CELPIP Speaking Task 1 Sample Answer (Giving Advice)

How Task 1 works

Task 1 is the giving-advice task. Someone has a choice or a problem, and you help. Our speaking tasks guide gives the shape that works: advice, why, a second piece of advice, why. Speaking is recorded on the computer, so there is no examiner to talk to. You speak to the screen and it records you.

You get a short prep window before you speak. Do not write sentences in it. Write three or four words: your choice and your reasons. The prep and speaking times change by task, so practise with the real ones in the speaking practice prompts, which list the timings for every task.

The invented task prompt

Invented task prompt: Your friend Mateo has just started a job in the fictional city of Harrowgate. He has found two apartments. One is cheap but far from work, and the bus ride is long. The other is near the harbour and close to his office, but the rent is higher. He asks you which one to take. Give him your advice and explain your reasons.

Sample answer

This is a transcript of what a test taker could say. It is original and written for practice. Read it once, then cover it and record your own answer to the same prompt.

Mateo, I think you should take the apartment near the harbour, even though it costs more.

My first reason is time. You told me the cheaper place is an hour from your office by bus. That is two hours every day, so about ten hours a week sitting on a bus. You could use that time to cook, sleep properly, or study for the course you keep talking about.

My second reason is your energy. When I had a long commute, I was tired all the time and I stopped seeing my friends. You said you want a calmer year, and a short walk to work fits that goal much better.

I do understand that the rent is higher, and that matters. So here is my other piece of advice. Before you sign, write down your whole monthly budget, and then ask the landlord if there is a smaller unit or if you could share with a roommate. That could close part of the gap without moving far from work.

If the numbers still work, I would say yes. You get the location you want, and you are not stressed about the trip every morning. Let me know what you decide.

Why this answer earns its level

Read the answer again with these phrases in mind.

• "I think you should take the apartment near the harbour" is the answer in the first sentence. The listener never has to wait to find out what the advice is.
• "My first reason is time" and "My second reason is your energy" are signposts. They make the answer easy to follow and keep each reason separate.
• "an hour from your office by bus" and "you want a calmer year" use details from the prompt and from Mateo's situation. That is what makes advice sound like it was written for this person.
• "I do understand that the rent is higher" deals with the obvious objection. Then the second piece of advice, the budget and the roommate idea, gives Mateo something to do.
• "Let me know what you decide" is a short, natural last line. The answer finishes on purpose instead of being cut off.

Marking table

This answer is written to show the features of a CLB 8 to 9 response. It is a practice estimate from our own marking guide. Every row uses one of the four speaking dimensions.

Common mistakes

• Listing three or four short reasons instead of developing two. The listener gets facts but no reasoning.
• Giving advice that ignores the prompt. If the prompt says the bus ride is long, use it.
• Speaking like a formal speech to a friend. Use the tone the prompt suggests.
• Saying "on the one hand, on the other hand" and never choosing. Task 1 wants a clear recommendation.
• Running out of time mid-sentence. The recording stops, and a clear last line earns more than a half-finished idea.

To practise, take any everyday choice (two jobs, two courses, a bike or a bus pass), plan with four words, and record yourself. For marked feedback on your own recording, see the speaking feedback guide.

Questions