CELPIP Speaking Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation

CELPIP Speaking Task 6 Sample Answer: Restaurant Table Mix-up

You’re at a restaurant with a reservation, but your table is not ready when you arrive, and the staff seems disorganized.

Preparation

60 seconds

Speaking

60 seconds

Choice

Speak to person A or person B

The question

You’re at a restaurant with a reservation, but your table is not ready when you arrive, and the staff seems disorganized.

Choose ONE: EITHER Talk to the restaurant manager and explain why you’re frustrated about the mix-up and ask for a solution.

OR Talk to a friend and explain why you think the staff should be more organized next time.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

While I understand that mistakes can happen, I’m quite frustrated that our table wasn’t ready despite having a reservation. I will speak with the restaurant manager and calmly explain how this has affected our experience. I’ll ask if there’s an alternative table available or if they can offer a discount to make up for the inconvenience. I’m confident they’ll appreciate the feedback and work to resolve the issue quickly and professionally.

71 words

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

I’m disappointed that the restaurant didn’t have our table ready, especially since we had a reservation. I’m going to speak with the manager and politely explain how this mix-up is affecting our plans. I’ll ask if they can find a solution quickly, like offering us a different table or a discount. I’m sure they’ll try to make things right.

59 words

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

I’m going to talk to the manager and tell them I’m frustrated. I had a reservation, but my table isn’t ready. I’ll ask if they can give us a table soon. I’m sure they’ll fix it. It’s a bit annoying, but I’ll stay calm.

44 words

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