CELPIP Speaking Task 5: Comparing and Persuading

In Speaking Task 5: Comparing and Persuading you need to make a decision, compare two options, explain your reasoning, and persuade someone that your choice is the better one — all within a limited amount of time. The task follows a clear three-stage process: one minute to decide, one minute to prepare, and one minute to speak. In this blog, we'll show you how to use each stage effectively, from identifying useful adjectives and choosing the strongest option, to making comparisons, organizing your ideas, and using persuasive language to deliver a clear and convincing response.

Part 1: Decide — 1 minute

First, you will be presented with a situation and two options. You have one minute to decide which option you prefer.

Part 2: Prepare — 1 minute

After selecting your preferred option, you have another one minute to prepare your response. This is your opportunity to think about your arguments, make comparisons, and organize your ideas.

Part 3: Speak — 1 minute

Finally, you have one minute to speak. You need to explain your choice, compare it with the alternative, and persuade the listener that your choice is the better option.

Think of the task as:

DECIDE → PREPARE → SPEAK

Or, more specifically:

DECIDE → MAKE COMPARISONS → COMPARE & PERSUADE

Part 1: Decide — 1 Minute

The first minute is not your speaking time. Your job is simply to understand the situation and choose which option you want to discuss.

You should use this minute efficiently rather than overthinking your decision.

Example:

You and your family are thinking of buying a new car. You find two suitable options. Using the pictures and information below, choose the option that you prefer. In the next section, you will need to persuade your family member that your choice is the better choice. If you do not choose an option, the computer will choose one for you. You do not need to speak for this part.

The Family SUV

Price: $48,000

Fuel: Gasoline

Seating: 7 passengers

Fuel efficiency: 7.5 L/100 km

Features: Advanced safety system, large trunk, heated seats

The City Sedan

Price: $32,000

Fuel: Hybrid

Seating: 5 passengers

Fuel efficiency: 5.5 L/100 km

Features: Basic safety system, small trunk, air conditioning

Strategies

1. Read the instructions at the top

Start by carefully reading the instructions so you understand exactly what you are being asked to do.

Don't immediately start looking at individual details. First, understand the overall situation.

Ask yourself:

Who am I talking to?

What decision needs to be made?

What are the two options?

What am I being asked to recommend?

2. Look at the pictures and descriptions

You will see pictures and descriptions for the two options.

Look at both choices quickly and identify the most important differences.

Useful adjectives you might identify:

The Family SUV

spacious → more seating → safe → comfortable → expensive

The City Sedan

affordable → compact → fuel-efficient → basic → smaller → less expensive

Instead, look for the key adjectives and characteristics that you can use later in your response.

3. Choose the option you prefer to talk about

Choose the option that gives you the easiest arguments to explain and defend.

This is extremely important:

There is no right or wrong choice.

As soon as you've made your choice, begin thinking about what you are going to say during the preparation stage.

Part 2: Prepare — 1 Minute

Once you've selected your option, you will be presented your choice and a different option.

Let's say you chose the SUV from Part 1...

Example:

Your sister is suggesting another vehicle. Persuade your sister that what you chose is more suitable by comparing the two.

Your choice

The Family SUV

Price: $48,000

Fuel: Gasoline

Seating: 7 passengers

Fuel efficiency: 7.5 L/100 km

Features: Advanced safety system, large trunk, heated seats

Your sister's choice

The sportscar

Price: $80,000

Fuel: Gasoline

Seating: 5 passengers

Fuel efficiency: 10 L/100 km

Features: Leather interior, small trunk, strong engine

Why is my choice better than the alternative?

For example:

The SUV...

• is more fuel-efficient

• is more spacious

• is safer

• has more trunk space

A Simple Preparation Formula

During your one minute of preparation, try to identify:

1. Your choice

"I'd recommend the SUV."

2. Advantage of your choice (the SUV)

"It's more spacious."

3. Advantage of the other person's choice (the Sportscar)

"It's faster."

4. Comparison

"Although the sportscar is faster, it's much less spacious than the SUV."

You don't need to write complete sentences.

In fact, short notes and keywords are often better because they allow you to speak naturally rather than read a memorized script.

Part 3: Speak — 1 Minute

Now it's time to put everything together.

You have one minute to explain your choice, compare the two options, and persuade the listener.

Your response should sound like you're giving genuine advice to a friend, colleague, or family member.

A useful structure is:

1. State your choice

"Personally, I'd recommend the SUV."

2. Give your first reason

"The main reason is that it's much less expensive."

3. Give your second reason

"It's also considerably more spacious."

4. Compare the alternatives

"Although the sportscar is much faster, it's much more expensive.."

5. Address a disadvantage of your choice

"I know the SUV isn't as fast, however..."

6. Persuade

"Since we will use the car mostly for commuting in the city, having a quick car is unnecessary with the gridlock of traffic. Not to mention, the extra space would be very useful for carrying our groceries and shopping."

7. Finish strongly

"For these reasons, I think we should go with the SUV."

The Complete Task 5 Strategy

Here's an easy way to remember everything you need to do:

Stage	Time	What to Do
Part 1: Decide	1 minute	Read instructions, examine both options, extract adjectives, choose your preferred option
Part 2: Prepare	1 minute	Make notes, identify advantages, make comparisons, anticipate objections
Part 3: Speak	1 minute	Use adjectives, compare the options, give reasons, address objections, persuade

A Three-Minute Example

Imagine you're choosing between two vacation destinations.

PART 1 — DECIDE

You and your family are planning a vacation. You have found two suitable options and need to decide which one would be best for your family. Using the pictures and information below, choose the option that you prefer. In the next section, you will need to persuade your family member that your choice is the better choice. If you do not choose an option, the computer will choose one for you. You do not need to speak for this part.

Part 1: Choose one of the two options.

Cancun Beach Vacation

Price: $6,000 for the family

Accommodation: 5-star beachfront resort

Activities: Swimming, snorkeling, spa, boat tours

Meals: All-inclusive

Atmosphere: Relaxing and peaceful

Camping Vacation

Price: $2,000 for the family

Accommodation: Camper Van Rental

Activities: Fishing, hiking, campfire

Meals: Not included

Atmosphere: Quiet and beautiful

You decide that the Cancun Beach Vacation vacation is easier to defend.

You extract some useful adjectives:

luxurious — relaxing — beautiful — expensive — convenient

PART 2 — PREPARE

Your partner is suggesting another vacation. Persuade your partner that what you chose is more suitable by comparing the two.

Cancun Beach Vacation

Your choice

Price: $6,000 for the family

Accommodation: 5-star beachfront resort

Activities: Swimming, snorkeling, spa, boat tours

Meals: All-inclusive

Atmosphere: Relaxing and peaceful

Beach: Private white-sand beach

Orlando Disney World Vacation

Your partner's choice

Price: $5,000 for the family

Accommodation: Family hotel

Activities: Theme parks, rides, shows, character experiences

Meals: Not included

Atmosphere: Exciting and busy

You make a few quick notes:

A = CHOICE

WHY?

• relaxing

• beautiful beaches

• excellent restaurants

  
  

COMPARE

• Disney is cheaper

• Disney is more crowded

• Cancun is more luxurious

  
  

OBJECTION

• expensive

  
  

RESPONSE

• worth it

• better experience

  
  

PART 3 — SPEAK

Now you turn those notes into a natural response:

"Personally, I'd strongly recommend the Cancun Beach vacation. I know it's more expensive than the Disney Vacation, but I think you'd have a much more relaxing and enjoyable experience there. For one thing, it has beautiful beaches and excellent restaurants, so you'd have plenty of opportunities to unwind. The Disney trip is definitely more affordable, and it offers more activities, but it also tends to be much more crowded. Since you're looking for a relaxing vacation, I think Cancun would be a better fit. Although you'd pay more upfront, I think the luxurious accommodation and convenience of having everything such as food and activities taken care of would make it well worth the additional cost. So, I think we should definitely choose Cancun for our vacation."

Notice how the response uses the information from the pictures and descriptions but doesn't simply repeat them.

The speaker compares, explains, and persuades.

Final Tips for Task 5

During the first minute:

DECIDE

Don't search for a correct answer. Choose the option you can discuss most easily.

During the second minute:

PREPARE

Don't write a speech. Write keywords, extract adjectives, and prepare two or three comparisons.

During the third minute:

SPEAK

Use your vocabulary naturally. Compare the options, explain your reasons, address a possible objection, and persuade your listener.

Most importantly, remember:

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