Speaking Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation

An arranged meeting at a set time.

“I made an appointment with my dentist.”

CELPIP tip: Neutral; collocate with 'book/reschedule an appointment.' Essential phrasing for health-related email tasks.

A situation in which something is late.

“The flight delay lasted over two hours.”

Often used: flight delay · long delay · cause a delay

CELPIP tip: Use 'unexpected delay' for emphasis; in difficult-situation tasks, 'caused a significant delay' sounds stronger.

Money paid for a service.

“There is a small fee to renew your card.”

Often used: application fee · waive a fee

CELPIP tip: Collocate precisely: 'application fee' or 'waive the fee' to sound natural in formal emails.

Money returned for a faulty or returned item.

“I requested a full refund for the damaged item.”

Often used: full refund · request a refund

CELPIP tip: Essential for complaint emails; use 'request a full refund' to sound assertive and natural in Writing Task 1.

A series of steps to do something.

“The application process takes six weeks.”

Often used: lengthy process · speed up the process

CELPIP tip: Strong collocation: 'streamline the process.' As a verb, sounds more sophisticated than 'do the steps.'

To reply or react.

“Please respond by Friday.”

Often used: respond quickly · respond to

CELPIP tip: Neutral; upgrade to 'address' or 'reply promptly' in formal emails for a stronger professional tone.

A person who manages and watches over workers.

“Please report the issue to your supervisor.”

Often used: direct supervisor · immediate supervisor

CELPIP tip: Preferred over 'boss' in formal emails and workplace scenarios; use 'direct supervisor' for precision.

To make something clearer or easier to understand.

“Could you clarify what you mean?”

Often used: clarify a point · clarify the situation

CELPIP tip: Use 'I would like to clarify' in formal emails or difficult situations; more sophisticated than 'explain.'

Thinking about other people's feelings.

“It was considerate of her to call ahead.”

Often used: considerate of · very considerate

CELPIP tip: Neutral; in difficult situation tasks say 'I'd encourage you to be more considerate of others' feelings' for tactful tone.

A basic home service like water or power.

“Rent includes all utilities.”

Often used: utility bill · pay utilities

CELPIP tip: Formal; use 'utility bills' or 'utility services' in housing/complaint emails to sound precise and professional.

To wait.

“Hold on while I check the schedule.”

Often used: hold on a moment

CELPIP tip: Informal; great for difficult situation dialogues. Avoid in writing; use 'please wait' instead.

To cancel.

“They called off the meeting.”

Often used: call off an event

CELPIP tip: Neutral and natural for cancellation situations; swap with 'cancel' to avoid repetition in emails.

To continue.

“Please carry on with your work.”

Often used: carry on working

CELPIP tip: Neutral; useful in advice/difficult-situation tasks. Formal synonym: 'continue' or 'proceed' for emails.

To resolve or organize a problem.

“We need to sort out the schedule.”

Often used: sort out a problem · sort it out

CELPIP tip: Informal but effective in complaint emails; swap for 'resolve' in formal writing tasks.

To think of an idea or plan.

“She came up with a clever solution.”

Often used: come up with an idea · come up with a plan

CELPIP tip: Neutral; versatile for advice and problem-solving tasks. 'Come up with a solution' sounds natural and fluent.

deal with and respond to customer or staff dissatisfaction

“The manager was trained to handle complaints professionally and efficiently.”

CELPIP tip: Neutral and practical; use in advice or difficult-situation tasks — collocates well with 'effectively.'

deal with or respond to a problem directly

“The HR department acted quickly to address the issue of workplace harassment.”

CELPIP tip: Essential in formal emails and difficult-situation tasks; always more professional than 'fix a problem.'

prepare and write a formal document

“The finance team was asked to draw up a report on quarterly expenditures.”

CELPIP tip: Formal phrasing for workplace writing tasks; more precise than 'write a report' — use confidently.

mention worries or problems formally

“Several employees raised concerns about the new scheduling policy at the staff meeting.”

CELPIP tip: Ideal in formal complaint emails; stronger than 'say problems' — shows professional register instantly.

formally present a plan for consideration

“Our department submitted a proposal for expanding the customer service team.”

CELPIP tip: Use in formal emails suggesting a plan; signals professional tone better than 'send an idea.'

To watch carefully.

“Could you keep an eye on my bag?”

CELPIP tip: Neutral-informal; perfect for advice tasks—'keep an eye on your budget/deadline' sounds practical and fluent.

To make people feel relaxed in a social situation.

“A small joke helped break the ice.”

CELPIP tip: Informal; strong for social advice or difficult-situation tasks. Collocate: 'break the ice with colleagues.'