CELPIP Speaking Task 7: Expressing Opinions
Give an opinion and explain your reasons
Answer the question, explain two different reasons, and respond to a concern about your idea.
Task at a glance: 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to speak.
Guide 7 of 8 in the Speaking path · Reviewed
Know the task
In Expressing Opinions, give a clear opinion and explain your reasons. Answer the question you are given and speak naturally. You do not need made-up research, essay headings, or a set number of difficult phrases.
See the official CELPIP test formatA useful approach
- 1
Say whether you support the idea
Answer the question about a shared tool library. You can add a condition, such as having clear borrowing rules. Keep your answer about that proposal rather than changing it to a different service, such as a workshop.
- 2
Explain two different reasons
For each reason, say how people would benefit and give an example. Saving money on rarely used tools is one benefit. Saving space in a small apartment is another. Explain each instead of repeating that the idea is useful.
- 3
Answer a concern about the idea
Consider a problem someone might raise, such as tools going missing. Suggest a way to reduce that problem and explain what would still need attention. A sign-out system helps track tools, but someone still needs to check the collection.
- 4
Finish with your recommendation
Return to your opinion and the reasons that support it. Practise saying the answer aloud. If a sentence is hard to follow in one hearing, split it into shorter sentences.
Sample question and answer
Sample question: Should apartment buildings have a shared tool library where residents can borrow basic household tools? Give your opinion and reasons. This example supports a small tool library with rules for borrowing. It does not suggest buying every kind of tool for every building.
Sample speaking response · Select a passage to see its explanation.
Opinion and condition
The speaker supports the tool library if there is a system for borrowing and returning tools.
Read the full sample answer
I think apartment buildings should offer a small shared tool library, as long as there’s a simple system for borrowing and returning things. Many household jobs need a tool for only a few minutes. If you want to tighten a cupboard handle, for example, buying a whole set of screwdrivers may not be the most sensible use of your money.
For someone living in a small apartment, borrowing a toolbox also avoids using valuable cupboard space for things they rarely need. The building wouldn’t need a huge collection. A few basic tools could cover ordinary jobs, and residents could suggest useful additions once they know what gets borrowed most often.
I can see a concern about tools going missing or coming back damaged. Residents could sign them out for a limited period and report any damage when they return them. Someone would still need to check the collection regularly. That wouldn’t remove every problem, but it would make a small collection much easier to manage.
So I’d support starting with a modest trial and reviewing how it works. It could save residents money and storage space without requiring an expensive workshop or a complicated new service.
Check your understanding
A common mistake
Making broad claims without explaining them.
Less useful: Everyone needs this service, and it will solve all residents’ problems.
More specific: Residents who need tools occasionally could save money by borrowing a small shared collection.
The clearer sentence says who would benefit and how. It explains a realistic benefit for residents who need tools sometimes.
Useful language in context
- as long as
Only if something happens or a requirement is met.
I support the idea as long as borrowing is managed responsibly.
- a modest trial
A small test to see how an idea works.
A modest trial would show which tools residents actually use.
- sign something out
Record that you are borrowing an item.
Residents could sign tools out and return them the following day.
Try it yourself
- Decide whether an apartment building should have a shared parcel-collection room.
- Write two reasons for your opinion and one concern someone might raise.
- Give your answer aloud. Check that your reasons explain different benefits or problems, and that you answer the concern you wrote down.