CELPIP Speaking Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation

CELPIP Speaking Task 6 Sample Answer: Explaining to a Teacher Why You Were Absent from Class

You missed an important class because you were feeling unwell. Your teacher asks you to explain why you were absent and wants to know if you will be able to catch up. This is a difficult situation because you don’t want…

Preparation

60 seconds

Speaking

60 seconds

Choice

Speak to person A or person B

The question

Choice:

Either

Explain to your teacher why you were absent and how you plan to catch up.

Explain to your teacher why you found it difficult to complete the homework while you were absent.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

I’m sorry for my recent absence. I was experiencing health issues that prevented me from attending class, and I wanted to be responsible by avoiding spreading any illness. I’ve arranged to borrow notes from classmates and will dedicate extra time to complete missed assignments. I appreciate your support and will make sure my progress is not affected.

57 words

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

I want to apologize for missing class last week. I was feeling quite unwell and thought it was best to rest so I could recover quickly without spreading any illness to others. I’m committed to catching up on the lessons by reviewing notes from my classmates and completing all missed assignments. Thank you for your understanding

56 words

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

Sorry for missing class. I was sick and couldn’t come to school. I didn’t want to get anyone else sick. I will try to finish the work soon. I will ask my classmates for notes. I hope I can catch up quickly.

42 words

The CLBs are estimates of the level each sample was written at, not official CELPIP scores. How we estimate CLB