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CELPIP Speaking Task 5: Comparing and Persuading

CELPIP Speaking Task 5 Sample Answer: Client Holiday Gift

By David

The speaker must convince a manager to choose local gift baskets over branded travel mugs for 120 clients. The tricky part is answering the basket's allergy problem while showing why the mugs' delivery time is worse.

Choosing time
60 seconds
Preparation
60 seconds
Speaking
60 seconds

The question

You work for a small accounting firm in Saskatoon, and your manager, Ms. Okafor, has asked you to choose a holiday gift for the firm’s 120 clients to thank them for their business this year. The total budget is $6,000. You found two suitable options. Using the pictures and information, choose the option that you prefer. In the next section, you will need to persuade Ms. Okafor that your choice is the better choice.

If you do not choose an option, the computer will choose one for you. You do not need to speak for this part.

Gift Baskets from a Local FarmGift Baskets from a Local Farm
  • $48 each, with saskatoon berry jam, honey, crackers and tea
  • delivered to each client’s office or home
  • some clients have food allergies and may not be able to use them
Donation to a Local Food BankDonation to a Local Food Bank
  • $6,000 donated in the clients’ names
  • each client receives a card explaining the donation
  • clients do not receive anything that they can keep
Insulated Travel Mugs with the Firm’s NameInsulated Travel Mugs with the Firm’s Name
  • $22 each, high quality, keeps drinks hot for 6 hours
  • the firm’s name is printed on the side
  • takes 5 weeks to make, so they may arrive after the holidays
Ms. Okafor suggests ordering the travel mugs with the firm’s name. Persuade Ms. Okafor that the option you chose is more suitable by comparing the two.

How to plan your answer

What they want

  • Pick a holiday gift for 120 clients ($6,000 budget) of a Saskatoon accounting firm, then persuade Ms. Okafor it beats her idea: travel mugs with the firm's name.
  • The local gift baskets ($48 each) are easier to argue: they arrive before the holidays and feel personal.

Plan (60 sec)

  1. Acknowledge: "Ms. Okafor, the mugs are good quality, I agree."
  2. Timing: the mugs take 5 weeks and may arrive after the holidays; a late holiday gift looks bad.
  3. Personal touch: saskatoon berry jam, honey and tea feel thoughtful, not like promotional items.
  4. Local: buying from a local farm supports the community our clients live in.
  5. Delivery: baskets go straight to each client's office or home.
  6. Close: "It's within budget, about $5,760, and leaves a warm impression."

Useful vocabulary

  • gift basket, locally made, thoughtful, promotional
  • on time, within budget, show appreciation, allergies

Phrases

  • "I see your point, but..."
  • "Compared to the travel mugs,..."
  • "Most importantly,..."

Avoid

  • Only describing your option; compare it with the mugs.
  • Ignoring your downside: food allergies; offer a non-food option.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

Ms. Okafor, the mugs are good quality, but I'd recommend the gift baskets from the local farm instead. My biggest worry with the mugs is timing. They take five weeks to produce, which means there's a real chance they'll show up after the holidays, and a late holiday gift sends the wrong message to our clients. The baskets, on the other hand, are delivered straight to each client's office or home. At $48 each, that's $5,760 for all 120 clients, comfortably within our $6,000 budget. They're also far more personal. Saskatoon berry jam and local honey say we're proud to be part of this community, while a logo mug feels more like advertising. As for clients with food allergies, we can simply check our list and send those few a gift card instead.

133 words

Why it scores high

  • Content/Coherence: "My biggest worry with the mugs is timing" puts the most serious problem first, and "On the other hand" links it smoothly to the baskets' strength.
  • Vocabulary: "comfortably within our $6,000 budget" and "a logo mug feels more like advertising" are precise, persuasive word choices that suit a workplace message.
  • Task Fulfillment: the allergy problem is handled with a concrete step, "check our list and send those few a gift card", so the manager has nothing left to object to.

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

Ms. Okafor, I understand why you like the travel mugs, but I think the gift baskets from the local farm are a better choice. First, timing. The mugs take five weeks to make, so they might arrive after the holidays. A holiday gift that comes in January doesn't really work. Second, the baskets are $48 each, which is $5,760 for 120 clients, so we're still within our $6,000 budget. Also, they have saskatoon berry jam and local honey, so they're special and they support a local business. And they're delivered right to each client. For the few clients with allergies, we could send a card instead.

106 words

What works, and what's missing

  • Content/Coherence: the speaker starts with the strongest point, "First, timing", and supports it with "A holiday gift that comes in January doesn't really work."
  • Task Fulfillment: the reply shows respect with "I understand why you like the travel mugs" and checks the budget, "$5,760 for 120 clients", against the $6,000 limit.
  • Vocabulary: "within our $6,000 budget" sounds professional, but "they're special" is weak where a stronger contrast with the branded mugs would persuade better.

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

Ms. Okafor, I think gift basket is better than travel mug. The basket is $48 and we have 120 client, so it is $5,760. It is under our budget. The mug take five week to make. Maybe it come after holiday, and this is holiday gift, so it is too late. The basket has saskatoon berry jam and honey from local farm. Client will like it. Some client have allergy, but we can give them something different.

77 words

What holds it back

  • Task Fulfillment: the speaker uses the numbers well, "$48 and we have 120 client, so it is $5,760", but never says anything good about the mugs, so the comparison feels one-sided.
  • Vocabulary: missing plurals in "120 client", "five week" and "Client will like it" sound careless in a message to a manager.
  • Content/Coherence: each point is one line, and the allergy answer, "we can give them something different", is too vague to settle the manager's concern.

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

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