CELPIP, Speaking
CELPIP Speaking Task 4: Making Predictions
Using the same picture, you predict what will probably happen next.
Format and scoring
| Skill | Speaking |
|---|---|
| Preparation | 30 seconds |
| Response time | Up to 60 seconds |
| How it's scored | Scored on content and coherence, vocabulary, listenability and task fulfillment. |
| Weight (estimate) | About 13% of your speaking score |
How to answer Speaking Task 4: Making Predictions
- 1Pick two or three people or things in the scene.
- 2Predict what each will do, with a reason.
- 3Use future forms: going to, will probably, might.
Common mistakes
- Describing the scene again instead of predicting.
Sample question
Storm over the campsite
A family at a lakeside campsite as a storm approaches. Dark grey clouds are rolling in from the left, with rain already falling over the mountains across the lake, while the sun is still shining on the right. The lake is choppy with whitecaps, and a red canoe is pulled only halfway onto the sandy shore, with its paddle lying on the sand. On the left, an orange tent is only half put up; one side has collapsed and is flapping in the wind, and a loose tent pole lies on the grass. A father in a red cap kneels beside it, raising a mallet to hammer in a stake. In the middle, a campfire burns inside a ring of stones, its smoke blowing sideways. A girl with a ponytail is flying a red and yellow kite that is drifting toward a tall pine tree. On the right, a mother reaches up to take towels off a clothesline strung between the pine and a pole. In front of her, a picnic table with a checked tablecl…
In this picture, what do you think will most probably happen next? Describe in detail what you think will happen.
Show a model answer (Level 12)
It looks like this family's peaceful afternoon at the lake is about to be interrupted. Dark storm clouds are rolling in from the left, and the wind has already picked up, so I think it's going to start pouring within a few minutes. The father, who's kneeling beside the half-built tent, will probably rush to hammer in the last stakes, but the loose side might blow over before he finishes. Meanwhile, the dog has its front paws on the bench and is staring at the hot dogs, so I bet it'll grab one while the mother is busy pulling the towels off the clothesline. The girl's kite is drifting toward that tall pine, and it'll most likely get tangled in the branches. Someone will also need to drag the canoe further up the beach, or the waves could carry it away. In the end, I imagine they'll all squeeze into the tent, soaked but laughing.