CELPIP Speaking Task 1: Giving Advice

CELPIP Speaking Task 1 Sample Answer: Driving Safely in Winter

A co-worker from Australia needs advice before her first Alberta winter of daily highway driving. The answer must cover two things, preparing the car and preparing the driver, without turning into a random list.

Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking

90 seconds

Listener

Someone you know well

The question

Your co-worker, Tamsin, moved to Alberta from Australia last spring and has just bought her first car. She has never driven on snow or ice, and this winter she has to drive 40 minutes on the highway to work every day. Advise Tamsin on how she can prepare herself and her car for driving in winter.

How to plan your answer

What they want

Advise your co-worker Tamsin, from Australia, how to prepare herself and her car for winter driving in Alberta; she'll drive 40 minutes on the highway every day.

Plan (90 sec)

Open kindly: "Tamsin, winter driving is scary at first, but you'll get used to it."
Car: put on winter tires before the first snow, and check the battery and wiper fluid.
Kit: keep an emergency kit: ice scraper, blanket, shovel, snacks and a phone charger.
Practice: take a winter driving lesson, or practise braking in an empty parking lot.
Driving: slow down, leave extra space, and watch for black ice on bridges.
Plan: check road conditions before leaving, and keep the gas tank at least half full.
Close: "If the roads are really bad, ask to work from home."

Useful vocabulary

winter tires, black ice, whiteout, ice scraper
block heater, emergency kit, road conditions, following distance

Phrases

"Before winter starts, make sure..."
"When you're on the highway,..."
"Just in case,..."

Avoid

Only talking about the car; she asked about preparing herself too.
Advice too general for highway driving.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

Tamsin, coming from Australia, this is going to be a big adjustment, but with the right preparation, that 40-minute commute will become routine pretty quickly. Let's start with the car. Get a proper set of winter tires on before the first snowfall. All-seasons just don't grip the same on ice. Switch to winter washer fluid, buy a good snow brush and scraper, and if your car doesn't have a block heater, look into getting one installed for those minus thirty mornings. Next, put together an emergency kit for the trunk: a blanket, a shovel, a flashlight, booster cables and some granola bars. If the highway closes, you'll be glad you have it. On the road, double your following distance, brake gently and well before you need to, and never use cruise control on icy pavement. I'd also check the 511 Alberta app every morning before you leave. And honestly, the best thing you can do is take a winter driving course. Practising a skid in an empty parking lot will give you a lot more confidence.

176 words

Why it scores high

Vocabulary: specific terms like "block heater", "booster cables" and "double your following distance" show a wide, accurate range for winter driving.
Content/Coherence: "Let's start with the car", "Next" and "On the road" guide the listener through car, kit and driving in a clear order.
Task Fulfillment: tips are tailored to Tamsin, such as "never use cruise control on icy pavement" and practising "a skid in an empty parking lot" before her 40-minute commute.

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

Hi Tamsin, I know driving in an Alberta winter sounds scary, but if you prepare well, you'll be fine. First, get your car ready. The most important thing is good winter tires. They make a huge difference on snow and ice. You should also use winter washer fluid and get a good ice scraper. Second, keep an emergency kit in your trunk, with a blanket, a small shovel, a flashlight and some snacks, because the highway can close in a storm. When you drive, go slower than usual and leave a lot of space between you and the next car. Also, check the road conditions on the 511 Alberta app before you leave. Finally, I'd really recommend a winter driving course. They teach you what to do if you start to slide.

132 words

What works, and what's missing

Content/Coherence: the plan moves clearly from "get your car ready" to the emergency kit, to driving tips and finally a winter driving course.
Vocabulary: "winter washer fluid", "an ice scraper" and "the 511 Alberta app" are precise, local details that make the advice sound reliable.
Task Fulfillment: most tips include a reason, like "the highway can close in a storm", but the driving advice stays general compared with the car preparation.

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

Hi Tamsin, winter in Alberta is very different from Australia, so you need prepare. First, you must buy winter tire. All season tire is not good on ice. Second, put emergency kit in your car, like blanket, shovel, warm gloves and some snack. If your car stop on highway, you will need it. Also, always drive slow and keep big space with the car in front. Before you go, check the road report on internet. And maybe you can take a winter driving lesson. It help me a lot.

89 words

What holds it back

Task Fulfillment: the main topics are there, "winter tire", an emergency kit and "drive slow", but each gets one short line with little explanation.
Listenability: "you need prepare", "If your car stop on highway" and "It help me a lot" drop small words and endings that a listener notices.
Vocabulary: "keep big space with the car in front" and "road report on internet" are understandable but less precise than terms like following distance or road conditions.

These are original CELPass examples written at each level. The CLBs are our estimates, not official CELPIP scores. How we estimate CLB