Writing Task 2 is the second CELPIP-General Writing task. You read a short survey that offers two options, choose one, and explain why it’s the better choice. You have 26 minutes and should write 150 to 200 words. This guide shows the structure, how to deal with the option you didn’t pick, how to use your time, and a full model response.

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

What the task looks like

The survey usually describes a decision a city, employer, school or community group is making. A typical prompt looks like this:

Downtown Lot Survey

The city owns an empty lot downtown and is deciding what to do with it. It is considering two options.

Choose the option that you prefer. Explain the reasons for your choice. Write about 150-200 words.

Option A: A community garden, with plots that residents can rent each season.

Option B: An outdoor skating rink in winter that becomes a splash pad for children in summer.

You type your answer with the same tools as Task 1: basic editing, an automatic word count and spell-check. Unlike Task 1, it isn’t an email, so you don’t need a greeting or sign-off unless the prompt asks you to write to someone.

How it’s rated

The four dimensions are the same as Task 1:

A mistake the official study pack singles out is not making a clear choice. If the rater can’t tell which option you prefer, the whole response loses its purpose.

The structure that works

1. State your choice in the first sentence, in your own words, with a short preview of why. “I would choose Option A, the community garden, because it would serve more residents at a much lower cost to the city.”
2. Reason 1 in its own paragraph, with a specific example: a person, a place, a number or something you’ve seen.
3. Reason 2 in its own paragraph, again with a concrete detail.
4. A short paragraph on the other option. Acknowledge what’s good about it, then explain why your choice is still better.
5. A one-sentence conclusion that restates your choice.

Two well-developed reasons usually beat four thin ones in 150 to 200 words. Focus on reasons, not descriptions of the option or suggestions for how to run it.

Should you mention the other option?

Yes, briefly. The official CELPIP Writing study pack lists “compare your choice to the other choice” as one of the Task 2 strategies. Comparing works best when it strengthens your argument:

• Concede, then counter. “I understand why Option B is appealing, especially for children. However, there are already two outdoor rinks nearby.”
• Compare on the same point. If your reason is cost, say why the other option costs more. If it’s who benefits, say who the other option leaves out.
• Don’t switch sides. One or two sentences of fair credit to the other option is enough. A long, balanced discussion can make your choice look uncertain.

Tone

Think about who reads the survey: city staff, an employer, a school board. Write in a clear, polite and reasonably formal style, as a thoughtful member of the public would. It isn’t an academic essay, so you don’t need a thesis paragraph or formal citations, and it isn’t a chat with a friend, so avoid slang. Write in full sentences and paragraphs, not point form.

Plan your 26 minutes

Choosing the easier option to argue is a smart move. There’s no right option; what’s rated is how well you support the one you choose.

Model response

Here is a full response to the downtown lot prompt above, written at a high level (around CLB 10). It’s 189 words.

I would choose Option A, the community garden, because it would serve more residents at a much lower cost to the city.

First, a garden would bring together neighbours who rarely meet. In my building alone, there are retirees who grew vegetables for decades before moving into an apartment, and young families who have never planted a seed. Shared plots would let them trade advice and produce, and that kind of everyday contact builds a stronger neighbourhood.

Second, a garden is inexpensive to run. Once the soil, fencing and water lines are in place, gardeners pay a small seasonal fee and do most of the work themselves. A rink that turns into a splash pad, by contrast, needs staff, refrigeration equipment and water treatment, all paid for by the city every year.

I understand why Option B is appealing, especially for children, and skating outdoors on a winter evening is a real pleasure. However, there are already two outdoor rinks within a short drive of downtown, while there is nowhere nearby to grow food.

For these reasons, I believe the garden is the better long-term investment for our community.

Why it works

• The choice is unmistakable. The first sentence names the option and previews both reasons.
• Each reason has its own paragraph and a concrete example: the retirees and young families in one building, and the specific running costs of a rink.
• It compares instead of only praising. The cost paragraph contrasts the two options directly, and the fourth paragraph gives Option B fair credit before answering it.
• The transitions guide the reader: “First”, “Second”, “by contrast”, “However” and “For these reasons”.
• The vocabulary is precise and varied, with phrases like “trade advice and produce”, “seasonal fee” and “long-term investment”, rather than repeating the prompt.

Mistakes to avoid

• Choosing both, or neither. “Both options have advantages” without a final choice doesn’t answer the question.
• Describing instead of arguing. Explaining what a garden is earns little; explaining why it’s better earns the marks.
• Writing the reasons as a list. Point form and one-line paragraphs hurt Readability.
• Ignoring the details in the prompt. If the survey says the rink becomes a splash pad in summer, don’t argue that it’s useless for half the year.
• Spending too long on the other option. Keep it to a short paragraph.
• Leaving no time to check. Missing words and small grammar slips are easier to catch in a calm final reread.

Test yourself

Keep practising

For the email task, read the Writing Task 1 guide. For both tasks with more prompts and timed practice, see the CELPIP Writing practice test. For the whole test, read the CELPIP test guide.