CELPIP Speaking Task 3 · Describing a Scene · question 15 of 20
An Off-Leash Dog Park in Autumn
A CELPIP Speaking Task 3 practice question (Describing a Scene), with a model answer below. No sign-up needed. Read the task, take 30 seconds to prepare, then speak for 60 seconds, out loud, as you would on the test.
The task
Describe some things that are happening in this scene at an off-leash dog park as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see it.
- Read the scene, prepare during the preparation time, then speak aloud for the speaking time.
The scene
On the real test you see a picture. Here the scene is described in words, so describe it as if you were looking at it.
It is a grey, chilly afternoon in late October at a fenced off-leash dog park. The ground is covered with brown and orange leaves, and the trees are almost bare. On the left, a woman in a long black coat is throwing a tennis ball with a plastic ball launcher, and a golden retriever is racing after it. In the centre, two small dogs, one white and one black, are chasing each other in circles around a wooden bench. A man sitting on the bench is holding two leashes and drinking from a travel mug. On the right, a teenage boy is filling a metal water bowl from a fountain, and a large grey dog is waiting beside him with its tongue out. In the background, near the double gate at the entrance, an older man is bending down to pick up after his dog with a small green bag, and a sign on the fence lists the park rules.
- Preparation
- 30 seconds
- Speaking time
- 60 seconds
- Question
- 15 of 20
A simple way to build your answer
- Describe each dog by size and colour so the listener can tell them apart.
- Mention the leaves and bare trees to show the season.
- Connect each dog to its owner if the scene makes the link clear.
Model answer · CLB 9
158 words · no sign-upThis one is an off-leash dog park, and it's a grey, chilly afternoon in late October. There are brown and orange leaves all over the ground. Over on the left, a woman in a long black coat is throwing a tennis ball with one of those plastic launchers, and a golden retriever is racing off to get it. In the centre, there are two small dogs, a white one and a black one, chasing each other in circles around a wooden bench. A man is sitting on that bench holding two leashes and sipping from a travel mug, so those two are probably his. On the right, a teenage boy is filling a metal water bowl at a fountain, and a big grey dog is waiting next to him with its tongue hanging out. And at the back, near the gate, an older man is bending down to clean up after his dog with a little green bag.
Why this answer works
- Distinguishes each dog by colour and size, which is essential when describing several similar subjects.
- Links the man with two leashes to the two small dogs through a clearly signalled inference.
- Uses expressive but simple phrases ('racing off', 'tongue hanging out') that bring the scene to life.
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