CELPIP Speaking Task 3: Describing a Scene
Describe what is happening in an image.
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Practice sets
1 A Chaotic Elementary Classroom FREE 2 A Busy Downtown Street Crosswalk 3 A Bustling Winter Cafe Interior 4 A Busy Lakeside Campsite Setup 5 A Crowded Indoor Shopping Mall 6 A Youth Ball-Hockey Goal Celebration 7 A Sunny Community Farmers' Market 8 A Chaotic Airplane Cabin in Flight 9 A Marine Park Sea-Lion Show 10 A Busy Hotel Lobby Check-In 11 A Bustling Lakefront Water-Sports Scene 12 A Busy Outdoor School Playground 13 A Busy Intersection Fender-Bender 14 A Family Kitchen Baking Together 15 A Lakeside Camping and Fishing Trip 16 An Outdoor Youth Sports Day 17 A Family Dinner Gathering At Home 18 A Suburban Family Moving Day 19 A Busy Daycare Playroom 20 A Community Summer Field Day 21 A Community-Centre Kitchen Meal Prep 22 A Working Farm on a Sunny Day 23 A Chaotic Office Break Room 24 A Busy Shopping-Plaza Parking Lot 25 A Bustling Amusement Park Midway 26 A Circus Under the Big Top 27 A Downtown High-Rise Construction Site 28 An Indoor Carnival Game Midway
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Up next in Speaking Task 4 · Making Predictions PreviewCELPIP Speaking Task 3: frequently asked questions
Do I have to describe everything in the picture?
No. Paragon's official strategy says you do not need to describe everything, and advises choosing the things you are comfortable talking about. Pick three or four areas and develop them properly.
What tense should I use in CELPIP Speaking Task 3?
Mainly the present continuous, because you are describing what is happening now ("she's reaching into her pocket"), with present simple for static facts ("there are two windows behind them").
Am I describing the picture to someone?
Yes, and it is scored. The prompt states that the person you are speaking with cannot see the picture, and official rater feedback penalises responses that do not address that person.
What if I do not know the word for something?
Describe around it with common words: "a kind of machine you use to make coffee". Paragon endorses exactly this workaround, and raters credit a successful paraphrase far above a silence.
Should I guess how the people are feeling?
Yes. "Describe the people's appearance, actions, and feelings" is an official strategy, and feelings give you richer language than a bare list of objects.
Is CELPIP Speaking Task 3 the same picture as Task 4?
Yes. Paragon's study pack describes Task 4 as looking at "the same illustration from Task 3". Plan for it while you are still on Task 3.
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