Task 2 — Survey Response

What you'll learn: how to structure a persuasive, well-supported response to a two-option survey question in 26 minutes.

What Task 2 actually tests

Task 2 presents a short scenario — often a community, workplace, or school decision — with two options, and asks you to choose one and justify it. It's not testing which option you pick; it's testing whether you can build a coherent argument with specific reasons and examples, in roughly 150–200 words.

The argument structure

1. State your choice clearly in the first sentence — don't hedge.
2. Reason 1 with a specific supporting example.
3. Reason 2 with a specific supporting example.
4. Brief acknowledgment of the other side (optional but strengthens coherence).
5. Closing sentence restating your position.

Two well-developed reasons beat four shallow ones — CELPIP rewards depth over a list.

Worked example

Prompt: "Your community center is deciding whether to build a new swimming pool or a new library. Which do you support?"

I believe the community center should build a new library rather than a swimming pool.

First, a library serves a wider range of residents — children doing homework, adults job-hunting, and seniors looking for a quiet place to read — while a pool mainly benefits those who already swim regularly. Second, libraries are far less expensive to maintain; a pool requires constant staffing, chemical treatment, and repairs, costs that would likely raise community fees.

Of course, a pool would offer valuable exercise opportunities, but the community already has a public pool ten minutes away, whereas the nearest library is over half an hour's drive.

For these reasons, I think a new library would benefit more residents at a lower ongoing cost.

Task 2 checklist

• Position stated clearly in the first sentence
• Two distinct reasons, each with a concrete example
• No hedging or switching sides mid-response
• Closing sentence restates or reinforces the position
• Length is roughly 150–200 words

Common mistakes

• Sitting on the fence — listing pros and cons of both options without ever committing.
• Giving reasons with no supporting detail ("it's better because it's more fun").
• Running out of time because the plan wasn't set before writing (see Lesson 3).

Recap

Task 2 is an argument, not an essay quiz — pick a side immediately, back it with two specific, detailed reasons, and close by restating your position. A confident, well-supported response scores higher than a balanced but vague one.