Growing Your Own Vegetables or Herbs

The task

Talk about a time when you grew vegetables, herbs or other plants yourself, for example on a balcony, on a windowsill or in a backyard. Describe what you did and how it turned out.

• Read the task, prepare during the preparation time, then speak aloud for the speaking time.
• This is an original practice question written in a CELPIP-style format. It is not a real test question.
• The CLB level of each model answer was reviewed by a TESOL-certified instructor. It is not an official CELPIP score. This practice material is not affiliated with or endorsed by Paragon Testing Enterprises.
• CELPIP is a registered trademark of Paragon Testing Enterprises. This site is not affiliated with Paragon Testing Enterprises.

Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking time

60 seconds

Question

29 of 30

Two summers ago I decided to grow tomatoes on my balcony. My apartment is small, but the balcony get a lot of sun. I bought four plants and big pots from the garden store. Every day I watered the plants, sometimes two times when it was very hot. In July the plants was really tall and I had many green tomatoes. But then the squirrels came and they ate a lot of them! I was so angry. I put a net around the plants and after that the plants was okay. In the end I had enough tomatoes for salads all August. I want to do it again.

Why this answer works

• A simple story with a clear problem (squirrels) and solution (a net).
• Basic vocabulary and agreement slips ("the balcony get", "the plants was") that suit a CLB 7.
• Answers both parts of the prompt, but with little description or feeling beyond "I was so angry".

Last year I built a small raised bed in our backyard in Saskatoon, mostly because I wanted my kids to see where food actually comes from. We planted carrots, peas, lettuce and a few zucchini in late May. For the first few weeks we went out every evening to water and pull weeds, and the kids loved checking for new sprouts. Then in July we took a week's vacation, and when we got back, the lettuce had bolted and the zucchini had grown to the size of baseball bats. We ended up handing most of them out on our street. Still, the peas and carrots were fantastic, and my daughter now insists on growing them again this year.

Why this answer works

• A clear reason to start ("I wanted my kids to see where food actually comes from") and a clear problem.
• Accurate gardening vocabulary: "raised bed", "pull weeds", "sprouts", "bolted".
• Humour ("the size of baseball bats") makes it easy to listen to.

A few years ago I got it into my head that I'd grow herbs on my windowsill, which, considering I'd once managed to kill a cactus, was pretty ambitious. I started basil, mint and parsley from seed in old yogurt containers. The basil shot up almost straight away, but the parsley took so long to sprout that I'd honestly given up on it. My big mistake was overwatering. Within a month the mint was turning yellow and the soil smelled musty, so I had to repot everything and add drainage holes. After that, things really took off. By summer I was making pesto every week and handing out mint to the neighbours. These days I've got a proper planter on the balcony, and I'm already planning next spring.

Why this answer works

• Opens with self-mocking humour ("I'd once managed to kill a cactus") that sets up the story.
• Precise, natural language: "shot up", "overwatering", "repot", "took off".
• A clear mistake, a fix and a result, finishing with a forward-looking line.