CELPIP Writing Task 1: Writing an Email template
You write an email that covers three points in a given situation, in the right tone.
The template
Writing Task 1 gives you 27 minutes to write a 150–200 word email that covers three bullet points. This frame keeps every bullet visible to the rater and leaves time to check your grammar.
- 1Dear recipient's name, or Sir or Madam if you don't know it,
- 2I am writing to purpose: complain about / ask about / thank you for the topic in a few words.
- 3Bullet 1: what happened, with a specific date, place or amount.
- 4Bullet 2: how it affected you, with one concrete consequence.
- 5Bullet 3: what you would like them to do, and why it is reasonable.
- 6I would appreciate it if you could specific action by date or time.
- 7Thank you for your time / help / understanding. I look forward to hearing from you.
- 8Sincerely / Best regards / Cheers for a friend, your name
Worked example
You moved into a rental apartment in Calgary two months ago. The washing machine in your unit has not worked for two weeks. Write an email to the property manager, Mr. Dubois. In your email: describe the problem; explain how it has affected you; say what you would like the manager to do.
Dear Mr. Dubois, I am writing to ask for your help with the washing machine in my unit, 4B at 212 Elbow Drive. On October 3, the machine stopped partway through a cycle and has not worked since. It fills with water but will not drain, and the display shows an error code. I reported this by phone on October 5, but nobody has come to look at it yet. This has been quite inconvenient for my family. I have two young children, so we do laundry almost every day. For the past two weeks, I have had to drive to a laundromat across town, which costs about $25 a week and takes up most of my Saturday. I would appreciate it if you could arrange for a technician to repair or replace the machine by the end of next week. I would also ask you to consider reducing this month's rent slightly to cover my laundromat costs. Thank you for your understanding. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Priya Sharma
Why it works
- Tone: a semi-formal register (“I would appreciate it if…”, “I would also ask you to consider…”) stays polite while still being firm, which is what raters look for in a complaint to someone you don't know well.
- Task fulfillment: each bullet point gets its own paragraph with specific details (dates, unit number, $25 a week), so the rater can tick every part of the task at a glance.
- Coherence: simple signposts (“On October 3”, “This has been”, “I would also”) link the paragraphs without sounding memorized; swap Cheers for Sincerely only when writing to a friend.
Try the template on a real-style question
Answer a Writing Task 1: Writing an Email card and get an instant estimated score.