Environment & Nature — Part 5
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
What you'll learn: conversational fluency chunks that keep your CELPIP Speaking answers flowing naturally — the small phrases fluent speakers use to buy thinking time and add personal opinion without sounding robotic.
Why fluency chunks matter in Speaking
CELPIP Speaking is scored partly on fluency — how naturally and continuously you speak, not just accuracy. Fluency chunks (also called "spoken formulas") let you keep talking while you organize your next idea, exactly the way native speakers do. Memorize these as ready-made openers and connectors.
Spoken fluency chunks
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| to be honest | signals a direct, sincere opinion | To be honest, I don't think recycling alone is enough. |
| when it comes to the environment | introduces the topic clearly | When it comes to the environment, small habits really add up. |
| I'd have to say | softens an opinion before stating it | I'd have to say climate change worries me more than most issues. |
| if you ask me | signals a personal, informal opinion | If you ask me, plastic packaging is the biggest problem. |
| the way I see it | introduces your personal perspective | The way I see it, everyone has a role to play. |
| at the end of the day | summarizes the main point, informally | At the end of the day, it comes down to individual choices. |
| one thing that really bothers me | introduces a strong personal reaction | One thing that really bothers me is how much food gets wasted. |
| I try my best to | describes a personal effort or habit | I try my best to reduce my plastic use whenever I can. |
| it's not always easy, but | acknowledges difficulty before a point | It's not always easy, but I still try to bike instead of drive. |
| I guess what I'm trying to say is | wraps up a slightly rambling point | I guess what I'm trying to say is every small action counts. |
| don't get me wrong | clarifies before disagreeing slightly | Don't get me wrong, I recycle, but I could do more. |
| more often than not | means "usually" in casual speech | More often than not, people forget to bring reusable bags. |
Worked example — CELPIP Speaking Task 8 (opinion)
Prompt: Do you think people care enough about protecting the environment?
To be honest, I think it's a mixed picture. When it comes to the environment, a lot of people say the right things but don't always follow through. If you ask me, that's mostly because change feels inconvenient — more often than not, people choose the easier option, like driving instead of walking. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying nobody cares; I've seen real progress with recycling programs in my own neighborhood. One thing that really bothers me, though, is how much single-use packaging is still everywhere. It's not always easy, but I try my best to cut back where I can. I guess what I'm trying to say is, awareness has grown, but action still lags behind — and at the end of the day, that gap is what needs to close.
Common mistakes
- Overusing at the end of the day as filler in every answer — save it for your actual concluding point, not every sentence.
- Pausing silently instead of using I'd have to say or the way I see it to buy thinking time — silence hurts fluency scores more than a filler phrase.
- Using if you ask me in a formal writing context — this chunk is spoken-register only; use "in my opinion" for Writing.
- Forgetting to actually answer the question after I guess what I'm trying to say is — it should introduce a clear final point, not trail off.
Recap
You now have twelve spoken fluency chunks — from to be honest to at the end of the day — that keep your CELPIP Speaking answers flowing naturally under time pressure. This completes the Environment & Nature series; the next topic, Shopping & Consumerism, starts again with core verb + noun collocations.