What if we…?"
- Finish warmly: "Thanks for understanding. I really hope we can sort this out."
Full sample answers: CELPIP Speaking Task 6 sample answers.
Task 7 Template: Expressing Opinions (90 seconds)
Answer the exact question. Sometimes it is "agree or disagree", sometimes it is "which is better", and sometimes it is an open question.
- Start with your answer: "In my opinion, … I think so for two main reasons."
- Reason 1 + example: "First of all, … For example, …"
- Reason 2 + example: "Another reason is that… In my experience, …"
- The other side (optional, short): "Some people say that…, but I still think…"
- Finish: "So overall, I believe that…"
Full sample answers: CELPIP Speaking Task 7 sample answers.
Task 8 Template: An Unusual Situation (60 seconds)
You see something strange and describe it to someone who can't see it, often in a phone call. Remember why you are calling.
- Start with the reason: "Hi [name], I'm calling because I found something really unusual, and I'm not sure if we should [buy it / use it]."
- General shape and size: "It's about as big as… It looks a bit like a…"
- Details from top to bottom or left to right: "On the top, there is… At the bottom, it has…"
- No exact word? Describe it: "It's a kind of… that you use for…"
- Finish with the purpose: "So what do you think? Should I get it?"
Full sample answers: CELPIP Speaking Task 8 sample answers.
How to Practise With These Templates
- Take one task a day. Read the template once, then answer a new question out loud with a timer.
- Record yourself. Listen and check: did you start straight away? Did you have two developed ideas? Did you finish before the time ran out?
- Change the words. Use the template with different questions, so the structure stays and the words are your own.
- Build your vocabulary for each topic. Templates give you a frame, but the words make the answer strong. My free Vocabulary Booster has key words for every Speaking topic.
If you want to see how each task works in more detail, read my guide to all 8 CELPIP Speaking tasks, or practise with test-style questions and feedback in the practice lab.