CELPIP Speaking Task 2: Talking about a Personal Experience

CELPIP Speaking Task 2 Sample Answer: Receiving a Compliment

The speaker shares a compliment they still remember, saying who gave it, why, and how it felt. The tricky part is explaining the reason behind the praise, not just retelling the moment.

Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking

60 seconds

Tense

Mostly past tense

The question

Talk about a time when someone said something kind about you that you still remember. Maybe you can talk about praise from a teacher, a manager, or even a stranger. What did the person say, why did they say it, and how did it make you feel?

How to plan your answer

What they want

Talk about a time someone said something kind about you that you still remember, e.g. praise from a teacher, a manager or a stranger.
Answer three things: what they said, why they said it, and how it made you feel.

Plan (60 sec)

Set the scene: "When I was in Grade 10, my English teacher said something I'll never forget."
What they said: e.g. "You have a real talent for writing; don't give up."
Why: you had worked hard on an essay even though English was your second language.
How it felt: proud, encouraged, and more confident.
Impact: you kept writing and still remember it on hard days.
Close: "Now I try to compliment others too, because it can mean so much."

Useful vocabulary

compliment, praise, encourage, talent
proud, confidence boost, make someone's day, meaningful

Phrases

"I'll never forget the day when..."
"She told me that..."
"It made me feel..."

Avoid

Skipping why they said it; it is one of the three questions.
Mixing tenses; tell the story in the past tense.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

One compliment that's really stuck with me came from a complete stranger, which is probably why I remember it so well. A few winters ago, I was waiting for the bus in Edmonton when an older man slipped on the ice and fell pretty hard. I helped him up, stayed with him while he caught his breath, and then walked him to the coffee shop across the street so he could warm up. Before I left, he shook my hand and said, you've got a good heart, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I think he said it because, honestly, a lot of people had just walked past him. At the time, I was going through a rough patch. I'd just lost my job and I was feeling pretty useless, so hearing that from someone who didn't know me at all meant more than he could have imagined.

148 words

Why it scores high

Content/Coherence: the hook, a compliment from "a complete stranger", sets up a clear story of helping an older man who "slipped on the ice and fell pretty hard".
Task Fulfillment: the reason is answered honestly, "a lot of people had just walked past him", which explains why the compliment mattered so much.
Vocabulary: "going through a rough patch" and "meant more than he could have imagined" express emotion naturally and give the ending real weight.

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

I still remember something my high school English teacher, Mr. Peters, said to me. I had just moved to Canada, and I was really shy because of my English. We had to write a short story for class. When he gave the stories back, he asked to talk to me after class. He told me that my story was one of the best in the class, and that I had a real talent for describing places. He said it because he wanted me to keep writing and not give up. It made me feel so proud. For the first time, I felt that my English wasn't a problem, and I started to believe in myself more.

116 words

What works, and what's missing

Content/Coherence: the story of Mr. Peters moves logically from being "really shy because of my English" to the praise and its effect.
Task Fulfillment: all three questions are answered, including the reason, "he wanted me to keep writing and not give up", and the feeling of pride.
Vocabulary: "a real talent for describing places" is precise, but "It made me feel so proud" is a familiar phrase where a more personal image would stand out.

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

I remember when my manager say something nice to me. I work in a coffee shop. One day a customer was very angry because his order was wrong. He shout at me, but I stay calm and I make new coffee for him and say sorry. After he leave, my manager come and say, you handle this very well, I am proud of you. I was very happy. It was my first job in Canada and my English was not good. Her words give me confidence.

86 words

What holds it back

Listenability: tense errors such as "my manager say", "He shout at me" and "After he leave" make the past story harder to follow.
Content/Coherence: the coffee shop story is clear, but the praise is reported as "you handle this very well, I am proud of you" with no detail around it.
Task Fulfillment: the feeling is covered in "Her words give me confidence", but why the manager chose to say it is only implied by the angry customer.

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