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CELPIP Speaking · Task 8

Task 8 practice course: Describing an Unusual Situation

On a phone call, describe something strange so clearly that the listener can picture it, then ask the question you were given. Work through six short steps, from how the task works to a timed answer, about 30 minutes in all. New to this task? Read the Task 8 format and strategy first.

6 steps30 s to prepare · 60 s to speakFree · no account needed
Illustration: describing an unusual situation in daily life
Step 1 of 6

Learn the task

How to organise your answer, what to do with your time, common mistakes and useful phrases, then a quick check.

Part 1 of 5

A phone call: greet, describe, ask

Task 8 is a phone call to a named person about something unusual you can see. The listener can't see it, so start with what it is overall, then the details. The question at the end of the prompt must be asked, word for word if you like.

A strange object or building

A house shaped like a giant banana.

  1. Greet them and say where you are
  2. What it is overall: shape and size
  3. Details: colour, material, parts
  4. What's around it
  5. Ask the question from the prompt
A strange place or room

A library where the seats are swings hanging from the ceiling.

  1. Greet them and why you're calling
  2. What's unusual, in one sentence
  3. How people are using it
  4. The rest of the room
  5. Ask the question
Something strange happening

An elephant spraying water onto a water slide.

  1. Greet them: "You won't believe what I'm looking at"
  2. What is happening
  3. Who is involved and how they react
  4. The setting
  5. Ask the question

Task 8 cheat sheet

The key points of the course on one screen, to read again just before your test.

Your 30 seconds and 60 seconds

Before you speak (30 s)
  • Find the one unusual thing and how to name it ("shaped like a giant banana").
  • Note 3-4 details: shape, size, colour, what it's made of.
  • Underline the question you must ask at the end.
While you speak (60 s)
  • Greet the person by name, as on a real call.
  • Go from overall to details, top to bottom or one part at a time.
  • Use comparisons to familiar things: "about the size of a bus".
Finishing
  • Ask the question from the prompt, linked to the person: "Since you sell homes in this area,..."
  • Leave 10 seconds for it: an answer with no question loses points.

Three mistakes that keep scores at CLB 7

  • Forgetting the question. Plan the question first and keep 10 seconds for it.
  • Details before the big picture. One sentence on what it is overall, then the details.
  • Not making it a phone call. Greet them, say why you're calling, and ask them something at the end.

Phrases for describing something unusual

  • Opening the call: “Hi Noor, it's me. I'm at..., and I had to call you.”, “You won't believe what I'm looking at right now.”
  • What it is overall: “It's literally shaped like a...”, “Instead of..., there are...”, “It's unlike anything I've ever seen.”
  • Details: “The top curls up into...”, “It's made of...”, “It's about the size of...”, “...on either side...”
  • The setting: “The area around it...”, “The room itself is...”
  • Asking: “Since you're on the committee, I'm curious...”, “As someone who..., how easy do you think...?”, “Do you think... would...?”

Questions about Task 8

How do I organise a CELPIP Speaking Task 8 answer?

Task 8 is a phone call to a named person about something unusual you can see. The listener can't see it, so start with what it is overall, then the details. The question at the end of the prompt must be asked, word for word if you like. A strange object or building: Greet them and say where you are; What it is overall: shape and size; Details: colour, material, parts; What's around it; Ask the question from the prompt. A strange place or room: Greet them and why you're calling; What's unusual, in one sentence; How people are using it; The rest of the room; Ask the question. Something strange happening: Greet them: "You won't believe what I'm looking at"; What is happening; Who is involved and how they react; The setting; Ask the question.

How should I use my time in CELPIP Speaking Task 8?

Before you speak (30 s): Find the one unusual thing and how to name it ("shaped like a giant banana"). Note 3-4 details: shape, size, colour, what it's made of. Underline the question you must ask at the end. While you speak (60 s): Greet the person by name, as on a real call. Go from overall to details, top to bottom or one part at a time. Use comparisons to familiar things: "about the size of a bus". Finishing: Ask the question from the prompt, linked to the person: "Since you sell homes in this area,..." Leave 10 seconds for it: an answer with no question loses points.

What mistakes lower a CELPIP Speaking Task 8 score?

Forgetting the question. The prompt tells you what to ask. Leaving it out means the task isn't done. Instead: Plan the question first and keep 10 seconds for it. Details before the big picture. "It's yellow with round windows" means nothing until the listener knows it's a house shaped like a banana. Instead: One sentence on what it is overall, then the details. Not making it a phone call. Describing the picture like Task 3 ignores the person you're calling. Instead: Greet them, say why you're calling, and ask them something at the end.

Is this Task 8 course free?

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