CELPIP Vocabulary for Arts and Entertainment
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
Arts & Entertainment collocations for CELPIP
Films, music, shows and exhibitions come up often in CELPIP because almost everyone has something to say about them. Writing Task 1 may ask you to email a theatre about a cancelled performance, or invite a friend to a concert. Writing Task 2 surveys may ask how a city should spend its culture budget. In Speaking, Task 2, Talking about a Personal Experience, may ask about a memorable show; Task 4, Making Predictions, may show a busy outdoor festival; and Task 7, Expressing Opinions, may ask whether public money should support the arts. These collocations help you describe what you saw and say what you thought of it.
Verb + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| catch a movie | go and see a film, used casually | Let's catch a movie this weekend if you're free. |
| release an album | make new recorded music available | The singer released an album last month. |
| hold an exhibition | organize a public display of artwork | The gallery is holding an exhibition of local painters. |
| give a performance | perform on stage or in front of an audience | The pianist gave a performance at the concert hall. |
| draw a crowd | attract a large number of people | The street musician drew a crowd within minutes. |
| get rave reviews | receive very positive reviews | The new play got rave reviews from critics. |
| land a role | be chosen to play a part in a film or show | She landed a role in a new television series. |
| direct a film | be the person in charge of making a movie | He directed his first film at the age of twenty-five. |
| compose a piece | write a piece of music | She composed a piece for the school's spring concert. |
| headline a concert | be the main performer at a concert | A singer from Halifax headlined the concert on Saturday night. |
| release a trailer | publish a short preview of a film or show | The studio released a trailer weeks before the premiere. |
| win an award | receive a prize or formal recognition | The documentary won an award at the film festival. |
Adjective + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a critically acclaimed film | a film that critics praise highly | It's a critically acclaimed film about a family farm in Saskatchewan. |
| a box-office hit | a film that sells a very large number of tickets | The sequel became an unexpected box-office hit. |
| a gripping plot | a very exciting, tense storyline | The novel has a gripping plot that keeps you reading all night. |
| a stellar performance | an outstanding performance by an actor or musician | The lead actor gave a stellar performance. |
| a visually stunning film | a film that is very beautiful to look at | It's a visually stunning film, especially the mountain scenes. |
| a star-studded cast | a cast with many famous actors | The film features a star-studded cast. |
| a sold-out show | a performance with no tickets left | Tickets went fast, and it became a sold-out show. |
| an underrated gem | something very good that doesn't get enough attention | This small independent film is an underrated gem. |
| an avant-garde style | a highly experimental, original artistic style | The choreographer is known for her avant-garde style. |
| thought-provoking themes | ideas that make audiences think deeply | The play explores thought-provoking themes about identity. |
| record-breaking sales | sales that are higher than ever before | The album achieved record-breaking sales in its first week. |
| a long-awaited sequel | a sequel fans have been waiting for for a long time | Fans lined up early for the long-awaited sequel. |
Phrasal verbs
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| check out | go and see or try something | You should check out the new exhibit downtown. |
| sell out | (tickets) all be sold | The concert sold out within an hour. |
| come out | (a film or album) be released | Her new album comes out next Friday. |
| act out | perform a scene or story | The students acted out a scene from the play. |
| dress up | wear costumes or special clothes | Many fans dress up as their favourite characters for the premiere. |
| tune in | watch or listen to a broadcast | Millions of people tuned in to watch the finale. |
| wrap up | finish filming or production | The crew wrapped up filming in Vancouver last week. |
| play out | unfold or develop, especially a story | The plot plays out over three acts. |
| stand out | be noticeably better or different | Her performance really stood out among the cast. |
| kick off | begin, especially a tour or event | The group kicked off their tour in Toronto. |
| be booked up | have no places or tickets left | The pottery workshops were booked up by the end of the first day. |
| show off | proudly display a skill or talent | The dancers showed off their new routine at the recital. |
Formal and spoken phrases for arts and entertainment
These phrases belong to arts situations. Use the formal ones in a Writing Task 2 survey response about arts funding, or a Writing Task 1 email to a theatre, and the spoken ones when you talk about films, shows and music in Speaking.
Formal phrases for Writing
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| awarded on artistic merit | chosen only for the quality of the work | Arts grants should be awarded on artistic merit, not on an artist's connections. |
| audience reception | how viewers or listeners responded to a work | Audience reception of the new festival format was mostly positive. |
| contribute to cultural enrichment | make a community's cultural life richer | Public art contributes to cultural enrichment in neighbourhoods that have no gallery. |
| a wide range of artistic expression | many different forms and styles of art | The festival showcases a wide range of artistic expression, from dance to film. |
| gain critical recognition | become praised or noticed by critics | The director gained critical recognition for her first feature. |
| access to the arts | the chance for people to see and take part in the arts | Access to the arts should not depend on income. |
| reflect societal values | show what a society believes or cares about | Many films reflect societal values of the time when they were made. |
| foster creative talent | support and develop artistic ability | Community programs foster creative talent among young people. |
| appeal to a broad audience | attract many different kinds of people | The show's humour appeals to a broad audience. |
| a public art installation | a large artwork placed in a public space | The city has commissioned a public art installation for the new library plaza. |
| arts funding | public money given to artists and arts groups | Cuts to arts funding could force small theatres to shorten their seasons. |
| a refund for the cancelled performance | money returned for a show that did not happen | I am requesting a full refund for the cancelled performance on May 3. |
Spoken phrases for Speaking
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| have you seen...? | a casual way to ask about a film or show | Have you seen the new series everyone's talking about? |
| it's totally worth watching | a strong recommendation | It's totally worth watching, trust me. |
| I'm a huge fan of... | I like someone or something very much | I'm a huge fan of that director's earlier work. |
| it blew me away | it impressed me very much | The ending blew me away. |
| I couldn't put it down | the book was so good I kept reading | I couldn't put it down; I finished it in one sitting. |
| it's not really my thing | a polite way to say you don't enjoy something | Musicals aren't really my thing, but my sister loves them. |
| binge-watch (a show) | watch many episodes one after another | We binge-watched the whole season over the long weekend. |
| it got mixed reviews | some people liked it and some didn't | The remake got mixed reviews from fans. |
| I'm dying to see it | I really want to see it soon | I'm dying to see the new exhibit at the art gallery. |
| it's a bit overhyped | it isn't as good as people say | Honestly, I think that show is a bit overhyped. |
| let's grab tickets before it sells out | let's buy tickets quickly | The reviews are great, so let's grab tickets before it sells out. |
| it left me speechless | it moved or impressed me so much I couldn't speak | The final scene left me speechless. |
Connectors such as "play a pivotal role in" and chunks such as "to be honest" fit any topic, so they are collected on two shared pages: Formal Phrases for CELPIP Writing and Natural Spoken Phrases for CELPIP Speaking.
Worked examples
Writing Task 2: Spending the city's culture budget
Prompt: Your city has extra money in its culture budget and is asking residents how to spend it. Choose the option you prefer and explain why.
- Option A: Free outdoor concerts in city parks every weekend in July and August.
- Option B: Ten new public art installations, such as murals and sculptures, in different neighbourhoods.
I would choose Option A, because free outdoor concerts would bring far more residents together than new installations would.
First, concerts in the park are open to everyone. Many families in my neighbourhood cannot pay eighty dollars for a concert ticket, so a free series would improve access to the arts for people who rarely see live music. Local musicians would also have the chance to give a performance in front of hundreds of people, which would help foster creative talent in our city.
Second, a summer concert series would draw a crowd every weekend. Last July, a free jazz night at Riverside Park was so popular that people arrived two hours early with blankets. Events like that appeal to a broad audience, from teenagers to seniors, and they bring customers to nearby cafés.
I understand that a public art installation lasts for years, while a concert is over in one evening. However, people walk past a mural on their way somewhere else. A concert is something they share with their neighbours.
For these reasons, I believe Option A is the better use of the budget.
The answer states its choice in the first sentence, supports it with two reasons and a local example, and then answers the main argument for Option B.
Speaking Task 4: Making Predictions
Prompt: The picture shows a park on a summer evening. Workers are setting up a large stage, a long line has formed at the ticket gate, and some people in the line are wearing costumes. A sign at the gate says the show starts at 7 p.m. Predict what will happen next.
It looks like this park is about to host a music festival, and I think it's going to get very busy in the next hour.
Right now, the workers are still setting up the stage, but there's a sign saying the show starts at seven. The line at the gate is already long, so I'd guess the festival will sell out before the first act even starts. Some people are dressed up in costumes, so it might be a themed night, and I'm sure they'll be taking lots of photos.
Once the music kicks off, the first act will draw a crowd right up to the front of the stage. Later in the evening, I think the headliner will give a performance that everyone films on their phones. And if it goes well, I'd expect the festival to get rave reviews online the next day.
The answer describes the scene briefly, then makes predictions in time order, from the next few minutes to the next day, which fills the 60 seconds.
CLB 7 vs CLB 9: one sentence, two ways
CLB 7 version: The movie was very good and a lot of people went to see it.
CLB 9 version: The film got rave reviews and became an unexpected box-office hit.
What changed: "was very good" became the collocation "got rave reviews", and "a lot of people went to see it" became the compact noun phrase "a box-office hit".
Common mistakes
- "She made a role in a new series" → she landed a role (or got a role). Actors land, get or play roles; they don't make them.
- "The gallery is doing an exhibition" → the gallery is holding an exhibition. Galleries and museums hold or host exhibitions.
- "He made a great performance" → he gave a great performance (or put on a great show). "Give" is the fixed verb for performing.
- "I assisted a concert last night" → I attended a concert or I went to a concert. In English, "assist" means help; this is a false friend for French and Spanish speakers.
- "The public clapped for ten minutes" → the audience clapped for ten minutes. The people watching a show are the audience.
- "The tickets sold up in an hour" → the tickets sold out in an hour. "Sell out" is the phrasal verb for tickets; "sell up" means selling your home or business.
- "Her new album goes out next week" → her new album comes out next week. Films, books and albums come out.
- "The ending blew me up" → the ending blew me away. "Blow up" means explode, or suddenly become popular.
- "The movie was so boring that I was boring" → the movie was so boring that I was bored. "Boring" describes the film; "bored" describes how you feel. The same is true for "interesting" and "interested".
- "I saw it in TV" → I saw it on TV. Shows are on TV, on the radio and on a streaming service.
- "We watched it in the cinema" → we watched it at the movies or at the movie theatre. Canadians usually say "the movies" or "the theatre".
- "I like to listen music" → I like to listen to music. "Listen" always needs "to" before its object.
- "The show appeals to a big audience" (meaning many kinds of people) → appeals to a broad audience. "A big audience" is about size; "a broad audience" is about variety.
- "Have you seen the new film?" in a formal Writing Task 1 email to a theatre manager → I recently attended a screening of... Casual chunks such as "have you seen...?" and "I'm dying to see it" belong in Speaking or in an email to a friend.
Practise
- Vocabulary flashcards and quizzes: review these collocations until they come to mind without effort.
- Writing Task 2 practice: answer a survey about arts funding and use at least five collocations from this page.
- Speaking Task 4 practice: predict what happens at a concert or festival using "sell out", "draw a crowd" and "kick off".
- Speaking Task 2 practice: describe a memorable show using "give a performance", "stand out" and "it blew me away".