The Definitive Guide to CELPIP Speaking Task 4: Making Predictions

Understanding CELPIP Speaking Task 4

In CELPIP Speaking Task 4 (Making Predictions), you are shown the exact same image you just described in Task 3. However, this time, you must predict what will happen next. You have 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.

The golden rule for Task 4 is this: Raters do not care if your predictions are "correct." There is no right or wrong answer about what happens next. The raters are evaluating your grammatical ability to use future tenses and modals of probability, and your logical ability to ground your predictions in the evidence shown in the picture.

How Raters Score Task 4 Across the Four Dimensions

1. Task Fulfillment

To fulfill this task, you must actually make predictions. If you spend 40 seconds describing the scene again (like you did in Task 3) and only 20 seconds making a prediction, your score will plummet. A CLB 9+ response makes at least three distinct, logically grounded predictions within the 60-second limit.

2. Coherence and Meaning

Your predictions must make logical sense based on the image. If the picture shows a sunny park, predicting that an alien spaceship will land is highly illogical. Furthermore, you must use transitions to move between your predictions, such as "Following that," "In the meantime," or "As for the people in the background..."

3. Vocabulary

High-scoring vocabulary for Task 4 involves words that indicate deduction and probability. Instead of saying "I think," use phrases like "It is highly likely that," "I anticipate," "It seems inevitable that," or "Given the current situation, I suspect..."

4. Readability and Intelligibility

This is the most critical dimension for Task 4. You must demonstrate mastery of the future tense. Relying solely on "will" (e.g., "He will fall. She will run.") limits your grammar score to a CLB 6 or 7. To reach CLB 9+, you must use a variety of future structures:

• Future Continuous: "They will be going to the hospital."
• Future Perfect: "By the time the police arrive, the thief will have escaped."
• "Going to" (for evidence-based predictions): "Look at those dark clouds; it is going to rain."
• Modals of Possibility: "He might drop his coffee," or "She could potentially miss her bus."

The Deduction Framework (CLB 9+)

Use this structure to organize your 60-second response:

1. The Setup (5-10 seconds)

Quickly establish that you are looking into the future based on the current scene.

"Based on the various activities happening in this scene, I can foresee a few immediate consequences unfolding."

2. Prediction 1: The Most Obvious Event (15-20 seconds)

Look for the action in the picture that is closest to a resolution (e.g., someone tripping, a ball flying toward a window) and predict the outcome using a strong future structure.

"First, regarding the teenager on the skateboard in the foreground, he has clearly lost his balance. It's inevitable that he is going to crash onto the pavement, and I suspect he might unfortunately scrape his knee or sprain his ankle."

3. Prediction 2: A Logical Follow-up (15-20 seconds)

Predict how other people in the picture will react to the first event, or predict a completely separate event.

"As a result of that crash, it's highly likely that the elderly woman sitting nearby will be startled by the noise. She will probably drop the breadcrumbs she's holding, causing all the pigeons to scatter into the air."

4. Prediction 3: A Long-term or Minor Event (10-15 seconds)

Finish with a final, perhaps slightly longer-term prediction to fill the remaining time.

"Meanwhile, as the afternoon progresses and those dark clouds in the distance roll in, I anticipate that the family having a picnic will have packed up their belongings to head home before the rain starts."

30-Second Prep Strategy

When the timer begins, scan the image for "cliffhangers"—actions that are in the middle of happening. Pick three targets. On your notepad, write down the Target and the Future Verb:

1. Skateboarder -> going to crash
2. Old woman -> will be startled
3. Family -> will pack up

Do not write full sentences. Mentally rehearse the future tense transitions you will use between these three points.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Repeating Task 3: Do not waste time re-describing what people are wearing or where they are located. Plunge straight into the predictions.
• Only using "will": Repeating "will" for 60 seconds shows a limited grammatical range. Mix in "going to," "might," and "is likely to."
• Making wild leaps in logic: Ensure your predictions are grounded in the visual evidence. If there is no evidence of a storm, do not predict a hurricane.

Conclusion

CELPIP Speaking Task 4 is your opportunity to showcase your command of future tenses and probability vocabulary. By anchoring your predictions in the visual evidence of the scene and using the Deduction Framework to structure your thoughts, you can consistently deliver a highly rated, CLB 9+ response.