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Speaking · S7

CELPIP Speaking Task 7: phone-free meetings

Build an opinion with a clear position, a concrete benefit and a reasonable exception.

By MockMaple · Updated

Try the prompt

Do you think community groups should ask members to put their phones away during meetings? Explain your opinion with reasons and examples.

  • You may support, oppose or qualify the proposal.
  • Develop your own reasoning; no survey data is supplied.

Plan your approach

  1. State a clear position.
  2. Explain a benefit with a plausible example.
  3. Consider an exception without losing your main position.

Complete sample response

I think community groups should usually ask members to put their phones away during meetings, provided there is a sensible exception for urgent calls. The main reason is that people volunteer their time, and they deserve one another’s attention. For example, if a group is deciding how to organise a neighbourhood cleanup, checking messages throughout the discussion can lead to missed instructions. Someone may agree to a task without hearing where or when to meet. Putting phones aside makes it easier to ask questions while everyone is still together. However, I would not require people to hand over their devices. A parent waiting for a call about a child should be able to keep a phone nearby and step outside if necessary. The organiser could explain that expectation at the beginning rather than embarrassing someone in front of the group. Overall, I support a polite request to limit distractions, with practical exceptions. That approach respects both the meeting and the responsibilities people have outside it.

Why these choices work

A response or interpretation to improve

Phones are always terrible. Nobody should ever bring one to a meeting. Everyone agrees with this.

Develop a mechanism

The cleanup example connects distraction to missed instructions. It explains how the proposed practice could help rather than repeating that phones are bad.

Qualify without abandoning the position

The urgent-call exception defines the limit of the policy. The conclusion still supports putting phones away in ordinary circumstances.

Vocabulary in context

provided that

On the condition that.

I support the rule provided that urgent calls are allowed.

Choose the right alternative: Although introduces contrast; provided that introduces a condition.

Usage note: Do not substitute although if you mean that your support depends on a condition.

Explore vocabulary, synonyms and idioms

Check your understanding

Choose an answer to see the evidence and an explanation for every option. These checks are not a proficiency score.

1. Which policy does the speaker support?
2. What is the role of the cleanup example?
All answers and explanations

Which policy does the speaker support?

Answer: A polite request with urgent-call exceptions

Evidence: I support a polite request to limit distractions, with practical exceptions.

  • Confiscating every phone: The speaker opposes handing over devices.
  • A polite request with urgent-call exceptions: This matches the stated conclusion.
  • Allowing unlimited messaging: The main argument asks people to limit distractions.

What is the role of the cleanup example?

Answer: It explains a possible consequence of distraction

Evidence: checking messages throughout the discussion can lead to missed instructions.

  • It proves all phone users miss instructions: A plausible example does not establish a universal fact.
  • It explains a possible consequence of distraction: The example links messages to missed instructions.
  • It supplies official research: No research is cited or claimed.

Try a new situation

Give an opinion on whether shared study rooms should have quiet hours. Explain one benefit, one practical exception and your final position.

Use your own notes or voice recorder, then check your work:

  • Did you state your position early?
  • Does each example support a reason?
  • Did you avoid invented statistics and universal claims?
Apply this in free practice

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