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CELPIP · Speaking · S4

CELPIP Speaking Task 4: Making Predictions

CELPIP Speaking Task 4, Making Predictions, shows you the same picture you described in Task 3. This time you predict what will probably happen next and explain why. You have 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak, using future forms and linking each prediction to something visible in the scene.

Preparation time
30 seconds
Speaking time
60 seconds
Prompt
The same picture as Task 3
Focus
Likely next events, with reasons
Rating areas
Content/coherence, vocabulary, listenability, task fulfillment

How it works

  1. 1The Task 3 picture appears again with a new question: what will happen next?
  2. 2You have 30 seconds to choose your predictions.
  3. 3Recording starts automatically.
  4. 4Speak for up to 60 seconds; recording stops at the time limit.

Sample task

Original sample · not from an official test

Look at the same picture from Task 3 (a park with a kite stuck in a tree, a couple feeding pigeons, a jogger whose dog's leash is tangled around a lamp post, and a long line at a food truck). What do you think will most probably happen next? Explain your reasons.

Show a strong response

Outline: Prediction 1: the jogger is going to stop and untangle the leash, because he can't continue while it is wrapped around the post. Prediction 2: the children will probably ask an adult for help, since the kite is too high for them to reach. Prediction 3: more pigeons are likely to gather around the bench, as the couple keep throwing food. Wrap-up: in a few minutes, the park will look calmer.

A strong response makes several realistic predictions tied to clues in the picture, gives a reason for each, and varies future language: "is going to", "will probably", "is likely to", "might". It stays about the future instead of re-describing the scene.

Tips that work

  • During Task 3, notice actions that are unfinished or about to go wrong. They are your Task 4 material.
  • Pair every prediction with evidence: "because", "since", "judging by".
  • Mix certainty levels: "will definitely", "will probably", "might".
  • Keep predictions realistic and close in time. What will happen in the next few minutes is easier to support than events next year.

Common mistakes

  • Repeating the Task 3 description with "will" added.
  • Making unlikely, dramatic predictions with no clue in the picture.

Questions candidates ask

How many predictions should I make?

Two to four is typical for 60 seconds. Each should include a short reason drawn from the picture. More predictions without reasons will not help as much as fewer, well-supported ones.

Can I say what people are doing now?

Briefly, to set up a prediction ("The dog's leash is caught, so the jogger is going to stop"). But most of your time should be about what happens next, which is what the task asks for.

Which grammar should I use for predictions?

Future forms such as "will", "be going to", "be likely to" and modals like "might" and "could". Using a range of them shows flexibility and lets you express how sure you are.

Other CELPIP Speaking tasks

CELPIP overviewCELPIP Speaking: all partsCELPIP full mock testsCELPIP articles on the blog