CELPIP Speaking Task 3: Describing a Scene
Help the listener picture what is happening
Say where the scene is, then describe who is doing what in each part of it.
Task at a glance: 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.
Guide 3 of 8 in the Speaking path · Reviewed
Know the task
Task 3 uses an illustration. Describe the place and main actions so the listener can picture the scene. Use what you can see. Do not invent people’s names, relationships, or thoughts.
See the official CELPIP test formatA useful approach
- 1
Name the place and activity
Start with the general setting. If you are unsure what the picture shows, say “It looks like a community event.” Choose a description the picture supports.
- 2
Describe one area at a time
Move from the front to the back, or from one side to the other. Describe people together when they are doing something together. Use phrases such as “beside her” and “at the back” to help the listener follow.
- 3
Say who is doing what
Say who is doing what: “A woman is labelling pots.” For actions happening now, use “is” or “are” with an action word ending in “-ing”, such as “are carrying”. Save predictions about what happens next for Task 4.
Sample question and answer
Sample question: Imagine a plant exchange in a community hall. At the front, a woman in a green apron labels small pots on a table. Beside her, a visitor holds an empty tray and looks at the plants. On the left, a child reaches toward a tall watering can at the edge of another table. An adult beside the child is turning toward the can. At the back, two volunteers carry a long folding table toward an open space. Several visitors wait near the entrance.
Imagined scene · Select a passage to see its explanation.
Place and activity
The speaker names the setting and activity before describing individual people.
Read the full sample answer
This looks like a plant exchange taking place inside a community hall. In the foreground, a woman wearing a green apron is labelling several small pots on a table. Beside her, a visitor is holding an empty tray and looking over the plants, apparently deciding which ones to choose.
On the left, a child is reaching toward a tall watering can near the edge of another table. An adult standing beside the child is turning toward it. That part of the scene looks rather busy, with the child and the adult focused on the same object.
At the back, two volunteers are carrying a long folding table toward an open space. Several visitors are waiting near the entrance while the activity continues inside. Overall, there are a few groups doing different things, all connected with setting up or taking part in the exchange.
Check your understanding
A common mistake
Naming objects without saying what people are doing.
Less useful: There is a woman, a tray, plants, and a table.
More specific: A woman is labelling pots on the table while a visitor beside her examines the plants.
The clearer sentence explains how the woman, visitor, and objects are connected. “While” shows that the two actions happen at the same time.
Useful language in context
- in the foreground
In the part of a picture nearest to you.
In the foreground, a volunteer is arranging the pots.
- beside the table
Next to the table.
A visitor is waiting beside the table with an empty tray.
- look over
Look at something carefully.
The visitor is looking over the plants before choosing one.
Try it yourself
- Read the plant-exchange scene above again.
- Say one sentence about the people at the front and one about the people at the back.
- Check both sentences against the scene. Each should say where the people are and what they are doing, using only the details given.