CELPIP Speaking Task 7: Expressing Opinions

State and support an opinion on a topic.

~2 min each

0 of 28 sets done

Practice sets

1 Mandatory Volunteer Hours to Graduate FREE 2 A Funded Year of Studying Abroad 3 Preserving Historical Sites Versus Research 4 Making Public Transit Free for Everyone 5 Free Public Transit for City Residents 6 Free Public Transit for All 7 Free Public Transit in Large Cities 8 A Downtown Congestion Fee for Drivers 9 Banning Cars From Downtown Cores 10 Free Transit for All City Residents 11 Free Public Transit for All People 12 Free Transit to Discourage Driving 13 Problems Planning Group Vacations 14 Free Transit in Canadian Cities 15 Charging a Fee to Borrow Books 16 A Library Membership Fee for Costs 17 Keeping Public Libraries Open Longer 18 Free City Public Transit for Everyone 19 Library Relevance in the Online Age 20 Part-Time Jobs for Studying Students 21 Free Transit Versus Continuing Fares 22 Library Budget on Digital Versus Print 23 Banning Downtown Cars to Cut Pollution 24 More Bike Lanes Over Car Lanes 25 Library Programs Over Buying Books 26 Banning Downtown Cars for Pedestrians 27 Free Transit Despite Higher Taxes 28 More Library Funding Through Higher Taxes

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Guide

Task 7 asks a "Do you think...?" question and gives you 90 seconds to answer it. It is the most essay-like task on the Speaking test, and the fastest way to lose marks is to sit on the fence.

What is CELPIP Speaking Task 7?

Paragon's description: answer a "Do you think...?" question with your opinion. You get 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to speak, the joint-longest speaking time on the test.

An official example: "Do you think that reducing pollution is only the government's responsibility? That is, only the government should be dealing with air pollution and water pollution in urban areas? Explain your reasons." Note the word only. The scope of these questions is narrower than it first appears.

How CELPIP Speaking Task 7 is scored

Every CELPIP Speaking response is rated by trained human raters (Paragon says each performance is seen by three to five of them, working independently) on the same four dimensions: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability and Task Fulfillment. Your Speaking level is a product of your scores across all eight tasks, so no single task can sink you, and no single task can carry you.

Paragon does not publish a per-task weighting, and you should be sceptical of any site that claims one. What the official rater commentary does show is which dimension tends to get flagged on which task, and that is what the notes below describe.

Content/Coherence dominates. Ninety seconds, and the official recipe is literally position, three reasons, specific details, transitions.

Task Fulfillment carries a relevance trap that exists because of that word "only": candidates quietly swap the narrow question for a broader, easier one and deliver a generic "pollution is bad, we must act" speech. That is a relevance loss even if the English is excellent.

CELPIP Speaking Task 7 strategies

Read the question carefully and answer the question asked. This is official strategy number one for a reason.
Decide yes or no, quickly. Also official. You cannot afford to still be deciding at second 20.
Give about three reasons. The official number.
Support each reason with a specific detail. Reasons without examples read as padding across 90 seconds.
Signal each new idea with a transition, and vary how you express opinion ("in my view", "I'd argue that", "it seems to me") rather than repeating "I think".

Common CELPIP Speaking Task 7 mistakes

Sitting on the fence. An official Level 8 sample said "I do think government should limit..." and then immediately undercut itself with "However, the limit is not easy to determine," which muddied the position. Pick a side.
Answering the broader, easier question instead of the narrow one on screen.
Three reasons with no specifics, which across 90 seconds is very audible.

Useful phrases for CELPIP Speaking Task 7

Commit in sentence one: "Yes, I firmly believe that..." / "No, I don't think that's the case at all."
Concede once, then hold: "While it's true that governments have the most power here, I don't think that means individuals are off the hook."
Signal reasons: "The first reason is..." / "On top of that..." / "And finally, perhaps most importantly..."
Get specific: "For instance, in my own city..." / "To give you a concrete example..."
Close by restating: "So all things considered, I'd say the responsibility has to be shared."

Tip: Treat the official structure as a stopwatch. Roughly 10 seconds to state your position, 20 to 25 seconds per reason (claim, then example, then consequence), 10 seconds to conclude. That is 90 seconds, and it stops you running dry at 60.

CELPIP Speaking Task 7: frequently asked questions

Is there a right answer in CELPIP Speaking Task 7?

No. Raters score your language, organisation and how well you support your view, not the view itself. Argue whichever side you can defend more easily in English.

Can I say "it depends" or argue both sides?

It is risky. Paragon's official strategy is to "quickly decide whether you will answer yes or no". Take a clear position. You can concede one point from the other side to show nuance, but do not end up neutral.

How many reasons do I need?

"About three", per the official strategy, each with a specific supporting detail. Three developed reasons is what fills 90 seconds honestly.

How long is CELPIP Speaking Task 7?

30 seconds to prepare, 90 seconds to speak. It is tied with Task 1 for the longest speaking time on the test.

What if I know nothing about the topic?

The topics are everyday and general (pollution, education, work), and no factual knowledge is tested. Nothing is fact-checked, so invent plausible reasons and personal examples.

How do I fill a full 90 seconds?

Use the official structure as a timer: about 10 seconds to state your position, 20 to 25 seconds per reason including an example and a consequence, then about 10 seconds to conclude. Under-running costs you on Content and on Task Fulfillment, which counts length.