Writing Task 1 is the first of the two CELPIP-General Writing tasks. You read a short everyday situation and write an email about it in 27 minutes, in 150 to 200 words. The prompt usually lists about three things your email must do. This guide covers the format, how to choose your tone, how to plan the 27 minutes, and a full model answer.

The prompt and model answer below are original practice written in the official CELPIP format. They are not official CELPIP test material.

What the task looks like

The background is on the left of the screen and the instructions are on the right. A typical prompt looks like this:

You joined a local gym on a 12-month contract. Since then, the gym has closed its pool for repairs and shortened its opening hours.

Write an email to the gym manager in about 150-200 words. Your email should do the following things:

• Explain why you joined the gym.
• Describe the changes and how they affect you.
• Say what you would like the gym to do.

You type your answer into a box with basic editing tools, an automatic word count and spell-check. Write the whole email, from the greeting to your sign-off and name.

How it’s rated

Raters judge your email on four dimensions:

Notice that completeness, tone and word count are all part of Task Fulfillment. Skipping one of the three points, writing to a stranger as if they were your best friend, or going well outside 150 to 200 words all cost marks in the same dimension.

Choosing the right tone

The official CELPIP overview describes the usual Task 1 tone as neither too formal nor too informal: you’re not writing to a close family member, and you’re not writing to a government minister. Most prompts name someone you know only a little, or not at all. Let the person named in the prompt set the tone.

Even when you’re complaining, stay calm and specific. Sarcasm and rudeness hurt your tone, and a clear request backed by facts is more persuasive anyway.

The structure that works

1. Greeting that fits the reader.
2. Opening: say why you’re writing. One or two sentences that name the situation. “I am writing about my membership at Riverside Fitness Centre.”
3. One paragraph for each point in the prompt, in the order given. If there are three points, write three body paragraphs. This makes it obvious to the rater that you covered everything.
4. A short closing that looks ahead: thank the reader, ask for a reply or suggest a next step.
5. Sign-off and your name.

Inside each body paragraph, add at least one specific detail: a date, an amount, a place, a name or a concrete consequence. “I am still paying $65 a month for a service I can barely use” says far more than “This is not fair.”

Plan your 27 minutes

The official Writing study pack also recommends spending about 4 to 5 minutes planning and about 3 minutes checking. Don’t skip the check: dropped words and missing commas are easy points to lose.

Model answer

Here is a full response to the gym prompt above, written at a high level (around CLB 10). It’s 184 words.

Dear Mr. Lavoie,

I am writing about my membership at Riverside Fitness Centre. I signed a 12-month contract in August mainly because of your 25-metre pool. I am training for a charity swim in May, and your 5:30 a.m. opening time meant I could swim before my shift at the hospital.

Since October, however, two things have changed. The pool has been closed for repairs with no reopening date posted, and the centre now opens at 7:00 a.m. on weekdays. As a result, I have not been able to swim for three weeks, and on workdays I cannot use the gym at all. Meanwhile, I am still paying $65 a month for a service I can barely use.

I would appreciate it if you could do one of two things. You could freeze my membership, free of charge, until the pool reopens, or you could let me cancel my contract early without the $150 penalty. In either case, I would be grateful for a realistic date for the repairs.

Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Grace Mensah

Why it works

• Every point is covered, in order. Paragraph 1 explains why she joined, paragraph 2 describes the changes and their effect, and paragraph 3 says what she wants.
• The details are concrete. The pool size, the 5:30 a.m. opening, the three weeks, the $65 fee and the $150 penalty make the complaint believable.
• The transitions are clear. “However”, “As a result”, “Meanwhile” and “In either case” connect the ideas without sounding mechanical.
• The request is specific and reasonable. She offers two options and asks for a date, which gives the manager an easy way to respond.
• The tone fits. It’s firm about the problem but polite to the reader.

Mistakes to avoid

• Missing a point. Each bullet in the prompt needs its own clear answer. The last point is the easiest to rush or forget when time is short, and leaving it out costs marks in Task Fulfillment.
• Copying the prompt’s wording. Rephrase the situation in your own words; reusing the prompt’s sentences shows the rater less of your vocabulary.
• Changing the facts. If the prompt says the gym closed the pool, don’t write that it raised its prices instead.
• Too short or far too long. Under 150 words usually means thin details; well over 200 means you’ve spent time you needed for checking.
• Wrong register. “Hey buddy” to a manager, or “I hereby formally request” to a neighbour, both miss the tone.
• One long paragraph. Paragraphs are part of Readability. Start a new one for each point.
• A memorized script. A ready-made opening and closing is fine, but the body has to answer the actual prompt. Generic paragraphs often miss what was asked.

Test yourself

Keep practising

Task 1 is the email; Task 2 is a survey response with a different structure, covered in the Writing Task 2 guide. For both tasks with more prompts, see the CELPIP Writing practice test. For the whole test, read the CELPIP test guide.