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CELPIP Speaking Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation

CELPIP Speaking Task 6 Sample Answer: Using Roommate's Groceries

By David

You ran out of some essential ingredients while cooking late at night and used a few items from your roommate's groceries without asking, intending to replace them. Your roommate notices the next day and seems upset…

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

The question

You ran out of some essential ingredients while cooking late at night and used a few items from your roommate's groceries without asking, intending to replace them. Your roommate notices the next day and seems upset about it. You need to explain to keep the living situation harmonious.

Choice:

Talk to your roommate and explain why you used their groceries, apologizing and offering to replace them immediately.

OR

Talk to your roommate and explain why you think sharing groceries occasionally is fine, but agree to ask next time.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

I can see you're frustrated about the missing groceries, and I completely take responsibility—I borrowed a few items last night when I unexpectedly ran short during cooking, assuming I'd replace them before you noticed, but that was presumptuous on my part. I apologize for not respecting your personal supplies and for any inconvenience this caused, as I know how important it is to maintain trust in our living arrangement. To make amends, I'll purchase replacements this afternoon and even add a little extra as a peace offering. Moving forward, I'll make a conscious effort to communicate better, perhaps by texting if something like this arises again, ensuring our home remains comfortable for both of us.

115 words

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

I noticed you seemed annoyed about the groceries, and I want to apologize for using some of yours without asking first—I was in a pinch late last night while making dinner and didn't want to wake you. I understand boundaries are important in our shared space, so I'll head to the store right away to replace everything exactly. To prevent this in the future, maybe we can label our items more clearly or discuss a shared grocery list. Thanks for being understanding; I value our roommate dynamic.

87 words

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

Hey, sorry about using your groceries last night. I was cooking and ran out of stuff, so I took a little. I didn't mean to upset you. I'll buy new ones today and put them back. Let's not fight over this.

41 words

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

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