CELPIP Speaking Task 8 Sample Answers: Describing an Unusual Situation
Three original Describing an Unusual Situation examples with playable audio, full transcripts and analysis. Practise CELPIP Speaking Task 8 with varied situations.
Explain an unusual object or scene to a person who cannot see it, using clear comparisons.
Preparation: 30 seconds. Response: 60 seconds.
These three original study answers vary the situation and reasoning. They are unscored teaching examples. Try each prompt before listening, then identify how the response meets its audience and purpose.
You are in a public square and see the unusual book stand in the picture. Call your friend and describe it so they can recognise it.
Listen to the model response · 124 words · 60-second task window
Transcript
Hi Elena, I found a rather unusual book stand in the square. It isn't a normal table. Someone has built shelves onto a bright green bicycle, so the books are carried above the back wheel. There's even a little support near the handlebars with an open book on it. The bicycle is standing beside a bench, and a person is next to it, so you should be able to spot it easily. From a distance, it looks like an ordinary bike carrying a very large load, but up close you can see that the shelves are part of the design. I can't tell whether the owner rides it between locations. Come over to the bench when you arrive, and I'll meet you beside it.
What to notice
The call addresses a listener who cannot see the image and establishes the location.
Ordinary comparisons explain the design without needing a specialist word.
The response distinguishes the visible shelves from an unknown question about whether the bike is ridden.
Revision to practise: Describe the relationship between parts—shelves above the rear wheel—rather than naming only bicycle and books.
A boot outside the shop
A giant boot planter
Original study prompt
You see the unusual planter outside a shop. Call your friend and describe what you are looking at.
Listen to the model response · 122 words · 60-second task window
Transcript
Hey Chris, there's a planter outside the shop that you might enjoy seeing. It's shaped like a yellow rain boot, except it's much bigger than a real one. The top rises above the waist of the person standing beside it. Green plants and small purple flowers are growing out of the opening where your foot would normally go. There's a regular watering can on the ground next to it, which makes the boot look even larger. At first I thought it was part of a shop display, but it seems to be serving as an actual plant container. I don't know who made it. If you're coming this way, look for the enormous yellow boot near the entrance; I'll wait beside it.
What to notice
The normal watering can and nearby person establish scale for the unseen listener.
The speaker uses familiar words to explain the unusual function.
Uncertainty about who made the object is honest; no artist or event is invented.
Revision to practise: 'A big boot' becomes more informative when its height is compared with the nearby person.
An umbrella you can sit in
An umbrella-shaped seat
Original study prompt
You are in a covered plaza and notice the unusual seat. Call your friend and describe it.
Listen to the model response · 121 words · 60-second task window
Transcript
Hi Morgan, I think I've found the strangest seat in the plaza. Imagine an open blue umbrella turned upside down, with its curved part resting on a short metal stand. That's roughly what it looks like. A person is sitting inside the bowl-shaped section, with their feet resting on the edge. Someone beside them is holding an ordinary closed umbrella, so the contrast is quite funny. The seat is under the covered part of the plaza; it isn't being used to keep rain off anyone. I can't tell whether it turns or stays fixed in place. When you reach the plaza, come towards the blue seat near the other people. You'll recognise the umbrella shape as soon as you see it.
What to notice
The comparison explains shape and orientation before adding the person and location.
The response distinguishes the seat from a functioning umbrella.
It avoids claiming rotation, materials beyond the visible stand or an invented purpose.
Revision to practise: Orientation matters: 'an umbrella turned upside down' helps the listener picture the bowl-shaped seat.
Make the next response your own
Keep the communicative purpose, but change the details you would naturally use. Practise the revision suggested after each example. Then record within the task window and check your actual audio for clarity and flow; a written transcript alone cannot establish listenability.
Format and assessment references
Task times and teaching focus were checked against the official 2026 Speaking Pro guide and official performance examples on October 2, 2026. PrepEx examples and annotations are independently authored study material; no official score or endorsement is implied.
