CELPIP Writing

Task 1 sample answers: Writing an Email

66 writing an email questions in the CELPIP format. Each one has a plan, useful vocabulary and three sample answers, around CLB 4–5, 7–8 and 11–12, with notes on what moves an answer from one level to the next. Write an email of 150–200 words about an everyday situation, covering three points in the prompt.

Questions

Mice in the Apartment
This email asks you to report mice in your kitchen, argue that the whole building is affected, and press management for a date. The tricky part is the middle point: one neighbour's experience has to become a convincing case for building-wide treatment.
Missing a Friend’s Dinner Party
This email is an apology to a friend whose celebration you forgot, plus an offer to make amends. The hard part is sounding sincere and warm without the explanation turning into a list of excuses.
Missing Overtime Pay
This email asks payroll to fix missing overtime, so it needs dates, a supervisor's name and a clear description of the error. The tricky part is giving enough evidence that the payroll clerk can act without writing back for details.
Help with Moving Day
This friendly email asks Jordan to help carry furniture on moving day and offers a thank-you. The tricky part is making a real request with a clear time while still sounding relaxed and not pushy.
French Class Level Change
This email asks a program coordinator to move you out of a French class that is too easy. What makes it tricky is staying polite about a free class and its teacher while clearly proving your level is higher.
Congratulations on a New Baby
This warm email congratulates a close friend on a new baby, offers specific help and asks about visiting. The tricky part is making the offers concrete and the visit request respectful of an exhausted new family.
Disappointing Photography Workshop
This complaint email explains which photography workshop you took, what went wrong and what you want from the school. The tricky part is showing the gap between the advertisement and reality so your request for a refund seems fair.
Community Garden Plot Request
This email introduces you to a community garden coordinator, describes your gardening background and asks about costs, rules and applying. The tricky part is answering three separate questions clearly without the email turning into a list.
News for Grandfather
This email to your grandfather shares news of a new veterinary clinic job, describes a typical workday and suggests a visit. The tricky part is balancing your news with genuine interest in his life so it does not read like a job report.
Unsafe New School Bus Stop
This email asks a school board to move a bus stop that is now on a busy road with no sidewalk. The tricky part is making the danger feel real and suggesting a practical alternative rather than only complaining.
Apology for Missing an Appointment
You missed a scheduled appointment with a service provider. Write an email apologizing, explaining your reason, and asking to reschedule the appointment.
Thank-You After a Food Bank Shift
This prompt asks you to thank a food bank coordinator after your first shift, point out one disorganized task with a fix, and ask to volunteer again. The tricky part is raising a problem tactfully so the email still sounds grateful rather than critical.
Birthday Card for Your Colleague
You’re emailing your team to gather ideas/messages for a birthday card for your colleague, Priya, whose birthday is next Wednesday.
Carpool Coordination
You’re writing to your coworker, Jamie, to organize a weekly carpool to the office starting next Monday.
Coffee Catch-Up
You’re emailing your old classmate, Jordan, to schedule a coffee catch-up next week.
Complaint About a Neighbor’s Pet
Your neighbor’s dog barks loudly every night, disturbing your sleep.
Complaint About Billing Discrepancy
You noticed an error in your recent bill from a service provider. Write an email explaining the issue and requesting a correction.
Six-Hour Wait for a Montreal Flight
This prompt asks you to write to an airline about a six-hour delay that made you miss a family event and cost you money, and to ask for compensation. The tricky part is turning frustration into a calm, factual account with exact costs so the request is easy for the airline to approve.
Complaint about Gym Membership
You recently signed up for a gym membership, but you’ve encountered issues with the facilities or services.
Complaint About Inconsistent Mail Delivery
You have been experiencing inconsistent mail delivery in your neighborhood for the past month. Write an email to the local post office manager to address the issue and request a resolution.
Unreliable Home Internet Contract
This prompt asks you to complain to an internet company about a slow, unstable connection, its effect on your life, and poor customer service. The tricky part is fitting problems, consequences, service history and a clear demand into 200 words while staying firm rather than angry.
Complaint About Late Delivery
You ordered a gift online, but it arrived several days late, missing an important occasion. Write an email to the online retailer’s customer service to complain.
Complaint About Noisy Construction Work
You have been disturbed by loud construction work near your home, especially during early morning and late-night hours.
Damaged Furniture Delivery
You ordered a wooden coffee table from an online furniture store, but it arrived damaged. Write an email to the store’s customer support team to complain.
DIY Home Fix Advice
You’re writing to friend and DIY enthusiast, Priya, asking for tips to fix a leaky kitchen faucet.
Excessive Neighborhood Noise
Your neighborhood has been disturbed by ongoing construction noise from a nearby site. Write an email to the local council to complain about the issue.
Disorganized Thai Cooking Lesson
This prompt asks you to give a community centre feedback on a cooking class that started late and ran short of ingredients and stations. The tricky part is the second point, which combines the negative effect on your learning with what you still enjoyed, so the email must stay balanced.
Online Dinosaur Gallery Tour Feedback
This prompt asks you to give a museum balanced feedback on its online dinosaur tour: what you enjoyed, what went wrong and how to improve it. The tricky part is staying warm and constructive while still describing the technical problems clearly enough to be fixed.
Feedback on New AI-Powered Personal Assistant
You recently purchased an AI-powered personal assistant device but have noticed some limitations. Write an email to the product manager to share your experience and suggest improvements.
Feedback on New Library Services
Your local library recently introduced new services, and you would like to share your feedback.
Feedback on New Recycling Program
Your city recently introduced a new recycling program, and you would like to share your feedback.
Feedback on New Smart Home Security System
You recently installed a new smart home security system but have encountered some issues. Write an email to the company’s customer service manager to provide feedback and request assistance.
Feedback on New Virtual Reality Museum Experience
You recently tried a virtual reality (VR) tour at a local museum. While innovative, you encountered some issues. Write an email to the museum’s program director to share your feedback and suggest improvements.
Reviewing an Online Spreadsheet Course
This prompt asks you to give feedback on an online spreadsheet course: what you liked, what was difficult and how to improve it. The tricky part is making each suggestion answer a specific difficulty, so the feedback feels useful rather than a general list of likes and dislikes.
Feedback on Public Park Renovation
You recently visited a newly renovated public park in your neighborhood. While you appreciate some changes, you’ve noticed issues that need attention. Write an email to the city’s parks department supervisor to share…
Grocery Run Help
You need a favor from your roommate, Taylor, to pick up groceries on their way home today.
Gym-Buddy Check-in
You’re checking in with your workout partner, Mia, to confirm plans for tomorrow’s gym session.
Booking Trouble at a Health Centre
This prompt asks you to tell a health centre manager how a broken booking system and long phone waits delayed your prescription renewal, and how to fix it. The tricky part is explaining the health impact clearly and calmly, then offering practical improvements instead of simply complaining.
Inaccurate Billing
You received a utility bill that contains errors in the charges. Write an email to the utility company’s billing department to complain.
Inquiry About a Job Posting
You saw a job advertisement online, but the posting lacks details about the application deadline and salary.
Reporting a Neighbour's Missing Cat
This prompt asks you to report your elderly neighbour's lost cat to the city, describe the problems you had with its lost pet service, and suggest fixes. The tricky part is combining a clear description of the pet, a complaint about the system and an urgent request for help in one short, polite email.
Laptop Repair Experience
You recently had your laptop repaired at a service center, but there were issues with the repair process or the outcome.
Monthly Budget Chat
You’re writing to your partner, Alex, to set up a time this weekend to review your joint monthly budget.
Movie-Night Lineup
You’re emailing your friends group to suggest films and finalize the lineup for Friday’s movie night.
Neighborhood BBQ Invite
You’re inviting your new neighbor, Sam, to a casual backyard BBQ this Saturday afternoon.
Overcharging for Services
You took your car to a repair shop, but the final bill was much higher than the quoted price. Write an email to the shop manager to complain.
Pet-Sitting Plans
You’re emailing your friend Alex to ask if they can pet-sit your dog, Luna, during your weekend getaway.
Plant-Care Reminder
You’re emailing your housemate, Eva, to remind her to water your indoor plants while you’re away this week.
Proposal for Community Garden
You want to propose the creation of a community garden in your neighborhood.
Unfair Ruling at a Swim Meet
This prompt asks you to tell swim meet organizers about an inconsistent false-start ruling that disqualified you, how it affected you and how to make future meets fairer. The tricky part is showing the unfairness with clear facts while keeping a respectful tone towards volunteer officials.
Request for Additional Public Trash Bins
You have noticed that there are not enough trash bins in public areas, leading to littering problems.
Laptop Still Overheating After Repair
This prompt asks you to write to a repair shop manager about a laptop that still fails after an expensive repair, plus a surprise extra fee. The tricky part is presenting the history clearly and objecting to the charge firmly without sounding accusatory.
Request for Better Road Maintenance
You have noticed that roads in your neighborhood are in poor condition, making driving unsafe.
Request for Clearer Volunteer Scheduling and Communication Improvements
You have recently started volunteering at a local community center. However, you have noticed several problems with how volunteer schedules are organized and communicated. You decide to write an email to the volunteer…
Request for Guest Speaker at Event
You’re organizing a community event and want to invite a guest speaker. Write an email to a potential speaker requesting their participation.
Dark Walkway in an Edmonton Neighbourhood
This prompt asks you to write to your city councillor about broken and dim streetlights, how they affect residents and what should be done. The tricky part is showing why the councillor needs to step in, since the city has ignored earlier reports, while keeping a respectful tone.
Bakery Brochure Translation Errors
This prompt asks you to complain to a translation company whose French version of your bakery menu came back full of errors and a broken layout. The tricky part is giving concrete examples of the mistakes and linking them to a real business cost before asking for a fair remedy.
Request for Personal Time Off
You need a few days off from work for personal reasons. Write an email to your manager requesting personal time off.
Request for Remote Work Policy
Your company does not have a clear remote work policy, and you would like to request one.
Reservations for Dinner
You want to make a dinner reservation at a restaurant for a special occasion.
Rude Staff at a Retail Store
You visited a clothing store last week and experienced rude behavior from the staff. Write an email to the store manager to express your concerns.
Sharing an Airport Lost and Found Experience
You recently lost an item at the airport and contacted the lost and found department. You want to share your experience, whether positive or negative.
Suggestion for a New Community Event
You would like to propose a new event for your community, such as a festival, workshop, or fitness event.
Swimming Competition Incident
You attended a swimming competition, but there was an issue with the organization, timing, or facilities.
Technical Support for Digital Movie Rental Platform
You rented a movie from an online streaming platform, but there were technical issues such as buffering, poor video quality, or incorrect charges.
Unfulfilled Warranty
You purchased a smartwatch from an electronics retailer three months ago with a one-year warranty. The device recently malfunctioned, but the retailer refused to honor the warranty. Write an email to the retailer’s…

How to use these samples

Read the question and answer it yourself first, within the real time limit.
Compare your answer with the Good and Excellent samples. Look at structure and detail, not just words.
Read the notes under each level and pick one thing to change in your next attempt.
Learn the format and template on the Task 1 guide.

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