CELPIP Speaking Task 3: Stop Listing Objects and Start Narrating the Scene

The listing trap

Here is what most CELPIP candidates do on Task 3: they look at the picture and start naming things.

"I see a park. There is a bench. There is a woman. There is a dog. There are some trees."

That is technically a description. It is also boring, repetitive, and it will not get you past a 6. Examiners call this "listing" — and it is the single most common mistake on this task.

The fix is not harder vocabulary. It is a different way of looking at the picture.

How Task 3 actually works

You get a picture — usually a busy scene like a park, restaurant, or street. You have 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. That is tight. No time for wandering.

The prompt asks you to describe what is happening. Not what exists. What is happening. That distinction matters more than anything else.

A 60-second structure that works

Split your response into three chunks of roughly 20 seconds each:

1. Set the scene (5–10 seconds). Give a one-sentence overview of the location and mood. Where are we? What is the general vibe?

2. Narrate two or three focal points (35–40 seconds). Pick the most interesting people or actions. Describe what they are doing, not just that they exist. Move spatially through the image — left to right, foreground to background.

3. Wrap with an impression (10 seconds). One sentence about the overall atmosphere or how the scene makes you feel.

That is your skeleton. Memorize it. It keeps you moving forward instead of circling.

Before and after: listing vs. narrating

Before (listing):

"There is a park. I can see a woman sitting on a bench. There is a dog next to her. On the left, there are two children. There is a fountain in the background."

After (narrating):

"This looks like a sunny afternoon at a public park. In the foreground, a woman is relaxing on a wooden bench while her dog rests at her feet, watching the people walk by. Over on the left side, two children are chasing each other around a fountain, and you can see the water splashing behind them."

Same picture. Completely different score. The second version has movement, spatial relationships, and personality. The first one reads like an inventory.

The two tools that fix everything

Spatial language

Stop saying "there is." Start placing things in the scene:

• In the foreground / in the background
• On the left side / toward the right
• Next to / behind / in front of
• At the center of the image

These phrases give your description physical depth. The examiner can picture the layout because you are building it for them.

Action verbs

Replace "there is a man" with what the man is doing:

• sitting → lounging, leaning back, scrolling through his phone
• walking → strolling, rushing, heading toward
• talking → chatting, laughing with, gesturing to

You do not need fancy vocabulary. You need specific verbs. "A couple is sharing a meal" beats "there are two people and food" every time.

Practice drill: the 3-point narration

Pick any photo — from a textbook, a news article, even your camera roll. Set a timer for 60 seconds and do this:

1. Name the place and mood in one sentence.
2. Describe two things that are happening, using spatial language.
3. End with how the scene feels overall.

Record yourself. Then play it back and count: how many times did you say "there is"? Every instance is a chance to replace it with something more dynamic. If you want a structured way to do this, the Speaking Coach app lets you practice Task 3 with real prompts and AI feedback on exactly these patterns.

For a full breakdown of how to review your own recordings effectively, check that guide — it pairs well with this drill.

The real skill behind Task 3

Describing a scene is not about having the right words. It is about seeing the picture as a story instead of a list. Once you make that shift, your delivery speeds up, your vocabulary feels more natural, and your score follows.

If you are working through all eight tasks, the complete CELPIP speaking practice guide maps out how Task 3 fits into the bigger picture — and where to spend your prep time for the most improvement.