CELPIP Writing Task 1: writing an email

CELPIP Writing Task 1 format and timing

Task 1 presents an everyday situation and usually asks you to cover about three points. Your email needs to give the recipient enough information to understand the situation and respond usefully. Read the background and instructions together before drafting.

A useful practice allocation is 4–5 minutes to plan and about 3 minutes to proofread, leaving the middle of the task for drafting. These planning and review periods follow CELPIP preparation guidance; they are not separately timed stages.

How the CELPIP Task 1 email is rated

The four writing dimensions apply to the whole email. Use them to ask specific questions about your draft instead of treating the task as a spelling exercise.

• Content/Coherence: does the reader understand the problem, its effect and the proposed next step? Organize the details so that the request follows from the explanation.
• Vocabulary: use words that identify the practical issue, such as a schedule conflict or an alternative arrangement. Avoid expressions that sound unusually dramatic.
• Readability: separate purposes into paragraphs and control grammar, spelling and punctuation. Make references such as “this change” unambiguous.
• Task Fulfillment: address all requested points, maintain a suitable tone and stay within 150–200 words.

The tone sits between casual and very formal. A coordinator should hear a courteous, direct request without slang or ceremonial language.

A paragraph-by-paragraph email template

1. During the opening planning period, note the recipient, the problem and each requested point. Decide what outcome you want.
2. Start with a greeting. In the first paragraph, identify your connection to the situation and explain why you are writing.
3. Use the next paragraph to describe the practical effect. Add a specific detail that explains why the issue matters.
4. In a further paragraph, suggest a workable solution. If helpful, include a fallback that still addresses the main difficulty.
5. Close with the action or reply you need and a sign-off. Use the final proofreading period to check completeness, tone and length.

Adapt the paragraph order to the prompt. If it asks you to describe an event before making a request, let that sequence shape the email. A template should keep you organized without forcing unrelated sentences into the answer.

Original CELPIP email practice prompt

You attend an evening pottery course at a community centre in Halifax. The centre has moved the course to an earlier time, which conflicts with your work schedule. Write an email to the course coordinator. Explain the scheduling problem, describe how the change affects your participation, and suggest a practical solution. Write 150–200 words.

This is an original practice scenario. Use the timer below for a complete attempt before looking at the samples. You can invent reasonable supporting details, but keep them consistent with the earlier start time and your work conflict.

In your planning notes, separate the scheduling problem from its effect on participation. Then choose a solution the coordinator could consider. Simply saying that you dislike the change does not explain what you want the centre to do next.

Email sample: our estimate, around CLB 7

Why the first email works and what to develop

• Content/Coherence: the email moves from the changed time to the consequence and a solution. Compared with the next sample, the explanation is more straightforward and the arrangements are less developed.
• Vocabulary: words such as “instructions” and “available” fit the situation. Repeated uses of “class” and “time” leave room for more precise phrasing.
• Readability: clear paragraphs and mostly simple sentence patterns make the request easy to follow. The next sample links related conditions with more varied structures.
• Task Fulfillment: it covers the scheduling problem, participation and solutions, with a courteous greeting and sign-off.

This estimate describes the teaching example, not a score awarded by the test provider. The answer is useful because it communicates a complete request without depending on elaborate vocabulary.

Email sample: our estimate, around CLB 10

Why the second email works

• Content/Coherence: the consequence is developed through the missed demonstration and its effect on classmates. The transfer proposal includes a practical condition and an offer to help.
• Vocabulary: “retain a later session” and “revised schedule” express the request more precisely than repeating “new time.” The wording remains appropriate for a community course.
• Readability: clauses beginning with “although” and “provided” connect reasons and conditions. Paragraphs separate the issue, effect, solution and requested reply.
• Task Fulfillment: all requested points remain visible, while the acknowledgement of the centre’s needs makes the tone considerate.

Compared with the first answer, this version develops the same situation more fully. Adding long sentences alone would not create that difference; each additional detail helps the coordinator understand or act.

Useful email phrases and common Task 1 mistakes

Adapt phrases to the situation: “The revised time conflicts with…” identifies a problem; “This would mean…” explains its effect; “Would it be possible to…” introduces a request; and “If that cannot be arranged…” offers a fallback. These are original phrase suggestions, not a script to memorize.

• Covering the problem while leaving out the requested solution.
• Adding a long personal history that does not explain the conflict.
• Demanding action without giving the recipient a practical option.
• Mixing very casual expressions with stiff, ceremonial language.
• Changing times or other details halfway through the email.
• Forgetting the greeting or sign-off while editing for length.

Return to the Writing overview, try the survey task, or read the score chart and AI feedback limitations before interpreting practice estimates.