Module 2 · Lesson 2
Part 1: problem solving and final decisions
Track options, constraints, and the solution speakers finally accept.
Direct answer
Problem-solving conversations usually move through a problem, several options, constraints, and a final plan. Keep proposed options separate from accepted decisions, and connect each rejected option to its reason.
This lesson includes the explanation, method, worked example, mistakes, mastery activities, and an internal practice handoff you need for this skill.
Why this skill matters
Problem-solving conversations are dynamic: speakers propose, reject, modify, and finally accept options. Questions often target that movement rather than the first concrete detail. By mapping constraints and responsibility, you can answer not only what the solution is but also why other options failed and who must complete the next action.
What you will be able to do
- Map problem to solution
- Separate proposals from decisions
- Track constraints
- Identify who will do what
Use this repeatable method
- 1Name the problem in three words.
- 2List each option only once.
- 3Attach the rejection reason beside each option.
- 4Box the final plan and responsible person.
Listen for negotiation signals
Phrases such as what if, that won't work, unless, instead, and let's settle on often reveal the conversation structure.
Check responsibility
Questions may ask not only what happens, but who initiates, pays, calls, brings, or changes something.
Build the skill deliberately
Begin without answer choices or a model response. Name the problem in three words. List each option only once. Attach the rejection reason beside each option. Box the final plan and responsible person. Then apply the same sequence to a fresh item or prompt: During the next Part 1 set, label every option P (proposed), R (rejected), or A (accepted). Review any answer chosen from P or R. Record what you did, where the process became uncertain, and the single decision you will repeat or change next time. This final note turns the activity into evidence for your next study session.
Decision map
Weaker approach
Heater → Friday → Monday.
Stronger approach
Problem: broken heater. Landlord offers Friday; tenant away. Tenant proposes Monday morning; landlord confirms technician at 9. Final: Monday 9, landlord arranges access.
Why it works: It retains options, constraint, time, and responsibility.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating the first practical suggestion as the final answer.
- Recording times and places without their accepted or rejected status.
- Losing track of which speaker will call, pay, bring, or arrange something.
End-of-lesson activities
Apply what you learned
Complete a fill-in-the-blank, a true-or-false decision, and a multiple-choice scenario. You will see an explanation for every answer.
Course glossary · 15 essential terms
Open this whenever a lesson uses an unfamiliar study or language term. Definitions are written for this course.
- Baseline
- A controlled first attempt used to identify current patterns, not to predict a guaranteed official result.
- CLB-oriented
- Preparation discussed in relation to Canadian Language Benchmarks without claiming that an unofficial activity issues a CLB or CELPIP result.
- Cohesion
- The clear flow between sentences and paragraphs created by logical order, reference, repetition, and appropriate connectors.
- Collocation
- Words that commonly occur together, such as meet a deadline, raise a concern, or reach an agreement.
- Concession
- A point from another side that a speaker or writer acknowledges before qualifying it or returning to the main position.
- Constraint
- A condition that limits a possible answer, such as time, cost, eligibility, location, or availability.
- Distractor
- An incorrect answer designed to appear plausible, often by repeating words while changing the underlying meaning.
- Evidence
- The exact word, sentence, audio cue, visual detail, or task requirement that supports a decision.
- Inference
- A conclusion strongly supported by available clues even when it is not stated in exactly the same words.
- LRWS
- Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking—the four skills assessed in CELPIP-General.
- Paraphrase
- The same meaning expressed accurately with different vocabulary or sentence structure.
- Register
- The level and style of language chosen for a relationship and purpose, such as friendly, neutral, firm, or professional.
- Stance
- A person's position or judgment on an issue, including the degree of support, opposition, or uncertainty.
- Task family
- A recurring question or response type that requires a specific decision process, such as Reading for Viewpoints or Giving Advice.
- Transfer
- Applying a strategy or correction successfully to fresh material rather than only recognizing it in a familiar example.
Practice action
During the next Part 1 set, label every option P (proposed), R (rejected), or A (accepted). Review any answer chosen from P or R.
Open Listening practice