CELPIP Speaking Task 1: Giving Advice

Question

Your friend has just moved to a new city for work and is looking for an apartment. Advise your friend on how to find a good place to live.

Response

Hi Sam, congratulations on the new job! If I could give you just one piece of advice, it would be this: choose an apartment that’s close to public transit, even if it means a smaller place. Let me explain why. First, it’ll save you a lot of money. If you can take the bus or the train to work, you might not need a car at all, and that means no car payments, no insurance and no parking fees. Second, think about the winter here. Waiting fifteen minutes for a bus in the snow is no fun, so being a short walk from a station really makes a difference. And finally, living near transit makes it much easier to explore the city and meet people on weekends, which matters when you’re new. So when you start looking, open a transit map first and only search along the main lines. I’m sure you’ll find a great place, and let me know if you’d like me to come with you to the viewings.

Why it works

Talks to the person

Opens with Sam’s name, keeps a friendly tone and ends with an offer to help.

One clear recommendation

States the advice early — live near transit — instead of listing unrelated tips.

Reasons that build on it

Money, winter and social life all support the same choice, linked by “first… second… finally”.