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CELPIP Speaking Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation

CELPIP Speaking Task 6 Sample Answer: Neighbour’s Backyard Fire Pit

By David

The speaker talks to his wife about a kind, lonely neighbour whose fire pit smoke bothers the family. The challenge is agreeing the smoke is a real problem while explaining why other solutions should come first.

Preparation
60 seconds
Speaking
60 seconds
Choice
Speak to person A or person B

The question

Your neighbour, Mr. Haines, has a fire pit in his backyard, and from spring to late fall he has a fire almost every evening. The smoke blows toward your house, so your family can no longer open the windows or sit on the patio, and your clothes often smell of smoke. Your wife, Leila, wants you to ask him to stop, but Mr. Haines is a kind, lonely widower who often clears the snow from your driveway.

Choose ONE:

EITHER

Talk to Mr. Haines. Ask him to have fewer fires.

OR

Talk to Leila. Explain why you should try other solutions before asking Mr. Haines.

How to plan your answer

What they want

  • Choose ONE: ask your neighbour Mr. Haines to have fewer fires, OR tell your wife Leila why you should try other solutions first.
  • Talking to Mr. Haines is easier: a kind, specific request can fix the smoke problem directly.

Plan (60 sec)

  1. Greet: "Hi Mr. Haines, thanks again for clearing our driveway; we really appreciate it."
  2. Show you understand: "I know your evenings by the fire pit mean a lot to you."
  3. Problem: the smoke blows toward our house; we can't open the windows or use the patio, and our clothes smell.
  4. Request: could you have fires only two or three nights a week, or on days the wind blows the other way?
  5. Friendly offer: "And please join us for dinner sometime."
  6. Close: "Thanks for understanding; we value you as a neighbour."

Useful vocabulary

  • fire pit, smoke, wind direction, patio
  • cut back, compromise, considerate, good neighbour

Phrases

  • "I hope you don't mind me mentioning..."
  • "Would it be possible to..."
  • "I'd really appreciate it if..."

Avoid

  • Sounding angry; he is kind and lonely.
  • Talking about Mr. Haines instead of to him by name.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

Leila, you're right that the smoke has gotten out of hand, and I don't want you to think I'm brushing it off. Not being able to open the windows or sit on our own patio isn't fair to us. But I'd really like to try a few other things first. Mr. Haines has been nothing but good to us. He's out there clearing our driveway before we're even awake, and since his wife passed, I get the feeling those evening fires are a big part of how he gets through the day. What if we started with a couple of air purifiers, and maybe a tall privacy screen or some cedars along that side of the yard? I'd also like to invite him over for dinner. If we get to know him better, it'll be much easier to mention the smoke gently without him feeling like we're attacking him.

149 words

Why it scores high

  • Vocabulary: "gotten out of hand", "brushing it off" and "nothing but good to us" show a strong, natural range for a sensitive talk.
  • Task Fulfillment: the answer respects Leila first, "isn't fair to us", and then gives specific options like "some cedars along that side of the yard".
  • Content/Coherence: the plan builds toward a gentle future conversation, "without him feeling like we're attacking him", which gives Leila a clear reason to agree.

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

Leila, I completely agree that the smoke is a problem. I hate that we can't open the windows or use the patio. But I think we should try some other things before we ask Mr. Haines to stop. He's always been so kind to us. He clears our driveway every winter and never asks for anything. Since his wife passed away, I think those fires are one of the few things he enjoys. Maybe we can buy an air purifier, and plant some tall trees or put up a screen on that side of the yard. We could also invite him over for dinner sometime. If we get closer, it will be easier to talk about it later.

118 words

What works, and what's missing

  • Content/Coherence: the speaker opens with agreement, "I completely agree that the smoke is a problem", before explaining why to wait.
  • Task Fulfillment: the solutions, "an air purifier", "tall trees" or "a screen", and dinner with him, are practical and directly connected to the smoke.
  • Vocabulary: "passed away" is tactful, but "He's always been so kind to us" is general where a more vivid detail would strengthen the point.

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

Leila, I know the smoke is a big problem. I don't like it too. But Mr. Haines is very kind man. Every winter he clear snow from our driveway. And his wife die, so he is alone. Maybe the fire make him happy. I don't want to make him sad. First, we can try other thing. Maybe we buy air purifier for inside the house. Or we can invite him to sit with us sometimes. If this don't work, I will talk to him nicely.

85 words

What holds it back

  • Task Fulfillment: the speaker gives the main reasons, the snow clearing and that "his wife die, so he is alone", and suggests an "air purifier".
  • Listenability: "I don't like it too", "he clear snow" and "If this don't work" contain errors that a listener notices in a short answer.
  • Content/Coherence: the ideas are listed, but "we can invite him to sit with us" is not explained as a way to make a later talk easier.

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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