CELPIP Speaking

Task 3 sample answers: Describing a Scene

78 describing a scene questions in the CELPIP format. Each one has a plan, useful vocabulary and three sample answers, around CLB 4–5, 7–8 and 11–12, with notes on what moves an answer from one level to the next. Describe a picture of a busy scene, such as a park, a kitchen or a street market, to someone who cannot see it.

Questions

Cherry Blossom Park Family Photo Shoot
This prompt asks you to describe a crowded spring park to someone who cannot see it. The tricky part is choosing what to cover among dozens of small figures and guiding the listener with clear locations.
Indoor Climbing Gym on a Rainy Day
This prompt asks you to describe a busy indoor climbing gym to someone who cannot see it. The tricky part is explaining height as well as left and right, so the listener knows who is high on the wall and who is below.
Riverside Concert at Sunset
The speaker has to describe a busy outdoor concert for a listener who cannot see the picture. With a band, a food scene and several groups of fans, the hard part is choosing an order and keeping each person's location clear.
Snowy Day in a Theatre Lobby
The speaker describes a crowded movie theatre lobby on a snowy day for a listener who cannot see it. The hard part is organizing several moving people and the background details so the listener can follow.
Community Pottery Class in Winter
The speaker describes a community pottery class where something has gone wrong at the wheel. The challenge is organizing the main event and the reactions around the room so the listener can picture it all.
Pastry Cases at a Neighbourhood Bakery
This picture shows customers looking at glass cases full of pastries while a worker arranges more on the counter of a busy bakery. The tricky part is that the display takes up most of the picture, so you need varied food words before moving on to the people behind it.
A Beach at Sunset
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Beach Sunset
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Botanical Garden in Spring
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Travellers in a Bright Terminal Hall
This picture shows travellers walking through a bright airport terminal past a departures board, check-in counters, shops and benches. The tricky part is that the hall is huge and symmetrical, so you have to anchor the listener with the board in the centre before moving left and right.
A Busy Airport Terminal
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Hands Up During a Class Lesson
This picture shows a teacher standing among students at desks, with two students raising their hands in front of a whiteboard. The tricky part is placing the teacher at the centre and then grouping the students by side, so the listener understands the U-shaped layout.
Bricklayers at a Large Building Site
This picture shows a group of hard-hatted workers standing among half-built brick walls at a large construction site with cranes behind them. The tricky part is telling similar workers apart, which means using hard-hat colours, shirts and gloves as your main details.
A Busy Construction Site
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Busy Hospital Waiting Room
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Busy Rooftop Bar
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Busy Street Food Stall
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Shoppers Around the Produce Displays
This picture shows a crowded grocery store from above, with produce crates in the middle and shoppers pushing carts all around them. The tricky part is that dozens of people look alike from this angle, so you need clothing colours and cart contents to make individuals stand out.
Crowded Concourse Under Departure Boards
This picture shows a crowded station hall where travellers, including several families, wait beneath large departure screens. The tricky part is choosing a handful of clear people from a dense crowd and placing each one so the listener can follow.
A Carnival
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Toddlers Chasing a Ball in the Park
This picture shows toddlers chasing a ball on the grass at a park playground while parents watch from benches behind them. The tricky part is describing several small children at once, so you need clear positions and actions like crouching, stepping and hurrying.
A City Park in Autumn
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Downtown Crowd Walking Between Buses
This picture shows a crowd of pedestrians walking down the middle of a downtown street with cars, vans and buses behind them. The tricky part is organising a crowd of near-identical walkers, so pick a few people with distinct clothes and move from front to back.
A Coastal Cliff Overlooking the Ocean
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Packed Café with a Chalkboard Menu
This picture shows a crowded café where most customers are standing and waiting while a few sit at tables below a chalkboard menu. The tricky part is that the people overlap and face different ways, so you need to anchor the description on the woman in the centre and work outward.
Café Tables Beside Rain-Streaked Windows
This picture shows customers sitting with paper cups in a warmly lit café while rain streaks down the large windows. The tricky part is that the two main people face away from you, so you must describe them by hair, clothing and what's on the table rather than their expressions.
A Countryside Picnic
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Crowded Beach on Summer Vacation
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Crowded Urban Street
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Sunny Patio Cookout with Family
This picture shows a big family cooking and eating together on a sunny backyard patio. The tricky part is keeping track of more than ten people, so you need to group them by place: at the grill, around the table, and out on the grass.
A Family Playing in the Park
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Farm in Spring
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Farmer’s Market
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Football Players Racing Down the Field
This picture shows a football player sprinting with the ball while his teammates chase behind him in a packed stadium. The tricky part is describing the uniforms and movement precisely, because most players wear the same colours and are all running in one direction.
Sunlit Path Through Tall Trees
This picture shows five hikers walking away along a sunlit dirt trail through a forest of very tall trees. The tricky part is that the hikers are small and seen from behind, so the light, shadows and setting must carry much of your description.
A Grand Library Hall
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Group Hiking in a National Park
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A High-End Fashion Boutique
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Historical Museum Exhibit
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Library Reading Area
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Modern Art Gallery
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Group Hike on a Rocky Path
This picture shows a large group of hikers walking up a rocky trail with trees and distant mountains behind them. The tricky part is that almost everyone is dressed alike in shorts and backpacks, so small details like a beard, sunglasses or shirt colour must carry your description.
A Mountain Lodge in Winter
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Mountain View from a Balcony
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Mountain View from a Ski Resort
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Visitors Viewing Ancient Pottery
This picture shows visitors moving through a bright museum gallery with clay pots and bowls displayed on white platforms. The tricky part is describing objects with no obvious names, so you need shape words like round, narrow-necked and shallow to make the pottery clear.
A Music Festival
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Peaceful Countryside Road
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Pet Store
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Rainy Day at the Park
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Umbrellas on a Wet Street at Night
This picture shows people walking with umbrellas along a dark city street at night while cars drive through heavy rain. The tricky part is that everyone is a dark silhouette, so you must describe positions, umbrellas, lights and reflections instead of faces or clothing.
A Rainy Day in the City
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Science Laboratory
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Science Museum
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Serene Yoga Studio
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Skiers on a Sunny Mountain Slope
This picture shows two skiers in red heading down a sunny slope, with wooden chalets, a chairlift and snowy mountains around them. The tricky part is that the people are small and few, so you must use the buildings, lift and landscape to fill a full minute.
A Snowy Mountain Cabin
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Snowy Mountain Trail
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Sports Stadium During a Major Game
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Street Food Vendor
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Outdoor Fruit Stalls Under Bright Tents
This picture shows shoppers browsing a long fruit and vegetable display at a street market lined with colourful tents. The tricky part is balancing the eye-catching produce with the people, so your answer describes actions like pointing and carrying, not just a list of fruit.
A Sunrise Over a Desert
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Tech Start-Up Office
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
A Technology Conference
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Sunbathers by Turquoise Water
This picture shows a crowded white-sand beach with sunbathers, colourful umbrellas and swimmers in clear turquoise water. The tricky part is that most people are simply sitting or lying down, so you need varied verbs and specific details to keep the description from sounding repetitive.
Newlyweds Dancing at Sunset
This picture shows a bride and groom dancing at an evening wedding reception, surrounded by guests, candlelit tables and a tiered cake. The tricky part is separating the couple from the people standing right next to them, so the listener knows exactly who is who.
A Wedding Reception
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Young Skiers Around a Snowman
This picture shows a group of children on skis gathered around a small snowman, with a log cabin and snowy forest behind them. The tricky part is that the kids are bundled up and look alike, so jacket colours and small actions like pointing or bending are what make each one clear.
Cooking at Home
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Doing Laundry at Home
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Exercising at a Gym
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Going Grocery Shopping
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Going to the Cinema
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Hanging Out with Friends at a Cafe
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Having Breakfast at Home
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Taking a Taxi to Work
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Taking Public Transportation
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.
Washing the Car
Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see the picture.

How to use these samples

Read the question and answer it yourself first, within the real time limit.
Compare your answer with the Good and Excellent samples. Look at structure and detail, not just words.
Read the notes under each level and pick one thing to change in your next attempt.
Learn the format and template on the Task 3 guide.

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